New XC90 first impressions / issues

[Philip Fisher]

Originally Posted by AB-UK

Just read the Reevoo reviews for the new XC90.
Maybe Volvo will have sorted out the new car problems in a couple of years, so the first facelift or revised model might be the one to go for.

The SatNav problems persist it seems. I have unfortunately had the Volvo CrapNav system in my last two XC90s, and despite my complaints to Volvo over the years it seems it is still crap.

Decent systems will always tell you which road you are about to enter eg. "at the roundabout take the 2nd exit onto A614" for example. Much cheaper systems, and even free apps, have this feature, but not Volvo!

I tried to find the reevo reviews for the new xc90 and could find them for all models except the new xc90......

[Dutchbird]

Could try "Volvo reevoo reviews" , it should work , just tried it.

[Philip Fisher]

Got it working now thanks. Cant understand why wouldnt work before l, kept getting a 404 error.

[Schnorbitz]

Originally Posted by Schnorbitz

Had my D5 Momentum for 6 weeks now, it replaced a XC60 D5 R-Design which I had for 2 years.

Very impressed with the XC90 so far, it's a considerably bigger car but the increase in interior space is why I went for it.

In no particular order here are a few points I think might be of interest.

One minor rattle so far, think it's coming from the front passenger door.

One recall in the bag already, curtain airbag doesn't deploy properly for third row protection, trim panel has to be modified.

Touch sensitive keyless entry is a backward step from previous push button type, plays up regularly often taking a few 'presses' to get it to lock. Also it's a real pain when washing the car if you have the fob on you as the water will activate the locking / unlocking, cue mirrors motoring in and out all the time.

No Driver profile feature available yet. I.e. You can't have one key for you and one for her yet with seat settings etc assigned. November update will sort this apparently but seems a big omission from the launch spec.

All cars have the wider instrument TFT at launch due to a supply issue apparently. Saves you £400.

Stop start system is the most sensitive I've ever come across, will shut down engine before car has stopped, a nightmare when manoevring. Can be deactivated but not permanently.

Car is extremely economical imo, I'm getting greater than 40mpg in normal A road running. Computer is accurate too, only over reads by 0.5mpg when I checked it brim to brim.

Volvo On Call is not working, dealer and I both stumped. Another one for the November update I think...

Stereo a bit tinny imo, only upgrade option is the £3k B&W one so maybe spec the subwoofer if you are keen on good sound quality.

Road noise is BAD. Not sure if this is tyres related or down to lack of noise insulation. Car on Continental 20".

Ride quality is firm on standard suspension, I wanted to test drive Air but couldn't find one anywhere. £2500 is a big gamble without driving one but ride is pretty knobbly on 20"s and standard springs. Better than my 60 on 20"s but not a great deal. Payback is very good handling out of town, in fact it handles way better than my 60 ever did.

Bluetooth drops out regularly, hopefully November update will sort... Theme developing here???

Overall I'm happy so far, it's a great big comfortable car with good performance and great economy. It does seem to me though that Volvo released it a bit underdeveloped on the software side, the fabled November update may sort a lot of things but I doubt it'll cover everything and may introduce more gremlins.

I'll put some photos up soon and if I think of anything else which may be of interest I'll add them to the thread.

Hope this is helpful, if anyone has any questions I'll try to answer them.

Cheers

Got 3000 miles on it now and still pretty pleased with it. I've had no real reliability or quality issues as such, the rattle in the passenger door has gone away and i've managed to adjust the bass and treble to make the stereo sound normal (treble full -ve, bass + 1 or 2).

Tyre noise annoys when I remember about it but a bit of research has shown the Contis are the noisiest of all the tyres available in that size, some are 4dB quieter so perhaps it might be worth changing for quieter rated tyres when the time comes. It might make a small difference.

Still to get the November update, has anyone else had it yet?

