discussion Thoughts on Volvo XC90?

[MoeM2]

I have been thinking of replacing the beloved x3 20d and have been considering options. Today I stumbled on a Volvo xc90 b6 inscription (stumbled means I was driving past a Volvo dealership and decided to have a look at a XC90).

I have always like the look of them and the sensible nature but was not familiar with the car itself and what they actually come with.

On first impression the vehicle is impressive. Interior space is great, seats are really comfy and spec for days. Seemed to be ticking a lot of boxes but have my reservations on certain items.

Engines
The vehicle I test drove was a B6 (2l petrol with a 48v mild hybrid) paired to an 8 speed torque converter auto.
Reservation - they no longer do diesels and like most manufacturers are going green (I also have an E39 M5 which is green in colour but that’s about as far as it goes ). Being a turbo charged petrol I’m not too sure how this thing will be on fuel? Salesman talk is the usual highly impressive new technology running extremely light claiming I should easily do around 10l per 100 doing school runs.

Is there anyone with knowledge on these vehicles and what they are actually like. It will be the wife’s daily used for the constant up and down run around that comes with being a mom.

Air suspension
The vehicle comes with air ride. The ride seemed rather comfy and smooth but no idea what will post motorplan costs look like. Will probably get pricing on what extensions on plan cost like (most brands seem more affordable than BMW but not sure)

Overall
The vehicle is highly impressive , rides beautifully and will be an excellent family holiday car which could do the daily chores in high levels of comfort but is far from my sweet spot from Bavaria.

PS the other vehicles that Iooked at was

Touareg - hated it. Far too big and terrible engine gearbox pairing. Takes forever to respond once you try and accelerate for a gap

Lexus RX - hated it. Cvt gearbox in a 2.4l petrol turbo with insane pricing , like honestly who buys those things. I had no idea what the line up of Lexus was so decided to stop buy and explore. Not going back.

X5 30d - ticks lots of boxes and definitely an option

X3 m40d - loved the drive in this car. Fell awesome, drove awesome - will be the same space question and would then rather keep the beloved F25

Hoping someone here is familiar with Volvo.


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[///Herbie]

I have been thinking of replacing the beloved x3 20d and have been considering options. Today I stumbled on a Volvo xc90 b6 inscription (stumbled means I was driving past a Volvo dealership and decided to have a look at a XC90).

I have always like the look of them and the sensible nature but was not familiar with the car itself and what they actually come with.

On first impression the vehicle is impressive. Interior space is great, seats are really comfy and spec for days. Seemed to be ticking a lot of boxes but have my reservations on certain items.

Engines
The vehicle I test drove was a B6 (2l petrol with a 48v mild hybrid) paired to an 8 speed torque converter auto.
Reservation - they no longer do diesels and like most manufacturers are going green (I also have an E39 M5 which is green in colour but that’s about as far as it goes ). Being a turbo charged petrol I’m not too sure how this thing will be on fuel? Salesman talk is the usual highly impressive new technology running extremely light claiming I should easily do around 10l per 100 doing school runs.

Is there anyone with knowledge on these vehicles and what they are actually like. It will be the wife’s daily used for the constant up and down run around that comes with being a mom.

Air suspension
The vehicle comes with air ride. The ride seemed rather comfy and smooth but no idea what will post motorplan costs look like. Will probably get pricing on what extensions on plan cost like (most brands seem more affordable than BMW but not sure)

Overall
The vehicle is highly impressive , rides beautifully and will be an excellent family holiday car which could do the daily chores in high levels of comfort but is far from my sweet spot from Bavaria.

PS the other vehicles that Iooked at was

Touareg - hated it. Far too big and terrible engine gearbox pairing. Takes forever to respond once you try and accelerate for a gap

Lexus RX - hated it. Cvt gearbox in a 2.4l petrol turbo with insane pricing , like honestly who buys those things. I had no idea what the line up of Lexus was so decided to stop buy and explore. Not going back.

X5 30d - ticks lots of boxes and definitely an option

X3 m40d - loved the drive in this car. Fell awesome, drove awesome - will be the same space question and would then rather keep the beloved F25

Hoping someone here is familiar with Volvo.


