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3 child is now less than a month off. We went looking at xc90's yesterday. I fancy a four wheel drive car, as for the last few years it was a nighmare getting to work with the ungritted roads. The XC90 looks like a really good family car, but it's going to be replaced in 2012. I usually carry my bike on the roof, and getting a bike on the roof of an XC90 looks like it's not going to be easy.
The car we are looking at is a 185 Manual, which is now a discontinued model. They have the car in stock, and I think we can get it for a decent price, which would beat the VAT rise.
Any thoughts? In particular, does anybody put their bike on the roof of an XC90, how much do they cost to run, and what would be a better option of not an XC90?
I say yay. My mate has one and it's good. I'd go for an auto though or you'll have problems getting rid of it.
Thirsty on juice from what I hear - never had one.
Get a tow bar rack so you don't have to get the bike on the roof.
I've been looking at these although they seem quite pricey used from a Volvo dealer (for peace of mind of 12 month warranty) - they are obviously still in demand although manuals much less so than autos - if you plan to keep it a long time this may not be an issue and you will save over £200 on road tax. I test drove one and the D5 engine was quite disappointing in terms of refinement. The main advantages for me were the great seats, 7 seats, and simple layout of the dash.
I think if you never needed more than 5 seats there are better options out there
Or a Disco if you do need 7 seats
Also I wouldn't bank on it being great in snow - most of these big 4x4s have standard tyres which make them poor in snow but I guess it depends what you have now
I'm currently driving a front wheel drive Mondeo.
The X5 has seven seats too but are newer and therefore more expensive. Great drivers car though- v.good performance and economy for such a heavy lump
The X5's look nice, but when I went to the BMW dealership the salesman took a look at me and obviously decided that I could not afford one, and was unbelievably rude. That makes me think, I'm not cut out for BMW ownership 😉
If you get a good one then you're sorted. However, there are plenty of bad ones around:
A friend bought one new in 04 and sent it back in 05 because of all the faults - mainly electrical. She had an absolute mare and barely saw the car at all.
Another friend bought a 54 plate about 18 months ago and had the engine replaced 2 months later.
I don't know anyone else firsthand who has owned one, so the above are just IMO/IME.
I like them, and they are a million times less offensive than an x5. My mind find has had one for about 5 years and its been faultless.
Not sure about fuel economy, but I do know the new discovery is ridiculously thirsty
The X5's look nice, but when I went to the BMW dealership the salesman took a look at me and obviously decided that I could not afford one, and was unbelievably rude. That makes me think, I'm not cut out for BMW ownership
I received the same when I had a Merc as a company car. Picked it up for its first service but had the audacity to wear shorts - was barely given the time of day. Took it back a month later for an electrical repair and was treated with the utmost courtesy (by a different person).
Was also treated with disdain by a BMW salesman when I lodged my interest in anything from a 323i to an M3. TBH he looked like the archetypal ar5e. Returned 6 months later with an M3 I bought from Sytners and couldn't have asked from better service from the service team - brilliant people for the 2 years I was with them.
Moral of the story: it's about you and what you have/want, not the response you receive from others.
In a recent Car magazine test it came out top for overall drivability, comfort, handling etc (up against the Q5, BMW, Tiguan etc) IIRC.
If you're looking at a faux x 4, how about a Skoda Octavia Scout - they've just won the WHAT CAR award for best small family car, despite them being cavernous inside.
Decent cars. Better off road than an X5 and far less offensive too. Tales of sales people not taking customers seriously make me cringe big time. They should be named and shamed. I found Sytners service to be first rate for BMWs. Genuinely cannot fault them.
Big, comfy, quiet, but horribly wallowy, which makes their weight really noticeable. Also a little long in the tooth - been in production since 2002!
If you've 4x4, there's a fair chance it'll have a towbar - put your bikes on a towbar rack and save a fair whack on fuel.
I found Sytners service to be first rate
Hmm, perhaps your dealings have yet to be with Leicester? Ar5ey from my experience - it took a complaint to BMW CS to get them into gear, after which everything was handled impeccably by my local dealer.
Tales of sales people not taking customers seriously make me cringe big time.
Tell me about it!
Had this again with Audi. A technician mate who worked at my local dealer gave me a contact - I went in and had the test drive, but the guy expected the car to sell itself and wasn't interested at all in answering my questions. Complete pr1ck who put me off ever bothering with them again. Ended up spending virtually twice the money on another car - and my mate told the guy this. Apparently his face was a picture! Twunt.
