North Point Volvo

Introduction

There was a time when luxury sedans were more about substance than style. Take a spin in any Mercedes-Benz sedan from the 1970s, for example, and you'll get the idea. The "bling" factor is virtually nonexistent and the handling won't conjure up images of sports cars -- but you and your passengers will revel in the car's tank-like solidity and the reassuring sense of security that comes with it. The 2009 Volvo S80 is a modern-day application of this hallowed formula.

Boasting a dizzying array of cutting-edge safety technology, the S80's primary purpose is to make its passengers feel protected from the vagaries of chance. Dual-chamber side airbags? Check. Blind-spot warning system? Available on all S80s. An audible alert if you're about to rear-end the car you're following? Comes with the optional adaptive cruise control. A security system with a heartbeat sensor that senses whether some nefarious character is hiding in the car? It's yours with the available Personal Car Communicator (PCC) system. The S80 seems to have been purpose-built for the obsessively safety-minded consumer. If there were a "Peace of Mind" award in the midsize luxury sedan segment, this Volvo would win it, hands down.

Like those big Benzes of yore, the S80 isn't the most eye-catching sedan on the market, though it's a good bit more curvaceous than the boxes on wheels Volvo used to churn out with regularity. It's also not a leader in performance -- while both the turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 (T6) and the naturally aspirated 4.4-liter V8 provide rapid acceleration, the base 3.2-liter inline-6 struggles to keep up with other sedans in this class. The S80 happily gobbles up miles on the interstate.

But terrorizing back roads is hardly the 2009 Volvo S80's raison d'etre. Rather, it's about ensuring the safety of its occupants while coddling them in its luxurious and attractively styled cabin -- and outside of the top-of-the-line V8 model, the S80 is actually quite reasonably priced. For some buyers, these traditional virtues could outweigh the S80's somewhat subpar performance and conservative outward appearance.


Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2009 Volvo S80 midsize luxury sedan is available in three trim levels -- 3.2, T6 and V8. The front-wheel-drive S80 3.2 comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, active bi-xenon headlights, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a sunroof, leather upholstery, wood interior trim, eight-way power front seats with driver memory, dual-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth connectivity and an eight-speaker stereo with an in-dash CD changer and an auxiliary input jack. The midlevel all-wheel-drive S80 T6 adds a turbocharged engine, an electronic parking brake and upgraded instrumentation. The AWD S80 V8 ups the ante with 18-inch wheels, headlight washers, front and rear park assist, satellite radio, massaging ventilated front seats, heated seats front and rear, an analog clock, an interior air quality system and the abovementioned PCC, which combines keyless ignition with the heartbeat-sensing security system.

All trim levels are eligible for the Sport Package, which provides 18-inch wheels, Volvo's Four-C adaptive suspension (with three driver-selectable modes), speed-sensitive power steering (with driver-adjustable assist levels) and ventilated front seats. The new Convenience Package adds a 12-speaker Dynaudio sound system and satellite radio to 3.2 and T6 models, while the Climate Package provides heated front and rear seats and headlight washers. The new Executive Package for the T6 tacks on special 17-inch alloy wheels, wood cabin accents, massaging ventilated front seats, upgraded leather and an analog clock. Other options to consider include various 18-inch alloy wheels, a navigation system, a dual-screen rear entertainment system, the Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) and -- for V8 models only -- a rear-seat refrigerator.