Move from XC90 to 60...???

[Lycanthrope]

Hi Folks

Looking for some advice. I love my 90, but they've just changed the company car tax laws here in Belgium and it suddenly become a LOT more expensive.

I'm struggling to find a similar car that has a good CO² and space for three small kids (two eight year-olds and one five). There's the Lexus 450h, but there's not enough width in the back for the necessary kiddies seats and/or booster seats.

The XC60 looks possible due to the two booster seats built-in, but I don't know if you'd fit a seat in the middle...

Pfff, what a conundrum. I don't want an MPV, I'm sick of driving mini-vans...

Other option is to swallow the extra tax until the next gen 90 comes out in hybrid form.

Would love the thoughts of the members on this.

[Rawas]

Originally Posted by Lycanthrope

Hi Folks

Looking for some advice. I love my 90, but they've just changed the company car tax laws here in Belgium and it suddenly become a LOT more expensive.

I'm struggling to find a similar car that has a good CO² and space for three small kids (two eight year-olds and one five). There's the Lexus 450h, but there's not enough width in the back for the necessary kiddies seats and/or booster seats.

The XC60 looks possible due to the two booster seats built-in, but I don't know if you'd fit a seat in the middle...

Pfff, what a conundrum. I don't want an MPV, I'm sick of driving mini-vans...

Other option is to swallow the extra tax until the next gen 90 comes out in hybrid form.

Would love the thoughts of the members on this.

Hi Lycanthrope,
One of the main reasons people buy Volvos I think, is their legendary safety records. Do you trust any other car to put your little ones in? I don't.
Definitely an XC60 and a T6 if it's within the budget. One of the most thoroughly designed crossovers.

[JimG]

I found that I wouldn't be getting any more boot space over my 55 plate V70 if I moved to an XC60. I think the roofline/tailgate design ate into the capacity. And rear leg room was the same as the V70.

If you need the AWD would an XC70 be more practical and spacious than an XC60?

[Lycanthrope]

T6 would be nice, either on car, but high C0² - they need to put their DRIVe tranmission train into the AWD's!!

Otherwise either the 60 or 70 look nice, but it's all about the space for three kids.

[The Painter]

Make sure you take a lengthy test drive, the XC60 is a very different drive to the 90, I didn't like it at all but that's my personal view.

I assume the X5 is out of range too, in my opinion a very good XC90 alternative and now with 7 seats.

[Mike 700]

Originally Posted by Lycanthrope

Hi Folks

Looking for some advice. I love my 90, but they've just changed the company car tax laws here in Belgium and it suddenly become a LOT more expensive.

I'm struggling to find a similar car that has a good CO² and space for three small kids (two eight year-olds and one five). There's the Lexus 450h, but there's not enough width in the back for the necessary kiddies seats and/or booster seats.

The XC60 looks possible due to the two booster seats built-in, but I don't know if you'd fit a seat in the middle...

Pfff, what a conundrum. I don't want an MPV, I'm sick of driving mini-vans...

Other option is to swallow the extra tax until the next gen 90 comes out in hybrid form.

Would love the thoughts of the members on this.

Hi,

I went 'down' if that's the right expression, from a 90 to a 60 last year,and I do miss it sometimes, especially the 7 seats, and the comfort/room, but overall I think that the 60 is probably better - I have the two child seats and I have used a removable booster seat in the middle also.

[JimG]

Originally Posted by The Painter

Make sure you take a lengthy test drive, the XC60 is a very different drive to the 90, I didn't like it at all but that's my personal view.

Good point about the test drive, all the facts and figures mean nothing if you don't like driving it.

[Lycanthrope]

Well the X5 is surely a nice car, but it's no bigger than the XC60 and twice the price and 30% more CO², would cost me the same tax as XC90.

Going to look at the 60 tomorrow anyway, it will all depend whether a booster seat fits on the middle seat.

Otherwise I'm going to wait for the next gen 90 hybrid and swallow the extra tax for the moment.

[volvorocks]

Originally Posted by Lycanthrope

Well the X5 is surely a nice car, but it's no bigger than the XC60 and twice the price and 30% more CO², would cost me the same tax as XC90.

Going to look at the 60 tomorrow anyway, it will all depend whether a booster seat fits on the middle seat.

Otherwise I'm going to wait for the next gen 90 hybrid and swallow the extra tax for the moment.

The length of the rear seat is about 50 inches.

The middle seat is about 12 inches.There are obviously 3 seat belt clips,two for the outer rear passengers and one for the middle passenger.The middle seat passengers belt clip is about 12 inches from the offside rear passengers belt clip.

Regards

[Lycanthrope]

So I've been around all the car showroom and unless I get an MPV like a Sharan, SMax or some othe god-awful van type thing, there's nothing at all like the XC for three little kids.

The problem, every time, is the middle seat, it's impossible to fit a booster seat, the seat-belt fixings are covered.

So I've decided to keep my 90 and see what the next generation model has to offer. The Lexus RX was a fantastic car, but why oh why don't they build in boosters?

Still, the 90 is a lovely car too, just the pain of he tax to deal with...