Volvo S80 V8 AWD Full Review

[@ericb0207]

It's both a blessing and a curse being a swede - Tons of Volvos at great prices and very reasonable costs for parts, but almost 8$ a gallon!

[@RideOnBudget]

I was fortunate enough to visit Sweden a few years back. Such an amazing country! I lucked out and had a S90 T8 as a rental car, and got to check out the Volvo Museum while I was there too. It was so cool seeing so many unique and modified Volvos on the road there! If it makes you feel any better, I was up on the coast of Northern California this past week - gas was over $5 a gallon there, so it's not that much better here, at least right now. ;-p

[@peterschooling3123]

I have an S80 V8 (65,000kms) here in Australia. Smooth, luxurious, quiet, very safe and with the most comfortable seats of any car I've driven. This is a true GT sedan that you can drive fast over long distances in supreme comfort. The 650W 12 speaker Dynaudio system is excellent. And the sound of the Yamaha V8 is awesome even with stock exhaust. This is a massively underated car. My other drive is a 1997 E39 535i - another superb 'old school' car.

[@RideOnBudget]

You have quite the fleet! I had an '01 525i Wagon for years, it really was an awesome car. I actually did a review about it that's posted to my channel too, you should check it out! I'm jealous of your Dynaudio system, and especially that 650W amplifier! I've replaced all the speakers in my S80 and installed a sub too. It sounds great, but I can only imagine how much better it would be with more wattage pumping through the system. Did the Dynaudio system come with a subwoofer? And if so, I'm curious, where is it located? Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@peterschooling3123]

@@RideOnBudget No subwoofer, but the quality and number of speakers enables you to crank the bass up sufficiently for my needs. The 'Class D' digital amplifier is apparently what gives it the punch and clarity. The 2 centre speakers also allow for full surround sound. Always a tough call though - music or the Yamaha V8!

[@RideOnBudget]

Nice! It's pretty amazing what modern class D Amplifiers are capable of, both in power and clarity.

[@Mark__A]

@@RideOnBudget I got the Dynaudio too, and spoken with a car stereo shop. They said the only option is under the passenger seat, 8" sub. Also some sound dampening behind the door cards then. May I going to pull the trigger.

[@Mark__A]

I had an XC90 V8 for two years. But most importantly, I got my S80 V8 for 9 years now. This is my forever car. All options, amazing spec, polestar wheels, facelifted grill, lamps, steering wheel, pedals... Ticks so many boxes.

[@magnificent7238]

I'm a Saab guy so is my big family.. for some reason, with no plan in prior, two days ago I bought S80 t6 2013 with 69000 km.. and I really love it. Volvo is underrated brand that's for sure.

[@mikaeljonsson4686]

Why oh why didn´t Volvo put that glorious V8 in the V70 with awd and the adaptive suspension? That had been awesome!

[@RideOnBudget]

Agreed! My best guess is that it could have taken away sales from the XC-90. But still, it was a missed opportunity! I wonder if anyone has done a V8 swap into an S70 yet...?

[@tyler9381]

seriously looking to pick up one of these and i’m just feeding my urge by watching every single youtube video on these 😮‍💨

[@RideOnBudget]

Thanks for checking out my review! I had a sense of uncertainty when I first got the car, the only Volvos I was really familiar with at the time were the 70s/80s/90s RWD ones. But I really loved those and had great experiences with them, so I decided to roll the dice. I got the car about 5 years ago, and have put on ~40k miles since acquiring it. All in all it's been super solid and truly an incredible value for the money. I actually filmed this video a couple years ago, and only got around to posting it recently. I'm going to be releasing some new videos soon regarding cost of ownership, must do modifications, and more, so make sure to stay tuned!

[@noahallen7992]

I got a 2010 a couple months ago with 35k miles and absolutely love it

[@RideOnBudget]

That's awesome, you really hit the lottery finding one with that low of miles! Congrats on the new acquisition!

[@taurussho86]

Nice, found a '12 S60 AWD with 42k on the dash

[@RideOnBudget]

Great find! Scoring one with mileage that low is basically like getting a brand new car.

[@laszlovona]

@@RideOnBudget I am about buy a 2009 s80 T6 with 445tkm haha.. it is 280k miles. but we say that we do buy 'condition' and not mileage don't we? 😜

[@RideOnBudget]

@Vona Laszlo That's so true! Chances are, if it's made it to that mileage, it's been well taken care of. When these cars are well maintained they definitely can last! I'm planning on doing a video going over my long term maintenance costs, so make sure to stay tuned. Thanks for commenting!

[@MiguelSanchez-nv9uj]

You think you can get more power out of it? And can the transmission handle it?

