By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
You advise to get the Volvo hitch for warranty reasons. Please explain.
I'm not sure that it would affect the warranty. I know there are after market components that can be installed by a third party or by yourself that don't affect the warranty. One that comes to mind is `chip-set kits' for improved engine performance.
Yes, I am in the Bay Area. We live in San Mateo area. My wife work in San Francisco area, and I work in San Jose area. So, most of the driving a city and freeway.
>>Did you buy on the peninsula?
Yes, it is the dealer in the peninsula.
>>If so, I bet I poked my nose in your car last weekend. I opened the door and the salesman almost killed me ("That's a sold car!")
No wonder they never call me all this time which I asked them to. I would like to see the actual car before I decided on the exterior and interior color. Never saw a ruby red in the bay area before. Got to trust my wife :->
>>ps It looks great with the security glass. Different, but great. My wife is leaning toward wanting the tint, but I like the clear look. I also think it may be safer as you can see better when looking out (I KNOW I am supposed to be using the mirrors, but....)
Unfortunately, it is rainy season in the bay area, so cannot tell the advantage of a tint window. But very satisifed with the clear glass.
By the way, I put down deposit on Jun 02. - typo.
Like the AWD. It is because SF is uphill and downhill, plus the cable-car tracks which causing slippery during rainy season. It happened to my camry several times.
after seeing it, it is making me re-think my color choice. Wife wants the silver/green, but your red looked great. It's the first one I'd seen with running boards, mudflaps, roof rack cross members. The only thing you didn't have is the color-coded side moulding (not yet available, apparently)
the glass really changes the car's appearance
when I looked at the car, I assumed the actual new owners (you) were IN the dealer showroom. When I looked at it it was parked right at the front door, not up on the roof of the parking structure nor in the garage.
Originally, I was thinking about those. But now, after getting the car, I think it looks great. And I don't need those anymore. The only thing I am thinking is the DVD, especially those headrest mount monitors. The sales guy said they don't recommend those. But I think it will look pretty neat.
>>when I looked at the car, I assumed the actual new owners (you) were IN the dealer showroom. When I looked at it it was parked right at the front door, not up on the roof of the parking structure nor in the garage.
I wasn't in. I took delivery on last Friday night. The car was not ready and was in the service area. They put on those accessories on Sat. And the sales guy delivered to our home.
and do rest assured that they were treating your car well - they DID yell at me (though smiling) when I opened the door to look inside.
:-)
Your opinions please.
1sttimevolvo1: "I'm not sure that it would affect the warranty."
My experience with third-party accessories is that when something goes wrong with them I have to figure it out and that's a hassle, especially when it involves uninstalling things. A Volvo-branded accessory is covered by the car's warranty. For example, I have had Volvo work on a trailer wiring harness problem under warranty.
The Nivomat Self-Leveling Rear Suspension seems like a good idea and is recommended by towing experts. I have nothing to compare it to, though. In the U.S. it is available only on 7-seaters but you may be able to order it separately through OSD. I remember seeing it as a line item for XC70s.
You really should try out the premium sound. I find it hard to believe that there is not a car on the lot with the pro-logic option. Unless you live in Kansas (just kidding). If you have to, get into an S80 and turn on the stereo. I love the sound in my C70 so when we got the XC90 I had it put in there as well.
I agree with you as far as electrical components go, specifically from the stand point that a third-party electrical addition could screw-up the entire electrical system. But for trailer hitches and bolt-on equipment that don't differ from the OEM attachments, I don't see it being an issue. With the `Hiddenhitch', it uses the same attachment points the Volvo hitch uses.
Many things can go wrong with do-it-yourself installations. Installing a hitch is of moderate complexity and requires things like moving the exhaust out of the way, routing the electrical cable, and working in a tight space. If you are comfortable with that, great, but you have to be willing to deal with problems that crop up like rattles, pinched wires, rubbing parts and such. In the worst case, the installed parts may prove defective and have to be replaced.
I've been down that road and it influences my choices on a new vehicle. If it were a used car I would feel differently. But I don't begrudge those who want to roll up their sleeves and get personal with their new car.
I do whatever modifications I can myself, I always double check with the dealer. The answer has always been, "we may opt not to warranty the modified part", but not the whole warranty.
