Volvo XC90 SUV

condolawyer

Going to p/u my 05 xc 90 tomorrow. I am so pumped; my Volvo affair started with an '86 240, went 200k plus before selling, leased an 850 in '95 and let it go, but now I'm baaaaaack! I love this forum. Look forward to it. All the best, Tank

aaaedgarpoe

volvomax

Got hung up in Volvo's US legal dept.

guyf

Just had my 36K service done. Not much to report. So far the only problems were a rear wheel bearing replaced at 24K and the low tone horn quit and they replaced it under warranty. That's it!

By the way, we just did a couple of 600 miles (1000Km) days and the vehicle is VERY comfortable on long rides. 5 hours stints were no problems. (Except for my bladder...)

gambiaman

I got to thinking I've never seen the inside of a XC 90 at night. Do the AC temp buttons light up? Are there lights in the window buttons? How do you see the radio buttons at night? Could someone please describe the inside instrument lights and central cluster at night? I would appreciate it. I am scheduled to pick up my V8 XC 90 via OSD on Oct. 17. Made travel arrangements yesterday.
Thanks

guyf

Don't worry, everything is back lighted properly.

krzykris

Just got an 05 XC90 V8. Any comments on the necessity of the extended warranty? The base is 4yrs/48k. The extended is 6yrs/100k. I'll drive about 14k/year.
Thanks,
Chris
BTW: I LOVE this vehicle!

islander71

FWIW. My family and I just completed a roundtrip drive from TN to PA in our 04 2.5 XC90. The vehicle was great. Like Guy's experience in Canada, it was a very comfortable ride. We averaged 23 MPG on the highway using 93 octane and averaging 70-80 MPH.

joe233

Has anyone installed the Volvo bluetooth unit? How well does it work compared with aftermarket bluetooh adaptors? Does the Volvo unit tie into the car's stereo or integrate into the vehicle to give better functionality than the aftermarket units?

romamat

Does anyone know what is new on the 2006 2.5T XC90 compared to the 2005 model. Thanks

condolawyer

I just got one too and was wondering the same thing; I got the 5 cyl and I think its 4 year 60k miles and the quotes I have been getting are about $2200 for 7/100; seems like a lot for what amounts to putting 2200 in the bank now to pay for repairs in 4 years...

condolawyer

Hi all; I thought I saw a discussionj on the board about an AAA South $500 rebate; I live in FL and just bought my 90; the dealer finance director blinked like an owl when I asked about it.any direction? I'll be happy to share..........Tank :surprise:

volvomax

Zip, zero, nada.
New color Willow Green.
Pearl White for the V8.

volvomax

Talk to AAA
Not all states are part of this program.

joe233

Does the xc90 use more gas when the rear a/c is running? Is there a 2nd compressor that runs when rear a/c is on?

volvomax

Just a separate exchanger and fan.

klockboy

I am sure this has been brought up many times before, however I was wondering what other 2005 V-8 owners are getting for gas mileage? Our's has roughly 600 miles on the clock (still breaking it in), and we are averaging approximately 15 mpg with a mix of city/highway. This is without my wife or I getting into it - meaning no rpm's over 3,000. I am a bit concerned that we will not be able to achieve the averages, and more importantly, what I was expecting before we purchased the vehicle, 16/21 or roughly 18 overall.

Hopefully, after the break-in period, we will see improvement. It is just a bit disappointing, though, that with gas going through the roof, we are a bit on the lower end of average.

Thanks, in advance, for all responses.

klockboy...

volvomax

Your mileage won't stabilize until probably 2-3000 miles.

Also, what kind of gas are you using?

klockboy

I figured as much....We generally use 91 octane. Thanks..

Klockboy

tahoejam

Car will daily commute for wife. We live in mountains and car will go up and down 4K ft every day (2x2k). We are looking at XC90 T6 and Lexus 330.
XC90 T6 has the following

Color
Climate
Touring
Versatility
Bi-Xenon
Wood Steering Wheel
Park Assist
Destination

Dealer has offered this for $44390.

Does anyone know if this is a good/reasonable price? We like the car but am concerned about:-

Gas Mileage
Resale Value (This is the last of the T6's)

Price is important but we are wondering if we should just go for the V8 instead?
Does anyone have experience of the V8 and the T6.?
How would you compare the RX330 to the T6 XC90?

Any perspectives on this would be much appreciated.

: :confuse:

habitat1

I don't have personal experience, but I do have an opinion. Go for the V8 over the T6. I test drove the V8 before we decided to go with an MDX and thought it was head and shoulders ahead of the T6, with it's turbo lag and antiquated 4-speed transmission. In addition, there appears to be an increasing amount of maintenance issues coming up with respect to older T6's. The service manager of the dealer I went to is not a fan of the T6 engine in a heavy SUV, especially if it's going to be used for towing or - in your case - going up and down mountains on a daily basis. My wife is very happy with our MDX, but if I was going to be the primary driver, I would have gone with the XC90 V8.

