s80 Bi-Turbo

Rotary_Kid · 04-27-2005, 10:01 PM

Has anyone driven one before, are they as much fun as I think they might be? I was thinking today about when I finally graduate from law school and what kind of car I might like to eventually own and that was certainly on the list and was wondering if any of you folks might have had a first hand experience with one of these.

Ben

ZVOLV · 04-27-2005, 10:23 PM

Get the s60 R or v70R. It has a the 5cyl single turbo. It is a better idea for performance. The twin turbo s80 has TINY turbos on it. The compressor housings are about the size of a baseball. Great for low end torque and throttle response, but not for high reving HP fun.

nothing but turbo · 04-28-2005, 02:59 AM

drove one, didn't like it: the steering is too loose for my taste, overall has a taurus feel (i hate the fwd anyway) and the interior looks cheap imo... and the body shape looks like a newer chevy impala!
for corecteness' sake: the car i drove it's an 6yo S80.

Body Massage · 04-28-2005, 08:00 AM

We had an S80T6. It was really nice. Just everything was drive by wire. Oh and it was near stupid fast.

11110000 · 04-28-2005, 08:02 AM

It's a very nice cruiser, loads of interior room, quiet, smooth... it suffers most from being FWD. The small turbos give you a torquey, big-engine feel off the line, but they also contribute to significant torque steer. If you were to win a class-action suit against a major corp and reap big $$$, I'd try getting the running gear from a S80 2.5T AWD and sticking it behind the T6 motor with some bigger turbos - that'd be fun.

stylngle2003 · 04-28-2005, 11:36 AM

they have transmission problems too, so watch out for that

JohnLane · 04-28-2005, 12:07 PM

The S-80 is not what I think of as a 'Performance car.' If you like the way it rides and handles it may be just the thing for you. I personally don't care for the front drive ride and handling which the S-80 has aplenty.

When I was new car shopping I ended up in the current Mercedes E-500 for the power, handling, HUGE trunk, great radio, air ride and the thoughtful touches that Mercedes seems to get right that BMW (I drive while the passenger tunes the radio with that damned mouse!!), Audi, Volvo, and Saab have all swung and missed with year after year. I am told of horror stories with every manner of new car on this list and have had no issues with my car. Oh---when I manage to behave myself I get 27mpg in my morning commute too. Got a Hundred K to put into a car? Get the E-55. It is just this side of scary fast.

You have a paying job lined up to pay for your choice?

JL

thespian666 · 04-28-2005, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnLane

... the thoughtful touches that Mercedes seems to get right that BMW (I drive while the passenger tunes the radio with that damned mouse!!), Audi, Volvo, and Saab have all swung and missed with year after year....
JL

AUDI??? They have like the best interior ergonomics in the business. I'd take an S8 over and E500. Though you're cery much correct about the E55. 'Course a well modified E320CDI would be a blast.

acbarnett · 04-28-2005, 02:12 PM

^^^^ the new mercedes are really nice cars, seeing them along with the latest A6 has helped soften the double blow of BMW's styling and their abandoning of the driver-focused dash. If you want a fun volvo with lots of space I'd look at the v70 2.5t AWD or the V70R

JohnLane · 04-28-2005, 02:35 PM

My experiences with late model Audis have been such that I would NEVER own one that is not fully covered with a warranty.

Oil leaks!!!

Electrical NIGHTMARES.

It gets worse.

JL

64Amazon · 04-28-2005, 02:45 PM

Hi,

S80 T6 drives very nice, have driven them several times. Pull very hard, but as the car is very heavy and quiet the sensation of speed is almost zero.
The near only sensation is putting the boardcomputer on gasconsumption and see the digits shoot to 98litres every 100 km. 1 litre every 1 km, which is about .5 gallon every mile or so!

Ow yeah the 4 speed geartronic auto tranny is very slow and sucks bigtime.
You should go with the FWD R types or something. S80 T6 is more for old(er) people. There is no more sensation.

BMW is very good. Looking at the styling it appeals to me more and more. Look at the 6-series. Especially the new M6 that is coming up soon. PWOAAH I'd buy one in a different color for every day of the week if I had the money. About the dash styling, yeah you must get used to it, but the driving experience totally makes up for it. The only thing I don't like about the 7 series is that there is no gearknob. That is annoying.

