Volvo S80 D5 SE LUX

Bought mine with 4k on the clock, as a replacement for a company supplied 2 litre A6.

The first impression on sitting in the s80 was dissapointment. The interior isn't as nice as the A6. On test driving the s80, the other poor point is the steering. I can only desctibe it as bizzare, and you soon learn to keep to very sensible speeds on the b roads.

Now to the good. I regularly drive 600 mile stints, and I arrive fresher in this car than any other I've driven. The adaptive cruise control is a joy, the driving position is superb, the seats are great and the d5 215bhp makes a lovely sound when you need to overtake, and burbles away contentedly in the cruise.

Having been brought up around BMW's and Mercedes Benz, I was somewhat unsure of the move to a Volvo, however after having and saved some money for a newish car, I choose a Volvo S80 ! (Automatic, 2.4 litre D5) in the SE LUX trim.

What a car ! I bought mine last year, used from a reputable dealer for a decent price with higher mileage (being a diesel this didn't worry me). I am most certainly not disappointed !

The unique Volvo styling is simplistic yet extremely stylish, unique and luxurious ! I think it looks so much more nicer then most German executive cars ! The interior is beautifully made, its thoughtfully laid out, and its of such an outstanding quality that you'd think would warrant a £50k + price tag ! The leather seats are the most comfortable I've sat on (more comfortble then the ones in my house!) and this car makes for an excellent motorway cruiser. Theoddails are so beautifully made and I absolutely love the display and soft lighting at night, the centre console is easy to understand and logically laid out, not to mention the breath taking sound system fitted as stock to this car !

On the road, it's nothing but a pleasure to drive and a lovely place to be ! The pop up in dash sat nav is fantastic. The steering for such a large saloon is great and you really feel connected to the car ! Everything is solid and so well built that's there is no bumps, speaks or rattles ! The car holds to the road around corners very well (this is great if you like country roads) ! The steering is responsive and the feedback is good !

The engine is a fantastic diesel engine, 2.4 litre D5 (185 Bhp with 400nm of torque) ! Based on the first generation of D5's it isn't the most refined in its class, however I much respect Volvo on this as if it isn't broke, don't fix it ! The interior is well insulated and the engine doesn't have a typical thumping sound, more of a lovely deep sound from those 5 cylinders ! Under acceleration the car moves very swiftly, a simple tap on the throttle and she propels you along, no noticeable turbo lag either ! The usable torque range is great ! And there's ample power throughout the rev range so you're never left in a bad situation where overtaking and so forth is concerned ! The car does pin you into your seat under full acceleration from those 400nm of torque !

The automatic transmission is fantastic, having driven manual for the past 4 years (I'm 24) i was reluctant to drive an automatic, but this car makes it fun, yet easy and enjoyable ! Gear changes are so smooth and so delicate that you sometimes wonder is it even changing gear ! Under heavy acceleration it changes gears smoothly and appropriately, however ! I don't like how it can downshift in tight corners.

Overall ! What a fantastic car ! Well done Volvo !