Hi. I bought my 2000 S80 T6 from Turners auction 4 years ago. The next day driving along the motorway and the bloody thing cut out with no warning. I had to stop then start it again; fortunetly the traffic was bumper to bumper otherwise I would not be typing this. Turns out that the airflow meter was playing up. Now a word for new players - there are other garages that you can take your car to who also repair Volvos and they are way cheaper than Archibalds. Other than the above I had a Turbo oil leak but fortuneately I had a warranty. 4years down the track and its started to leak again but not much. Unfortunately for me - I really enjoy my car and am looking at a later model. I like how fast this thing can move - unreal and add to this all the electrics, etc, etc. I have become a fan.
ryanm2,
Dec 17, 5:34am
late 90's early 00's model probably is what im looking at. Dont know much about the S80's. Any engine to stay away from!
hoonin,
Dec 17, 5:36am
yesyou should away from any engine that has the volvo brand on it. very simple really unless you have loads of cash to waste on repairs and dont mind driving a barge with wheels other than that id say go for it
chippy_45,
Dec 17, 5:37am
volvo. what could possibly go wrong!
im_andrew,
Dec 17, 5:41am
obviously only applies to cars.
Volvo trucks and busses are some of the best in the world.
thejazzpianoma,
Dec 17, 5:47am
Firstly, ignore the uniformed and loudmouth idiots above. At the moment the Volvo V40 is named as one of the most reliable cars on the road www.reliabilityindex.co.uk.
Now that said the S80 is a bit of a special case. Its a high performance machine (especially the twin turbo one) and like any twin turbo high performance car it has its quirks. Especially as the S80 has a particularly comprehensive array of advanced electronics etc.
If cheap transport is what you are after then its not the car for you. If you want a high performance car for very little outlay with the appreciation that its going to cost more to service than a Corolla it might be the car for you, and I can give some further buying advice. like avoiding Singaporean ones, being aware of the quite high cost of cambelt replacement etc.
If reliability is what you are after you may be better off with a good S60 with the 2.5 Turbo engine. They are great value and a well looked after one can be quite forgiving on maintenance. You do need to be aware though that in NZ there is no 3rd party Volvo parts importer and Volvo NZ are taking the absolute piss on pricing. This can be circumnavigated by ordering online whenever you do a cambelt or big service.
I would suggest you also seriously consider the VW/Audi Products. A W8 Passat or Audi can potentially be a lot cheaper to look after as they are easy to access for servicing and parts are about as cheap as you get for a performance vehicle. Good luck!
ryanm2,
Dec 17, 5:48am
I know 2 people that have Volvos', 1 being an S80 the other a T5R, both love their cars. Bang for buck they are superb. Do us kiwis just hate some european cars for no reason! Ive never considered buying a volvo until now (mostly because of the hideous 850 wagons they used to race in the BTCC)
mcscottwgtn,
Dec 17, 5:50am
Wonder what effect the Chinese new owners will have on quality! Have driven the xc60 - sweet.
thejazzpianoma,
Dec 17, 5:52am
It isnt a case of "no reason" its just been the result of having an industry that almost completely revolves around used Japanese imports, that's what separates us from the rest of the world. You get to a tipping point where the exaggerated claims of car salesmen takes hold of the entire industry.
The Volvo can be a good choice but it is one Euro car that actually does have fairly expensive local parts and there is some truth with the S80 to particular issues being expensive. However with care and common sense these issues can be circumnavigated to a degree.
thejazzpianoma,
Dec 17, 5:55am
BTW another way of looking at it is an S80 can be so very cheap to buy if something major did come up you could potentially sell it "as is" and only lose say 3K in the process. not too bad a risk for a vehicle that is late model, safe and incredibly high performance.
jsbike,
Dec 17, 6:04am
i'd buy one, as long is its not a singapore import. My friend had a twin turbo one from there, endless problems! Though when it did go, it went like a cut cat!
cantab1971,
Dec 17, 6:27am
my 2 cents worth, because i quite like volvo's (and this has nothing to do with me selling one). we looked at S80's and did a bit of homework on them, the S40's and S60's. we eventually settled on the V70, which isn't that much different (its the wagon). I've driven a lot of big cars because i travel and hire cars all the time.the falcons and commodores and some toyotas from Avis.and I can tell you the volvo's are WAY superior! they are a better drive, more comfortable, better appointed and of course the safest car you can drive! heaps better build quality. i'd have a 2nd hand volvo over a new ford,holden any day.even new those cars are crap, especially inside. they must have worked out how to design an interior for $9.95 :)Volvo's are in a different world. I like 'em. selling ours cos its way too big for my wife who is finally going to learn to drive. but big is good.when some moron boy racer smacks into you, they will fold up against the side of your S80. happy hunting! and don't discount the singapore imports - its very much dependant on the individual car and who imported it etc. do your homework and you can have a brilliant car for a fraction of the price of inferior ones.
