Owning a Volvo S80

Advantages: Extremely well built reliable and comfortable vehicle
Disadvantages: Very low to the ground and can be thirsty on fuel

...The Volvo S80 is the Volvo flagship and inherits the build quality and reliability that Volvo is renown for. The smooth six-cylinder engine is quiet and reliable but if pushed can be thirsty with less than 18 mpg. Its not a BMW 528 and so you cant throw the S80 around in the same manner; but on the other hand its built with so many safety features you are at least safe and extremely comfortable. Its capable of 145 mph where the plod turn a blind eye and at 100 mph your passengers will never guess your going that fast! Volvo servicing is excellent and the agents tend to ?look? after you like no other dealers, but again don?t expect cheap prices this is a £30,000+ car and when it does need parts, they wont be cheap! Comfort is the big thing with this car, the moment you sink into the leather interior and adjusting the seat...

Bigbadbob 23.10.2002 · Read review
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Review of Volvo S80 2.9 

1992 Volvo 480 Turbo (1721cc)

Advantages: Quick, fun, cheap
Disadvantages: Some niggles, interior quality

...Having owned my Volvo 480 for a little over a year now, i feel its about time to write a proper review for it. Having been a member of the invaluable online owners club and forum (www.volvo-480-europe.org) for some time before buying i felt infromed as to what to look for and had already walked away from a couple of cheaper / worse condition examples. Hard though it may be to do, its the only way you're going to enjoy your 480, read up before you go and let someone else buy the cursed ones! I bought mine for £671 from a forum member through an ebay auction, which i still think was a bargin. There are cheaper 480's out there but to get any car with a full years MOT and some tax for that price has to be excellent value. Especially since there is no depreciation to cripple you, you should be able to sell a 480 on without any loss...

owen080808 27.04.2007 (12.04.2007) · Read review
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Review of Volvo 480

Volvo 440 1.7 automatic

Advantages: Performs well, very reliable, comfortable, practical, roomy
Disadvantages: Not as well built as some Volvos

...Nearly 7 years ago I bought a nice Volvo 440 1.7 automatic from a fireman who was selling it for something bigger to accommodate his ever growing family. I saw the car for sale in the local press and went to have a look at it. I was very pleased with the car, it had a lot of creature comforts you would expect (central locking, electric front windows, electric sunroof, power assisted steering and a height adjustable front seet - which is very important if, like me, you have short legs !). Driving the car was a pleasure - very comfortable, and although the car is quite low to the ground this was not a problem as you could raise the drivers seat. The car handled very well and because these Volvos are quite light, it was very nippy too. I was also pleased with the insurance costs too. I cannot recall the exact figure but I do know...

Buenosdias 20.11.2003 (13.12.2003) · Read review
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Review of Volvo 440

XC90 T6 Exec. MPV = More Please, Volvo!

Advantages: Most stylish 4X4, hugely roomy, very comfortable, good value for money
Disadvantages: Expensive second hand, needs bigger engine, may not fit your garage

...I am very much aware that my wife is by a long way NOT alone in being a fan of this particular car. A good couple of years after its launch Volvo still have a healthy waiting list for them. That means two things; 1) Volvo actually under-priced this car when they launched it and; 2) that of all the 4X4's on the market the XC90 makes by far the most sound financial sense, its' residual (second hand) value is second to none. Volvo were undoubtedly surprised by the runaway success of their very first entry into the proper 4x4, or as the Americans would call it SUV, Sport Utility Vehicle, market. Sure, they had dabbled with four wheel drive versions of the V70 Estate, but this was a totally new departure for this ultra conservative Swedish firm. However with Fords financing and marketing know how, Volvo have powered from strength to...

RICHADA 03.05.2005 · Read review
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Review of Volvo XC90

volvo 850

Advantages: Loads of boot space, loads of extras and excellent safety
Disadvantages: Repairs can cost, Relatively low MPG (25mpg)

...Volvo's...square,ugly old peoples cars. Well no. The 850 released in about 1994 was part of the big image change for volvo and was the first step in the V70 evolution. T The basic car an 850SE 20v was better than most of its opponents and was cheap. The 850 is built like a brick but fortunately doesnt look like one as much as the older Volvos. Some may say that it looks like a slab but what do you expect from a big estate car with the legendary huge volvo boot?. The 850 carries Volvo's reputation for being tremendously safe cars, and now with airbags in the front and between the 3inch thick doors and comfy seats, this is no exeption. The base model does about 125mph at a respectable 10.4secs or if you buy the T5 or R version, you will be burning off those sportscars, as they reach 60 in under 7 seconds. The interior is not bad...

