General: XC90 - small review

[akash]

Hi all... I'm actually from the S60 forum area but I thought i would on a S60 perspective, give a small review on the XC90.

I got it a few days ago as a loan car as my S60 is in for a checkup/fixes/brakes. While this is not my first time I got an XC90, the first was a D5, this one was a T6 and its almost VITAL I expressed the T6!

Ok, so a quick small review of the D5 was that the ride was very nice, a little loud being a Diesel, and the road noise was a little louder than I thought it would be. Consumption wise - OK but I've really forgotten most of the D5 pros/cons because of this one!

The one in question is a 56 plate face lift with the wood/aluminium interior. Is an SE spec with the leather seats (arena) and its heated/electric seats, CC etc etc

Looks:-
img_7094:
Personaly... its a beast! The D5 I had was silver and it did not look that big, this one is a Dark Navy Blue - Almost black. With the facelifted model and the chroming, it just looks HUGE. And it is. Getting out of the car does mean a little jump and I'm not exactly that short (5'9).
From the front, you've got the evil and almost intimidating lights (eyes!) staring at you. This then has a massive bonnet in-between. One can only imagine what would happen if you hit someone even at 20mph! Opening the bonnet makes you realise how big it is and its almost a stretch to bring it back down!
The bottom bit is plastic which is just as well as the power in this car does mean stones hit the car very easily and hard. You can see inside the car from the outside making it look very comfortable on first glances.

img 7095: From the side view, its obvious how long the car is. I'm not sure if this is standard but it has two extra seats at the back folded down making it 7 seats altogether. To be honest, this is not bad at all and yesterday, 7 adults sat in the car for a road trip without any uncomfortable moaning.

The alloys were 18" from what I remember but with thick tyres. This made sure the ride was comfortable on almost every road (and non road) surface.

img7097 Lastly the back. I used tothink the first models did look a bit squashed up from the back This one (possible due to colour) does not. Looks just as wide as the front and has a nicebig window unlike some 4x4's. Nice bright lights again and something my S60 does not have, a wiper - and one that covers most of the window!

Lights: They are very powerful. One can tell during night use on bendy roads which i did last night and there was no issues in seeing up ahead/around the bends. This one had the bendy lights too so it followed the bends/steering wheel.

The boot/back: In picture 3, I show the boot open. with the 2 seats folded down, the bootspace is MASSIVE. While a 5'9 person cannot lie down, something a bit shorter can or even diagnolly. It has two side areas for storage and cup holders- assuming that the two seats were up. Unfortuntly, there was no cover for the boot - I assume volvo took it out so I had to make do with no secrecy despite a laptop being in there! I did however find this net thing as you can see. It protected the bits at the bottom from prying eyes It too has two seatbelts but I have not read up in what it exactly is for! Lastly, you got storage at the bottom for wet clothess and what not. Picture 4 shows the bottom bit opened up givign you easy loading. It also is nice to sit on (2 people) during picnics! This is easily done by lifting the handle on the right hand side.

Engine Bay:
IMG_7103
Not sure what to say here... everything i expected, BIG. I'm not a mechanic so I dont know what everything is here but as per usual, everythings easily labelled for the novices who want to refill washer liquid and what not.
One thing to note is the strutbrace (metal bar) which is vital in a car like this!
and how massive the radiator is. The engine bay heats up a lot even after 10mins of driving.

Interior:
7102
This is where the most should be commented i guess.
Comfortable, stylish, easy to use, and modern sums it up
The first picture to show is the interior panel where the music system is. It was equiped with a high performance system and just like any volvo, the system is as it says. high performance. Bassy, loud and clear. It had a 6 disc changer, not playing MP3s which was a letdown. No Ipod jack either (which the D5 had i think).
Storage for a phone or whatever as you can see mine. You got the climate control and lastly the buttons for the bendy lights, parking sensor control, DSTC and mirrors. I like the layout of this. My s60 is the same from the bottom up until the radio system. There it looked too plasticy. I've changed mine to have a screen in there but this car looks nice and modern with the touch of silver around the display screen etc.
You can see the gear shift which is coated in silver. This feels a lot better than my all-leather shifter. (IMG_7114)

IMG_7115 shows the middle speaker which is quite effective.

IMG_7117 shows the speedo area. Standard as most volvos. Temperature, speed, revs, fuel. Bottom left is your display for messages, and bottom right is your standard lights for oil, belts abs etc.

IMG_7120 shows the music system on. Even in the sunlight, it is clear to read.

Ok, now you have some night time pictures. Unfortuntly, I Cant figure out how to use my SLR camera at night and the ISO just makes it messy but it shows the basics.
Interior at night IMG_7123)
Exterior front IMG 7127
Exterior Back IMG 7128

I loved the car at night because it just stood out so much!

Lastly, some int pitures

Back: IMG 7102
Front IMG 7111/7101

To finish off...

The ride was superb. I drive through many rough roads, potholes, dips and so on, and it handled perfectly. I felt at times i was floating than on the road. those who want to feel the road - this probably is not the right one to get!

The steering wheel was shockingly suprising. I was expecting a heavy wheel. I think it is wire-driven and so it was as light as a feather. I could turn the wheel using my small finger! Compared to the S60, this was VERY light and parking was really easy as a result.

I took it off-road for a bit in a dirt-track and again, no issues.

The 2.9litre engine was very powerful. Being an automatic/geartronic, it had a few issues in pickup. I expect the weight is to blame on this.
But once picked up, it roared off. The sound is comparable to a BMW engine but without the bass.
I decided to test on the geartronic and this is where the fun started.
Pickup on 1 was as normal, but 2 was where you felt the intense torque and pull of the car. You could be cruising at 30mph on second and then you just tap the acc pedal. Suddenly, it just pulls and you're doing around 50-60 without any strain.



Conclusion:

Apologies for a messy review. I've not done one before and I was in a hurry too as the XC90 goes back in 4 hours
How I will go from this back to a S60 will be interesting but all in all, a very nice car.
Looks are great and at times intimidating to some drivers. Ride is great and comfortable. The only thing i will say is the seat could be a little better on the back. It felt it was poking into my back a bit despite the wheel on the side being allthe way "off".


The cons:
It drinks petrol like anything.
I got it on 1/2 tank and it gave me abou 80 miles. Filled up £25 from red light and the tank was under half. Again, less than 80 miles and another 25 went in.

at 70mph, i got aound 16mpg, local driving around 12-13mpg.



I think thats about it. Maybe this might help those who buy this car... maybe it wont... at the very least, the pictures might help those who wonder what it looks like :-)


A

[Patrick lince]

Thanks for that Akash.

I am seriously considering one of these cars and the more diverse the reviews the better as far as I am concerned. I found your review very interesting and a number of areas you had covered I had not seen written about before.

[akash]

Originally Posted by Patrick lince

Thanks for that Akash.

I am seriously considering one of these cars and the more diverse the reviews the better as far as I am concerned. I found your review very interesting and a number of areas you had covered I had not seen written about before.

Hi,

I think it would be a good buy, although if you want fuel economy, go for Diesel range as the Petrol is thirsty. I am a little heavy footed though so that can be seen as a bad thing in this car.

Please feel free to ask any questions regarding this car and I will answer as honestly as I can. The one thing I suppose that makes a difference is that I don't own one so I won't just brag about how good (or bad) the car is and instead, tell it to you coming from another car altogether.