[xc60ed]

I sold my D5 Inscription after a big European trip. I've got to say I loved the style, looks and space but was very disappointed with the engine, both noise and performance and the road noise. I wouldn't buy another one as I really don't think it justifies the price Volvo are asking for an unrefined underpowered 4 pot. We have just got a new D5 XC60 SE lux as my wife's car and that is quieter, more comfortable (better seats and ride) and far stronger engine performance from the old 5 pot, than the XC90. I'm driving her old uncomfortable Tiguan whilst looking for a replacement for the XC90. It was going to be an Audi Q7 but I'm not putting money into anything VAG at the moment! As a car the Q7 is far better than the XC90 and I'm sure discounts will make their price competitive. Shame I really wanted to like the XC90 and keep away from the Germans but it just isn't up to the mark for the money IMHO.

[xco]

I've noticed that the price of the old style xc90's seems to be steadily creeping back up again particularly up around the se lux versions.

[xc60ed]

That wouldn't surprise me as they were a bargain at the price they were being sold for. The old 5 pot is still a better engine than the new 4. Also judging from the XC60 forum the new 4 pot is dreadfully flawed with constant EGR problems which Volvo seem unable to resolve. We intend to keep the XC60 for many years if the new XC90 is a sign of how Volvo is going.

[Schnorbitz]

Originally Posted by xc60ed

I sold my D5 Inscription after a big European trip. I've got to say I loved the style, looks and space but was very disappointed with the engine, both noise and performance and the road noise. I wouldn't buy another one as I really don't think it justifies the price Volvo are asking for an unrefined underpowered 4 pot. We have just got a new D5 XC60 SE lux as my wife's car and that is quieter, more comfortable (better seats and ride) and far stronger engine performance from the old 5 pot, than the XC90. I'm driving her old uncomfortable Tiguan whilst looking for a replacement for the XC90. It was going to be an Audi Q7 but I'm not putting money into anything VAG at the moment! As a car the Q7 is far better than the XC90 and I'm sure discounts will make their price competitive. Shame I really wanted to like the XC90 and keep away from the Germans but it just isn't up to the mark for the money IMHO.

That's interesting to hear, I've gone the other way, XC60 D5 to XC90 and don't have any complaints with the engine so far. What did you have before the XC90?

Would also be interesting to hear how the XC90's value performed when you sold it after a short period, is the trade keen on it?

Agree about the seats though, not as comfy as the XC60's.

[xc60ed]

On the initial test drive I was happy enough with the engine but on the 3000 mile trip around Europe it really struggled when heavily loaded. On the motorways it was constantly dropping a gear and the engine noise when worked hard really got to me. The road noise from the 20" Contis was the worst in any car I've ever owned and gave me a headache after 8 hours driving. The seats are also very hard and I really struggled on the long driving days. Last year I did the same trip in a VW Touareg 3.0 R line. This was a fantastic under rated car and the engine was a belter. Completely different league of performance and refinement. I needed a bigger car for this years trip as my daughter has a bigger wheelchair hence the swap to the XC90. The V6 VAG engine is what a car of this price should have and the overall fuel economy on the trip wasn't that different. Sorry but for the money the XC90 is unrefined and underpowered and needs a V6. The Audi Q7 is very refined and has a stunning V6. I will probably get one for next years trip but I'm not keen on the WAG image! I got an excellent price on the XC90 as I sold before the demos started to hit the market. My ideal car would be the XC90 with a V6 diesel. air suspension, more soundproofing and the XC60 seats! Why didn't Volvo make that car it would easily be the best in class.

[Kev78]

Originally Posted by xc60ed

I sold my D5 Inscription after a big European trip. I've got to say I loved the style, looks and space but was very disappointed with the engine, both noise and performance and the road noise. I wouldn't buy another one as I really don't think it justifies the price Volvo are asking for an unrefined underpowered 4 pot. We have just got a new D5 XC60 SE lux as my wife's car and that is quieter, more comfortable (better seats and ride) and far stronger engine performance from the old 5 pot, than the XC90. I'm driving her old uncomfortable Tiguan whilst looking for a replacement for the XC90. It was going to be an Audi Q7 but I'm not putting money into anything VAG at the moment! As a car the Q7 is far better than the XC90 and I'm sure discounts will make their price competitive. Shame I really wanted to like the XC90 and keep away from the Germans but it just isn't up to the mark for the money IMHO.

I agree 1000%.

I'm sure the new owners are behind these 'strange' decisions volvo are making.

They are trying to take on the German giants using a budget car makers approach.

I know you're not keen on VAG, but the toureg is hard to beat for value.