Realistic costs of XC90 ownership

[Patrick lince]

Hello

I have just found this site and have found it enjoyable and informative.

I am seriousyl tempted into buying an XC90 and have costed a brand new D5 SE which I am happy with. The bit I unsure about is running an SUV as opposed to another estate car. I appreciate that fuel costs will be higher and servicing a little pricier, but having checked out the forums, the rate you guys go through tyres and talk of expensive repairs is a little daunting.

I would appreciate some advice on ownership costs.

Patrick

[S60-MBS]

One of my bosses recently bought himself a XC90 D5 Se..after 2 months hes had enough of it...fuel costs enormous even compared to his Mercedes which hes getting back again...been alot of little niggly problems which the dealers have been trying to sort out ever since he had it with no joy so far..

[Patrick lince]

Thanks for the reply. I test drove a D5 SE Geartronic and absloutely loved it but I am concerned re some of the posts on this forum, if I don't go ahead and purchase I may sit ot out until the new V70 arrives. The pictures look great so it will be interesting to see it in the flesh.

[ianu]

Hi Patrick,
Must admit I've been surprised by some of the appalling experiences other members seem to have suffered with their XC90 - I'd be peeved too - maybe I'm a lucky one - but this is my third Volvo now. Each one has been better than the previous (V70 XT 102k miles, V70XC 2.4t 98k miles - both company cars) - now this is my own funded car - I thought long and hard too about the running costs.
I have a D5 manual SE (controversial I know). I opted out of 18" rims and went 17" route - looks just as good and I got 42k out of all four tyres on Michelin Synchrone.
Servicing is pricey as expected considering the parts equal about 1/4 of the total bill each time. I think the new D5's may have 18k interval instead of my 12k on a 54 plate model ?? don't quote me - but would make a difference as I do about 25k a year in mine. Once it's out of warranty - I'll be looking for non franchise specialists which will hopefully be a bit cheaper too.
Touch wood - never had a problem with anything - certainly none of the issues other have experienced.
I love it to bits and get 40mpg on a motorway run - and 33-36 running around locally.
Apart from the depreciation - it's been pretty much on the mark - even insurance is coming in under £400 fully comp with business use and protected ncd.
Good luck with your selection.

Cheers
Ian.

[patl]

Hi Patrick,

It's not all doom and gloom ... my XC90 D5 SE geartronic just celebrated its first birthday without falling apart !!

Insurance: approx £350 for 39yr old with full NCD in Bournemouth.
1st annual service at 14000 miles : £350
Cost to fix tracking on wheels: £60
2 new front tyres at 14000 miles, due to tracking problem: £316 for Conti Cross Contacts (still had 4mm, but tracking problem made them illegal at the edges).
Diesel: 25mpg in mostly around town driving, 30ish on motorway. I spent approx £2200 on fuel over 14000 miles. (I am heavy footed).

These cars are not without some build problems (seems to be mainly earlier cars), but they look good and go well and most owners love them.

Regards,
Patrick.

[perussell]

As of today I have 38000 miles on my 54 reg XC90 D5 auto.
Good: Supremely comfortable for hours on end; immensely practical; surprisingly economical - 80% M-way driving realises approx 30-33 mpg average; excellent dealer back up
OK: tyre wear - achieved 24,000 miles on first set of tyres, 2nd set wearing well
Poor: several warranty repairs (last one would have been £800 if I had to pay), parking can be difficult - you need to pick a large enough spot; very poor turning circle (making parking in confined spaces more difficult); poor pick up from stop - but cured to some extent with latest 185 bhp engine

Believe many of the bugs have been ironed out on the current facelifted model. if you are buying new then costs should be limited to servicing, maintenance and general wear and tear items. Not sure about servicing or insurance costs - I don't pay. Also be aware that market sentiment appears to be turning against 4x4s so residuals may not be as good as they were in the past.

I just ordered my next car - suffice to say it is not an XC90 (not even a Volvo and I have had 3 in my last 4 cars) though I have thoroughly enjoyed driving my current vehicle.

if you want a 4x4 I think the XC90 offers the best compromise between image, quality and practicality.

[Patrick lince]

Thanks for the responses. It is certainly much better to be able to get the views of owners rather than rely upon salesmen or even worse, journalists.

[Genghis]

Hi Patrick

I bought a fairly highly specced XC90 around a year ago and certainly have not regretted it. On this forum (like all others) you tend to hear about problems with cars as people search for help you don't really get many people writing a thread stating all is fine with their car :)

I've had zero problems with mine so can't really comment on costs for repairs. However when it is out of it's manufacturer's warranty I will most likely run straight down to the nearest Volvo Dealership and buy an extended warranty - on any cars these day fixes cost a forture so (I have a friend whom has BMW's and he has had some real issues with the costs the dealers charge him). I don't know how Volvo are compared to BMW/Mercedes/Lexus/Audi but presume they are all similar-ish.

