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Comments
I find the 2.5 has plenty of power, but it is not a race car. I drove the 6 and the 2.5 at a Volvo/Skip Barber event and you could definitely feel more power when driving the 6. So be it. Do I care? No.
Also, I have no plans to tow, so I have no desire to buy a vehicle that has towing capability. Why do I want to pay for all that towing capability, just so someday I might use it, when I KNOW I am not gonna use. I have never towed, I am never gonna tow, I don't want to tow, don't ASK me to tow. :-)
The 2.5 is great. When I drive it I am driving it on the highest average mph freeway in an American metropolitan area, and I am screaming down the left lane, so I wouldn't worry too much about the vehicle not having enough power.
What I have NOT done yet is fully-load the vehicle and take it on a cross country trip up extremely steep grades at 100 degrees f. I did that with my Dodge Grand Caravan and it didn't like it very much, so I do wonder how the 90 would do in that rather extreme environment, but I'd certainly be willing to test it.
Of course, in my family, I am the heaviest piece of cargo, at 200 pounds, and the weights drop off ALOT from there (120 and then two at 70 or so). YMMV if your family of four weighs in at 800 pounds. At some point, you are gonna NEED the V8.
We've taken ours on two trips to Florida thus far. Both were in the peak of summer and about 600 miles one way. The only stops were for gas and the occasional pee-break.
The vehicle was fully loaded. Four adults, luggage for all four for a week long trip, two sets of golf clubs, one large cooler and one small.
Temperature peaked at about 98 in north Florida / south Alabama.
We have the 2.5T and we were able to pass on grades effortlessly.
I would heartily recommend the 2.5T as well.
We should probably also mention the Overseas delivery. If someone can wait for 4-5 month and like to travel in Europe, it is the way to buy a Volvo.
I can not wait till I need another vehicle. I might go to get S40/V50 for my older daughter in 2006 or to replace my S80 in 2008, or both.
We went on a 2600 miles journey across 7 European countries - 4 adults and a luggage for the three week trip.
A lot of hills, a lot of rain, a lot of autobahn driving @100 mph or more.
It was more than enough to fall in love with the XC90 2.5T.
The highway driving is a unique experience in Europe. There are plenty of places, especially in Germany and Italy, with no speed limit, and all the cars are going about 200 kph (125 mph). So, you just keep up... And XC90 has no problems doing this. It is a true European road cruiser.
Remember, that most of the cars going 125 mph had engines probably half of the size we have. 2L engine is considered rather large in Europe.
The base OSD price for the V8 is 41,765.
And the car with the options I have will be 45,035. It is still almost 5 grand more than my 2.5T, but I have noticed that V8 is priced very aggressively compare to T6.
The difference in the base price (consider 2100 for the versatility package, which is standard on V8) will be just 1,930.
Volvomax? Anyone? Thanks,
That is on the reasons for the rather small S40 to be in the price range of much larger family sedans from Japan.
Is it really a cost savings - even w/Z plan pricing? Also, if the info was a no no can you send me the link directly? Will give you an email if needed...
Thanks -
It was running but it sure was cold driving w/my head out the window and my hand holding the stupid blade so it wouldn't fly off until I got to the next exit.
long memories...
Steve, Host
And it is better than Z plan.
The OSD pricing for the "long time runners" is on a par with the best discounts you can get domestically, and you can not beat the OSD price for the new vehicles, like XC90 V8.
My e-mail is published, and I am the resident cheerleader for the OSD here, on Edmunds.
For some the more powerful T6 w/ the easier steering will do the trick.
For others the more fuel efficent 2.5T w/ the stiffer more European steering is what they want.
Our sales mix is almost 50/50 between the 2 cars and we are one of the largest XC90 retailers in the country.
AZX plans aren't available on OSD cars.
Also, most dealers probably won't honor them on the V8 at all to satrt with.
Volvo is almost out of V8's for OSD so hurry if you want one.
It all boils down to the fact, that there is NOTHING for the soccer mom in T6 that will justify the extra grand up-front and extra couple of hundred bucks for the gas every year.
As to the price, if your dealer can do $40,300 for T6, they should be able to do better than $39,245 for 2.5T. Check the "Price Paid and Buying Experience" on this board.
Am not sure if current year models give you the option of the steering upgrade on the 2.5T.
Other than this, in my opinion the only reason to buy the 6 over the 2.5 is if your family's gross curb weight is up around 1,000 pounds or you plan to tow. Of course, if you live in a flatter area than I do, then I'd stick with the 2.5T unless your family weighed in at over 1500 pounds.
YMMV
Too bad, it's a nice feature. My wife can easily feel the difference in the steering on her XC90 and my S80.
