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What do you guys think of Volvo SUVs?

SSSnail

SSSnail

Lifer
Anyone has any experience with the newer models? I'm looking at XC60, maybe XC90, but don't know anything about them because I was never interested in them before now.
 
I had an '01 Volvo S80 T6 sedan for about a year & it was an amazing car, really loved the interior design - the seats were amazing, tons of power, lots of great safety features, etc. My buddy got his wife an XC90 & she loves it, seems to be great in the snow with the AWD & high ground clearance. They don't update their designs too often, so if you're looking to buy new, you may want to hold off since they're introducing a (really nice) new design for the XC90 shortly:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring...59994/New-XC90-most-luxurious-Volvo-ever.html

The only catch is that they're super expensive to maintain. The previous owner of my S80 had it the majority of its life and spent around $3k a year in maintenance (and had the paperwork to show for it). I'd imagine the newer ones require less maintenance, but it is an import car and will be more expensive to keep running over time, especially if you plan on keeping it for awhile. So there's a high maintenance cost, but you get a really nice, safe vehicle in return.
 
It is a random draw. My friend's mother has a 2005 XC90 and they had to replace the transmission at about 110k miles. The car was fine for a bit and now at 14xk miles the engine produces a lot of noise, as if the transmission is constantly slipping, never achieving converter lock. Furthermore, there are couple of issues with the interior. It developed rattles and creats really easy. They also had to replace engine mounts that completely blew after a minor offroading trip.

Despite the cons, the ride and the seats are amazing. It is a very nicely done car; quiet, quick for a SUV, and it is a good highway cruiser.
 
ThatsABigOne said:
If Jeremy Clarkson said XC90 is a good car, then it must be true. :colbert:
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Maybe when it first came more than ten years ago but it can't compare to the competition nor the XC60(outside of cargo space). More than ten years and it's still first generation, maybe when the 2nd generation model comes out for 2015, it may be worth considering then.
 
www.swedespeed.com

All the information you need is there. Volvo's 60 series lineup is highly underrated. Drive one and you will fall in love with it. We're getting rid of our S60 because the lease is up, and mine is a bit of a lemon (early model year) but others are solid.
 
If you're buying Volvo for the safety, don't bother, there are much better vehicles out there. Aside from that, there are no redeeming qualities for Volvo SUVs so I wouldn't buy one at all.
 
I have a family member with a year old XC60. I thought it was a good deal, especially with the $6-7K discount on the purchase price and 4yr/50k free maintenance. The turbo V6 engine is quite powerful, but the MPG isn't great. For 2014 they replaced all their 6 cylinder engines with turbo 4's.

Volvo is owned by Geely, a Chinese auto manufacturer. Do not bother waiting for an SUV from China unless you are going to wait 2-3 years to buy your car. The only model they will import from China in the short term is a long wheelbase version of the S60 that is currently only sold in China.

Today, I would definitely cross shop it with an Acura RDX. (Personal Biases on other semi-luxury crossovers: RX350 is ugly, BMW and Audi may be maintenance problems, Cadillac SRX seemed overpriced. It might be worth looking at the QX50 if you like how it looks.)
 
Thanks, didn't know they got bought out by Chinese company. Yeah, I started looking at them because of their safety reputation, and I will have a need for more space.

I guess RDX might be another thing I'll look at, maybe MDX as well.
 
The XC60 and XC70 are great cars.

The XC90 is totally unrelated and is/was/will always be a complete shitheap.
 
tortillasoup said:
If you're buying Volvo for the safety, don't bother, there are much better vehicles out there. Aside from that, there are no redeeming qualities for Volvo SUVs so I wouldn't buy one at all.
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Not sure if serious..

Knavish said:
I have a family member with a year old XC60. I thought it was a good deal, especially with the $6-7K discount on the purchase price and 4yr/50k free maintenance. The turbo V6 engine is quite powerful, but the MPG isn't great. For 2014 they replaced all their 6 cylinder engines with turbo 4's.

