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What's New for 2012

The 2012 Volvo S80 is a sensible alternative to flashier luxury sedans, but its anonymous looks and largely forgettable driving experience might dull the car's appeal for some.
Introduction

If a sensible person were going to design a luxury car, we suspect it might end up looking a lot like the 2012 Volvo S80. This full-size four-door sedan has many of the qualities you'd expect in a luxury car, including a comfortable cabin done up in quality materials and an abundance of cutting-edge technology. What separates Volvo's flagship from the luxury-sedan pack, however, is its understated presence, which makes it ideal for those who aren't looking to draw attention.

Like every Volvo, the S80's real strength is the extra peace of mind that comes with knowing that you and your passengers are protected by the most advanced safety features on the road. These include the now-standard City Safety system that can detect impending collisions and then apply the brakes to minimize the severity of the impact or hopefully avoid them entirely via sensors that can detect and warn of driver fatigue.

Even with all this going for it, the S80 still has a couple of weaknesses. For starters, it just plain lacks the cachet of some of its competitors, so it's not the car to buy if you're out to impress people. The base model's 3.2-liter engine also seems a little underwhelming in a car this size, and the comfort-oriented suspension makes for humdrum handling.

With all this in mind, buyers might want to check out a few comparably priced luxury sedans, including the Acura TL, Cadillac CTS and Hyundai Genesis. The Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Infiniti M and Mercedes-Benz E-Class all offer more power, better handling, greater prestige or some combination thereof, albeit with considerably higher price tags.

So ultimately the decision comes down to what you're really looking for in a luxury sedan. If it's comfort, safety and advanced technology in a more understated wrapper, we think you'll find the 2012 Volvo S80 a perfectly sensible choice.

Read more: http://www.edmunds.com/volvo/s80/2012/

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In accession to a acceptability for assurance and longevity, Volvo has becoming a name for itself in contempo years for accepting accomplished seats. You artlessly can't do abundant bigger than the perches in the S80; they're bigger than those in some action sedans costing abundant more, and absolute for those of a advanced ambit of sizes, acknowledgment to all their adjustability; and they add to the S80's long-distance appeal. Front seats aswell accept alternative heating and cooling with fan-driven ventilation, while the accurately contoured backseat is ample abundant for three baby association or two American-sized adults (with abundant allowance and legroom), and the climate-control arrangement has vents congenital into the B-pillars for bigger abundance in back. Materials absolutely go alfresco of luxury-car assemblage in appearance, but there's affluence to be blessed with from inside; there's actual little if any harder artificial up at eye level, and the covering upholstery is costly and luxurious.

This year, Volvo has kept the S80 up to snuff for its safety-focused chump abject by authoritative the brand's City Assurance obstacle-alert arrangement accepted on the 2012 S80. With an accessible Technology Package, you can footfall up to a apartment of radar- and camera-related active-safety appearance including Full Auto Brake, Adaptive Cruise Control, Distance Alert, and a Lane Departure Warning system. Still offered in the S80 is the Personal Car Communicator, a appropriate keyfob arrangement that can address the aegis cachet of your car remotely—including the adequacy to ascertain an burglar in your vehicle. A new Volvo Sensus screen-based arrangement is anew standard, too, and the S80 is now awash in base, Premier Plus, and Platinum trims--with exceptional sound, voice-controlled navigation, and a esplanade abetment camera aloof for the top of the line. Heated rear seats, bifold alive xenon headlamps, and a activating abeyance arrangement are a part of the appearance offered in added above packages.

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"The sound it makes is terrifying, a thunderous, basso cacophony that shakes you to your very core."

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