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http://www.detnews.com/2004/autosinsider/0407/23/a01-221000.htm
check out this link:
http://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/
click on suv's, then sort by make.
Not just by my opinion. Volvo XC90 consistently gets numerous awards for its low emission level.
Thanks for the links. They were informative as to the difference in the Volvo systems technology.
I'd still like to see an objective test as to how the different systems perform in a real world test. I have heard that the Japanese systems (Acura, Lexus) do not perform as well as BMW or Mercedes. Supposedly, they do not react as quickly or aggressively in making corrections. Also, I suspect there may be some difference in favor of RWD based vehicles. I have repeatedly heard that, in the hands of a professional driver, RWD vehicles can recover from a loss of control better than FWD vehicles which have a "free rear end".
This is just partially true.
1. The FWD is less prone to the loss of control in most of the everyday driving conditions.
2. You have to be conditioned to do the "counter-intuitive" actions, i.e. step on gas to stop spin, etc. on RWD, while the intuitive actions - take your foot from the gas and step on the brake, will just worsen the situation. On a contrary, the FWD will react "conventionally".
3. XC90 has a full time AWD (regardless of bias) and has a handling that is different from both - FWD and RWD. This is valid for all the AWD cars, they are different from their RWD or FWD "cousins".
My Hyundai Santa Fe (I should now say my daughter Santa Fe...)with its permanently engaged all wheel drive will drift fairly equally front and rear on ice or wet snow. I found the XC90 to be more "understeering" in those conditions. And yes, I've tried both in these conditions.
Un dry asphalt, the XC90 is handling much better than the Hyundai of course; and the stability control will prevent the driver from "loosing it" in the first place unless one's drive like a maniac.
BTW I get worse mileage with the Hyundai than with the Volvo. This is the benefit of operating 95% of the time in FWD.
Keep smiling!
No doubts, its more FWD biased, but I will rather have an understeer than oversteer on a slippery surface with the totally neutral behavior been an ideal case. Though the DSTC is very quick and effective and, i think, makes bigger effect on handling than the the AWD along.
I am not surprised that the XC90 would provide more interior space. Even with the 3rd row of seats in use, there is still usable space in the cargo area. You can't go wrong with either car!
I really still love the XC70, if my kids were older, that would be my choice. Good Luck!
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I am not surprised that the XC90 would provide more interior space. Even with the 3rd row of seats in use, there is still usable space in the cargo area. You can't go wrong with either car!
I really still love the XC70, if my kids were older, that would be my choice. Good Luck!
How about installing a Rear Seat DVD entertainment system? With a factory Moonroof?
Also, this morning on the way to work, a cement truck tossed a golf ball sized rock at the side of the XC90 which caused a chip in paint (DAMMIT its only 5 days old!!!). Has anyone had a clear bra installed on their vehicle? How much? From where?
Volvo's DVD sytems can be installed with the moonroof, no problems there.
Dealer installed roof-mount DVD System from Volvo. Parts and Labor around $3k at that time.
The screen is right behind the moon roof. I have one 2 years and one 4 years in their car seats occupy the outer-most seats in the second row. The screen is too close to the second row. They need to tilt their heads. The drive is mounted on the roof above the 3rd row. So you cannot change disc while driving even with the passenger in the front. Also, there is no monitoring screen on the front. So you don't know what is going on. The remote has 2 menu buttons. One for system menu and the other for the DVD menu. You have to press the DVD menu and then use the cursor to move up and down and start the movie. Since you cannot see what is going on (which menu and cursor location). I need my children to guide me through
One more thing, the sound is coming out of its own speaker in the screen module. It's not connect to the car sound system.
I see some post mention the availability of the headrest screen DVD system. I would go for that.
BTW, the custom-installed dual headrest screens can only fit a max of 5.6" screens (assuming they use the headrests that come with the car). The 5.6" screen is teeny-tiny, and points upward. I didn't have the patience to wait for the 7" factory-installed screens, which I assume will not point upwards so much. Another benefit of the factory-installed dual screens is that the DVD player is embedded into an enlarged center console, instead of placed under the passenger seat.