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I think you answered your own question. X5 30d and X3 40d are your options now

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[swazi85]

X5 3.0d

That's what I'm getting for my wife in next six months.

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[Eust]

X5 30d is a no brainer.

Robust, well known reliable engine versus a more "complicated", hybrid 2L from Volvo.....then add resale into the mix post maintenance plan and I wonder why anyone ever buys a Volvo.

 

[CK4LIFE]

I own a Xc60 excel(base spec)... Flawless!. On resale, I was offered 270k for what I got for 340k with 90k(now on 145k km km 3 years ago so go figure.
On the xc90, my boss owns one, albeit diesel one ( D5 R-design). Very comfortable 7 seater a bonus, powerful and hasn't had a single issue in 4 years, now out plan but he's got own indie.

 

[cRed001]

A mate of mine recent bought the B6. Suits his needs, he does less than 50km daily so the vehicle runs purely on electric motor for the most part. He claims a R1,000 fuel lasts around 6 weeks.

He opted for the Polestar tune. Off the line its pretty quick.

If you buying brand new and the vehicle is going to be under motor plan, it's a nice alternative to the X3 or X5 (which have become more common that a Corolla).

The one drawback is the tyre sizes are quite unique (stock availability especially out of the major areas will be an issue) and there's no spare wheel.

 

[Eust]

I own a Xc60 excel(base spec)... Flawless!. On resale, I was offered 270k for what I got for 340k with 90k(now on 145k km km 3 years ago so go figure.
On the xc90, my boss owns one, albeit diesel one ( D5 R-design). Very comfortable 7 seater a bonus, powerful and hasn't had a single issue in 4 years, now out plan but he's got own indie.

That resale makes sense as the majority of the hit was taken by the first buyer. And as with most cars, including BMW, less market for a car at 90k km so you get it at a great price as then it can't really drop much more than the already great price you paid so another 20% drop is fair, as that level car is a steal at polo money - but the rub is that you will have to fork out another R400k+ to get the same car again when you ultimately want to renew.

XC range definitely breathed life into Volvo to make it more appealing but I'd only have one in plan, and then at that price they are just not as appealing as the steal you get them for when they are about to get out of plan and then you take a bath on resale.

 

[jayaynikkal]

Don't know much about them but they seem like cool cars. Infotainment screen looks weird to me. The T8 is incredibly fast though. I remember getting dusted by one in my FiST.

You'll probably never get hijacked in a Volvo 😅 and they're safe AF in case you didn't know 😋

 

[FILV]

My Cousin has a 2017 XC90 T6 (Twin charge motor)
He uses it as a daily, as well as many long distance trips between Maputo and Joburg.

This particular engine has given a few niggles, the last being oil breather/filter housing failed. Either than that he loves it.
Good NVH, the base sound system is very good.
Very comfortable, lots of space for Mom and two babies in the back. Good service from Volvo Bedfordview.

As with any Volvo, or Italian or French brand, buy second hand. Really makes no sense buying new, or demo milleage and you take the huge knock.
As stated above, he looked at getting a new one, which would basically mean an extra 500k-600k, so he opted to renew the service/warranty plan.

He did struggle to find new tyres for it, due to the unique size 275/45 R20 (opt 235/55 R19 / opt 275/40 R21)
I would look at the last diesel ones sold, only issues is they are 2.0 engines, which are no comparison to a 30D in the X5.

The optional Bowers & Wilkins Sound System is amongst the best in the Game.

I think the X5 makes more a logical choice, due to mainly resale value, and ease to trade it in down the line.
People are very weary of buying second hand Volvo's, never mind hybrid models in a few years time.

 

[///M Individual]

The XC90 looks really good but as stated above I think the hybrid might be an issue down the line and even an older diesel might be less reliable and require more maintenance than an X5.

With that said I would go for the X5 30d or X3 40d depending on your space requirements. The G01 is bigger than the F25 so might suit your needs.

 

[nabil_m_rs]

I don't much about the reliability and resale on them but they are awesome cars. I see a few on the road on a daily basis and they look pretty awesome and specs are quite nice too. I wouldn't mind one.