Volvo is owned by Geely, a Chinese auto manufacturer. Do not bother waiting for an SUV from China unless you are going to wait 2-3 years to buy your car. The only model they will import from China in the short term is a long wheelbase version of the S60 that is currently only sold in China
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Your T6 is a inline 6, not V6 😎

Not all inline 6 engines have been replaced. AWD models are still using the old engine and transmission combo. The inline 4 and 8 speed automatic (Driv-E) are only available on FWD Volvos. Also, starting with MY2015.5, there will be no more 3.2L inline 6 as it is replaced with the inline 5. A much needed upgrade which should have been done long ago.

phucheneh said:
The XC90 is totally unrelated and is/was/will always be a complete shitheap.
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The XC90 was a great car when it first launched. But Volvo didn't update the car so that is why it sucks today. It's been on the market for 12 freaken years..
 
geokilla said:
Your T6 is a inline 6, not V6 😎

Not all inline 6 engines have been replaced. AWD models are still using the old engine and transmission combo. The inline 4 and 8 speed automatic (Driv-E) are only available on FWD Volvos. Also, starting with MY2015.5, there will be no more 3.2L inline 6 as it is replaced with the inline 5. A much needed upgrade which should have been done long ago.
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LOL I didn't get enough sleep yesterday -- I can't believe I forgot it was an I6. (My only excuse is that it is a family member's car, not mine! 😀)

I had no idea they were going to continue building a 5 cylinder. I read that they were going to use the 2.0 inline four to replace all their gasoline engines. I believe there are a few different versions of this four cylinder engine that use various configurations of forced induction. (They also have some diesel engines available outside of the USA, too.)

OK I had to google it, but here it is: http://blog.caranddriver.com/volvo-...-family-with-super-and-turbocharging-diesels/
 
Knavish said:
LOL I didn't get enough sleep yesterday -- I can't believe I forgot it was an I6. (My only excuse is that it is a family member's car, not mine! 😀)

I had no idea they were going to continue building a 5 cylinder. I read that they were going to use the 2.0 inline four to replace all their gasoline engines. I believe there are a few different versions of this four cylinder engine that use various configurations of forced induction. (They also have some diesel engines available outside of the USA, too.)

OK I had to google it, but here it is: http://blog.caranddriver.com/volvo-...-family-with-super-and-turbocharging-diesels/
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I'm a Volvo enthusiast so I know my Volvo stuff pretty well. Plus I frequent Swedespeed 🙂

As of right now, any new Volvo that you order will be MY2015.5, which has equipment and features that you cannot get on MY2015, such as Sensus Connected. However it also rids of the Xenon headlights option unless you get the Platinum package which is stupid. This means that if you order a S60/V60/XC60 that is Premier Plus and below, it will only have halogen headlights in reflector covers. I hope I'm wrong on that, but we had a thread on Swedespeed about this and I'm pretty sure I'm correct.

As for engines, the S60/V60/XC60 has the following engine, transmission, and drivetrain combination for MY2015.5:

FWD = 2.0L inline 4 (Driv-E) turbocharged (240HP + overboost on T5) or turbocharged and supercharged (302HP on T6). Driv-E engines come with Aisin 8 speed automatic transmission

AWD = 2.5L inline 5 turbocharged (250HP + overboost on T5) or 3.0L inline 6 turbocharged (300HP on T6 or 325HP on R-Design or T5 with Polestar upgrade). Comes with the old 6 speed automatic which has been much improved over the S60 used on MY2011 and MY2012 Volvo S60/XC60

The old gutless 3.2L inline 6 (240HP with no torque) used in the S80, XC70, and XC60 should be gone now. Not 100% sure on that though as I honestly don't care about the 3.2L inline 6 since it sucks.
 
My folks bought a XC90 while they were living in Germany in '09. My mom went up to Sweden and picked it up at the factory and then drove it back home. They love it besides the gas mileage and I've never heard of it having major repair issues. I've always liked the design but it could definitely use some updating.
 
