Hi there everyone this is my first time on this site so bear with me! I've just had my fingers badly burnt with my 51 plate BMW 320td SE Compact - turbo went twice at a cost of £1200 and I'm putting it up for sale next week for £6k to pay off the credit card bill. Ive done some poking around and it seems I can get myself into a 2.5 diesel S80 Auto with leather for £3-3.5k on a T/V/W plate with 100-120k on the clock, I've always liked the modern shaped volvos (nearly bought an 02 S60 when I bought the beemer) and was just wondering what the potential pitfalls are from buying an S80 at this age, as they seem to be very solid cruisers with an excellent interior, which would be perfect for the kind of daily motorway grind I do, so with that in mind...

1: What kind of mpg could I expect? (Was getting 40-44 from the BMW)
2: Are there any weak points that cost a fortune to fix? (I've heard the auto gearbox can be a problem)
3: Whats the service intervals and how expensive are they?
4: Are Volvo main dealers con artists like BMW ones?
5: Whats the performance/ride/handling like from the 2.5 D 5 cylinder?
6: Any common things I should look for

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated, as the only diesel autos with leather I can think of in that price range is a 406 Executive/old Audi A4/6 and the S80 seems like a far more 'special' car to me

First, the Volvo S80 is in the class of BMW 5 series or Audi A6. The fact that you are comparing it on a price point basis suggest that you have stumbled upon the good deal that Volvo's are. Audi A4 & BMW 3 are in the class of the S60.

Most things are reasonably cheap to fix except as you point out, the gearbox
and also
- ETM (only models 1999 - 2001)
- steering rack
but like any car, it comes down luck. Some may run for many miles without any problem and some may need attention.

S80 is a much heavier car than BMW 3 & Audi A4. Expect around 36 - 40 mpg mixed driving.

If the Swedes are the commie socialist I think they are (NZ is the same :lol: ), I expect your average Volvo dealership would probably be less inclined to eye-gouge for the price of a similar BMW or Mercedes part or the cost of service. There are many Volvo independents and also after market part alternatives.

Keep us posted as to your purchase decision.

:) I learned much from your reply about S80 comparisons to the Audi and BMW..
and much appreciated as I also own a 2002 S80, 2.9L, T6.....A great automobile..
I do question one remark made, that is the MPG....Believe your gallons are different that the US gallons as the best I've ever got in city driving was 25/26 and this is really watching ever move, starts, stops, etc...The best on the interstates driving 75/80mph is 27/28mpg....I use the 91 octane but no specific brand..
I just returned from a 800 mile trip to the west coast and did get 28mpg....

Again, Thanks for the informative facts....