But like everyone said, I'd go for the X3 M40d or the X5 30d as the first two options. I test drove both of these cars as well as the M40i when I was in the process of buying my F85 X5M and I can honestly say I had a lot of fun in the M40d X3. It also depends on how much of space you want from the car too and what your needs are.

I personally found the X3 to be big enough and quite spacious. Obviously the X5 was slighly bigger but at the same time due to its size I found the 30d to be a bit underpowered in the X5 which is why I'd opt for the X3 M40d in this case.

So X3 M40d gets my vote.

I'm not sure what your budget is exactly, but I'd also consider looking at the Range Rover Velar D300. Quite big, good looking and powerful. Another one I also suggest looking at is a Jag F-Pace which Is pretty awesome. If there's one thing I can vouch for about JLR is their exceptional customer service. They always put BMW to shame.

Then if you want something with space, decent power, good resale and reliability, Land Cruiser is your best bet.

 

[Kal23]

XC90 Hybrid - drove it for a few hundred kms, excellent thing!
The only issue based on friends that have these cars is the maintenance costs.
X5 of course is an all-round superb proposition, however, as common as Polos.

 

[Budleigh]

I haven't found Volvo resale to be a huge deal - a lot of perception based on the old Ford-owned days, and not much more than that.

The XC90 is a large SUV with the attendant running costs. They don't have air suspension issues, and you can get it without if that's a concern. The newer models are less glitchy than the old ones, but they don't cost more maintenance-wise than maintaining any other luxury car out of plan, and the interior/sound system/design is on another plane compared to the nice but dull X5. The BMWs have exceptional engines, which would be the deciding factor.

Unless you need a seven seater, you should probably check out the XC60 as well. It's a newer design in many respects.

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[MR_Y]

As a Volvo fan, having owned a 5 cylinder diesel and a proper Polestar Engineered petrol 2.0 turbo/super charged car, I advise against the T6/B6 engine. The 2.0 turbo/super charged engine is not the most reliable Volvo engine. Also, that XC90 is a big body vehicle that needs an unstressed engine. Rather go for a low mileage D5 XC90 with a Polestar tune to sharpen up the lazy Aisin gearbox.

Alternatively, an approved preowned Porsche Cayenne V6 (previous gen Diesel or new gen Petrol) would give you that Volvo levels of interior solidity and luxury, but with the driving fun aspect of an X5.

But the best all rounder is the X5 30d. Full stop

 

[tjc]

Wifey drives a XC60 with a 2 litre 4 cylinder petrol engine. Quite thirsty around town, but good economy and comfort for long distance drives. Its no slouch either however its soft handling manners cannot be compared with BMW. Reliability is not bad however many parts are dealer only. Weirdly you cannot get the recommended 0w-20 oil from dealerships, and general lack of diy support

 

[MoeM2]

Thanks all for the comments and insights. I am also far more familiar with the BMW brand overall and will potentially hang ten till I’m sure which option to go with - the f25 X3 20d is excellent in any case and a very difficult vehicle to change.

The Volvo is an intriguing proposition. The model I test drove was a 2022 with 42000km and the remaining 5 year 100000km (extendable for another 3 years + mileage for roughly R80k. The price of the vehicle was R899k which throws this into x3 money category.


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[MR_Y]

The price of the vehicle was R899k which throws this into x3 money category.

For that price, I would advise used X5 or approved used Cayenne, to compete with the XC90 on space and solidity.
X3 is a class below - though will feel more agile to drive, given smaller size.

 

[Kishore]

im just gonna leave this here

BMW X5 xDrive30d M Sport for sale in Margate - ID: 27358475

Used 2020 BMW X5 xDrive30d M Sport For Sale - R 949 990 - ID: 27358475

www.autotrader.co.za

 

[AceRally]

The one drawback is the tyre sizes are quite unique (stock availability especially out of the major areas will be an issue) and there's no spare wheel.

That's a bummer for a long trip vehicle.

 

[MR_Y]

Real vote of NO confidence in the latest Volvo 2.0 petrol turbo/supercharged motors.

Watch from time 9:35 onwards (after the Bentley).

If buying a Volvo, go for one of the diesels (4 or 5 cylinder) or the 5 cylinder petrols.