I knew before I bought the car that the fuel economy wouldn't be great and promised myself not to go on about it.....but around the town it's isn't great and I do tend to get somewhat annoyed when it's empty and costs a fortune to fill up - however if you are worried about fuel economy then a 4*4 will not be for you. In saying that I have an extremely heavy right foot and I don't really do a lot of miles so the fuel economy does not bother me. I get mid to late 20's in town and mid-30's on the motorway - though this tends to be around 32 mpg when I don't stick to the speed limit.

Overall I have two kids - I think the car is brilliant - I love driving it - I've had zero problems with it (bar the key fob failed the other day for around 1 hour apparently that might be due to WiFI and other wireless things) and if I am ever unluckly enough to be in a road accident with my children then I now I am safer in my car compared to the previous smaller cars I've had.

Out of interest I didn't buy mine brand new but it was about 8 months old with 6,000 on the clock - the volvo website is quite and also a few of the non-official volvo dealerships are excellent (I got mine from Hampton Court which is a non-office dealer) - they were absolutely brillant and I would use them again.

[tj101c70]

Well just sold my 5th XC90, (06 185 exec)
With all of them, from a early 52 plate, to the latest, not had any problem with any, bar for a couple of rear wheel bearings (warranty) front steering arms (recall) and a bi-Xeons dropping dead !! All been service outside of the dealer network from new,(with still keeping 3 year warranty) so been reasonable service cost wise,
Fuel wise, around the 30mpg, but they all have had ECU remaps, a lot of towing (Ribs & horseboxes) and not light on the throttle, hence tyres wise, rarely got more that 12-14k from the tyres there have been other post of people getting loads of miles from tyres, How i have not a clue !! must be all light footed motorway miles !!

Now been changed for a 6 month old Range Rover Sport HSE, with 6k on it, in 2 months, its had 7 working days back at the dealer for warranty work,(Cooling fan, Cruise, Park sensors, suspension knocks, poor radio reception, new fuel tank, etc) An 08 year XC90 exec will be ordered mid year, to replace it !!

[Patrick lince]

Thanks for the responses. I am feeling much happier for some positive stories. I had also checked out owner reviews on what car etc which have been very positive also.

I am definately going to place my order, its just a question of whether to opt for the SE or the SE Lux (which I certainly fancy!) and whether to havethe Rear Screen Entertainment fitted or buy after market.

[tj101c70]

Thanks for the responses. I am feeling much happier for some positive stories. I had also checked out owner reviews on what car etc which have been very positive also.

I am definately going to place my order, its just a question of whether to opt for the SE or the SE Lux (which I certainly fancy!) and whether to havethe Rear Screen Entertainment fitted or buy after market.

If the budget will stretch, go for the D5 185 Se Lux Gear, with factory RSE, you will not recoup the cost come resell time, but will certainly make the car more attractive !! Enjoy

[perussell]

As they say, "you pays your money and you makes your choice" but here's something else to think about for a minute........
I lease my XC90 through a personal lease scheme run by my employers and so our monthly payments are closely linked to overall depreciation costs. Before I decided against having another XC90 I looked very carefully at the respective lease values of the SE Lux and the Executive (which is what I run today) and it seems that the Exec model is only a few pounds a month dearer than the SE Lux which suggests it holds its' value better in the longer term.
Yes, the Executive costs a fair bit more than the Se Lux new but if you recoup most of that when you come to sell then it's a relatively cheap way of getting a load more gear on your car without having to specify extras that nearly always lose all their value.
Might be worth doing the maths..........

My Exec does have the RSE as standard (the new ones don't) but it might be worth considering a portable unit which you can transfer from car to car and which remains yours when you sell the XC90.

Another point about the RSE raised elsewhere is that since the screens in the headrests don't tilt the viewer needs to be looking at the screen more or less at eye-level. If you have small kids that isn't always the case even with booster seats.

Decisions, decisions.............. but nice ones :-)

[chunderground]

only nine months into ownership of new xc90 exec (trouble free) must say it is a great drive around town or on motorway.Suggest if you buy new add the 3 year service package which was £300 when I purchased. With xc90 exec at 31k(discounted) new they are a bargain in my opinion. but please do not expect it to be a cheap car to run. If you are concerned about 23mpg around town 30mpg motorway and tyres at £200 per corner then do not buy it. Just because they are now heavily discounted does not change the fact that running costs are similar to x5 or ML series. But if you want safety comfort reliability (problems all developed out now) and to transport you and your loved ones around in a bullet proof luxury car it is an unbeatable package.

