The optional leather seats are rich and comfortable. The optional Sport seats have more bolstering to keep the driver and passenger in place during sporty driving. The S80 offers the most front and rear shoulder room among luxury sedans. The doors open wide and there's a driver's-side grab handle, so climbing in and out is easy.
The rear bench seat is also roomy and comfortable, easily accomodating three adults, with legroom pinched only when the front seats are in their rearmost position.
The instrument panel is clean and uncluttered, having gauges that are easy to see, read and understand. The rearview mirror dims automatically, and the outside mirrors are heated and have a memory function. A nicely designed handbrake lever is used in place of the foot pedal often found in this class. The center console includes two covered cupholders and CD storage in the folding armrest, with modest storage space.
Climate controls are intuitive and attractive. Dual controls allow separate temperature adjustment for driver and passenger. Controls for both front seat heaters sit closer to the passenger. For 2005 there's an improved CD/radio unit with easier functioning buttons. Redundant audio controls are located on the steering wheel. The T6 models come standard with a wood steering wheel that's optional on the 2.5T models.
The S80 has a large, deep trunk that's very accessible thanks to a low lift-over height, so carrying a lot of cargo is no problem. A release inside the trunk allows the rear seatback to fold down for even more cargo capacity. The rear seats have electrically retractable headrests for better rearward visibility.
As in any new Volvo, the list of safety features is long. Dual-stage airbags for both driver and front-seat passenger adjust according to the force of the collision. Specially designed active headrests reduce whiplash in a rear collision. Inflatable window curtains, as well as side-impact airbags, protect the head and torso in a side collision. All three rear seating positions have three-point seat belts. Volvo cars (and owners and passengers) benefit from the Volvo Cars Safety Centre in Sweden, where amazingly thorough research and development is done, including expensive crash testing, to make Volvos safer.
