The 2015 Volvo S80 comes in the luxury sedan class having to compete against offerings from Lexus, Audi and BMW. Usually the Volvo is overlooked, but serious car shoppers need to take a good long look at the S80; once behind the wheel they will find themselves falling in love with this awesome and powerful sedan. With a very popular looking style on the outside, the S80 is packed full of the signature Volvo safety features that have helped to keep this auto maker so popular for a very long time.
The only real change to the S80 for 2015 is the addition of a turbocharged four-cylinder engine as a standard offering to give both power and fuel efficiency to the owner and allow them to experience the best of both worlds in a great luxury car. The S80 shows up with a very roomy interior and first class control features throughout to allow the safest ride possible.
Driving the S80 is truly a pleasure cruise for anyone willing to get behind the wheel. With an expertly tuned suspension that soaks up all road imperfections with ease and a super responsive steering system that responds immediately to any and every steering input the S80 easily maneuvers through highway traffic, sharp curves, and across city streets. Adding to the control is a variety of power options to put in the engine compartment that all offer enough power to shoot the car past others on the highway and take the car from zero to sixty in a very short time span. This great car also offers a seriously quiet cabin, which seems to be the case across the entire Volvo lineup, allowing only the desired musical selections to be heard and road noises to remain outside the vehicle.
Two engines are offered for the V80 that offer a completely different overall priority except one; they both offer plenty of power. The base model T5 engine is the newly designed 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that offers 240 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine allows for a few driving options with an Eco setting that uses an engine shut off feature when idling and a Sport model that offers and improved throttle response. This newly designed engine is mated with the all new eight-speed automatic transmission that allows the entire power train to have its priority set with fuel efficiency instead of power. The only real drawback of this power train is it only comes with front-wheel drive and does not offer an all-wheel drive alternative.
Second on the lineup is the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine called the T6 that offers 300 horsepower and 325 lb.-ft. of torque. Power is the priority with this engine and when this is the selection made the zero to sixty times for this car can come very close to six seconds allowing it to compete with some sports cars for this standard. When paired with the six-speed automatic transmission this power train offers a respectable fuel efficiency of 18 city/25 hwy mpg and is offers as a standard all-wheel drive model. The S80 has a surprising towing capacity of 3,300 pounds when called upon to do so.
The cabin of the S80 is very straightforward and easy to understand. With plenty of space for five full sized adults to be very comfortable on any drive and a vast amount of comfortable materials throughout the cabin the feel is of comfort and style. The interior did receive a bit of an upgrade from last year with the addition of Dark Walnut inlays to add even more appeal and luxury to the already fantastic interior of this great car.
From the outside the S80 offers a very simplistic style that is easy to enjoy and understand. This car will look great in any driveway and obviously surprise any passengers who have never ridden in one. With classis long and simple lines down the side as well as a very nice and subtle curve from the hood to the roofline and back the car isn’t showy, but it is very visually appealing. Add to the finishing touches just the right amount of chrome and beautifully designed spoked wheels and this truly is a car that looks great wherever it is parked.
As a car that is competing with the higher end luxury models, the S80 offers a very nice list of standard features that include the City Safety automatic braking system, leather seating, walnut wood inlays, a seven-inch color display, dual zone climate control, an auto dimming rearview mirror, rain sensing windshield wipers, Sensus infotainment system, Bluetooth connectivity, a pollen filter, a 160-watt eight-speaker audio system that includes HD radio and USB and auxiliary ports. All of this allows the S80 to not only compete, but send some of the other luxury car makers running for the hills when this awesome car comes down the road.
There are two trims to upgrade the base model from for the S80 to offer the optional equipment. These trims are Premier Plus and Platinum. The Premier Plus trim adds the front and rear parking assistant, and a Homelink garage door opener and the Platinum model adds a 12-speaker 650-watt premium audio system, voice controlled navigation, and a rearview camera. Other options include a heated steering wheel, heated windshield, heated front and rear seats, adaptive cruise control, lane departure and collision warning systems, finer leather, and a wooden steering wheel.
With a starting price of $41,500 for the base Volvo S80 T5 the price is actually very reasonable considering the car for the money including the signature Volvo offerings. Moving up to the T6 starts the price at $45,000 which is still reasonable for the added power and control of AWD. By selecting all the options and packaged the S80 can climb north of $56,000 in a hurry, but this is still a very class-friendly price considering the competition.
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