So for Volvo, I say, add your own hitch, hiddenhitch is extremely easy, however since Volvo's are know for electrical gremlins, have the dealer add a wiring harness.
Negated with the climate package! Heated [non-permissible content removed] warmers!
- Does the XC have anything other than 'basic' AWD, I mean something like hill-holder mode for crawling downhill? Probably has no 4Lo mode huh.
- I don't see rear seat DVD on the menu. Has anyone put an aftermaket setup in? Cost?
- Is anyone towing with theirs? I would have to tow a trailer of, guessing, 3-4000 lbs. Not often, but sometimes for 1-2000 miles. I wonder whether the Volvo is strong enuf to handle something like this. Opinions?
- Last, 2nd row big enuf for 3 children - 2 in carseats?
TIA
George
I have a T6 AWD 4-speed.
>>- Does the XC have anything other than 'basic' AWD, I mean something like hill-holder mode for crawling downhill? Probably has no 4Lo mode huh.
You can use the semi-manual shift in gear 1 or 2.
- I don't see rear seat DVD on the menu. Has anyone put an aftermaket setup in? Cost?
I have waiting for the factory DVD from dealer. It should costs about $2500 and may be available on Jan 04. But it is only roof-mounted monitor and dealer said headrest mount monitor is not recommend. I checked with Circuit City, they seem to be cheaper with a lots of brand to choose. But they said my car is too new and have no info. So they are not even touching it. I think the cost for a roof-mount system is about $1000. And headrest mount monitor is about $400 a piece. Also, I checked with a local car audio/video shop. They done a very nice jobs and mostly on expensive cars such as:Porsche Cayenne, MB, Ferrari. They said a complete system (roof-mounted system, 4 headrest mount monitors -- I want to put on first and second rows headrests, and a pedestal mount monitor for front passenger) cost about $6000. I think is too much. So my plan is have the dealer install the factory one to integrate to the existing system. Then may have Circuit City to put in 4 headrest mount monitors. And for the front passenger, he/she can play with the Navigation system :-)
- Is anyone towing with theirs? I would have to tow a trailer of, guessing, 3-4000 lbs. Not often, but sometimes for 1-2000 miles. I wonder whether the Volvo is strong enuf to handle something like this. Opinions?
- Last, 2nd row big enuf for 3 children - 2 in carseats?
I put in two car seats on the second row far left and middle for my two daughters (3 1/2 ys and 14 months). And my wife seat behind me on the second row. She said it is very comfortable than my camry. Much more room. But the center car seat block some access to the third row though. (But those are reserved for emergency hauling people, don't need access all the times).
Rear-seat DVD: Volvo still working on a headrest-mounted system. Some dealers have installed a roof system. See other forums for details.
Towing: Is fine for a 4000# trailer according to other owners. I tow less. Rated for 5000#. Trailer brakes specified over 1650#.
3 children: The 7-seater has an integrated center booster seat and child-seat attachments for the outboard seats, so 3 children are possible. Try your seats in a demo to see if they are compatible. Depending on child size, there are many options between the 2nd & 3rd rows, as well.
All said, this is costing me about $2,450.00. I've seen the jobs that they've done on previous cars and it is really a stellar job, but obviously that is going to depend on the company. Check with your dealer as they frequently recommend companies.
Are you kidding me... we're lucky to have a Volvo dealership in Kansas let alone a ton of options to choose from. I'm just excited to trade in my horse drawn buggy for the XC90 -should handle a ton better on all of our dirt roads and the cattle drives ..
Thanks for the feedback. Just pulled the trigger and added the premium sound system :-)
Rock Chalk!
Re:Upgrade to premium sound. by schuhc Dec 11, 2003 (9:37 am)
jayhawkrr:
You really should try out the premium sound. I find it hard to believe that there is not a car on the lot with the pro-logic option. Unless you live in Kansas (just kidding). If you have to, get into an S80 and turn on the stereo. I love the sound in my C70 so when we got the XC90 I had it put in there as well.
gracias
We do have the backup warning sensor, and it's definitely worth it, especially in Europe where most parking lots/garages aren't designed for anything larger than a Mini Cooper. You can turn off the sensor manually, so if you're backing a trailer (or backing out of your garage), it won't be going off constantly. It defaults to active mode when you restart the car, so forgetting to turn it back on usually isn't a problem.