Audi, great drive. Quattro just sticks to the road like nothing else out there. If you want a cool AUDI with some potential, go for either the old used RS4 or RS6 or wait for the new RS6. Smoke any 911 a the traffic lights any time of the day, and in the weekend take your wife and kids and dog for a day in the woods. (And still be able to smoke that Porsche)

As for Mercedes. I'd go for a star in my windshield above one on my hood every day.
Don't even go there, whats the deal with moving your stick sideways in stead of back and forth when shifting? The chairs are rockhard, They seem to stop working on the most weird times, and the only people who drive them are buying the car because it comes with some sort of status.
Serious, thay make good cars, but I don't like Mercedes one bit.

Volvo for life!!

acbarnett · 04-28-2005, 03:02 PM

yeah, I was basically going in terms of interior styling with the audis, one look at how complicated the drivetrain and the electronics that run it are enough to turn me away from them. The urquattro on the other hand is a car I fully intend on owning at least once in my life. Same with the RS6 possibly. If you want a fast, somewhat reliable s80 sized new car, ever consider one of the new subaru legacies, especially the 2.5 turbo ones.

JW240 · 04-28-2005, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acbarnett

^^^^ the new mercedes are really nice cars, seeing them along with the latest A6 has helped soften the double blow of BMW's styling and their abandoning of the driver-focused dash. If you want a fun volvo with lots of space I'd look at the v70 2.5t AWD or the V70R

If any one of you is actually paying attention to the european car market you'll have notoced that mercedes has had LOTS of problems the last 2-3 years. Especially teh diesels!! The electronic brakes didn't work, other electronic gizmos with problems.. When out past V70 had lots of issues we thought about a Merc E320CDI, but now we are very happy with our XC70 D5 (faster in 90% of the time because the merc won't run properly/won't run most of the time!!)
I know this because of: people I know that have mercs, studying at a german university where they solve all of mercs and other (german) cars (!) and ofcourse the media..

So maybe mercedes is not so nice anymore..

stick940T · 04-28-2005, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnLane

When I was new car shopping I ended up in the current Mercedes E-500 for the power, handling, HUGE trunk, great radio, air ride and the thoughtful touches that Mercedes seems to get right that BMW (I drive while the passenger tunes the radio with that damned mouse!!), Audi, Volvo, and Saab have all swung and missed with year after year. I am told of horror stories with every manner of new car on this list and have had no issues with my car. Oh---when I manage to behave myself I get 27mpg in my morning commute too. Got a Hundred K to put into a car? Get the E-55. It is just this side of scary fast.

Too bad MB doesn't make sticks in the faster cars, though I'm glad they are available in the little cars. I guess I'm just a diehard in this respect. I am even skeptical about SMG and DSG G'boxes, but pretty much dead set against torque converters. I've driven new model mercedes and they are very good automatics, but I don't dig even those autos.

04-27-2005, 10:23 PM	#2
ZVOLV "YOU'RE" is a word. Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: California	Get the s60 R or v70R. It has a the 5cyl single turbo. It is a better idea for performance. The twin turbo s80 has TINY turbos on it. The compressor housings are about the size of a baseball. Great for low end torque and throttle response, but not for high reving HP fun. __________________ 1975 244-Turbo. 2550lbs. Ethanol 1990 245-28mpg M47 DD

04-28-2005, 02:59 AM	#3
nothing but turbo lurker with a purpose Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: rustbelt, usa	drove one, didn't like it: the steering is too loose for my taste, overall has a taurus feel (i hate the fwd anyway) and the interior looks cheap imo... and the body shape looks like a newer chevy impala! for corecteness' sake: the car i drove it's an 6yo S80. __________________ Who needs a stinkin' sig?

