B5 versus D5
Morning folks,
While my car was in for a check-up (smell of oil/diesel fumes in cabin - no fault found...), I had an XC90 Inscription Pro with the B5 powertrain as a loaner for the day. I though others might welcome a quick write-up of how it compares with the PP D5.
First impressions, very nice when pulling away, with little or no fuss from the diesel while doing so. I feel that the D5 has a bit more oomph if you can get PP to do its thing, but it does so with a lot more song and dance from up front. That said, I'm comparing the XC90 with my XC60, and it's clearly a heavier car.
Stop/Start is much more refined on the B5. Gone is the sound of a spinning starter motor as you resume progress - the engine restarts nearly silently, which is a nice touch.
Once up to speed there's not much in it. Unrelated to the engine, I was surprised at how much road/wind noise is apparent in the XC90 compared to the XC60.
So in summary, if the mechanicals prove to be more reliable than the D5 with PP (not a high bar) then it gets my vote.
Steve
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