2008 Volvo S80 Safety Review [ 2007 ]
Based on analysis of 63 S80 reviews and test drives.
Volvo S80 Safety Review
Safety - 9.8 (Excellent)
The 2006 S80 (similar to the 2008 model) received the top rating of five out of five stars in every test conducted on it by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The S80 is an absolute leader in its class in terms of active and passive safety systems, and the large Volvo delivers some safety features not available on the competition. Motor Week reports that the S80 is "the most advanced, most accommodating, and likely safest car that Volvo has ever conceived."
The S80 offers a full supply of safety features, which Car and Driver observes to be borderline "obsessive-compulsive." In end, the Boston Globe says the 2008 S80 delivers "safety, safety, safety, with a lot more speed."
Accident Avoidance
The S80 has an Impressive list of accident avoidance features. An adaptive cruise control system, including a collision warning system alerts motorists when they are too close to the vehicle in front. If collision risk increases, the brake support tightens against the brake pad as the discs anticipate a panicked stop. When braking hard, the rear fog lights illuminate, warning approaching drivers. "Think this would be annoying in bumper-to-bumper traffic? It wasn't," states Cars.com. The S80's adaptive cruise control works while the car is in motion and slows the vehicle down if the radar detects a car ahead. Driving on a freeway, rarely touching the brake or accelerator, CNET concludes that "the system impressed." Both trim levels of the S80 come standard with Dynamic Stability and Traction Control.
Blind-Spot Information System (BLIS), is an option that provides cameras mounted to each side mirror that tell you when a car is in your blind spot. An orange light illuminates at the bottom corner of the window on whichever side the car is approaching. Cars.com calls this feature "nice", observing that you have the option to turn it on or off, adding that the system is "unobtrusive." Yet, the Orlando Sentinel finds it to be a problem in heavy traffic because the light goes off "constantly." The Chicago Tribune adds that the system is "slightly less annoying than fingernails on a chalkboard." However, The Auto Channel finds this feature perfect for US roads, but states that it is "certainly no substitute for a quick glance over your left shoulder." In comparing the Volvo BLIS to some competition, Motor Trend observes that it "works much better than Audi's"
Crash Protection
The 2008 Volvo S8 comes with a complete array of standard features, including front, side and side-curtain air bags and front knee bolsters, five padded head restraints, a tire-pressure monitoring system, Volvo's whiplash protection seats (WHIPS), and additional structural side protection for the passenger cell (SIPS). Both S80 trims come with the Whiplash Protection Seating System and padded head restraints and safety belt pretensioners.
The S80 standard safety features also include frontal impact protection, safety-cage passenger compartment, side-impact protection system, collapsible steering column and an energy-absorbing interior.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last rated the 2006 S80 model, giving it five out of five stars for frontal impact crash protection, and five out of five stars for front and rear seat side impact crash results.
The 2008 Volvo S80 has not been rated by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, but the 2007 receives the highest rating possible of "good" for frontal offset test results and "good" for side impact test results.
Advanced Safety Systems
A feature on the S80 is the Personal Car Communicator (PCC), which adds an informative button to the car remote, telling you what state the car is in. If the car is locked or unlocked, the button will illuminate. If the alarm is set off, the S80 then activates its heartbeat sensor, able to detect if there is a beating human heart in the vehicle. Car and Driver calls "the feature that crosses the link between being concerned about safety and make-an-appointment-with-a-therapist paranoia." Orlando Sentinel calls this feature "clever," "magical," and "mystical," while AutoWeek calls this feature for the "truly paranoid."
The irony is, that with all this advanced safety technology, states Car and Driver, the S80 does not have a full-size spare or run flat tires.
