Advice Please- Which XC90?

[don logan]

Hi, i'm considering an XC90, budget is around £8k.

I had initially thought to just get the best i could possibly afford, so had been looking at 2010+, so the 200bhp D5 on the lower tax band. However, seeing that these do mega mileage if looked after made me question whether i'd really need to spend that much and whether i could spend say, £5k and get something that will still last me a few years.

Main consideration at the moment is reliability- is there much difference in terms of reliability between the 163, 185 or 200bhp models? As said, I was looking at the 200bhp models, but am seeing plenty of earlier models with 150K+ miles, so am wondering if I find, say, a 163 or 185 with full dealer SH, under 120k miles for £5-6 then would the saving be worth it, or would i likely be wishing i spent a bit more and go a better one in the first place?

Manual vs auto- the vast majority of these being Geartronic, is there an issue with resale value if going manual? And do the autoboxes suffer many issues?


I had a 2005 S60 D5 years ago- I was surprised at the amount of things that went wrong with it- alarm going off by itself, central locking reopening certain doors once locked with key remote, reverse gear stopped working. Would these issues have been sorted out (and probably replaced with others) by 2010-2011 models coming out?

Does anyone know of an mk1 XC90 buyer's guide online?

Thanks

[Fika]

For the autobox you want to be sure that the fluid was changed regularly i.e ~30-40k mile intervals, when going for a test drive you need to drive around for perhaps an hour so the box is warmed up too highlight any potential issues, shift glaring or harsh shifting to watch out for

Also at ~100k miles the engine mounts tend to go (guaranteed for top to go quicker)- not difficult to replace but if left as is with no addressing, it can also mess with your slushbox as then your other mounts begin to fail as well

At those miles also the front suspension tends to go, rear ones are fairly expensive to replace- also to be taken into account

When looking for a Volbo, should definitely have a code reader, Vida/Dice or have somebody that can do thi for you

[Bonefishblues]

Something which has been looked after properly is your no1 priority. This may or may not be via a main dealer - good Indys can do it equally as well as Main Dealers. It is also no guarantee that it'll continue in that vein, but at least you're ahead before you start.
I'd keep back a bork fund of a couple of grand in any event - XC90s can consume cash pretty rapidly.
OTOH there's a clearly well looked after XC70 in the classifieds on here @5K before haggle. No affiliation, just mentioning.
The above is the reason why we run XC70s, not the '90, having been in a similar position some years ago.

[bluey_xc90]

Having run two xc90's - one 2004 and one 2011 - the main difference is the longevity of the bits on them. Both to 100k or so from 30k for first one, 10k for second.

2004 - all 4 wheel bearings needed to be done, 5 speed gearbox fragile even after changing fluid (esp if tuned), power steering prone to go, front wishbones shot by 100k, rear bushings more prone to wear etc, fuel level sensor went, bonnet catch stuck, lot of minor electrical issues even with vida had lot of chasing. Intercooler replaced which is common no matter what engine by 80-90k for best running.

2011 - all wheel bearings fine, 6 speed box stronger (though still needs flushing for best life which I've done twice), power steering improved, front wishbones showing no issues in terms of rubber bushing, rear bushings all fine. In short been boringly reliable, only changing as had it 9 years and getting brand new xc90 (so is up for sale in next week or so!). Had one error on haldex which was rectified by new oil and filter one it. Intermittent air quality sensor error which makes no difference. Intercooler replaced, along with aircon radiator/condensor when in there due to stones hitting it.

Common issue is upper and lower engine mount - which should be changed by about 50-60k and 5-6 years - but even then improved design.

Realistically by the end of the run all the common wear issues were rectified, better internal bits like bluetooth and aux in, more reliable and better built