I've got one. Had it 12 months. Had 4x4's for the last 15 years and very impressed with it.
I get 28mpg driving normally. Mine is an Auto, very good in the snow and ice last year, just put it in winter mode and nothing stopped it. Got up to the Llandegla trail center when everyone else was getting stuck.
Bit wollowy, but its a big 4x4 and I dont drive it like a sport car, wife has a car for that. Swallows mega amount of stuff. Took me and 4 friends with bikes and all our gear to the Alps this year.
I looked at X5's and a lovely car to drive but..... way more expensive to buy and you can't get away from looking like drug dealer.....
Looked at the XC70?
yes, XC70 looks good, but only 5 seats. Might be an option though.
Yeh, my mum has got one got it last year, not brand new but second hand for a good price, we stick the bikes on the back, can get 3 there but when there's the whole family we have got mont blanc roof carriers too. I will admit it aint the easiest of cars to get bikes on the roof but it is doo-able. Had a pretty harsh winter in the Highlands with it last year and coped fine, didn't let us down once in the snow.
Colleague had 1 on lease and liked it so much he bought it at the end of it. Mind you he has 4 kids so is pretty restricted in what he can buy. Driven it and as you'd expect wallowy, v unresponsive from set off then takes off (D5 Auto) but comfy and his has stood up well to the abuse from his 3 boys in a cream leather interior too.
Other colleague chopped his in for a Insignia estate though because his wife couldn't cope with the size of the thing trying to park it in the supermarket!
No probs with either in the 3 years.
My advice with volvo ( I've had a few over the years and really rate them) is to avoid the main dealers when it comes to servicing ( they are bandits) and find yourself an independent garage that specialises in volvos. In my experience you will get a far better service at a fraction of the cost.
When it snowed last year, whenever I got stuck in a queue, at the head of it would inevitably be a yummy-mummy in in an XC90 tip-toeing along at 5mph in conditions that were easily safe for 35+, even in a 2-wheel drive car.
Do you want to look like a yummy-mummy who can't drive?
How about a Skoda Yeti?
A friend with three kids (5,4,2) has an XC90. He can't praise it enough, reckons it's perfect for their needs.
How about a Skoda Yeti?
4 month wait, and not big enough boot, otherwise, the Yeti looks good.
we had a look at one years ago but found that the boot was really high and didn't actually have much room for a car that can carry 7. Not as stylish, but something like a Galaxy or Alhambra - not as nice to look at but way more practical and much better fule economy. If you can squeeze 3 in the back of an X5, you can pick them up fromabout £5k - the Mecr ML's have hasses of space too and some are 7 seaters!
I had one slide towards me in the snow last year, it wasn't even going fast. Luckily no one was on the pavement meaning I could drive onto it moving out the way, It just clipped my wing mirror. The driver said it's the worst vehicle she had ever brought and wished she had stuck to her Discovery.
Doesn't the XC70 have the 2 extra seats like the V79?
28 posts and only 2 people have told you to buy a Skoda instead. Took a while too, standards aren't the same as they used to be around here.
I have just got an X5 with 7 seats and it's fantastic. Drives like a car (not a bus) 32-35/MPG. Seats in the back are proper seats too that grown ups can sit in for short (less than an hour) periods.
Bought the thule bike carrier that goes on the tow bar (3 bikes + extra attchment for the 4th)
Can put roof bars on at the same time.
Possible to take 4 grown ups / 4 bikes / 4 kayaks and all necessary kit for the weekend. FANTASTIC! or using as a family wagon comfortably takes 7.
Steve
Dad had one & liked it, 28mpg seems right. V comfy, wish i'd bought it off him. Boot wasn't as massive as you would think though.
Put some Pirelli Scorpion ATR's or General AT's on it & snow won't be a problem, but as you would expect they will slide about on worn normal road tyres.
Have you considered a Disco 3? I've got one and love it, bigger boot too.
I'm just about to get rid of one, which we've had for the last 4 years and 90k miles. Only swapping it out as I need more space, and the 2 seats at the back are no good for teenagers other than for a short hop.
Mine's a manual, and gets 30-35mpg depending on how it's driven. Showing 33mpg at the momemnt, last reset in the summer.
Handling is, erm, OKish - it weighs 2 tonnes, so what do you expect? - but it's a great family bus. Manuals are fine, but using the foot-operated parking brake on a hill is an acquired art!
