2003 Volvo S80 2.9T from North America - Comments

Both headlights died about a week after purchase.

Seats are flattening quickly

The This winter the car wouldn't start after being outside in 15 degree weather. The car starts to choke at 80 mph. I have two friends who have this car and they said their car did choked at high speed too.

The car has been getting poor mileage even on the highway.

Electrical system has a mind of its own.

The car annoyingly slow even with twin turbos. Off the start the car is like moving a bus. Even the 50-7o mph time is sluggish. I own a cool little device that measures the 0-60 and anything else you want it to. It said that the 2003 volvo's 0-60 was 8.3 seconds and my old 1985 saab 900s sedan's 0-60 was 7.9. The Saab even seemed quicker on the highway. The device said that the Saab's 0-100 was 1.9 seconds quicker than the Volvo's Luckily, I kept the Saab and I drive it most of the time.

In general, the majority of turbo-engined cars are slow off the mark, if they are not given plenty of revs when moving off. This is due to the turbo not being fully spooled up until a certain rpm point. Electronics do tend to make things better (by regulating the turbo pressure and playing with the waste-gate where fitted), but the problem cannot be totally eliminated: To regulate turbo pressure you *have* to have exhaust gases to spin that turbo fan... Large heavy automatic vehicles are particularly affected, as they feature high inertia AND the torque converter slip - and both have to be overcome by the engine at near idle speed when moving off.

On the other hand, lighter vehicles, especially, manuals are less affected due to the fact that you may move off by revving the engine hard (and slip/"burn" the clutch). As they say there's no substitute for cubic inches- at least at this particular case...

You have to compare the performance with that one published.

Saab is much lighter with the same power.

Also the time lag of turbo and the automatic can be a cause as very well explained the other reader.

I am going to Chile next month and wish to buy a 2004

S 80 2.5 T.

Does anyone please have any comments on that car? I am in Cape Town South Africa and here as in Chile the car sells for about $ 54 000.

Thank you.

Klaus Broszeit.

Volvo advertised the 'Twin Turbo' design as having been designed with smaller turbos therefore less mass and faster spool up times to eliminate turbo lag. Waste gate pressures settings also impact turbo lag. The Volvo S80 T6 fails to meeet the expectations set by the Volvo Marketing team. A vehicle with a Premium Price and 'early KIA' quality. Trade me a new KIA for my S-80 T6 and I would be elated. At least a KIA doesn't spend most of its life in the repair shop.

Interesting review re your S80. I believe 1st off the 0-60 time in the volvo is slower because you are now heavier then when you had the saab. 2nd the would also explain the seat cushioning giving way gettting flatter. finally the special device you mention you own is called a stop watch. easily enough to aquire at any store or ebay,

Stop watches are not very accurate for testing 0-60 times. I suspect the "special device" the reviewer refers to is the motion activated laser timer type device used for testing times more accurately.