Happy New Year folks! To kick start 2010, I will share with you my experiences with the Volvo S80, first generation.

Last Christmas day I went home to the province with my sister and we went home in style. In a white Volvo S80, a mid-sized sedan that comfortably seats five people, that has rear air condition vents with automatic climate control system. Pretty neat, I thought.

The Volvo S80

The first generation S80 sports an M on the license plate. Its 2.0 liter turbocharged, inline-5 gasoline engine is more than just a power plant. It’s as nimble and fuel-efficient as a four-cylinder engine, but as powerful and overwhelming as a V6. Trust Volvo to provide the safest and smoothest ride possible. You’ll love the side mirrors. Why? Because there are NO BLIND SPOTS. Higher models sport a camera, but this model is quite spartan. An extended mirror that covers the blind spots did the trick.

I love the seats. I don’t know if it’s real leather or not, but darn it’s plush and soft to the touch. The seats are wide and can be adjusted any other way to make your trip stress-free. The electronic seat adjustments are so convenient. For us ordinary driving folk, these little conveniences mean the world when driving through the mean streets of Metro Manila. Traffic is so stressful especially during rush hour. A comfortable drive really does matter.

Volvo in Manila

If there’s one thing I realized about driving a Volvo, it doesn’t turn heads. REALLY! Most people don’t see it as a luxury car, especially in provincial inroads. Probably because in the province, few people recognize the car. For the person who is concerned for his safety and does not want to be too flashy on the road, the Volvo S80 is the perfect choice.

Volvo S80 Handling

It’s a breeze. There’s power when you need it. For a 2.0 liter engine, it feels like there are more horses than even an average V6. The Volvo’s straight-five engine employs five cylinders, more powerful than the usual 4 or 6-cylinder Japanese engine in a V-formation. Volvo’s five cylinder configuration is fascinating because it’s power married with fuel efficiency. No American car can give you that. On our trip, the mileage computer read consumption at 7 to 8 kilometers to a liter, which combined traffic in the city and highway driving consumption.

Got allergies? The Volvo S80′s automatic climate control system filters all the dust and pollen that will keep you sneeze-free for the rest of your trip. Just make sure you close the vents. I forgot to close it in our way home and I could smell the stench of the Bocaue river and market on our way home. Finally figured it out while we were in the highway.

Remember that driving European cars requires a different mindset. For the lot of us who got used to Japanese compact cars, the switches are not where we expect them to be. The lights are different, such as in the case of the external vents, I thought green meant it was closed while red meant it was open. In fact it was the complete opposite.

1st Gen vs 2nd Gen

The second generation S80 is so different. While it improves the gadgetry of the first generation, it is also more expensive and with more toys to enjoy, like the blind spot camera and 6-speed automatic transmission among others. There is also the price tag. First generation Volvo S80 sold in the Philippines for P2.95M, while the second generation S80 sells for P3.250M for the basic 2.5 liter engine version.

Expensive? It’s worth it.