480 review

Here you can talk about the joy owning a Volvo 480 brings. Non-technical discussions take place here, like what is the difference between an ES and a S version.

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dragonflyjewels
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480 review

Post by dragonflyjewels » Thu Jan 21, 2021 2:44 pm

Just found a rather nice review of the 480 from Vogue magazine dated November 1987. Being a thick magazine, I spent 10 minutes trying unsuccessfully to scan it, then another 15 minutes trying to take photos. In the end I gave up and spent 5 minutes typing it into Word :lol:

Emma Soames takes her friends for a ride in the new Volvo Coupe
GOING STEADY
The problem with Volvos is that their virtues of safety and reliability have been promoted to such an extent, that their image tends to be one of safety belts, green wellington boots and baby seats. Although remarkably successful in impressing the public with their safety record and the reliability of their range, Volvo evidently feel that they are missing out on a large chunk of the car buying market. Not everyone wants to bat down motorways in a tank; not everyone has sleepless nights about their car’s reliability. Some people want their cars to be, well, fun.
It is at these giddy, stylish and dare I say, younger drivers that the Volvo 480ES (£11,495 inc.) is aimed. It certainly looks quite seductive with its low-slung 2-doored body and sleek bonnet with foldaway headlights. No detail is spared – power assisted steering, heated mirrors, central locking, electrically controlled windows and burglar alarms are all standard. Nor has any sacrifice been made on the safety front: the body is built to provide protection from both side impact and rollover, and its construction of plastic composites is proof against almost any likely obstruction – such as other cars, corrosion or loose chips.

However, where the car fails is in its performance. Although people buy sports cars to impress their personalities on the world by driving something that looks dashing, they also want something that goes fast, and in this respect the Volvo 480ES is rather disappointing. The four-cylinder fuel injected engine produces 0-60 in ten seconds and a top speed of 110 mph but its acceleration is not good. I carried out my personal litmus test near one of London’s bridges where I reckon I should be able to overtake at least one car between the roundabout and the bridge. The Volvo simply wasn’t up to this sudden, sharp demand. Very politely, it refused.
Indeed, the coupe does everything with the utmost politeness. It corners tightly, holds the road immaculately and parks easily, thanks to its efficient power steering. It didn’t flinch when confronted, at more than 70mph, with a stretch of loose chips. It neither swerved nor screeched, but crunched its way through firmly and safely. Later on I tried driving around a large field several times to test its limits but it treated cowpats, mud and long grass with total aplomb before delivering a car-full of people home down some very narrow country lanes. It is very difficult to make it do anything wrong, but it is not an exciting car and its performance does not compare favourably with - say – some of the new souped-up hatchbacks.
The only surprises it sprang on me were when I fell foul of its safety devices. Having stopped for petrol, I emerged from the petrol station under the admiring eyes of a couple of Glaswegian lorry drivers and the boot suddenly sprang open, which was unnerving, not to say undignified. It transpired that the petrol lock is situated right next to the boot release.
The response the car evoked from its passengers was perhaps most telling: the majority agreed that it wasn’t nearly macho enough for a sports car while those who really liked it were other Volvo owners. Several positively drooled over it; I can see it ending up crunching the same gravel as Volvo Estates, as a luxurious second car. I don’t, however, see it breaking ground amongst the unconverted.
Sylvia

Snazzy - 1993 Paris Blue ES red dipstick 2.0i bought 2001
Lethal Lily - 1991 White Turbo
Paris the Unicorn - 1991 Paris Edition
hubby has
Sven - 1994 Racing Green GT
Evil Eva - 1992 Paris Blue Turbo

no previous 480s - can't bear to sell any

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MisterH
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Re: 480 review

Post by MisterH » Thu Jan 21, 2021 3:42 pm

Very interesting, I didn't think Vogue did car reviews...

