Volvo S80 – Review: You see a Volvo driving down the road and automatically you assign a persona to the driver: Smart; safety-minded. Glasses over contacts; organic over Albertsons. Maybe, in fact, you think the driver cares a bit too much for substance, the kind of person who drinks carrot juice – and likes it. For Volvo, that's not the case, at least not as much anymore. Like the nerd who starts working out, dumps his Spock costume and gets laser eye surgery, Volvo has emerged into a new identity: still smart, but a whole lot more fun and better looking, starting with the 2007 S80. Thoroughly redesigned, the S80 offers power, safety innovation and a sexy style – but at a high price tag that's definitely more German than Swede.

There's a big valley behind Lake Perris, California, and that's where we began our test of the 2007 Volvo S80. After more than 300 miles of driving, we came away warmly impressed...but wanting for more. That's unfortunate, for our Electric Silver Metallic S80 can't offer much more: this mostly loaded car had a base price of $48,045, including a $695 destination charge. Add-ons included the Sport Package, with 18-inch Zubra Alloy wheels, ventilated/perforated leather seats, BiXenon Gas Discharge Headlamps and speed-sensitive steering, for $2,495; a Climate Package ($725), Audio Package ($1,550), Adaptive Cruise Control ($1,495) and Volvo's Blindspot Information System (BLIS) for $595. Add it up and our tester cost a whopping $56,025. About the only thing missing was the navigation package, costing $2,120.

You've really got to tell this powertrain what you want, in no uncertain terms. But when you do, when you put your foot into it, the S80 comes to life and provides a spry, sporting drive, the 4.4-liter V8 engine pumping out 311 horsepower and 325 lb. ft. torque. The six-speed transmission offers up smooth and predictable shifts, though the gearing felt pretty short. When you slip it into manual mode and hold the gears for a longer period, the S80's power really come to life, and the driving experience improves significantly. What didn't improve during our week of driving, however, was the S80's fuel efficiency: 16.4 miles per gallon in mixed driving is much too low.

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