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Saloon
If you have a lunch meeting in London, and need to be in Paris for suppertime, there are few cars that can make the journey as relaxing as the Volvo S80. The larger engines are all refined and fast, while wind and road noise are nicely suppressed.
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With a comfortable chassis, it really does waft you along as the miles fall away. What the big front-wheel-drive saloon won't do is encourage you to leave the motorway and take the twisty route. The steering is dull and body control poor; even the high-power T6 doesn't have a chassis sharp enough to do its performance justice. It's better to sit back, relax, and enjoy the big comfortable, supportive seats. The dashboard may not be the most exciting, but it's logically laid out with plenty of stowage space. Rear passengers have limousine-like levels of legroom and the boot is massive - and bigger still once the rear seats are folded.
Running Costs
If you can set your badge snobbery aside, your money will go an awful lot further on a Volvo S80 than it will on the equivalent BMW 5 Series or Audi A6. You'll end up with a much better-equipped car, too. The petrol engines will run to 12,000 miles or a year before needing a service, while the diesels are on slightly shorter 10,000-mile intervals, which isn't too bad - especially when you consider that Volvo dealers charge less than their BMW and Audi counterparts for servicing. However, independent Volvo experts tend to be slightly more expensive than those who specialise in used BMWs and Audis. As long as you stay away from the group 17-rated T6, insurance costs are reasonable, too; diesel engines are particularly good news with just a group 13 rating. The D5's official 44mpg should put a smile on your face, too, but the T6's claimed 25mpg is less appealing.