It's odd how it has its reputation for being underpowered, even after driving the hot hatch Rover as a daily for a while, the wedge doesn't disappoint me with its power. I guess it is down to what you compare it against, I remember seeing the turbo being group tested against a Calibra 4x4 Turbo, and just didn't think that was fair :eek:

I have been surprised at how much grunt the 1.7 'E' actually has, get the revs just right and it can actually fly on the overtake run and I enjoy it thoroughly
Current Jobs to do (23/1/22):
Fix Central Locking
Fix drivers side speaker
Annoying Scratching Squeak
Water leaks
Complete Front O/S rebuild

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dragonflyjewels
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Re: 480 review

Post by dragonflyjewels » Thu Jan 21, 2021 4:01 pm

I've never driven a 1700, but I'm told the cat free ones aren't dissimilar to the 2 litres with cat. I think the point was that the press were expecting a sports car and whilst Volvo intended the 480 to look sporty, they were still too conservative to give it that bit of extra wumph. As Clarkson put it, they were a brand that found having fun behind the wheel as acceptable as seducing a nun. :lol: I've always thought it a pity they didn't launch the 850 first and race it, then give us the 480 with enough extra power to complete the ditching their old image. They toyed with a 2 litre turbo and even a lotus engine but neither came to fruition.
The motoring press were a lot more scathing than Vogue when the 1.7 launched.
Sylvia

Snazzy - 1993 Paris Blue ES red dipstick 2.0i bought 2001
Lethal Lily - 1991 White Turbo
Paris the Unicorn - 1991 Paris Edition
hubby has
Sven - 1994 Racing Green GT
Evil Eva - 1992 Paris Blue Turbo

no previous 480s - can't bear to sell any

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dcwalker
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Re: 480 review

Post by dcwalker » Thu Jan 21, 2021 4:23 pm

You are quite right, Sylvia. The motoring press was - at best - lukewarm and - at worst - downright dismissive of the 480 when it came out.

The 480 came out during the era of the hot hatch - think Escort XR3, Fiesta XR2, Golf GTi etc. This car was such a change for Volvo, and looked like the sort of car that should pack 170 or so bhp and leap to 60 mph in 8 seconds.

The observation made of it tended to be "it is more of a GT in the old-fashioned sense of the word than a sportscar, capable enough, but not fun".

In the early couple of years I think the problem wasn't that the motoring press didn't like the car, it was just that they all felt rather disappointed - rather "underwhelmed", if you like. Even when the Turbo came out, it hardly set the world on fire performance-wise. But then, with Volvo emphasising even in the promotion literature that the 120bhp must be handled "responsibly" - having fun and setting the world on fire still wasn't the message being sent out.

Then of course all the reliability issues came to light, magazines with cars on long-term test were scathing (and if theirs were anything like my first one, rightly so!) and after about 4 years the motoring press gave up on the 480.

Which is a pity, because that was the reputation that then stuck. The fact that post-1991 Volvo got their act together, and the later model cars were a vast improvement, couldn't alter that.

The irony, though, is that recently several classic car magazines have been giving very favourable reviews indeed. I put this down to two things mainly - (1) the 480 was ahead of its time and incredibly well spec'ed back in the day, meaning it still hasn't been "left behind" in the way many other cars of that era would be on today's roads; and (2) the modern reviews are usually based on late model cars - which were always good ones.

A rather strange history, really :D

David
Current: 1994 480 GT, 1996 460 CD & 1997 440 LE with lots of optional extras & 2007 V50 SE Sport
Previous: Celebration 331 (re-homed with Richard S), Celebration 467 (returned to Martin Mc); Celebration 346 (re-homed with Alan480); Celebration 269 (scrapped abandoned project), Celebration 73 (sold on after 6 years), 1992 ES, 1988 ES - and numerous other non-480 Volvos!

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MisterH
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Re: 480 review

Post by MisterH » Thu Jan 21, 2021 4:34 pm

dcwalker wrote:
Thu Jan 21, 2021 4:23 pm
You are quite right, Sylvia. The motoring press was - at best - lukewarm and - at worst - downright dismissive of the 480 when it came out.

