St4 has wetted my appetite

[Model flyer]

Hi Sasha94. Re the colour of zenon headlights. The colour changes according to the KV of the bulbs fitted. The standard bulbs supplied are 4300 kv and these give a yellow light . 5000 kv give the whitest light and above that thelight gets more blue giving poorer visibility.
Kieran40 ;I drive a V70. Re the manual gearbox on a D5 I rate them . The gearbox is very smooth, one good thing that came from the Ford effect.The D5 engine is bullet proof provided its maintained and so easy to drive and the clutches are very strong and forgiving but drag style starts will damage the DMF . My last P2 V70 had 180,000 miles on its original clutch and was fine . Fuel consumption is fine for a big heavy car but not as good as some other makes . I have driven the auto D5 and they too are Ok but can tend to hang on to gears for too long. Re leather versus velour upholstery , I have had both and rate both ,Its very subjective . The leather is easy to get in and out of but certainly need the winter/heated seats for the cold winter months . Look /listen out for noisy ,knocking or squeaky suspension as the later cars dont last like the older pre Ford effect cars . Ford effect = cheaper quality. As said earlier have good look and find a good one but be prepared to travel . Good luck.

[st4]

The standard lights are fine. I drive all over Rannoch Moor and Scotland in the early hours in the morning for my landscape photography. Dipped beams are ok but the main beams are excellent and can dazzle you when they shine on reflective signs.

Of all the non xenon lighted cars I've had this S80 is the best for lighting.

I prefer automatics, on any segment of car I would find an automatic one. I see manual cars as a form of perverse masochism. Some prefers manuals and if the OP wants a manual then he should find one cheap enough.

The Aux belt tensioners and the PAS steering pipe corrosion seem to only two pitfalls.

They are an excellent car and the longer I've had mine, they more I really like it.

[kieran40]

When I said I wouldn't be using it sasha I meant I won't be using it everyday I will use it petrol that size is a no no for me too much to fuel I bet as nice as that is a 3.2 it will Cain fuel like nobody's buisness.

[st4]

Originally Posted by kieran40

When I said I wouldn't be using it sasha I meant I won't be using it everyday I will use it petrol that size is a no no for me too much to fuel I bet as nice as that is a 3.2 it will Cain fuel like nobody's buisness.

5pot diesel is where it is at with these cars. They suit large diesel engines down to the ground so well.

[Sasha94]

Originally Posted by kieran40

When I said I wouldn't be using it sasha I meant I won't be using it everyday I will use it petrol that size is a no no for me too much to fuel I bet as nice as that is a 3.2 it will Cain fuel like nobody's buisness.

Tbh the D5 is no fuel sipper, low to mid 30's from an auto, a petrol S80 wouldn't be that bad... Mid 20's?? If your heart is set on a diesel, it does have to be a D5 but having driven the 3.2 and T6 engines they are much smoother, quicker, quieter and far more refined. The D5 will do 200k easy though so it's fully dependant on what you want. I bought my D5 thanks to a 30,000 mile a year commute so a petrol car was a no no but in 18 months time when we move closer to where I work I could change my D5 for a T6 and be only very marginally worse off and nothing compared to the cost to change between cars and I'd have all the benefits of silky smooth 6 cylinder petrol.

That said if you want a diesel and really want one then D5 185 all the way, there is no comparison with the competition or the 4 pot 2.0D of which there are plenty of manual cars for you to pick from but performance is nowhere near as strong

[st4]

I've got the D3 which is the 2litre single turbo 5pot. It seems to average 45mpg and on runs does well over 50mpg. It is "only" 163bhp but pulls from 1400rpm very strongly so it feels well stronger than 163bhp. D3 is a great blend of economy, performance and refinement. Ok its not petrol smooth but 45mpg when you drive 30k miles a year over 22mpg from a T5 or T6 is noticable.

[Sasha94]

My D5 gets me about 34 mpg as an average but it's 4 wheel drive and automatic. It's the £500 per year tax that would put me off the petrol but I'd live with it myself

[CTCNetwork]

Hi,

I shall not say a word about fuel consumption...

Des. . .

[tt82]

Kieran, stop dithering and got one bought!

The Geartronic is fine as long as the ATF is changed every 80k miles. Mine is on 151k miles, is driven hard and has had Polestar for the last 20k miles as well.

On the D5, with the 185bhp engine, Cam belt (108k miles or 10 years) and Aux belt (56k miles and 5 years) are the main things to watch for.

If your not driving it everyday, just get a V8 or a T6.

[st4]

Originally Posted by Sasha94

My D5 gets me about 34 mpg as an average but it's 4 wheel drive and automatic. It's the £500 per year tax that would put me off the petrol but I'd live with it myself

Mines a saloon, 1 less turbo and 400cc less...to get 34mpg I'd have to drive it like a Rally driver or drive exclusively around town or Alpine passes.

The D3 gives all the 5pot diesel smoothness but with 4pot fueling costs. I love mine. The S80 will be more slippery, lighter and without AWD a lot easier to run than an XC70.

The OP will be fine with the S80. There are some stonking buys around.