[@HonJazzz]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the car. I’m looking to pick one up soon.

[@sidlazzar1002]

I have an 03 none turbo I bought back in November and I love it. Feel ya on the maintenance part, mine is high mileage, needed a new catalytic converter, need a new heater core but I bypassed it myself since it’s summer and it would have been 1200 for that job but for the most part it’s a lot of car for the money 😍and they’re beautiful solid cars! Love yours

[@rondibert2701]

Nice review 👍😎👍 I have an 08, V8 with pretty much everything. I definitely agree that overall it's quite a nice vehicle, especially since they're under the radar and don't command as high a price as their competition. But the maintenance... Ugh, not easy on the wallet. The active suspension replacement I did was a real eye opener...$1,600 and I did it myself. Mine needs valve cover gaskets done right now and I'm putting it off because of everything it entails. Overall, yes... it's definitely a good car to have. I had an 09 S80 with the 3.2 and this V8 is superior in every way. Also, the DynAudio system is soooo much better than the regular one.

[@MediKombi]

Excellent review! I’ve got a 2008 Volvo XC90 V8 Sport in Titanium Gray Metallic. Absolutely love this car. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[@RideOnBudget]

Thank you! I really appreciate you watching and giving your feedback. That XC sounds like an awesome ride!

[@peterhayden7136]

I have this car too , In this colour too , mine has the parking sensors and premium sounds also the factory gps and reversing camera , also a factory spare wheel . I love it man . Sexy fast and different

[@RideOnBudget]

Nice, it sounds like just about every option was installed on yours, you definitely lucked out! I'm curious, is the factory spare a full sized one, and if so, how does it fit in there? I've tried fitting a fifth wheel and tire in my spare well, but it was too tall to fit properly. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@peterhayden7136]

@@RideOnBudget it has the skinny ride flat type wheel and it’s in a blow moulded spare holder , fits really nicely in the low part of the boot with all the tools , it only allows travel at 80kph max but will get you home :)

[@DDDD-z2e]

Front Sway bars, windshield washer tank leaks, valve cover leaks, all common problems but it's a great car to drive. Had an 07 and upgraded to 2010 same problems with both and lots of comments match as well.

[@candidotorres1852]

Nice car good review 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@RideOnBudget]

Thanks, that means a lot to me! I really appreciate you watching the video and commenting too. Happy motoring!

[@lotoinelegatsby4143]

Mine was lowered by the last owner who consequently bashed up the steering rack and oil pan on a bad road.

[@RideOnBudget]

Sounds like you at least got a car with a brand new steering rack and oil pan! Lol! My steering rack was actually replaced by the previous owner of my car as well. It's still working fine, but I'm now wondering what the story was behind that!

[@thanksalot2996]

Nice! They’re beautiful cars 4sho

[@mikaeljonsson4686]

Thx for a nice video!

[@RideOnBudget]

Glad you liked it!

[@kendellmclaren5636]

I would like you to do a comparison between that and the V.W. Phaeton. I'm stuck between those 2.

[@RideOnBudget]

That would be a sweet match up! If I ever run across a Phaeton, I definitely will. Based on my limited knowledge, I think the Volkswagen would probably beat out the Volvo as far as luxury is concerned, but the S80 is likely to come out on top in regards to its reliability and over all cost of ownership.

[@scottysvensson]

@@RideOnBudget r u serious about vw? Kidding right? 🤔

[@RideOnBudget]

@@scottysvenssonThe comparison of luxury is only in regards to the Phaeton. It was larger, shared the Bentley Continental platform, and was basically handmade in a dedicated factory, so in this case I think it beats out the S80.

[@brokearcader6625]

So do the lowering springs mess with the automated suspension? Or do you have to buy a special setup?

[@RideOnBudget]

No special setup that I know of. I bought the car already lowered, I actually didn't even know it had been done at the time of purchase. The front struts had been replaced earlier on by the previous owner, and while I assume that was done after the springs, I don't actually know the order of installations. I haven't driven any other Volvos of the same platform, much less with the Four-C suspension configuration, so honestly it's tough for me to gauge as I have no other experiences to base it on. The difference between all four modes is definitely still very noticeable. The majority of the time I'm driving it, I'll have it in Comfort mode. When I want to get the most precision out of it, I'll go with Advanced. I used Sport mode the least, but sometime when on the highway, it seems like the best fit.

[@StudioMargalima]

Question from European here: How well does it (2007-2009 edition) work in the (steep) hills and mountain? Based on V8 and torque it must be easypeasy and smooth as butter, one would expect? Anyone got experience?

[@RideOnBudget]

It's a blast! Especially when the roads are evenly paved and well maintained. Usually in those settings I'll click the transmission into manual mode and select the advanced suspension option, that, along with the all wheel drive system, makes for an awesome time!

