Background: I bought my first Volvo in April 2022 after years of daydreaming about owning one, specifically an S60 (3.0) T6 AWD. Mine was a 2013, electric silver, Platinum model. Absolutely loved the car despite the more than fair share of issues I’ve had with it.
Unfortunately, by the end of December 2023, my S60 ownership was cut short by a lady driving an Explorer who didn’t brake soon enough, totaling my car and probably her’s as well. My insurance company made matters worse by lowballing me until I hired an appraiser. Eventually they gave me just enough money to pay off my car loan entirely, and to buy my next car, a 2010 Volkswagen CC 2.0T Sport with the 6-speed manual.
9 months and 36,000 miles later (the car had 205k miles when I bought it in February this year), I’ve had a blast driving the CC. I ended up absolutely loving the car to death which I frankly didn’t think was possible after loving my S60 so hard. However, my CC was not without its flaws (go figure: a 200+ thousand mile Volkswagen with issues), and after finding out my balance shafts need to be replaced, I decided to sell it instead as I believe I surpassed the point of diminishing returns with this car.
I don’t want to do another car loan for a while and I’m at a point where I want a car that doesn’t suck, cheap to buy, reliable enough, and that is possible to work on (my S60 and CC have taught me how to wrench). I think I need a V8 in my life as well, which brings me to this post.
I’m considering going back to Volvo and getting an S80 V8. From what I’ve seen, they seem reliable, they have lots of features that I miss from my S60 and more, and they seem reasonable to maintain. I never driven one but I don’t think it will be quite as sporty as the S60, and definitely not as much as the CC. As long as it’s not a total dog in the corners though, I can live with that. So I wanted to hear your guy’s feedback on this. What is S80 V8 ownership like? Is there aftermarket support to increase power for example? Are there any years to avoid or any red flags to spot on a badly maintained one? So far it’s on my shortlist of cars to save up and eventually replace the CC with.
I’m also considering a 2006(only) Mercedes-Benz CLS 500, Hyundai Genesis 4.6/5.0, and an Infiniti M56.
Why the CLS 500 and not the 550? M113 is definitely the more reliable choice compared to the M273, even though its 8 less valves, two less overhead cams, 80 less horsepower, and 8 more spark plugs is a bummer. I’m not excited to deal with Airmatic though.
I like the Genesis a lot although I’m seeing mixed reviews about engine reliability. I’m also not thrilled about how only the two front windows are auto up/down, and the passenger seat doesn’t have the same seat ventilation as the driver.
I still need to research the Infiniti more.
Anyways, thanks for reading thus far and let me know what you all think.