XC90 and its dated engine, Volvo need to buckle up

[RoyMacDonald]

Originally Posted by Volvophile

A couple of years ago they gave it 4.5/5 stars in their original roadtest as well.

It's amazing how the mighty fall.

In their opinion. The XC90 has already obtained iconic status in automotive history in my mind.

[bobdabuilda]

Sorry but those journalists are just muppets. To my mind the car has a very distiguished and classy look which withstands the passage of time when all other cars are morphing into pathetic clones of each other.
Yes the engine is a bit rough but that shouldn't be hard to overcome with todays technology. If Volvo could sort that out and improve fuel economy, maybe with a hybrid drive, then this car would still beat any in its price bracket for years to come.

[The Painter]

The Autocar test is further confirmation that the once great motoring magazine has long passed its sell by date, poor content and very poor journalism.

[reggie59]

Originally Posted by The Painter

The Autocar test is further confirmation that the once great motoring magazine has long passed its sell by date, poor content and very poor journalism.

Very poor and written by a lazy journalist who confuses the reader about the 2006 face lift and 2011 improved engine. It is either incompetence or laziness, probably both.

I stopped buying autocar years ago. They are a bunch of spoilt kids. They cannot even bother to measure true economy. At least autoexpress seems to live in the real world.

But I do not bother either with them...

Log on www.honestjohn.co.uk

great guy, great advice.

[Clan]

[QUOTE=reggie59;866675]Very poor and written by a lazy journalist who confuses the reader about the 2006 face lift and 2011 improved engine. It is either incompetence or laziness, probably both.

I stopped buying autocar years ago. They are a bunch of spoilt kids. They cannot even bother to measure true economy. At least autoexpress seems to live in the real world.

But I do not bother either with them...

Log on www.honestjohn.co.uk

great guy, great advice.[/QUOTE]


His advice is more general than specific and he gets it wrong too , advising somone to change their 850 expensive gearbox oil to cure clutch drag ! one of a few mistakes i have noticed .. hes ok on fiat pandas and toyota yaris , honda Jazz etc .. cars which he actualy drives ..

[Rentagas]

Well OK

The XC90 has a fairly rough, unsophisticated thirsty engine.
The XC90 has a suspension that both feels every bump and sways around corners. It is not a "top gear" drivers car yet Jeremy clarkson has one!

I am sure if the engine and suspension had been updated it would be a better car BUT it wouldn't be available with a 10k discount. As it is it's a very luxurious 7 seater which is up against the likes of the discovery and Q7 which given their more modern design should be so much better but they're not. They also look horrible.

Yes instead of buying my 33k exec I could have bought a similar spec disco or q7 this would have had more power and torque, handled better but also cost 50K. The XC90's competitors in terms of cost are the Kia Sorrento and Hyundai Santa Fe and as such it wins hands down.

[wagga]

The XC90 may not the most dated cars around, but it's moving towards the evergreen status. Still could not find any SUV out there that looks as smart as the XC90, even though body design is 8 years old. It still turning heads. And the occasional stare because many stereotyped Volvo drivers as idiots drivers "because they are driving the most safest car in the world". I don't care.

Engine performance is reasonable. It is built for family safety. Over the years, the changes that was made, I believe many don't even know. I know it went from timing chain to timing belt and later back to timing chain. 2.5T to 2.9T and later came up with the V8 and I6. 5 speed Aisin to GM 4 speed and later the 6-speed Aisin are some of the development.

For my need, 99% on the bitumen road, and for the regular road trips, the 3.2I6 is more than sufficient. (For school run, I just used my wife B-Class or my back up Fiesta). I definitely won't want to do 120mph with whole family in the XC90, or even just myself. That is not being responsible.

Prior to purchasing the XC90 (7 seaters), I tried the Prado, the Pajero, the Trebica, Disco 3 and the Kluger. None had the full tick on my checklist, unlike the XC90. Did not consider the Q7 because looks ugly.

Just my thought.