A fierce debate has been raging over at Volvo forum Swedespeed. The thread got started when someone (without my knowledge) copied and pasted my entire review of the car (sadly without a link to the original, or even my name).

I hadn’t posted about the review there myself since I had no desire to be flamebait, and assumed that Volvo people love the new car. Just in case the review wasn’t yet inflammatory enough, my title — “Did they really think this would be good enough?” was replaced with “Be very careful before buying!!” Even so, it turns out I was wrong. While a few Volvo loyalists, some of them Volvo salespeople, have been defending the car, most are clearly disappointed.

Since discovering the thread, I’ve been posting in it myself. And at one point it dawned on me: Volvo’s S80 is similar in many ways to Acura’s RL (click for my review). With both cars, the brands are attempting, for the second time, to move into the $40,000+ midsize sedan market. Both cars, in seeking to adhere to their manufacturers’ distinctive cultures and traditions, fall short of what this market requires from even estalished competitors, much less new entrants.

Additional similarities:

— Engines with less power than the leaders, though at least the Volvo offers a V8

— Use of all-wheel-drive to overcome the limitations of a front-wheel-drive chassis

— Understated exterior lacking in presence (though the Volvo is more distinctive)

— Rear seat legroom marginal for adults, odd in a flagship

— Bland driving experience

The $50,000 sedan segment includes some very capable cars. For a new entrant to break into this segment, it had better be outstanding. Yet both Volvo and Acura have now twice developed cars that while very good are not outstanding. Acura has had to heavily discount the RL to get it off dealer lots, and I suspect the same will once again be the case with the S80.

If Acura and Volvo weren’t going to swing for the fences, why did they bother? Yes, Honda has always been about efficiency, and Volvo has always been about a lack of flash and an avoidance of excess. But if both companies want to uphold their traditions so firmly, then perhaps this just isn’t a segment they should enter.