Underwhelmed by the tiny upwards-pointing tiny 5.6" screens, I decided to go with a 9" ceiling mount unit, even though as someone pointed out will be a bit too close to the second row for ideal viewing. Haven't picked it up yet. Will let you know, if anyone interested.
I'm going to pick up my plates tomorrow night from the dealer... I'll have to ask a bunch of questions then, and report back.
It is officially called the Executive Entertainment Package. I'm going to find out how much it is to install. I've got a buddy that works for a dealership and he might be able to get me a deal on the parts (I'm pretty sure I could install one (I hope).
I suspect that some systems are better than others and Mercedes and BMW have been at it longer than all of the others. But I've never actually seen a comparison between them by an objective source, such as Consumer Reports or even the car magazines.
Unfortunately, there is no empirical testing of stability control systems. In a strange sense, there couldn't be -- stability control is a significant but still singular factor in vehicle stability. Other factors would include suspension differences, tires, brake effectiveness, the height of the center of gravity (which NHTSA does measure), etc.
Just what constitutes stability control is not set in stone. Most of what is gathered in comparing the systems of different suppliers/manufacturers is based on small pieces and not always from neutral sources. What can be very revealing are enhancements that manufacturers make, and what those suggest about previous versions.
E.g. there had been various anecdotal conversations at BMW driving events about how ineffective the old Acura TL-S's VSA seemed to be. Then when Acura introduced the current generation TL, they announced on acuranews.com that the new TL's VSA was a four-wheel implementation, whereas the previous TL-S had VSA active on only two wheels! The two-wheel nature of the old TL-S's VSA was never documented previously; Acura only said it had VSA. No wonder the TL-S's VSA system was so ineffective!
Just the fact that Honda admitted the limits of their first U.S. VSA system demonstrates that stability control systems can vary greatly. Personally, I'd hardly call a two-wheel implementation a stability control system!
Also on acuranews.com is an interesting tidbit about the 2005 MDX. When Acura first added VSA to the MDX, Consumer Reports noted that it did not help the vehicle's tendency to mildly fishtail during aggressive maneuvers. Then Acura says, for the 2005 MDX:
For 2005, this system was enhanced with new sensor logic to provide active yaw control to help provide even more secure footing. Active yaw control helps the MDX follow the cornering line intended (by the driver) more faithfully and naturally, greatly enhancing its stability.
This one is disturbing. Did the previous VSA system not have any yaw sensor at all (relying on ABS sensors for wheel slippage, and other inputs), or does this just mean that the yaw sensor was always there and has been improved?
If it's the former, that would mean that what was called stability control before lacked a yaw sensor, which was a fundamental component of the first stability control system co-developed by Daimler-Benz and Robert Bosch GmbH.
Regarding Toyota/Lexus VSC, there has been some extensive discussion on other forums here on how that system disengages when braking. Cliffy, who has been an authoritative source on factual Toyota info (he sold them for quite some time and may still work for Toyota), also had information acknowledging the "feature." However, he argued that it was a positive feature and not a negative one.
With that, I'll note that even a flawed stability control system is better than no stability control system. Even though I think that some systems are more limited than others, I feel they will reduce accidents. They may not do it as effectively as more advanced implementations but there will still be benefits.
Here's something that Wolfgang Henke put together on ESP that's pretty informative on how it works. It's more for general information, and does not compare ESP with other systems:
http://www.whnet.com/4x4/esp.html
Buried deep on NHTSA was their original study on determining the test parameters for the dynamic portion of the rollover test. They did note that the noticed some significant differences in performance of different systems but that wasn't the focus of their research.
Finally, an NHTSA preliminary conclusion on how stability control reduces crashes.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/regrev/evaluate/809790.html
I too picked up on the 2005 Acura MDX having an "improved" VSA system which, based upon what I've read, is still not as advanced as the Volvo XC90's with roll sensors. I sincerely wonder if the 2004 and prior MDX VSA was worth much of anything.
