Once underway, it hums when it's working, very lightly and muted. You can scarcely hear it, even when pulling steadily uphill at 80 mph with good momentum. Wind noise and tire noise are heard as much as the engine; there isn't much of it, either, but you notice it because the engine is so quiet. You don't hear the engine at all when the transmission downshifts. All you see is the upward twitch of the tachometer needle.

Volvo has re-tuned the basic 2.9-liter inline-6 for 2002 to improve responsiveness and quicker acceleration. Last year's engine seemed on the light side for a luxury car, making the standard S80 a bit sluggish off the line. Torque is that force that propels you away from intersections, and the standard 2.9 still offers much less of it than the T6: The naturally aspirated 2.9 delivers just 207 foot-pounds of torque at 3900 rpm. By comparison, the twin-turbocharged engine on the T6 develops 280 foot-pounds at just 1800 rpm. That's more way more power sooner for the T6.

With its more powerful engine, the T6 is a rocket. Mash the throttle and the response is instantaneous. It has lots of power at the low end. There's enough power here to light up the front tires, assuming you've pressed the STC button to shut off the traction control. Its small twin turbochargers spool up quickly to develop maximum power at low rpm: its 280 pounds-feet of torque are available from 1800 to 5000 rpm (and 272 horsepower at 5400 rpm). As a result, the T6 is quite responsive when cruising at moderate speeds, say 25-50 mph.

For 2002, the T6 engine develops more torque at below 4000 rpm than last year's engine. That means more power and improved response. The 2002 T6 gets both larger displacement and the engine has variable control of both the intake and exhaust valves. The variable-valve timing camshaft gives the engine maximum torque at engine speeds from as low as 1800 rpm (previously at 2400 rpm). With the two turbochargers, one for each set of three cylinders, the engine reacts very quickly to the throttle.

Stand on it and Volvo's traction control system steps in when necessary to ensure the front tires only momentarily lose grip. 2002 brings a new, more powerful processor for the traction control system.

Regardless of model, the Volvo S80 ride is comfortable, and the suspension absorbs bumps effectively, eliminating road imperfections. It handles a full load of passengers and luggage very well. However, its luxury-tuned suspension, maybe combined with front-wheel-drive steering geometry, allows it to move around on the road a bit. Add to that a vague spot at the center of the steering, and the S80 wanders ever so slightly, requiring small steering corrections. In Volvo tradition, the steering is a bit on the slow side, demanding more steering input than other cars in this class. Overall, the S80 doesn't have the handling precision and poise of some of its competitors, such as the BMW 5 Series or the 2003 Jaguar S-Type.

The S80's brakes are adequate, although the pedal isn't particularly sensitive. The suspension does a good job of keeping the S80 level under hard braking: Nosedive during an 80-mph stop was minimal.

The four-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly and precisely, most notably at higher loads. But occasionally at lower speeds, a quick stomp on the gas causes it to trip over itself, momentarily bogging down before downshifting, and then lurching as it finally finds the right gear.