2009 Volvo S80

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Safety - What the Auto Press Says

The 2009 Volvo S80 has not been crash tested by the federal government, but the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named the car a "Top Safety Pick" in its class. It earned that designation by achieving perfect scores in the institute's frontal- and side-impact crash tests, and offering standard Electronic Stability Control.

Volvo built its reputation on safety, and as the brand's flagship, the S80 shows off all that Volvo can do to keep driver and passengers safe.

An adaptive cruise control system slows the vehicle if it approaches the car ahead to closely. A collision warning system primes the brakes for panic stops when a collision seems inevitavble. When braking hard, the rear fog lights illuminate, warning approaching drivers.

An optional Blind-Spot Information System uses 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.

Front, front-side, side head curtain and front knee air bags are all standard. V olvo's whiplash protection seats with active head restraints and five-position seatbelt pretensioners are also included.

An advanced safety 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.

• "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." -- Edmunds
• "Crosses the line between being concerned about safety and make-an-appointment-with-a-therapist paranoia." -- Car and Driver