I also note and agree with your comment that stability control systems are only one factor in vehicle stability. BMW in particular puts a lot of engineering effort into their suspension and steering systems and, I suspect, are intrinsically more "stable" vehicles than their Japanese counterparts, even before a stability control system would ever be activated.
Thanks again for the response.
As we all know, the stability control systems help but don't make the vehicle immune from rollover. It's possible to roll over an XC90, for example. That's why the extra reinforcing for the XC90's roof is a major positive.
One aspect of stability control is how it's tuned. Supposedly with some vehicles, drivers find it more intrusive, whereas in others, the system doesn't intervene as often. I suppose that the programmers of such systems have to find some kind of compromise point where the system will try to correct a poorly driven vehicle, but not take away from the driving experience when driven properly.
The traction control feature bothers some, where some vehicles will begin to reduce power or even shut it off totally. On the one hand, cutting power can be what ultimately prevents a serious crash. On the other hand, some folks feel it's too intrusive on their driving (James Healey of USA Today is one of those).
Most systems have some type of shutoff capability, which either retards or totally shuts down the correction (including, in some cases, the power reduction). That's useful for some situations, e.g. off-roading, where stability control can actually be counterproductive.
http://www.iihs.org/news_releases/2004/pr111404.htm
Results:
http://www.iihs.org/news_releases/2004/pr111404_1.pdf
Most if not all of the vehicles that scored "good" had some kind of active head restraint design. Volvo has had active head restraints and careful seat designs for years.
This is another case where "there's more to safety than crash tests." Volvo produces safety where the crash tests don't yet go (and may never go). A year ago, there was no dynamic test for head restraints. But according to the test results, they apply to S60's and S80's going back to the 2003 model year (calendar year 2002, more than two years ago).
Now that IIHS is publicizing this test, they hope to force manufacturers to produce effective head restraint/seat designs. The key here is that Volvo stays well ahead of the safety curve, and doesn't have to play catch-up.
E.g. some naysayers will say that there's no empirical testing of rollover cage strength. But I'd bet that if IIHS had a test that barrel-roled a vehicle four times, the XC90 would stand out while other manufacturers would be scrambling to update their designs.
Sorry to sound argumentative, but the system is so far above its aftermarket competitors that it's frustrating to be told that I have to settle with 50%.
Thanks for the info though. Your input is always appreciated!
Car front end protective bras & film
Steve, Host
While the parts may be available individually, I don't know if the software is, or even how much labor is involved. With the XC90 nav system, the cost to install it at the dealer is twice what it is at the factory.
Thanks again for your input.
The tire pressure monitoring system is on hold for all XC90's. Might not see it till 06.
There will be no IPOD plug for any Volvo's at least not this year. AFAIK there is no factory cell phone adaptor kit for the XC90.
The exterior styling kit was available for a while on 04 XC90's we installed a couple. The kit looked nice, it looked better if you color keyed the remaining gray plastic panels on the car.
Still trying to decide between the XC90, GX470, MDX and LR3. But the V8 is a no-brainer.
The XC looks better, is safer and with the V8 and 6 speed trans. will perform better. For reliability, the bugs of the 2003 have been worked out and I would not be afraid of the Yamaha engine.
I've got 2 Volvo's in my driveway with which I'm very pleased and I would go for the XC V8 without hesitation.
It really changes the cars appearance!
As for the other moldings, the door moldings are removed and discarded. New ones are painted and installed(the original moldings are taped on and don't always survive the removal process) The wheel lip moldings are removed and painted.
Now, the moldings are coarse grained plastic, so they have to be sanded down, and covered in special primer and then painted. Also the door handles are taped off and painted as well as the bumper moldings.
I do have pics of some of the ones we have done, I can email them if you like.
The process isn't cheap if its done right and it takes a couple of weeks to do properly.
Don't just let someone spray over the moldings, it won't last.
http://www.mp3yourcar.com/
http://www.monstercable.com/press/press_result.asp?pr=2004_11_icr- uze.asp
If you have a recommendation, can you let me know and I'll get you my email address?
Thanks!