And since we do have this feature on our 2.5T I have totally forgotten about it too.
this included climate,premium,metallic color and rear assist as well as the versatility incentive offered by Volvo. This seemed close to cost. What information do you have that suggests that a dealer could do better than the $39,245 offer. Lovethexc. what options were included in the price. Appreciate your feedback. Are the manufacturer incentives other than versatility that I am unaware of.I debated more between the 8cyl OSD and 2.5T. Did not like the feel of the T6 transmission. Thought of going OSD in february to buy same car for 38,200 but price differential did not seem to be worth spending the time and money to spend a few days in Sweden when did not plan on traveling around Europe at this time.
It is also humorous that I was scheduled to test drive the new XC90 V8 that just arrived at my local dealership today, as well as an LR3 HSE yesterday. The Land Rover dealer suggested waiting until this afternoon, because the DC area is supposed to get snow and he wants to show me what the LR3 can do in snow. The Volvo dealer called me yesterday to ask me if I could come in early, before the snow arrives, because they may close for the day!
Now I think that we may go with the T6, after someone brought up the speed sensitive steering... we take a lot of longer trips and if that SSS is what made the car such a joy to drive on the autobahn then I know I've got to have it!
And when it comes to the Volvo dealer, you conveniently omitted that while Land Rover sells only the percievably "all-terrain" vehicles, Volvo sells sedans too. Nobody, but you (with M5) suggested to use the sedans for the off-road trips.
Lastly, when you quote me, please do not change the meaning of my points. I have to remind you again, that I have previously responded to your statement that the XC90 has the off-road capabilities of the soccer mom minivan. I still believe that it is incorrect, however, I have never said that the family with many kids should not use the XC90 as a family vehicle, if they can afford it. Our discussion was strictly about the off-road capabilities, but not the demographics.
P.S. On my last ski trip, when on our way back we went through over 100 miles of the one of the biggest snow storms in Sierra Nevada history, I have beat my friend in his Lexus LX470 by couple of hours, My XC90 was holding the road like there was no snow underneath, while my friend has complained after the trip that he was" going all over the road" and had to go really-really slow. Go figure. As I said before - it is not what you drive, it is how you drive. I have experience driving through the snow, he has not.
So, at the highway speeds both types of the steering should feel the same.
The XC90 V8 does sound like it has an impressive array of new technology in the engine, transmssion and AWD systems. It would be hard to imagine buying the XC90 without the V8, unless budget constraints dictated.
Unfortunately, without the benefit yet of a test drive, we are leaning to a 2005 MDX. The interior size advantage of the Acura is significant. It is nearly 3 inches wider in the second row. Based upon my wife's test, third row ingress and egress was easier in the MDX. The MDX also offers a few features unavailable in the Volvo - Bluetooth phone (required in DC), On-Star, XM radio etc. And the Acura voice activated navigation system is light years ahead of the Volvo. The Volvo scores a "technical" win in the are of safety based upon it's more sophisticated stability control system, but the 2005 MDX is still a vast, vast improvement over our current Trooper. The other strong thing going for the Acura over the Volvo (and LR3) in my mind is the peace of mind of long term reliability and reasonable maintenance and repair bills.
Again, no test drives yet, so things could change.
P.S. The LR3 remains in the running, mostly because it is fresh and different, and has a spectacular third row. And it would satisfy any future need we might have for off roading or boat towing. But given that reliability is an issue for us on the Volvo, it certainly needs to be carefully considered relative to the Land Rover.
There's a lot more to the Volvo's safety advantage over the MDX than the RSC. Please note that the MDX is a safe vehicle and is ahead of a number of other SUV's. But one reason people buy Volvo's is that they just don't settle for a safe vehicle, they want one of the safest vehicles that they can buy. The XC90 simply has more safety features that go beyond superficial and limited crash test scores.
Granted that some folks don't want the kitchen sink in safety. But it's just another buying factor, such as how you don't really need some of the extras of the V8 but you want it anyway. You may not want the maximum safety advantage of the Volvo. It comes down to how you weigh that factor over other factors like reliability.
A nicely equiped V8, with metallic paint, climate pachage and xenon lights is only $43,540 under the OSD program. If you insist, you can add the V8 touring package for another $1,795 which adds the premium sound, 18" wheels and a few cosmetic items. But the upgraded sound can be purchased individually for $775. I do not think the $2,120 navigation system is worth it (considering I only paid $2,000 for the Acura TL system with it's superior graphics, 8" screen and voice activation), nor do I think a $2,000 dual screen DVD system is worth it (although I would consider paying a net price of $1,350 for the MDX system whcih is visible from all 5 rear seats.
