RonG

Anyone compared 2.7T with VOLVO S80 T6?

Kendall-

Re:The Volvo S80 is one butt ugly car any way you look at it..

Jim Selders

My wife & I are dumping our 850 turbo wagon (S70 predecessor) to get an A6 2.7T (wish they offered that engine in the Avant). The Volvo has a terribly flexible chassis, defective brakes (warped rotors twice under light usage), defective Michelin tires (Volvo lost a class-action lawsuit due to this). Nice package & value - in 1995 - but not any more.

Go with the Audi, by all means!

Jim

Scott S

I compared the S80 T6 to the A6 2.7T - for me the S80 lost out due to interior. It didn't look as nice, didn't have the same overall space, etc.

Admittedly, I didn't test drive the Volvo though - I just sat in it at the local auto-show.

Too bad, I actually like the styling of the S80 - it's way better than the S70!

Stoney

I posted a review or two here, and at Edmunds. Actually, at the time, I compared the A6 2.8 with the T6. Bottom line: the T6 had more torque steer than anything I've driven. The car handled strangely, feeling like the rear end was cushy and passive, being dragged around by over-powered front wheel drive. While some aspects of its looks are nice, the interior still felt american and unrefined. The pillar to my left is both wide and thick (contains A/C duct), making it impossible for me to move my head far enough to see around it. Those were enough to disqualify it, no matter what other things might have been good about it. I'd rather drive the A6 2.8 than the T6. The A6 2.7T is a no-brainer!

Bevan

I drove the S80 soon after its debut, and it is an excellent car. In terms of interior and packaging it is excellent, and the exterior styling is different and not the old school Volvo boxes glued together, I think it looks best in darker colors so the large amount of black rubbing strips, window surrounds etc dont detract, and the nice but difficult to clean 17in wheels should be mandatory. The S80 is bigger than the A6 inside, and the trunk is massive, safety is much as the audi, except you have the benefit of anti whiplash seats as well as the many bags.

Where it comes unglued a bit is driving, the S80 has vague overlight steering even compared to the Audi, and while there is plenty of poke from the biturbo6, it is channelled through a dreadfull GM 4 speed auto, which is about as responsive as a government department, the tiptronic feature is available, but it is contrived and as slow to shift manually as the box is to kickdown. I didnt find much evidence of tourque steer, but obviously when the going gets wet, or snowy, expect the big volvo to invoke its TCS a lot.

If you like the thrill of driving a fast responsive car, and want to change your own gears all the time, the A6 2.7T is streets ahead. For those below the snow belt who want a big comfy car to waft around in, safe and secure, but still able to order up plenty of horses from the engine room, the S80 is pretty stiff competition.

srosie

If you think the steering in an Audi is "light" compared to say a BMW then wait 'till you try the S80. We tried it and that was that. Take a sharp corner and you feel like you're in a Lincoln Continental. Apply that power over the front wheels and the only time you'll like that car is on a dead flat, long straight. The Lincoln LS, on the other hand, is a much better competitor to the 2.7T.