Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Concept Cars, Podcasts, Spy Photos, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Trucks/Pickups, Audi, Chrysler, LLC., Dodge, HUMMER, Suzuki
Autoblog Podcast #86
by Dan Roth on Jan 31st 2008 at 3:03PM 
Episode #86 of the Autoblog Podcast is well-caffeineated. We spend a good bit of time talking about the excitement that's filled the Autoblog garage lately. Damon used a handily available Audi R8 as a chase car when we went to drive the Tesla Roadster, and Alex has been sampling the Subaru Tribeca and STI, as well as a rogue Volvo S80. John has been having a blissful month rocking the 1999 Oldsmobile Alero Coupe, too. There's lots of good car talk, and we take a detour into cupholder minutiae before getting to actual news. A few embargoes fell in front of the upcoming Chicago Auto Show. Car and Driver's blatant cover poll opened the door for Challenger images. Subterfuge aside, the Challenger's a knockout, despite its interior that's granted refugee status to the Sebring's trappings. Trucks will make some news at the Chicago show, and Truck Trend showed us the Hummer H3T and Suzuki Equator, and compact pickups are where we leave it. Until next time, thanks for listening!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dave T. 4:19PM (1/31/2008)
If you price the S80 against the V8 BMW 550 with equivalent equipment (or any S80 against equivalently equipped 5 series) it's about $10K less.
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Alex Nunez 4:52PM (1/31/2008)
Not if you compare it against a similarly-equipped, similarly powerful 535xi. Pricing gets a lot closer, and the Bimmer wins because it's simply a better driver.
Dave T 4:58PM (1/31/2008)
No you'd compare the T6 to that! And the T5 is the sweetspot in the S80 lineup. Trust me. When I reviewed the S80s I did the comparisons to all the major euro lux competitors and trims and each time the S80 was $10K less than Audi, BMW and Mercedes. Plus your tester had the expensive safety doodads the others don't even offer. Collision avoidance = $1600, BLIS = $700
Dan Roth 5:12PM (1/31/2008)
But the problem with the S80 is (I had a 3.2 FWD a while back) that it's just not a compelling car, and it costs oodles of money.
I love Volvos. I own two. The S80 left me unmoved. Seeing the same interior materials as the Range Rover sends the message that they didn't skimp, but the seats are flat and unsupportive, the driving position is difficult to get comfortable, let along optimal, and dynamically, it just leaves a "meh" impression. Very nice car, at least $5K too much. If it were sportier, I could see it. If it were more luxurious, I could see it. It comes off as a nicely trimmed sedan, not a range-topper. The Buick Lucerne is about as handsome, and does most of what the S80 does dynamically (Volvo's safety gear is its own thing, IMHO) for about $15K less than the $50,000 S80 I drove.
kazzaz 4:39PM (1/31/2008)
listening to this made me thirsty...
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epilonious 11:57PM (2/01/2008)
For the sake of audio quality KEEP YOUR GSM CELLPHONES AWAY FROM THE RECORDING EQUIPMENT AT ALL TIMES.
Nothing is more distracting than hearing the *dit dit dit deteteteteteteteteteetetet deeeeet deeeet* of some stupid chip phone crying home to mama.
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BLS 8:54AM (2/06/2008)
John,
Your new car. Located convienently in Western MD. http://westmd.craigslist.org/car/555298599.html
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