I like the way this car looks and drives a lot. There are cars that provide a more luxurious ride, cars that have sportier handling, cars that are a bit quicker, but the Volvo S80 blends all these qualities in harmony, creating a general purpose vehicle that is hard to beat if you are looking for a sedan that offers safety, value, comfort, style and performance.

The S80 is loaded with unobtrusive technology. In terms of safety, I value the full complement of dual-sensitivity air bags. The side-impact air bags are triggered by lateral acceleration as would be experienced in a roll-over accident and extend the entire length of the cabin, protecting the rear-seat passengers as well as the front. The dual-sensitivity sensors activate the air-bags depending upon the severity of the impact and whether the front seat occupants are belted. Another important safety innovation is the WHIPS seating system. The front seats are designed to absorb the impact of a rear-end collision, minimising the incidence of whiplash, one of the most common automobile injuries.

The in-line 6 cylinder engine is very quiet and smooth and is mounted transversely. This configuration allows the short length of the vehicle for such a roomy interior and may provide an extra margin of safety in a frontal impact. The straight six cylinder configuration is well known for it's natural balance and pleasant exaust note but afficianados may be disappointed as the exaust is barely audible in the passenger cabin and only under acceleration.

I would have purchased the non-turbo S80 if the Tiptronic transmission was available since the standard 2.9l engine produces plenty of power for typical driving but the lure of manual shifting was too great. Although the transmission shift points are computer controlled and adjusts for driving style, I find myself using the Triptronic manual shift feature to effortlessly select a lower gear when descending long or steep grades. This minimizes use of the brakes. The automatic transmission allows the car to coast more easily than other cars on the road and will quickly pick up speed on a long grade if the brakes are not applied. Fortunately, the S80 is equipped with very impressive stopping power thanks to the four large discs. I have never felt even a hint of brake fade even under the most aggressive conditions. Some drivers have complained the brakes are too sensitive and they do take a little getting used to. The anti-lock feature works very well on snow and ice. It seems to stop the vehicle more quickly on slippery surfaces than other anti-lock systems I have experienced. The optional Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) works better than expected in the few snow tests I have done. The speed at which the system kicks in makes it perform it's duties inconspicuously. For this reason Volvo engineers have provided a triangular dash light that flashes to warn the driver conditions are becoming marginal.

The S80 T-6 has consistently produced 23 MPG in everyday driving, mixed highway, rural, city and 25 MPG after trips with mostly highway travel. While not exceptional, I feel this is well above average for a car of this size with this much luxury and sporty acceleration to boot. With the 21 gallon tank this produces an impressive range.

Despite a few issues with the 1999 S80 the 2000 model has proven surprisingly trouble free so far. My S80 had one minor defect that showed up in the first 1000 miles and will be repaired during the first 7500 mile service and no other problems. The S80 is built at the home plant of Volvo in Gothenberg Sweden.

In case it's not already obvious, I like this car a lot and am giving it high marks for value since it beats other cars in it's price range hands down. My comments are based upon over four months of driving the car as my primary vehicle.