LimpBizkitUK 01.07.2001 (04.09.2002) · Read review
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Review of Volvo 850

Good - but not the best Volvo S60

Advantages: Style, performance, comfort, good economy for performance, well built
Disadvantages: Not S60 prime model

...privileged guests, pretty much able to test drive anything on the market today. In previous years I have tried several Volvos, all in fact diesels, S80's and S60's with manual or automatic transmissions. The S60 D5 will be subject of a dedicated review as I have many more hundreds of miles experience with that to tell you about! Last year dished up the ideal weather conditions in which to try that most reassuring of marques Volvo! The rain lashed down and there were force 6 side winds blowing. For me these are absolutely the best conditions in which to thoroughly test any car, if you like it in truly rotten weather conditions then you are not going to dislike it when the sun shines! Before arriving we had actually made a conscious decision not to drive an S60 at Millbrook this year. Having chosen the S60 D5 as a replacement for my four...

RICHADA 14.05.2005 · Read review
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Review of Volvo S60 T5

My 1994 Volvo 2.0 20v GLT 7 Seater estate.

Advantages: Loads of space, comfortable ultra-safe.
Disadvantages: Thirsty if you are heavy footed. Parts can be expensive.

...(double width). Finding a double din cd player is going to cost me about £100. The heated seats do not work, but I haven't checked the fuse yet. The rear door panel rattles and is loose, a common fault due to age I believe, although there is a repair kit on a well known auction site for approxiamately £10 so it isn't going to break the bank. This car will comfortably seat 4 adults, 2 smaller children and a toddler on the arm rest booster seat. The only concern I had was a rear end crash with the kids in the boot, I assume that Volvo wouldn't have allowed the seats to be there without stringent testing first. THE COSTS OF OWNERSHIP As I said I have recently had some work done to it, which may seem expensive but in my mind isn't bad and I'll explain why. Two front tyres were low, new ones fitted balanced. £70 the pair...

safariman72 14.01.2007 · Read review
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Review of Volvo 850

Nikon D80 DSLR + 18-135mm Nikkor lens

Advantages: perfect grip, large prismatic viewfinder
Disadvantages: doesn't have internal memory

... Nikon D80 My first real DSLR camera, which I have become addict to even if it requires me to learn a lot and keep challenging myself into operating it better and better ammoed with knowledge. It had been my dream to own a SLR camera, I've always had a passion for the big cameras and I was jealous of the pro photographers and the pictures they got. When I was little, my parents had an old Czech-made camera including all the stuff you need to develop the pictures yourself at home and so we were always full of photographs of me and my brother, that's where I started to love the stuff. Unfortunately the old equipment doesn't work anymore and my first camera was a simple automatic one and even if I liked to take pictures, I soon found out how expensive it was to have them developed and to buy new and new films. Now, in the age...

jeaniecz 22.06.2008 (09.07.2008) · Read review
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Review of Nikon D80

Volvo 850 T5 CD

Advantages: perfomance, safety, load capacity
Disadvantages: none

...Almost four years ago I bought a Volvo 850 T5 Auto CD Estate. The new V70 had just come out - a rebadging exercise - so I got a secondhand car price for a car with 50 miles on the clock. The car is a dream to drive, it handles like a sports car, is a comfortable as a limo, can carry more than most vans, and is as safe as a Volvo. To date I have 90,000 miles on the clock, and, although not a speed freak, have tested its acceleration and top speed in Europe, and not been dissappointed. It has had to have the aircon topped up, and the electronic key fob has been tempramental about five times(the extra one I bought is different in design and doesn't have the same foibles). The service by Lancaster Volvo was faultless, but the Volvo dealer in Burnley was poor and returned the car without the turbo connected - so much for their road test! all...

powerful 11.12.2000 · Read review
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Review of Volvo 850

VOLVO 850 T5R

Advantages: Just read and you will find out!
Disadvantages: Servicing should be completed regularly and some problems can persist in some vehicles.

...So, everybody likes the Volvo 850 range. But which is the best, which is the ultimate, which is the fastest, the sportiest, the most quality of all 850 models? Well, it has to be the T5R We have had our T5R for a couple of years, and we paid around 16K for it. It was second-hand but with very low mileage, excellant condition and in the Primula yellow we wanted. As it stands with its 17 inch alloys and extra low profile tyres, the semi-tinted glass against the yellow paintwork... ...it looks very smart. Get in, and the leather seats are very comfortable. The driving position is excellant with full seat movement at a touch of a button. Then the engine starts... It is quiet, very quiet and the usual Volvo whirr can be heard. So, its a volvo with alloys. Not quite... Infact it is also very fast. It can beat a Porsche 911, and the car...

andy500 14.06.2001 (15.07.2001) · Read review
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Review of Volvo 850