I'm not an S80 owner, since it's not available with a manual transmission in the US it's not really my cup of tea. I've driven them as service loaners, though. I also have a wife who drives a Japanese-nameplate car, a Honda Odyssey.

Consider what Consumer Reports said in it's April issue: "Volvo's S80 sedan competes well with the Audi A6, Saab 9-5 and Lexus GS300. It rides more comfortably than older Volvos with a quiet interior and fairly nimble handling. The standard engine is an inline Six that needs to be revved. The T6's turbocharged version of that engine offers effortless acceleration. The front seats are comfortable te rear is roomy. The trunk is large and has some well-thought out details. One major flaw is a sound system with unintuitive controls that force you to take your eyes off the road for too long. Crash-test results are outstanding. The S80s reliablity has been disappointing so we can't recommend it."

The 99-01 S80 is on Consumer Reports "Used Cars to Avoid" list.

MY wife's Odyssey has had just two brake light bulbs burn out in 50,000 miles, and that's IT for problems. I've been driving Eurocars for the last 20 years, 2 Saabs, a Porsche and now the Volvo and I'm pretty sure I'll be buying a Honda next model year. I don't know if I'm becoming impatient in my old age, but there seems to be an incredible gulf in reliability between the Eurocars and the Japanese.

Back to the S80, if you'd consider LEASING a car, I think an S80 might last 3 years or 36,000 miles without giving driving one completely insane. I'd be wary of trying for the 200k badge, though.

-Punxsutawney Phil