Overall, highly recommended. It's been in production for 8 years now, and little has changed, simply because it really didn't need to.
Our car's now at 120k and has had almost nothing go wrong, though the stereo has recently started to misbehave. People have scare stories about almost every type of car; the only problem with this one was a leaking gearbox oil seal which was fixed under warranty. Other than consumables, nothing else comes to mind. Servicing isn't cheap at Volvo dealers, and I've used independents for the last 50k without incident.
Having said all these positive things, my Disco 3 beats it on everything other than fuel consumption. The 2 rear seats are hugely better. It's something you might do well to consider, though I'd advise against a manual Disco.
An XC90 may well weigh two tonnes but a Disco is near THREE tonnes (2.8 unladen). To me that's just too damn heavy.
X5 is very porky too - around 2.5ish tonnes I think.
While 4x4s are obviously big and heavy, there are limits. Everything suffers from more weight - tyre/brake wear, mpg, performance, etc,etc.
Disco 4 with the new twin pot 3.0 diesel looks like a good un though.
This is only relevant if you don't need 7 seats but I drove a Lexus RX hybrid the other day and was surprised how nice it was - I think I was expecting something completely geared to the US market. Absolutely no use off-road though (I didn't try it) but part-time 4wd and unsuitable wheels/tyres can't be great in the mud.
Also surprised they seem a little cheaper used than equivalent Discos/XC90s.
I've had [the same] one since May 2002 and here's experience. We've got 3 girls (two of them born in 2002 the other in 2000, so needed room for 3 x car seats) and had two dogs.... now down to one 🙁
Our XC90 is the 160 D5 and the new one is better for the extra 25bhp but I've never felt the need to get more power.
Internally the car is fantastic. The seats are very very comfy and the dash is clean and just works. Iodious, do you know that you can very easily remove the glove box between the front seats and then pull the centre 'middle' seat right forward? Great for dealing with little dude's needs while on the move.
The seats in the back are certainly good enough for kids and adults on a short trip. They are slightly higher than the middle row of seats so that the occupants can see forwards - the X5 rear seats are lower than the middle row and my girls tell me it makes them feel sick as they can't see whats going on.
Boot space even with the rear seats up the pretty good and better than the X5. Without the rear seats up the boot is pretty massive.
Handling is fine.... it's a big car, what do you expect? The standard fit Continental tyres are fairly crap and you're better off fitting general Grabbers or Nokians - both of which will improve winter handling.
Reliability-wise we've had to replace rear shocks, rear disks, the flywheel ( 🙁 ) and various suspension bushes. There was also an issue with steering racks with early cars but they've fixed that now - but I had to fit a new rack out of warranty.
The sub-woofer on our [brilliant] premium sound system also failed within warranty but would have cost about £1000 to replace!
Fuel economy over the life of the car has been 29-30mpg but we mainly do short country road trips.
I'm not sure I'd go with a manual but that's up to you.
Overall I've loved having the car and frankly see no reason to change it. It's a fantastic family car and the fact that Volvo has basically left it unchanged in 8 years speaks volumes.
Oh yeah..... put a towbat on for the bikes. I've put dinghies on the roof (when there's been something else on the towbar) and it's a long way up!
Edit: BIL has an X5, but he's an estate agent and a mate has just sold his disco as he was fed up with it breaking down. I like the Q7 but it's soooooo big.
If you've got the spare cash to buy a chelsea tractor, don't worry about the running costs. If you're really that worried, buy a cheaper car and use the difference in cost to run it!
You've got the same issue as me - most 5 seaters aren't actually any use for 2 adults plus 3 child seats. If you're an active family and want to take a bunch of bikes off camping but still need a pram or stroller you're seriously limited in what's available - you're down to XC90 / X5 / Disco or S-Max / Previa (?? if Toyota still make em). Any other ideas appreciated.
Obviously I want an XC90 (which seems the pick of the bunch to me) which does 50 mpg and squats automatically down to get the roof box on. Moon on a stick please. Think I'm going to have to suck up the cost at some point in the next year or so but it pains me to have to pay out so much on a car.
Test drove one yesterday, pretty much what I expected. The seating arrangement and interior design looks really good. Can't decide if I should to go for it or not, I might see how we go on when the baby arrives in our estate car. Interestingly enough, the back seats are not wider than on our Mondeo or a Golf.
I also looked at a CRV, which give it was similar price, looked like a plastic toy (although i'm sure they are cheap to run and totally reliable...)