In my opinion, the V8 at a $2,000 premium over the T6 is exactly where I thought the engine upgrade should be priced. Given that the V8 provides speed sensitive steerign standard and a more sophisticated AWD system than the 2.5 or T6, I think the $2,000 premium over the T6 is a no-brainer. For all those that are ready to pay $38-$41k 2.5's or T6's, I suggest you double check your piggy bank for $43,560 for the V8. And, as much as Lev and I spar over the use of the XC90 on logging roads, I am in complete agreement that the Volvo OSD program is a very attractive way to go.
Anyone out there with that combination? What are you thoughts?
Thanks!
You order your car here, but receive it in Europe, use it there for up to 6 month, and then, get it back from the dealer of your choice here in America, when your are back from your vacation or business trip.
Just search this board for the OSD and you will find tons of postings. I've done it twice and am planning for two more within the next 3-4 years.
All the info you need, including the price and all the incentives is here
http://www.volvocars.us/FinancialServices/Overseas/
tidester, host
The true "all-terrain" vehicle market is very narrow and is well served by such vehicles like Jeep, Land Rover and some Toyotas. So, why even bother. The manufacturers, who've got that succeed - Volvo, BMW, Acura/Honda, Lexus RX, MB. The ones that do not - struggle - Porsche, VW (despite the fact that they can climb the Everest) - just compare the sales figures...
Take a look to the Lexus - you can not even compare the sales figures for the RX versus GX and LX, and I do not think that the only price matters - it's the entire package of a good on-road/off-road package.
And XC90 is one of the best (the Best IMHO) in that crowd.
Brandwise, Acura and Lexus are diluted due to mass-selling (except top lines of Lexus).
Ever considered the "Status" thing? You and your wife will be perceived differently in Volvo(Euro) than MDX. You'll be making a respectable statement that you value protection of your family members above all, "long term reliability" is not on the list of many well-offs.
Volvo will be closing the order book soon on this car for OSD.
Car can be leased, although some lenders like US Bank won't touch them.
You must take delivery by the end of May at the latest.
If that is the only reason you are buying the MDX over the XC90, then your analysis is flawed. If, however, you really do want a three-row vehicle, then you are comparing the wrong vehicles. You really need to be in Suburban territory.
just my two cents, which is worth way more than the paper it's printed on
Greetings from a fellow soxfan! Would you care to share "prices paid and buying experience" comments re: your recent purchase(s)? I was also curious whether inventories of the V8 were tight. Limited supply + high demand = MSRP! How willing are the dealers to discount the V8? I live south of Boston. I have owned 2 Volvos (total 400,000 miles driven in them), and have been considering the XC90. Your endorsement is compelling. Thanks for any information. pjt
I guess it's all relative, and Lev is correct in that Volvo would be inclined to close early considering sales of a Volvo SUV is but a fraction of total sales of Volvo cars, whereas Landrover sells only SUVs. I guess one could have an inaccurate perception that Volvo wasn't keen on letting their SUVs out in the snow.
Interesting in that we made our decision to choose Volvo over Acura over a similar type perception, albeit in the end a correct one.
During the test drive we were only allowed to take the MDX through subdivisions adjacent to the dealership (20 mph max. speed.......whoopie). We were then allowed onto the nearby interstates for the trip back to the dealership (about 1.5 mile trip.....whoopie). The salesrep wasn't keen on us testing the maneuverability of the MDX, thus we didn't have a good idea of how well it really handled.
The Volvo salesrep was polar opposite. We started on the interstate (wife driving). He had her accelerate the vehicle from 50 mph to 90 as qucikly as she could. We tested the passing capabilities on the Interstate for about 2 or more miles. We then got of the interstate and took a few winding, pastoral roads in a wooded area. He instructed her to take curves at no less than 40 mph (recommended speed 20) to show her how the RSC and DTSC worked. He also instructed her to slam the brakes on from a 50 mph speed in order to demonstrate the short stops the XC90 is able to attain. He basically was all but daring us to drive as harshly as we could (on the back roads away from traffic).
We came away thoroughly impressed with the XC90.
We weren't impressed because we WANTED to drive it like lunatics, rather, we were impressed that if it could hold the road in those scenarios, it should be more than manageable in an emergency scenario where one may have to veer suddenly from trouble.
We never would've known if the MDX was as nimble unless we bought it and tried it after the fact.
only-half-kidding
soxfan: why won't OSD work for you? Do you need the car too soon? Delivery is at least 4 weeks from drop off, but if you signed up today and went over there ASAP you'd have the car pretty quick. It's a short flight from Boston - hell, you can go fore the weekend. I made the trip from San Francisco. Bear of a flight even though we went over the top.
Go Pats! (displaced New Englander here - from Marblehead)
And actually, I have found a highway driving very good. The DSTC was managing the ever-changing traction conditions superbly, and at 30-40 MPH you have enough momentum not to worry about the tire grip. You go fast enough to break through the occasional piles, and you do not drive too fast to have any problems to stop, if you brake a bit in advance.