I think based on some of the earlier posts, it's worth getting. You can go with an aftermarket sub and use the wiring that's dedicated (inside the side panel)to the factory model. The only caveat is that you would have to have an external cabinet for it, I believe.
The Volvo hitch available in the U.S. is our standard 2" square receiver with a dual 4-pin/7-pin trailer connector. The main consideration with installation is that the hitch frame is tucked inside the plastic bumper cover and requires that a couple of slots be cut for the receiver to hang down. The hidden hitch is designed differently and does not require cutting, although I've heard that it blocks the rear tow eyelet connection point.
sbcooke: "I think adding a hitch shouldn't void your warranty...maybe for an altered piece or something, maybe they don't cover that, but how they can say the trailer hitch caused your engine to blow?"
The point is not that a hitch would void the Volvo warranty but rather that it would not be covered by the warranty. If something goes wrong you have to go back to the hitch manufacturer which, in my experience with other car parts, can be a royal pain. Since Volvo offers a perfectly good hitch, I'm willling to pay extra for it. Others may think differently which is one reason Hidden Hitch is in business.
When I drive, I rest my left elbow on the left window sill. I notice that when I drive this causes an annoying rattle in the door, like a cable hitting against the window. It doesn't happen if I am not leaning on the door and it doesn't happen from just pushing on the panel....only when I am resting my arm and the car is moving.
Annoying rattles are not something I want in my solid volvo. Has anyone else experienced this?
Post #2540 addresses this somewhat.
Volvo extended warranties are good nationwide right? So if I found a dealer in Michigan/Texas/California offering a deal it would be good at my local Delaware dealership? Are there any advantages to purchasing a warranty from the dealer you bought the car from or the dealer that's your most likely service center?
TIA!
Alex
I can only speak to the gas mileage of the 2.5T, the leather seats with warmers and the tire wear (Hopefully we will get some snow soon so'e I can go mushin'!).
1. Our gas mileage has been 17 mpg city and 23-24 mpg hwy. We have about 8,300 miles so far. Since it's gotten colder mileage has dropped almost 2 mpg city and hwy.
2. My wife is somewhat (OK....VERY) cold natured. She loves the seat heaters with the leather. However, she would love them regardless of the seat material. A side note - we have the graphite leather interior and was suprised that even in the summer, the seats weren't too hot.
3. With the mileage on our XC90, the tire wear seems to be normal. We still have around 1/4 inch or better of tread all around. I suspect we'll get 25k+ before we have to replace.
I didn't do the OSD, but I would have loved to. My wife has a phobia about planes and overseas travelling, so that was nixed.
1. My gas mileage is nearly identical and has also dropped off now in the cold weather.
2. My wife, also cold blooded, likes the high setting on the seats and I go with the low setting. That combined with auto temp keeps us both content.
3. About 8,000 miles so far and treadweat seems quite good.
Referring to the IIHS web site we get the following 'driver injury measures':
Current models:
Head Neck Chest Legs Foot
HIC Peak gs at hard contact Tension (kN) Extension bending moment (Nm) Maximum
Nij Maximum compression
(mm) Femur force (kN) Knee displacement (mm) Maximum tibia index Tibia axial force (kN) Acceleration (g)
Left Right Left Right Left Right Left Right Left Right
VOLVO XC90
model tested: 2003 135 27 1.4 8 0.29 38 6.3 5.0 3 0 0.34 0.37 1.1 2.9 54 93
and
HONDA PILOT
model tested: 2003 202 no hit 1.2 26 0.24 31 1.0 0.9 0 1 0.31 0.30 1.6 2.5 32 50
from NHTSA we get:
2004 Volvo XC90 4-DR. 4x4
4806 lbs
frontal Head Injury Criterion Chest Deceleration (g's) Femur Load (lbs)
Driver's Side 431 HIC 42g 1380# 1764#
Passenger's Side 348 HIC 48g 588# 966#
side Head Injury Criterion (HIC) Thoracic Trauma Index (TTI) Pelvis Deceleration (g's)
Front Occupant 25 HIC 22 TTI 20g
and
2004 Honda Pilot 4-DR. 4x4
4354 lbs
2003 SSR = 1.30
By using track width of 66.3 inches, CG distance above gorund is 25.5 inches.
frontal Head Injury Criterion Chest Deceleration (g's) Femur Load (lbs)
Driver's Side 271 HIC 38g 304# 562#
Passenger's Side 466 HIC 41g 909# 823#
side Head Injury Criterion (HIC) Thoracic Trauma Index (TTI) Pelvis Deceleration (g's)
Front Occupant 57 HIC 30 TTI 55g
However, when you look at safety, one should look at the overall picture.