04-28-2005, 08:00 AM	#4
Body Massage poop Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bellingham, MA	We had an S80T6. It was really nice. Just everything was drive by wire. Oh and it was near stupid fast. __________________ -The other other Dana

04-28-2005, 11:36 AM	#6
stylngle2003 Board Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Two Up, Two Down	they have transmission problems too, so watch out for that __________________ -Billy 1993 945ti "titebox" (DD) 1985 744GLE (perpetual +t project) 1996 Chevrolet Tahoe Vortec 2WD 1990 Mazda Miata track toy

04-28-2005, 12:07 PM	#7
JohnLane Board Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Northern Washington	The S-80 is not what I think of as a 'Performance car.' If you like the way it rides and handles it may be just the thing for you. I personally don't care for the front drive ride and handling which the S-80 has aplenty. When I was new car shopping I ended up in the current Mercedes E-500 for the power, handling, HUGE trunk, great radio, air ride and the thoughtful touches that Mercedes seems to get right that BMW (I drive while the passenger tunes the radio with that damned mouse!!), Audi, Volvo, and Saab have all swung and missed with year after year. I am told of horror stories with every manner of new car on this list and have had no issues with my car. Oh---when I manage to behave myself I get 27mpg in my morning commute too. Got a Hundred K to put into a car? Get the E-55. It is just this side of scary fast. You have a paying job lined up to pay for your choice? JL __________________ Overkill is consistently more fun.

04-28-2005, 08:02 AM	#5
11110000 Board Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: East Hartford, CT	It's a very nice cruiser, loads of interior room, quiet, smooth... it suffers most from being FWD. The small turbos give you a torquey, big-engine feel off the line, but they also contribute to significant torque steer. If you were to win a class-action suit against a major corp and reap big $$$, I'd try getting the running gear from a S80 2.5T AWD and sticking it behind the T6 motor with some bigger turbos - that'd be fun.

04-28-2005, 02:12 PM	#9
acbarnett SAAB defector Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: L-town in the M-hizzie	^^^^ the new mercedes are really nice cars, seeing them along with the latest A6 has helped soften the double blow of BMW's styling and their abandoning of the driver-focused dash. If you want a fun volvo with lots of space I'd look at the v70 2.5t AWD or the V70R __________________

04-28-2005, 02:35 PM	#10
JohnLane Board Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Northern Washington	My experiences with late model Audis have been such that I would NEVER own one that is not fully covered with a warranty. Oil leaks!!! Electrical NIGHTMARES. It gets worse. JL

04-28-2005, 02:45 PM	#11
64Amazon Board Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Dronten, The Netherlands	Hi, S80 T6 drives very nice, have driven them several times. Pull very hard, but as the car is very heavy and quiet the sensation of speed is almost zero. The near only sensation is putting the boardcomputer on gasconsumption and see the digits shoot to 98litres every 100 km. 1 litre every 1 km, which is about .5 gallon every mile or so! Ow yeah the 4 speed geartronic auto tranny is very slow and sucks bigtime. You should go with the FWD R types or something. S80 T6 is more for old(er) people. There is no more sensation. BMW is very good. Looking at the styling it appeals to me more and more. Look at the 6-series. Especially the new M6 that is coming up soon. PWOAAH I'd buy one in a different color for every day of the week if I had the money. About the dash styling, yeah you must get used to it, but the driving experience totally makes up for it. The only thing I don't like about the 7 series is that there is no gearknob. That is annoying. Audi, great drive. Quattro just sticks to the road like nothing else out there. If you want a cool AUDI with some potential, go for either the old used RS4 or RS6 or wait for the new RS6. Smoke any 911 a the traffic lights any time of the day, and in the weekend take your wife and kids and dog for a day in the woods. (And still be able to smoke that Porsche) As for Mercedes. I'd go for a star in my windshield above one on my hood every day. Don't even go there, whats the deal with moving your stick sideways in stead of back and forth when shifting? The chairs are rockhard, They seem to stop working on the most weird times, and the only people who drive them are buying the car because it comes with some sort of status. Serious, thay make good cars, but I don't like Mercedes one bit. Volvo for life!! Last edited by 64Amazon; 04-28-2005 at 02:58 PM..

04-28-2005, 03:02 PM	#12
acbarnett SAAB defector Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: L-town in the M-hizzie	yeah, I was basically going in terms of interior styling with the audis, one look at how complicated the drivetrain and the electronics that run it are enough to turn me away from them. The urquattro on the other hand is a car I fully intend on owning at least once in my life. Same with the RS6 possibly. If you want a fast, somewhat reliable s80 sized new car, ever consider one of the new subaru legacies, especially the 2.5 turbo ones.

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