WTF, "new" S80, fit and finish

Volvos rock3 · Post by **Volvos rock3** » 22 Feb 2011, 21:48

so we own an 02 V70xc since 2004, we owned a 96 850 n/a GLT for three years and that one just got traded on an 09 S80. Has anyone else gone from an older Volvo to a "newer" one and noticed that the fit and finish is not as nice.... specifically on the S there are several things that drive me crazy: the plastic headlights, what happened to the glass? the fact that the sunvisors are no longer leather wrapped, the fact that the chrome trim around the door windows does not line up at the b pillar as nice as it should and the noisy moonroof are the ones that come to mind readily.

Don't get me wrong, the S is an awsome car and fun to drive but it seems that the quality has slipped a little between 02 and 09'.. any thoughts?

Post by **jimmy57** » 22 Feb 2011, 23:42

People in areas where pea gravel is used as ice and snow remediation requested the crackproof headlamps. Broken headlamps are a huge expense. The wiper blades and wiper motors were damaged in car washes far too often. What vehicle have you seen in the last few years with glass lenses?

The visors were vinyl/plastic and now are cloth...

The moldings should fit but you bought it as a two year old car and that may not be the as delivered fit of that trim. The P3 S80's I observe all have had good fit of doors and lids.
Sunroof shouldn't be noisy, get it checked while in warranty.

P3 S80's have been far better cars at the 4+ year mark than any of the P2's. The pattern failures of bushings, spring seats, sway bar links, microprocessor electronics, and brake life are all items addressed with the new models. No timing belts either.
Some of the new features are really nice too.

Volvos rock3 · Post by **Volvos rock3** » 23 Feb 2011, 06:37

Thanks Jimmy, the point was not to bash the car. You are correct I have not seen a vehicle with glass headlights in a while and by your reasoning, that makes sense. The other things, with the exception of the moonroof, are just annoyances and probably wouldn't be noticed by anyone else. The moonroof when slid open is considerably noisier than the 02/96, but I think it has to do with the harder slope at the front of the roof...anyway whe sure is pretty and with the tech/mechanical differences an absolute dream to drive...

Post by **jimmy57** » 23 Feb 2011, 07:59

I was trying to shed light on what "quality" is.
Perception is a huge part of how we perceive quality. I am like you and like glass lamps and rubber wipers but many who had a headlamp lens break don't see it as a rock break but as a poor quality headlamp.
Sunroofs have gotten noisier over the years as aerodynamics have improved. When the airflow is smoother over car it makes noise going by the opening. For 2011 Volvo uses a black mesh wind deflector that is higher (looks like a Victoria's Secret wind deflector) and does a better job. The sunroof assembly is different so it can't be used on older cars.....

Volvos rock3 · Post by **Volvos rock3** » 23 Feb 2011, 17:05

Dead on about perception, if all someone had available to drive was a Yugo, I'm sure the quality would be fine to them...Ill have to look in my wifes lingerie maybe fabricate my own deflector....