Long time lurked considering first Volvo/XC90

[dadoc2001]

Hey folks,
First post so please be gentle. I've been a long time admirer of Volvos in particular the V70/XC90 but have never taken the plunge (and probably dont know what im missing!). Please enlighten me.

My wife and I are on the lookout for a new car and plan to replace our '02 plate CR-V. We have considered several vehicles including Santa Fe, Outlander etc but its a toss between a Mk3 CR-V 2.2 EX or a XC90.

While our CR-V is much older than my Civic we invariably have days/weekends/holidays away in the V. We regularly can carry 3 adults, 2 children and 2 Labs. The car will also be expected to pull our Caravan (mltpm 1400kgs) inc bikes and all the paraphernalia! For this reason we are thinking of slightly bigger than another V (and the kids (5+8) want a 7 seater haha! The iVtec CR-V really does struggle to cope although it surprisingly does.

Our budget will be in and around 10k tops. Mileage will be 6-8k as my wife works a couple of miles down the road. Having owned Type-R's, Saab 9-5 Aeros and the CR-V which doesn't seem to get beyond 25mpg daily running costs are not an issue.

What should we look out for and what should we consider? I see tax bands can vary wildly due to age/C02 and impacts on prices which vary too. I've seen nice older cars at 4k but should they be ignored?
Should we go pre'06, 06-08 with higher tax or 》'58 onwards. Should we look for lower miles or FVSH?
Sorry for all the Q's - your experiences advice would be greatly recieved. As a Honda owner i know most things Honda - outside this brand our luck has been dicey in the past - our Terracan engine blew as did the Turbo on our Saab. We really like the Volvo but are wary of our past!

Cheers

[Moose Test]

Firstly, I wouldn't base your decision on VED rates. Whatever you might choose to pay for your XC90, they were relatively expensive vehicles when new and it is wise to consider their continued running costs in that vein.

They are hard on tyres, suspension components and brakes (all common themes on Volvo forums). If you do any sort of mileage at all, any difference in tax bands is going to disappear in comparison to your servicing and maintainance costs, especially so if you use a Volvo dealership or good independent.

You should keep a good war chest as well, if possible. Expensive gearbox and AWD failures sadly aren't as uncommon as they should be

That said, I'm certainly not trying to put you off - I currently own three Volvos (2 x XC90 and an XC70) and love them all. I've driven Volvos for the better part of the last 17 years and nothing I've experienced has put me off purchasing another, when the time comes.

In my experience, if you could fit your family and lifestyle into an XC70, then I'd take in preference to an XC90. The build quality, reliability and driving comfort of my 2008 Gen 3 is in every way superior to either of my XC90's. They are just a little too plastic and rattling for the kind of money paid for them, especially when new. But if you need the extra space, there is no comparison and the driving position and looks are fantastic (imho).

High mileage shouldn't necessarily put you off (up to 140-50k is quite usual) but there needs to be evidence of good and regular maintainance, Volvo if at all possible or a known, reputable independent. Personally, I'd reject anything from a forecourt which didn't have a full and traceable service history.

Engine-wise, I'd suggest that you don't go for the earlier 163PS. I have one and whilst it's great on short trips, it does feel as if you're constantly trying to flog it. If you're going to be towing a lot, get a higher output, later D5 (185 or 200). The six-speed gearbox fitted to those models is much nicer too and helps a little with the economy.

Then again, if you're used to low fuel economy, my 4.4 V8 XC90 does nearly 22MPG on a decent run and almost exactly the same as my D5 on short trips (5 miles or less), when the engine doesn't get to reach normal operating temperature. There is no comparison between it and ANY D5 engine. They are a bit on the rare side though.

Finally, your indicated budget should be more than adequate to secure you a perfectly acceptable specimen.

Oh - and do get one with heated seats. It's not a proper Volvo without those! ;-)

Good luck...

[dadoc2001]

Thank you for the warm reply and detailed response. Appreciate the XC90 was an expensive car new and would have to budget accordingly when it comes to servicing and repairs. While no spanner monkey im happy to do oil changes/brakes etc to keep maintainence costs down. My wife likes the look of the 90 over the 70 hence this being the focus of our attention. Never thought of the V8 to be fair. This could be an option with my wife's regular short journeys. I take it whether petrol or diesel the manual gearbox is best avoided?

Oh and apologies for the triple post - was not my intention and will happily blame technology.

Thanks again

[Moose Test]

No worries, you're welcome.

I've never driven a manual XC90 and whilst I appreciate that it's a matter of personal taste, I wouldn't want to either. When properly maintained and working correctly, they are an absolute pleasure to drive, especially in traffic and around town, and I can't now see myself ever going back to manual. I did test drive a manual vs geartronic XC70 before I purchased mine and I am very thankful that I did and took the auto, despite better economy with the manual.

The XC90 manual variant wasn't that common either so you'd also be limiting yourself rather in terms of choice and availability. A lot of those that are were the 'Active' model, which has a very basic specification.

I'm just speculating now but if the '90 manual gearbox is anything like that fitted to my previous V70 it will still require an expensive clutch and dual-mass flywheel at some point in its life (about £2200 all-in-all, I seem to remember, at about 95k), so I'd be sceptical about it really being a very much cheaper ownership option in the end, if you get a good one to start with.

Personally, I'd seek out an automatic and take care of it. Certainly if you're towing, ensure that the gearbox gets flushed every few years or 40-50k. Even my local Volvo dealership now accepts that they aren't exactly 'sealed for life' and is proactively offering this as a service item.

[John Brennand]

Originally Posted by dadoc2001

Never thought of the V8 to be fair. This could be an option with my wife's regular short journeys. I take it whether petrol or diesel the manual gearbox is best avoided?
Thanks again

Yes definitely get the XC90 & Auto box - its a much more relaxing drive. The received wisdom is that if you go for a petrol engine - don't get the version 1 T6 with auto box - they were a mismatched combination - and gearbox issues often ensue. Go for the 2.5, or if you have the money and can find one - the V8.

Forgot to say - the extra seats in the 90 are way better than the "token" rear facing effort in the 70 - which are really only suitable for small kids. The 90's rear seats in mine are great and often carry two extra (smallish) adults ! Although I wouldn't put them in there for very long journeys !

[HiFlyer437]

I've got a manual XC90 (185) and it drives fine; I also love the reduced VED and fuel consumption. Be aware that short journeys will kill the DPF....ask me how I know! I'm considering swapping for an XC70 but the 90 is such a capable car...plus ours is now next to worthless with nearly 180k on it.

[dadoc2001]

Thanks again for the info folks. Definitely something to consider (the dpf) but the car would get better/longer trips at the weekend so should give the dpf a good clean and time to regenerate. Unfortunately it is rare now to get diesel cars without and obv after 2012 it was statutory. A newer iVtec CR-V just doesn't have the power/torque so it leaves the iDtec diesel engine or another brand (Volvo). We will see what way the wind blows 😉