Brassneck - you hit the nail on the head with those requirements!
most 5 seaters aren't actually any use for 2 adults plus 3 child seats
Exactly. We also had a V70 when the twins arrived which we thought would be wide enough, but we couldn't fit 3 child seats across the back. Luckily the XC90 had just come out (I didn't want a 'people carrier' in the old sense) and I managed to by-pass the 12 month waiting list and buy an ex-demo one - but it came at a big price tag as I had to pay over list for it! Luckily I had some money at the time, unlike now 🙁
But I've still got it and I'm happy. We do use the Golf for 90% of the running around now.
I was shocked at how few did - Honda Accord was the closest to being a goer I found, though I didn't look very hard at Audi/BMW - no car allowance and wife not working = nothing to spare on frivolities like transport - but living out in the boonies means you have to have some way to get around as a family.
We have a Verso to trash at the moment which just about fits everyone in and can take a reasonable amount of luggage but it's a squeeze - it was also the cheapest option by a country mile, no one wants the manual petrol it seems. I'd like to get something a little more spacious and comfortable once I'm off my silly fixed rate mortgage.
Better off road than an X5 and [b]far less offensive too[/b].
really!
Yes.
I would say yay, had a few 7 seaters, X5, Discovery and XC90, all have merits X5 great to drive and quick but rear boot with 7 seats up very poor, Disco has the same boot issue but obviously good off road, new one has improved engine and dash which is welcome, xc90 good boot space, drives surprisingly well, second only to bmw IMHO and I have extensively driven a Q 7 and it beats that, it would be nice if fuel economy was better but that's the only flaw, engine gets smoother with age
I bought a 2005 model XC90 in April ( D5 Auto with DVD, towbar and winter pack). Fab car for a family. REALLY looking forward to the snow and ice so I can get to use the 4x4!
I run a small economical car midweek and save the XC90 for times when I need to fit multiple bottoms in the car.
I've had one from new. It coped with heavy snow in Wales with ease last year and got there when many conventional cars didn't. In fact, and it's no exagerration, there are a few people out there who owe their lives to the fact that my XC90 "got there" through the snow. That said, it's not as competent as a LR and the standard conti tyres aren't that good in snow (or mud). What IS good is the electronic "Winter" button wizardry on the auto gearbox that allows numpties like me to press on and keep up momentum to get up snowy, slippery inclines. Unless you're Ranulph Fiennes, you're unlikely to complain about it.
Ours was utterly reliable and I agree with using specialists to service it - cheaper and (in my region) do a better job. The seats are the comfiest ever. We travelled from Cardiff to Edinburgh on one occasion, 6 up, and I couldn't believe how good I felt at the other end - no aches or pains. In our geartronic we got high 20s mpg (never more) and it was driven very gently. Even with gentle driving, they get through the front contis at quite a rate - usually last around 8000 miles and £200 plus a tyre. The outside edge of the front nearside tyre know to wear excessively too. Nothing to do with tracking according to Volvo and other experts I've consulted and more to do with 2 tons scrubbing that side when going clockwise round roundabouts (XC90s on the continent scrub the outside edge of the other side I'm told, because they go around roundabouts the other way!)
I've carried 7 bikes on mine. The Volve removable towbar is great and highly recommended. You can get (light) bikes on the roof by standing on the rear tyre and rear door sill, but I used to carry a small step ladder from B&Q (made it much easier).
The premium sound system is outstanding.
Good points: Comfort, drives more like a car than many MPVs and 4x4s, superb detail in the design (v ergonomic - switches designed to be used wearing gloves), reliable, independant dealers, tough as old boots, outstanding xenon lights (turn with steering) - not sure why but much brighter than the xenons on other cars I've driven. Also astonishing brakes. I once had a dozy individual pull out of a side road right in front of me. You've never seen 2 tonnes come to a standstill in quite such an impressive manner. Ever. Seemed to just STOP.
Downsides: Very few. Expensive main dealer (but no more so than premium brands in fairness), MPG never in 30s (I didn't expect that anyway), front tyre wear, slight delay when putting foot down to pull out of junction. That's about it.
Sorry if this sounds overly positive. We absolutely loved ours. I've owned a number of £40k+ cars (only mention that for the purpose of comparison) and the XC90 is by a mile better than all of them for day to day family use. I only bought it because I need to carry 6 and there are occasions when I genuinely need 4x4 ability (and ground clearance). Wasn't expecting too much when we bought it, but it was fantastic. It's one of those cars that don't particularly shine in road reports but has a depth of talent to ownership and day to day ability that is often missed in the magazines. All of the people I know who have them (4) love them too and would buy another without hesitation. Ask any owner. You'll struggle to find criticism.