The 480 came out during the era of the hot hatch - think Escort XR3, Fiesta XR2, Golf GTi etc. This car was such a change for Volvo, and looked like the sort of car that should pack 170 or so bhp and leap to 60 mph in 8 seconds.

The observation made of it tended to be "it is more of a GT in the old-fashioned sense of the word than a sportscar, capable enough, but not fun".

In the early couple of years I think the problem wasn't that the motoring press didn't like the car, it was just that they all felt rather disappointed - rather "underwhelmed", if you like. Even when the Turbo came out, it hardly set the world on fire performance-wise. But then, with Volvo emphasising even in the promotion literature that the 120bhp must be handled "responsibly" - having fun and setting the world on fire still wasn't the message being sent out.

Then of course all the reliability issues came to light, magazines with cars on long-term test were scathing (and if theirs were anything like my first one, rightly so!) and after about 4 years the motoring press gave up on the 480.

Which is a pity, because that was the reputation that then stuck. The fact that post-1991 Volvo got their act together, and the later model cars were a vast improvement, couldn't alter that.

The irony, though, is that recently several classic car magazines have been giving very favourable reviews indeed. I put this down to two things mainly - (1) the 480 was ahead of its time and incredibly well spec'ed back in the day, meaning it still hasn't been "left behind" in the way many other cars of that era would be on today's roads; and (2) the modern reviews are usually based on late model cars - which were always good ones.

A rather strange history, really :D

David
Funny what you say, I have worked out that discounting the Aerodeck, the closest thing in the market at time of launch was the Mk2 Scirocco, while it is a car that I like it is little more than a rebodied golf and I don't think it got the GTi engine in the UK, just the Carb'ed. Either way if I were a betting man I would bet that the 480 is at least as good if not better than the 'rocco, and I would like to see just how good a Mk2 Golf Gti actually is, I believe Jay-Kay-Em has one. I feel that the 480 has perfectly adequate performance today and I reckon compared to the other cars of the era, it would be about equal. Sure it is no rocket, but performance wise would it actually be that much worse than an equivalent XR3?

I think it is just a case of managing expectations and not judging it by standards it isn't trying to meet. It is a sporty car that is fun to drive, but it is not about thrashing about, it is about keeping fast, driving pleasure, but without compromising safety. The fastest you can go in the UK legally is 70, and within that, and a bit above, the 480 performs just fine, even really quite well. Indeed even at low speeds it still feels really nice to drive and lots of fun is had, especially with that nice exhaust burble that mine does.


but hey, I'm just a car enthusiast, what do I know? :bla:

I do love these discussions by the way :D
Current Jobs to do (23/1/22):
Fix Central Locking
Fix drivers side speaker
Annoying Scratching Squeak
Water leaks
Complete Front O/S rebuild

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dcwalker
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Re: 480 review

Post by dcwalker » Thu Jan 21, 2021 5:09 pm

Absolutely Ben!

At the end of the day as long as you, or I, or anyone else are happy with the car we drive that's all that matters :D

Personally, I think the 2.0 is plenty powerful enough, because I'm not interested in outright speed. As you say the legal limit is 70mph; the top speed capability being about 118 mph means the car is easily able to cope with anything up to 80, so that's all I'm looking for.

Much more important to me are (1) the torque - after the Turbo (of course :lol: ) the 2.0 is the best for simply gathering up its skirts and running, so I have the acceleration to do what I need in order both to have a fun drive and/or get out of trouble if necessary; and (2) the road-holding, which is where I consider the 480 still knocks spots of many a more modern car...

So ignore what anyone else thinks - just get out there and enjoy your car!!

David
Current: 1994 480 GT, 1996 460 CD & 1997 440 LE with lots of optional extras & 2007 V50 SE Sport
Previous: Celebration 331 (re-homed with Richard S), Celebration 467 (returned to Martin Mc); Celebration 346 (re-homed with Alan480); Celebration 269 (scrapped abandoned project), Celebration 73 (sold on after 6 years), 1992 ES, 1988 ES - and numerous other non-480 Volvos!