Behold, the new XC90 powertrain:

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/07/08/2015-volvo-xc90-twin-charged-phev-official/

Only available with 4 cylinders (no 6 or 8). Most interestingly:

The top-of-the-line XC90 T8 will employ a 2.0-liter four with both supercharger and turbocharger and mated to a plug-in hybrid assist to deliver a whopping 400 horsepower and 472 pound-feet of torque. The dual-charged Drive-E engine optimizes power delivery across the range and drives the front wheels, while the rear wheels are driven by an 80-hp electric motor for a purely electric range of 25 miles or through-the-road all-wheel drive capabilities.
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So a 2.0L 4-cylinder supercharged turbocharged 400 HP plug-in hybrid system with 472 lb-ft of torque. #1, that sounds crazy awesome, and #2, that sounds crazy expensive to fix 😀
 
Nice looking and safe with horrid reliability. Every person I know who has an XC90 have constant problems (4 different families). Granted this is completely anecdotal evidence, but it has kept me away. That new powertrain just screams over complexity and extreme maintenance costs.
 
tortillasoup said:
If you're buying Volvo for the safety, don't bother, there are much better vehicles out there. Aside from that, there are no redeeming qualities for Volvo SUVs so I wouldn't buy one at all.
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Not sure if serious. When I bought my XC60, I compared it to the Acura RDX/MDX, Mercedes GLK, BMW X3 and Audi Q5. For my needs(interior space and winter driving, price), the XC60 was the winner for me. The Acura MDX was a close second but mpg and size(lots of interior space but I live in the city) were negatives.
 
Kaido said:
Behold, the new XC90 powertrain:

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/07/08/2015-volvo-xc90-twin-charged-phev-official/

Only available with 4 cylinders (no 6 or 8). Most interestingly:

So a 2.0L 4-cylinder supercharged turbocharged 400 HP plug-in hybrid system with 472 lb-ft of torque. #1, that sounds crazy awesome, and #2, that sounds crazy expensive to fix 😀
Click to expand...

I personally don't like the direction Volvo is going with its Driv-E engines. They can easily make Driv-E inline 5 and inline 6 engines since they are modular. Of course, the fanboys on Swedespeed generally love it. Luckily, the T8 isn't going to sell well so we probably won't hear a lot of horror stories.

PricklyPete said:
Nice looking and safe with horrid reliability. Every person I know who has an XC90 have constant problems (4 different families). Granted this is completely anecdotal evidence, but it has kept me away. That new powertrain just screams over complexity and extreme maintenance costs.
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Which one did they buy? The Yamaha V8 and early inline 6 were not that good in terms of reliability. T6 used a GM 4 speed automatic transmission which was just crap. Best ones are the 2.5T inline 5 or the later 3.2L inline 6 ones from what I hear.
 
geokilla said:
I personally don't like the direction Volvo is going with its Driv-E engines. They can easily make Driv-E inline 5 and inline 6 engines since they are modular. Of course, the fanboys on Swedespeed generally love it. Luckily, the T8 isn't going to sell well so we probably won't hear a lot of horror stories.


Which one did they buy? The Yamaha V8 and early inline 6 were not that good in terms of reliability. T6 used a GM 4 speed automatic transmission which was just crap. Best ones are the 2.5T inline 5 or the later 3.2L inline 6 ones from what I hear.
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To be honest, I don't know the various engine mix that my friends have purchased (although I'm fairly positive one has the V8 just from the sound of it when I have been in it). A lot of their problems have not necessarily been powertrain... Just seems like there is a problem every month. In top of that, the interior has not held up well at all. I've sat in newer S60 and recently a V60 at a car show and the interiors are great...but looking at the way the XC90 has held up, has me a little worried about purchasing. To be fair, our neighbor has an XC60 that is very nice looking and I haven't heard her complain about any issues yet ( I'm not good enough friends with her to talk regularly about her car).
 
PricklyPete said:
To be honest, I don't know the various engine mix that my friends have purchased (although I'm fairly positive one has the V8 just from the sound of it when I have been in it). A lot of their problems have not necessarily been powertrain... Just seems like there is a problem every month. In top of that, the interior has not held up well at all. I've sat in newer S60 and recently a V60 at a car show and the interiors are great...but looking at the way the XC90 has held up, has me a little worried about purchasing. To be fair, our neighbor has an XC60 that is very nice looking and I haven't heard her complain about any issues yet ( I'm not good enough friends with her to talk regularly about her car).
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Are they rough with their cars? My 2000 S70 just passed 306k km yesterday and interior and exterior still looks pretty good. Does not look like a 15 year old car at all. Many are surprised by the condition of it when they see it, which is always great to hear 🙂
 
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