General: XC90 Gen I - 3.2 or V8, or XC70 T6

[vinylwasp]

Hi everyone, I'm thinking of buying a second XC90 Gen I and specifically a 2010/2011 V8 R-Design.

I've owned a few Volvo's and had a 2013 XC90 D5 R-Design in NZ which I loved (see picture) so when we landed back in the UK in 2020 I drove a 2012 Honda CRV for 6 months then purchased a 2019 XC60 Inscription Pro. It was ok to begin with but after 6 months I started to hate it. I hated fiddling with Sensus just to change the temp, fan, etc, hated the poor visibility provided by the high sports car waist line, hated the vague handling which I put down to the air suspension, and in the end traded it in on an Audi A4 Avant S-Line which I still like but is a bit soulless compared to a Volvo.

I only drive <5k miles per year and 95% of that is short trips to the supermarket or as a taxi service for my kids, so I've eliminated Diesels from contention for my next purchase as EGR/DPF and maintenance issues aren't worth the risk IMO.

I'm also a bit of a petrol-head so figure 'why not' when it comes to the question of which petrol engine to go for given the fuel consumption is almost identical between the 3.2 and the V8, and who wouldn't want a Yamaha V8 under the bonnet.

Q: Would the 3.2 be just as good as there's many more around? Or,

I don't really need 7 seats but 600+ litres of load space is one of the things I'm looking for so would a 2014/15 XC70 T6 be a better choice with the updated safety features?