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MisterH
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Re: 480 review

Post by MisterH » Thu Jan 21, 2021 5:31 pm

dcwalker wrote:
Thu Jan 21, 2021 5:09 pm
Absolutely Ben!

At the end of the day as long as you, or I, or anyone else are happy with the car we drive that's all that matters :D

Personally, I think the 2.0 is plenty powerful enough, because I'm not interested in outright speed. As you say the legal limit is 70mph; the top speed capability being about 118 mph means the car is easily able to cope with anything up to 80, so that's all I'm looking for.

Much more important to me are (1) the torque - after the Turbo (of course :lol: ) the 2.0 is the best for simply gathering up its skirts and running, so I have the acceleration to do what I need in order both to have a fun drive and/or get out of trouble if necessary; and (2) the road-holding, which is where I consider the 480 still knocks spots of many a more modern car...

So ignore what anyone else thinks - just get out there and enjoy your car!!

David
Other cars are available, but yeah I feel the most important aspect is having fun. The 'E is quite torquey, and comparing it to the Rover twin cam, which is very revvy, was interesting
Current Jobs to do (23/1/22):
Fix Central Locking
Fix drivers side speaker
Annoying Scratching Squeak
Water leaks
Complete Front O/S rebuild

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Re: 480 review

Post by Alan 480 » Thu Jan 21, 2021 6:00 pm

dcwalker wrote:
Thu Jan 21, 2021 5:09 pm
Absolutely Ben!

At the end of the day as long as you, or I, or anyone else are happy with the car we drive that's all that matters :D

Personally, I think the 2.0 is plenty powerful enough, because I'm not interested in outright speed. As you say the legal limit is 70mph; the top speed capability being about 118 mph means the car is easily able to cope with anything up to 80, so that's all I'm looking for.

Much more important to me are (1) the torque - after the Turbo (of course :lol: ) the 2.0 is the best for simply gathering up its skirts and running, so I have the acceleration to do what I need in order both to have a fun drive and/or get out of trouble if necessary; and (2) the road-holding, which is where I consider the 480 still knocks spots of many a more modern car...

So ignore what anyone else thinks - just get out there and enjoy your car!!

David
yep that's what I like, different looks, CAN keep up, and lazy overtaking from 45/50mph in fifth is effortless, the C30 need to drop a gear and 'heavy'
Alan

480 ES 2litre 'Celebration' ? , C30 1.8ES, SS1

nigel poustie
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Re: 480 review

Post by nigel poustie » Thu Jan 21, 2021 7:30 pm

It's all about the cornering for me, like folk have said on UK roads you can't legally drive faster than 70. So for me the fun is though the bends and I don't reckon there much better in it's class or generation. Though, I don't have a vast body of cars driven to compare it to but I love the 480!
1995 -storm grey Celebration - 108

100
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Re: 480 review

Post by 100 » Fri Jan 22, 2021 9:43 am

MisterH wrote:
Thu Jan 21, 2021 3:42 pm
Very interesting, I didn't think Vogue did car reviews...
I think if the vehicle could be associated with status or lifestyle then it's a product they probably wanted to review - apparently these reviews carried some weight in the 80's given Land Rover decided to name a trim level after an article on the Range Rover Classic!

From an owners perspective, it is strange to think of the 480 as a sports car but then it does look like one! I must admit I've been tempted with the idea of a 2.0 transplant because the performance of the 1.7 (with cat) isn't great. But then it's all relative! I tend to keep the revs up and hold my speed through the corners - something the 480 is very adept at, as we all know.

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Re: 480 review

Post by Murf » Fri Jan 22, 2021 5:25 pm

I always thought the criticism was a bit unfair, a turbo was only 12bhp down on an RS Turbo and everyone acted as if they were rocket powered 🙈
Kia Pro'ceed GT 1.6 Turbo
1992 480 Turbo
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