xc70 vs v90 cross country

[Bonefishblues]

Originally Posted by Kev0607

The Audi A6 Allroad was a wild suggestion, like I said in my post admittedly.

Whisper it quietly but I had to work ruddy hard to dissuade my wife. She thinks the sun shines out of Audi's posterior.

[Kev0607]

It seems many do. The roads are packed with them! They aren't my cup of tea though personally.

[mark2410]

Originally Posted by Kev0607

It seems many do. The roads are packed with them! They aren't my cup of tea though personally.

i thinks thats due to Audi telling buyers once you have one driving laws such as speed limits no longer apply to you.

from what ive observed, the only drivers worse than audi drivers are bmw ones

[deepsix]

Originally Posted by T5R92011

XC70 for me....V90CC would look out of place in this shot:

Yeah........

[100K+]

Originally Posted by green van man

For me the choice is simple. I will never own a v90 as they do not have manual transmition option.



Paul.

...and they look from the outside as if a fat bloke has sat on them and squashed them a bit flat..

Cheers
Bob

[Sotosound]

So.. my 2014 V70 D4 SE Lux Geartronic needed new rear discs and pads plus an MOT, and while it was being worked on by my local specialist, Horton Cars, I was given this car as a courtesy car.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-det...V90&make=VOLVO

Yes. This car. A 2018 V90 D4 R-Design.

So I obviously had to compare it with my own 2014 V70 and also with my wife’s 2015 V60 D3 R-Design Lux Nav Geartronic.

Also, this thread seemed like a good place to share my impressions.


LIKES

The car looks big, and I like big cars. It’s also more handsome than my V70.

There’s a lot more legroom in the back as well. That’s a definite plus and a departure from a long-standing V70 tradition.

Although largely similar in power to my own D4, the V90’s engine is far more responsive than the V70’s when I press on the accelerator. It’s as though it comes Polestar’d as standard.

Engine noise was also more suppressed inside the car.

Tyre noise was noticeable since the car has 20” wheels, but my own V70’s 17” tyres aren’t that much quieter so, on balance, Volvo have probably gotten that better in the V90.


NOT SURE

The stitched leather on top of the dash is something that my wife liked but I didn’t. It serves no real purpose that I can think of and just seems like a contrivance to provide a luxury feel. I also wonder how long the stitching will hold together. It’ll look rough if any stitching goes.


DISLIKES

Anything and everything connected to infotainment.

The TFT display in front of the driver is far too cluttered. It has two separate dials and then adds either a satnav map or lists of information between the two dials. I just want to know speed and revs most of the time but I have to peer through clutter to get at this info. The rest is a superfluous distraction. The TFT display in my V70, on the other hand, is economical in terms of content and simply gets to the point of telling the driver what they need to know. When I drive I don’t need my car saying to me “By the way, did you realise that...?”

The main touch screen is described by some as iPad-like and, to an extent, that’s probably true. I’m also a frequent iPad user, but I use it sat on the settee in the lounge and not while I’m trying to drive a car. There’s very little that can be done without taking my eyes off the road and doing lots of swiping. In my view this is dangerous and after someone eventually dies due to this distraction then all of the automotive manufacturers will suddenly start promoting the benefits of buttons, knobs and voice control.

Even the buttons on the RH spoke of the steering wheel are less obvious in function than those on my V70’s steering wheel.

Perhaps I’d eventually master all of this but it’s all far too complex for my simple needs.

And it’s not all because it‘s a touch screen. In January, I had a Vauxhall Insignia courtesy car while my V70 underwent a bodywork repair. That car also had a touch screen, but it was simple and intuitive and it just did what one would need it to do. Easy peezy compared to the V90.

To pile on the misery further, the shiny vents either side of the screen look like cheap plastic. They look good in promotional materials but not so good in the flesh.

I also found the seats very hard for a Volvo. There was no underlying comfort like in my wife’s V60 R-Design.


OVERALL IMPRESSION

My overall impression was that it felt more like a big Ford than a big Volvo. Perhaps a non-R-Design car might have made a different impression, but I was disappointed.

I’ve always liked big Fords but only when they have a Ford badge.


LOOKING AHEAD

Eventually, we’ll become a one car household, but I’d be surprised if the single car will be one of the new generation V60s or V90s.

We’re more likely to go for one of the last old-shape V60s. It’s a great car and it’s easy to use. Also, it would only cost £30 in terms of annual renewal VED instead of £470 (!!!) in the case of the courtesy car.

Finally, please note that this is just a personal impression and isn’t intended in any way to influence anyone else’s car buying decisions.

[Bonefishblues]

Christ, all I get from Graham as a loaner is a C19th V70 with a billionty-seven miles on it and a patchwork of esoteric staining

[Sotosound]

Originally Posted by Bonefishblues

Christ, all I get from Graham as a loaner is a C19th V70 with a billionty-seven miles on it and a patchwork of esoteric staining

That’s a bit harsh!

I suspect that he was short of loan cars, so he lent me the car that he was using.

What I can say about those courtesy cars is that they show how durable Volvos can be. Cars with 200k+ miles and still sounding sweet.

My previous loan car also reminded me of how sweet the D5 sounds in a P2 V70 when you sink the boot.

[biggbn]

Originally Posted by Sotosound

That’s a bit harsh!

I suspect that he was short of loan cars, so he lent me the car that he was using.

What I can say about those courtesy cars is that they show how durable Volvos can be. Cars with200k+ miles and still sounding sweet.

My previous loan car also reminded me of how sweet the D5 sounds in a P2 V70 when you sink the boot.

Highest mile car i ever owned? A Citroen. Xm 2.5td Estate. Drove like new. 336k miles.

[Sotosound]

VM diesel?