Only problem in Cardiff is that we no longer have a main dealer and that can make it a right PITA if any warranty work is required on a new car (which is why I've reluctantly looked at new Disco and Q7)
Oh, and if I was getting one, I'd definitely get an automatic.
Once saw a Scandia emblazoned one waiting to get on the ferry to IOW before Cowes week with 4 bikes on top, a massive inflatable dingy thing attached to the rear tailgate and towing a massive boat that looked about 3x the length of the XC90 towing it! Wish I'd taken a photo.
Brilliant cars.
Tinners: the standard conti tyres are well known for having poor life expectancy. Nokian WR G2 or General Grabbers (Q7 owners fave) grip as well/better (in winter), are half the price and last 18-20k ....... Unless you live in Milton Keynes it seems!
Not had any abnormal tyre wear but I dont live on a roundabout 🙂
Whats the highest you've turned the sound system up? I got to nearly 3/4 once but my ears started bleeding!
Swapped my Disco 3 for a new XC90 D5 auto in March & really pleased with it. Easy-ish to get bikes on the roof by standing on the back seat with the door open & easily fits 4 bikes up there.
Fundamentaly I don't think the XC90 is as well designed as the D3, but reliability really let the D3 down (not just my experience) and the new D4 is massively expensive.
Not sure how I'd feel about a manual box, I guess it's personnal preference but I really think these cars suit autos. Used manuals are like hens-teeth so I guess most people agree.
Only problem I've had...... my wife decided to modify the side or ours against a metal post in the school car park. She drives past it twice a day FFS, so how the hell she 'forgot' it was there I've no idea!!
Mine is still on the original Conti's and has just hit 12k miles.. maybe I drive like a girl!
Thanks Tinners, it's good to hear something positive about them. I still can't decide....aggghhhh!
We have an 07 D5 in 185 guise.
The SE we have is specced pretty well, but if you go for leather don't forget to spec heated seats or you'll hurt the residual. Same with manual gearbox really.
The auto box takes as age to pull away from stand-still, but you get used to it... Ours is at 38k miles now and we now need the rear discs doing. Otherwise, only the solanoid on the box has gone wrong.
Seats are very comfy, it's fine in the snow and it's plenty big enough inside.
As others have said, find a local servicing company to avoid regualar £500 services. We get about 26 mpg driven fairly conservatively. The £400 VED is a bit of a git, but you know what you're getting into when you buy it.
I'd consider a low mileage two year old car, as we did. A year on the warranty to cover niggles, and a big saving as the residuals crash in the first year. We paid about £21k for a 17k mile, one owner minter from a main dealer with everything we wanted apart from Bluetooth...
We really like ours.
Volvo used prices seem high at the mo, maybe the winter holds prices up?
I was offered one yesterday for £20K, 3 years old, 50k miles, Sport SE spec
If the OP knows someone who is a member of the caravan Club, they've reviewed the XC90 D5 SE Lux Premium geartronic (new) in their monthly magazine this month and it comes out pretty well.
Might be a useful read for him if he can see a copy.
Buy a normal estate and fit or keep a spare set of snow tyres in the garage! Seems to me that a sh!t load of things go wrong with these cars and they cost a fortune to fix. With depreciation and running costs it would be cheaper to buy a second house and just use taxi's.
My mate bought an XC90 as he needs to fit in 3 baby seats. He loves it but regrets buying a petrol version, it has a shocking drink problem!
Very expensive car to run! Heavy on fuel and gets through pads and discs too quickly. Volvo dealerships can be very hit and miss as well.
Just back from a day driving in the snow in mine (kids and dog sledging to Roundhay). The way it handled the ice was amazing. Drove up the sheet ice outside Rothwell Park too. I only got mine in april, so this was my first chance to try its 4WD properly.
As a family car they are brilliant. MPG for the D5 auto is just over 30. It's a fantastic "place" to be in. Comfy heated leather seats, fab stereo and DVD's for the kids. Towbar for the bikes. The perfect active family car.
I do my own maintenance. A set of rear discs, pads and handbrake shoes was just over £150 from FRF Volvo delivered. Not cheap, but they are a casting work of art...vented disc , with housing for the shoes built in.