[@StudioMargalima]

@@RideOnBudget That sounds so promising. Volvo maybe is not your most swinging and badass brand (however the recent type S60s is a beast visually, specs i don't know, i'm not an expert on car mechanics), but gotta love it. For the future i'm searching for a an ox-like steady and motor-wise bulky and strong luxury-but more importantly-comfortable travel/drivers car (second hand) who can manage to uphold on the Autobahn in the somewhat higher speed realms (140+ km/h), for a prolonged period of time. (and, on a sidenote, so that one can maybe even hold it up a little against the big German 3 :) ) Based on multiple reviews the 80 seems to the perfect contender.

[@StudioMargalima]

@@RideOnBudget Thanks for the reply

[@dso8018]

It's AWD

[@giulianocorbisiero5004]

Hi I have a question about your Bluetooth hookup .. i would like to use my phone handsfree on my Volvo V70 ? Any suggestions on components please? Thanks Giuliano

[@RideOnBudget]

I found mine on Amazon years ago, so I don't know if the exact model I have is still offered. However, I'm sure there are many similar options available today. It's a simple device, so I'll try to break it down to what it has, to give you an idea of what you want to be looking for. The Bluetooth adapter has three buttons, two cords, and a built in microphone. The buttons control start/pause/answer and end a call, previous, and forward. As for the cords, the first cord is a 3.5mm jack that plugs into the AUX port build into the car's stereo, the other one is for powering the device and it plugs into a USB port or cigarette lighter. And lastly, the microphone is for hands free calling. Hope this helps, and happy motoring!

[@giulianocorbisiero5004]

@@RideOnBudget thank you I will try and find one now

[@TERRORoftheLORD]

(Just a heads-up, your volume is a bit quiet).

[@flop9326]

Does it take 87? Looking at buying one but gas where I’m at is crazy expensive.

[@RideOnBudget]

I honestly don't know. I've read online that you can, but have only run 91 (Premium here in California) in mine, and the previous owner stated he did as well. While the V8 is surprisingly efficient considering its size and power, it's still a thirsty engine. On the highway with the cruise set at 65, I'll see 25 mpg... However with usual daily driving which is a mix of highway jaunts and city streets, the mileage falls somewhere around 17, give or take a couple miles in either direction. Thanks for commenting!

[@flop9326]

@@RideOnBudget ah I understand. I’m in Canada and gas is super expensive. 91 is like $6 a gallon on days when it’s cheap so I can’t afford to run that. I enjoyed the video

[@RideOnBudget]

@Flop I can relate, prices have been high here in California recently too. It's for sure been a bummer, but that said, I still think it's worth it given all these cars have to offer... But I am a little bit biased! The P3 S80 was offered with other engine variants that had fewer cylinders, some with turbos, and different drivetrain layouts (FWD vs AWD), all of which I'd imagine could offer better gas mileage, but I'm not familiar enough with any of them personally to throw out exact numbers. If you're considering one these cars, definitely check out some of my other videos - I've since published additional ones about the S80 and will be creating more in the near future too. Thanks a lot for watching and taking time to give your feedback, I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

[@roymcdre9180]

My friend says he runs 87 in his

[@kukukachoo1173]

Yes, I run 87 in mine

[@mampe8898]

I drove it here in finland when its was new. I always vanted one but is was too expesive my wallet 😅😅 but very very good car. 2006 cost 89200e.

[@RideOnBudget]

Yeah, that's very understandable. It's amazing to think that they cost that much new, and that was over 15 years ago! That's sweet you got to drive one though!

[@touraneindanke]

It’s so deserving of Michelin tyres. You will notice the silence even with winter tyres.

[@michelangelothegreat6183]

Weird, my 2007 S80 V8 has a spare in the trunk…

[@dso8018]

Good car

[@АЛАНБУЛГАРСКИЙ]

Вольво мощная машина .

[@RideOnBudget]

Согласованный! (I agree!) ;-p

[@chrisosgood100]

He looks and sounds like Nicholas Cage.

[@anonymoususer1824]

Awd has zero improvement in the rain. Why do people say this??? Tires are what make a difference 😉. And awd is useless in the snow with 3 season tires (4 season tires are marketing bs). I di want this car as a former T5 S80 owner though.

[@ramonbs6075]

The tires make the 90% of the safety during rain, the AWD do the other 10%. And that 10% is crucial when you ride fast.

[@danielk4155]

You sound and manbe even look a little bit like Nick Cage

[@dso8018]

U SPEAK TOO FAST...GO SLOW FOR IMPROVEMENT OF VIDEO