[RoyMacDonald]

only nine months into ownership of new xc90 exec (trouble free) must say it is a great drive around town or on motorway.Suggest if you buy new add the 3 year service package which was £300 when I purchased. With xc90 exec at 31k(discounted) new they are a bargain in my opinion. but please do not expect it to be a cheap car to run. If you are concerned about 23mpg around town 30mpg motorway and tyres at £200 per corner then do not buy it. Just because they are now heavily discounted does not change the fact that running costs are similar to x5 or ML series. But if you want safety comfort reliability (problems all developed out now) and to transport you and your loved ones around in a bullet proof luxury car it is an unbeatable package.

My 03 D5 gives at least 28mpg in town and 40+ on the motorway. I paid £120 each for my Vredstien Wintrack4 Extremes on line three years ago. I'm finding it quite a cheap car to run. My only complaint is the car tax. Not a good move by the Government to put it up by £35 a few weeks before an election.

I agree it's a fantastic car though. I make up excuses to drive it I enjoy it so much. The only competition (7 seat 4X4) I can see is still only the Landcruiser and Discovery 3. Both more expensive to run.

[ckp]

2008 model with 226 RICA cost per year, 47 old, 12K per year.

Road tax = £405
Service = £400 (Average)
Insurance = £450 (350 without the RICA)
Tyres = £500 (assume 2 front every year, 2 rears every 2 years)

My 'base' cost per year before a gallon of Diesel = £1,755

But I love it, I have 4 children and the XC90 feels safe and secure. I am using Volvo servicing and spending £150-170/tyres. So, I suspect you could cut it back a bit.

[chunderground]

cannot manage to better 23 mpg on short trips in my d5 exec perhaps I have a heavy right foot. Tyre price of £200 was for a pirelli 19" 255/50/19w but a set of kumho 19" can be had for £500 from black circles (they are great for price and service) so apologies if I overstated running costs. To be honest its the best car i have ever owned and I would not give it up no matter what it cost. New D5 has lower tax (£225 at registration)as co2 is lower owing to particulate filter. I suspect the filter reduces mpg though.

[chunderground]

Anyone had A d5 chipped. Only asked because volvo dealers now offer a polestar chip upgrade for £550 which increases torque to 450NM but I would not chance the upgrade untill I new the effect on driveability as I love the way it drives. When I put on my sensible head it says "leave it alone if it aint broke dont fix it" but I would like to hear from anyone who has had it done.

[JimmyB]

make sure you go for the 3yr service deal as mentioned above. I bought mine from a dealer (demo car) 3mths old with minimal mileage. Price was good approx £10k off original price. But as Dealer does not buy the service package (for obvious reasons) then I could not benefit from this (as it is transferable - so good selling point). Personally I think buying in this way Volvo should extend the offer to give me the option to purchase as technically the first "private" owner. The risk to Volvo should be lower as the dealer will look after the car more than the majority of private owner's - as it is used a selling point and they have a responsibility to ensure it is road worthy for the test drives.. So Volvo would still get £300 from me and give me good impression of the brand. But alas they don't and this has really p*ssed me off... So the first service cost me £330, the 2nd they say will be more expensive as more filters need changing (so about £420), and the 3rd if £300 means I am £750 out of pocket.

I would have bought new if I could but I needed to get the car quicker than the delivery times for new, so maybe I just have to accept it.

Without hijacking this thread anyone else who bought similar to me who did not get the service deal I would be interested to hear your views esp if you have questioned it with the dealers or Volvo HQ.

[ITServe]

The RSE screens are great now! I have had our new Exec XC90 for a week, and the screens have an excellent viewing angle vertically, so however tall or short the passenger they can see really well. Also they are 8" now not 7". Well worth he money IMHO.

[ITServe]

You can buy the service package when you go in for the first service according to the blurb, so surely you can still buy it? Or else the dealer could buy it for you and you bung them the cash?

[JimmyB]

unfortunately the small print says "only available to first registered owner" and thats the dealer. I emailed Volvo Uk and they gave the thumbs down when I questioned this, but did thank me for pointing it out, and that they would feedback my thoughts to the marketing teams. I am contemplating writing a letter to the top brass as it does seem so unfair, so will start a new post to see others experience with this.

[chunderground]

yes I would be unhappy that I could not get the 3 year deal on servicing, There is very little I can suggest to apply pressure to volvo but it seems unfair. I know why you did the deal I had quite a long wait for delivery of a new vehicle.