- The Pilot only received an "Acceptable" for Structure/Safety Cage from the IIHS. This suggests that at other impact speeds (e.g. higher than in the test), there would be less survival space than an XC90. Check the IIHS metrics for intrusion. There is moderate intrusion into the footwell compartment, and the steering column goes up 7 centimeters (as opposed to dropping a centimeter in the XC90). Remember that the IIHS test measures structure as much as it measures injury.
No doubt that at higher speeds, there also may be more injury in the XC90. However, once survival space is compressed, the injury types get much more severe.
- Should the Pilot lose points for requiring a near-recall and putting 2003 owners at risk? When IIHS first tested the Pilot, the head injury scores were quite high. It took IIHS's testing to reveal that the airbags were deploying late, and Honda had to quietly modify the software. Instead of issuing a recall, Honda is conducting a "safety campaign" asking all 2003 owners to bring in their Pilots for the software update. In the letters, they didn't directly indicate that IIHS found a serious injury potential. Shame on them!
IIHS has a friendly policy (to automakers) that lets them make a design change and have the test redone -- without releasing the full results of the first test.
From IIHS's Pilot test:
In the first test, the frontal airbags deployed late, with the result that high forces were recorded on the dummy's head, indicating the likelihood of head injuries. This led Honda to modify the frontal airbag deployment characteristics on models produced after August 18, 2003. Also, Honda will initiate a safety improvement campaign to modify at its cost vehicles produced earlier. The Institute tested a second Pilot with the modified airbags, and the airbags inflated much earlier. Ratings of the Pilot are based on the results of the second test, except structural performance is based on both tests.
- The glaring safety deficiency in the Pilot is the lack of side curtain airbags. In this day and age, I will never buy another vehicle without them. IIHS will eventually test mid-sized SUV's in their new side-impact tests. In their tests of small SUV's, the only vehicles that did relatively well had some kind of head protection for at least the driver.
- You already mentioned the lack of stability control and the reinforced roof. Again, in this day and age, most SUV's are available with stability control.
It's not like Honda doesn't think that side curtains and stability control are not positive contributors to safety. Honda already has them available on the Pilot's brother, the MDX. Honda has already stated that in time, all of its vehicles will be equipped with stability control, side curtains, and ABS (which the Pilot has).
- Finally, there are many smaller safety items in the Volvo that are subtle but do add up to a safer vehicle. Pretensioners in all seating positions, not just the front as in the Pilot. Active head restraints to minimize whiplash. IIHS doesn't truly test head injuries, they just use a static test on the headrest's geometry. Even in that test, they rate the Pilot's headrests as acceptable/marginal depending on seating position, while the XC90 is "Good".
There's no doubt that the Pilot will provide higher degrees of reliability as far as the overall fleet is concerned. But if one wants top-level safety, the XC90 is still significantly ahead of the Pilot.
Honda should hurry up and add side curtains and stability control to the Pilot, which will at least further narrow the gap (though not fully correct it).
(1) Structure/Safety Cage only 'acceptable' spells bad news for Pilot.
(2) No side head air bag.
(3) Stability control
Given a MSRP of bottom-line Pilot of $27,100 and bottom-line XC90 of $34790; the extra $7800 appears worth it.
Question: when does the 2005 XC90 come out?
Thank you
By the way, trading in my '03 this week for an '04 with all the goodies. Long story, but the purchase last November without the 3rd row has caused problems in transit now that the family has expanded. We looked at a few other vehicles, but ended up just upgrading the XC90 since we are so in love with the car. We had some minor hiccups the first few months, but since then it has been a dream car.