cantab1971,
Dec 17, 6:30am
sorry, if i can indulge in another post, because i didn't answer your engine question. in my opinion the 2 litre engine in an S80 will be quite under-powered. the S80 is around the same weight as a ford falcon.get one of the bigger engines :)
cantab1971,
Dec 17, 6:46am
sorry.one more to back up thejazzpianoma post.the volvo dealers/servicers in Auckland charge like wounded bulls and won't share things like how to re-program computers to accept 2nd hand parts etc. we stopped funding their gin and tonics and found a local mechanic who's been very good. so don't think you have to take your S80 to volvo to get things done! (we haven't had to do much, just quirky stuff like the cabin temp sensor linked to the air-con, and another was the central locking mechanism). i'll shut up now.
foxdonut,
Dec 17, 6:47am
I'm interested to hear thoughts and experiences on this too since I'm considering an early to mid 00's S60 myself.
Interesting note about the parts, I guess thats one of the reasons they seem to be priced as low as they are.
The other tempting option is. Alfa Romeo 156 (yes, I know I know.)
thejazzpianoma,
Dec 17, 6:52am
Nothing wrong with a 156. If you stick to the 2.0 with a proper manual transmission and appreciate that you need to change the cambelt including variator regularly they are excellent, reliable, economical and most of all FUN motoring.
BTW, if you are going to keep it a long time and are fairly mechanical its worth learning to change your own cambelts. On the twinspark its not as hard as you would think.
Alfa's are another one with easily available cheap parts too.
russ6,
Dec 17, 6:53am
When Ford took over Volvo things went downhill somewhat
foxdonut,
Dec 17, 7:01am
Same age and similar options (leather etc) which would you pick! Volvo or Alfa. I suspect I already know the answer, but choose with your head not your heart :)
thejazzpianoma,
Dec 17, 7:04am
Well it depends entirely on what you are looking for, ones a light and nimble sports sedan the other is a mobile armchair. I wouldn't rate one over the other in terms of reliability/running costs. Both require careful assessment of the car in question to get a good one and both are good value.
The Volvo is the safer car of course. The Alfa has cheaper parts in NZ. If you wanted Auto then the Volvo would be my choice and if you wanted manual you have to go Alfa pretty much.
I suspect the decision will be obvious once you have had a good drive of both. (I am not saying I know which one you will pick, just that they are poles apart)
In terms of which one would I pick personally, it would depend on what I am looking for at the time. I have had first hand experience with both and appreciate them both equally but for different purposes/reasons.
phillip.weston,
Dec 17, 7:10am
how little you know.
thejazzpianoma,
Dec 17, 7:14am
+1 reminds me of that saying. Better to say nothing and be considered a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
foxdonut,
Dec 17, 7:18am
I'm more interested in a "stupid car" right now, There isn't and probably won't ever be a "Mrs Foxdonut" or "Fox jnr's" to deal with. I don't concern myself with the cost of gas and I prefer cars with two doors and no back seat.
Its a concern that the Volvo parts may be hard to find but from what I'm reading around the place there are two types of Volvo - those that go forever and never need anything or those that suffer catastrophic failure the minute you pay for them.
I like them both, but I see them both as nice looking, comfy to drive FF commuters rather than racers or pacers.
msigg,
Dec 17, 9:37am
Yes papariccardo that is a nice wagon, don't like the look of the $2000 dollars spent on the 35000km its done past its presumably 100,000km warranty. Just goes to show you they can soak up your money if you have problems, and the more extras you have the more problems !. good luck.
cantab1971,
Dec 17, 4:57pm
hi.i know we're not supposed to promote specific auctions on the message board, but this thread kind of lead there.so hope its ok to answer!a big chunk of the $2000 spent on car 339938399 was on new brake disks put in by the Volvo guys in Auckland. It as a BIG bill that doesn't really reflect on the cars reliability i don't think! (purchaser will get the receipts). ok, as you were.
zephyrheaven,
Dec 17, 6:00pm
parts pricing drove our family away from them, say a rear wheel bearing for an S80! Insane
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