As for the RX330 vs. XC90, it's hard to find fault in Lexus reliability. It's also hard to find excitement in their styling or driving dynamics. The RX330 is the indestructable mini-mini-van of SUV's. It's a bit too girlish for my tastes, but that's purely subjective. It also doesn't have much power or cargo capacity and no third row, if any of that matters to you.

stever

Check out Volvo XC90: Prices Paid & Buying Experience. And there's one for the Lexus too:

Lexus RX 330: Prices Paid & Buying Experience

Steve, Host

elias

tahoejammer, i think that price is about $4k too much. i understand many volvo dealers are selling to anyone for x-plan price. plus i think demand for T6 is lower than for the 5cyl or the v8. we got our 2004 2.5T AWD for x-plan price of about $40k.

guyf

Habitat gave you good advice, go for the V8!

c130

Go for the V8! I drove all three models and was not really thinking of buying the V8 until I test drove it. I ordered a 2006 model so I could get one exactly like I wanted and the dealership is loaning me a 2005 V8 until mine comes in. I am definately glad I ordered the V8 after driving one for about a month now.

soxfan

just had my 7500 service on my v8. no problems to report. mileage on a trip this past weekend of mostly highway, aggressive driving was 19.6mpg using 93 octane - this is pretty consistent with what i've been getting for the last couple thousand miles. definitely recommend the v8 to anyone who is looking - this is a phenominal car. have temporarily solved my ipod connection problem with the monster cable fm transmitter (that plugs into the docking connection on the bottom of the ipod), but audio quality still not optimal - hoping for a hard-wired option sometime soon. would appreciate any insights on this.

klockboy

Hi Soxfan:

I agree that the V-8 is a tremendous vehicle...I was wondering if you achieved the 19.6 MPG from the beginning stages of ownership, or if that MPG has slowly and steadily improved as miles were put on vehicle? I am still getting around 14-15 overall, however I have not turned 1,000 miles yet.

Also, when you mean "aggressive driving", are you talking 75MPH or 85MPH? I find that when I am traveling at anything over 75 (just yesterday), the MPG seems to be greatly affected.

Sorry I cannot help out with regards to your Audio Question, however I am fairly confident someone on the forum will. Good Luck...

KlockBoy...

volvomax

At this point Volvo isn't going to have a hard wired ipod option for the XC90.

crazboutcars

try the dlo fm transmitter for about 89 - 99 it is undoubtably the best! solved my IPOD problem after trying mutiple solutions. I got mine at Best Buy, but I also saw it a Target the other day or if neither of these are in your area do a google for herrington catalog...it is available in thier catalog/online as well for 99. Enjoy!!!

crazboutcars

I am loving my V8 as well. So far I am at 18.4 mpg. I have approx. 2K on my vehicle and I would consider myself a moderately aggressive driver 65 (high end) - 70 - 75 (passing and merging) MPH. The vehicle that I replaced with the XC90 V8 was a MB CLK430...this is my vehicle entry into the 'family vehicle' realm.

jbvolvo

We just had our XC90 in for the scheduled service at 12,500 miles and the local dealer tells me that the brake pads are already shot and will be over $250 to replace since this is not part of the free maintenance offer nor the warranty. One of the reasons we chose the Volvo was the free maintenance offer (we never would have gone Volvo without it) and were surprised at being hit with this considering that the car less than a year old. Has anyone else had problems with the brake pads failing so early? Choosing the XC90 over the MDX may be looking like a bad idea at this point. :lemon:

c130

I think maybe this may be a problem for many of the newer SUV's. I recently had an ML320 Sport and brake pads did not last long at all. I was told my Mercedes technician that I was lucky to get 15,000 miles and that the rotors would only last around 35,000 miles. I learned very quickly how to do the brakes on the Mercedes(it was out of warrranty) and only cost around 120.00 for front and back pads. We'll see how the XC90 compares but I'm assuming not any better!

volvomax

:confuse:

The factory maintenance book clearly states that pads are not part of the program.
The program only pays for the scheduled service intervals.
Brake pads are a wear item.
You can't expect a 4500 lb vehicle to stop as securely as a sedan and have long lasting brake pads.

guyf

Had my regular service done at 36,000 Km (22,500 miles) The dealer inspected the brakes and pad wear was only 50% on the front brakes and less than 20% on the rears. I do 70% city driving and 30% highway. Are you driving agressively?

stever

From Aug. 1st:

Long-Term Test: 2004 Volvo XC90 T6 (Inside Line)

Steve, Host

teddy4

We have an XC 90 on order. Order it 1st week of August and we going to pick it up in Sweeden 18 November.

V-8 (Leather, additional rear seats, all the items included with the V-8)
Pearl White
Atlantis 16" 235/60-18" wheels/rims
towing package
parking assist

$43,195 total. We are stationed in Germany and are saving a ton of money on this vehicle.
The test drive was great. When I stomped the gas I was very surprised. I was not ready for the amont of "get up and go" this motor provides. Seems to drive more like a car than a SUV.

soxfan

klockboy - mpg has improved since i got it. was probably closer to 15-16 at first, but haven't kept perfect track of it. aggressive highway would be 75-85, depending on how much traffic, but some on back, hilly roads was closer to 50-60.

klockboy

Thanks for the info....Now that we surpassed the 1K mark, gas mileage seems to be steadily improving....Still at 14-15 City, however recent trip to Brooklyn and back (roughly 200 miles) netted approx. 17 MPG. Hopefully the trend will continue...Take Care.

Klockboy...

bigeddy

Glad they liked it but from the author's comments it sounds like they tried to make the car adapt to their driving style and made little effort to learn about it. Never more than 19.6 mpg? They must have not driven on the open highway or are "foot stompers" as it is capable of mid 20's on long trips. No warranty fixes? There have been several items for this model including transmission reprogramming to address power lag (it is not "turbo lag"). Not enough power to merge onto freeways? It's a heavy SUV and does fine for what it is; you learn to pick appropriate gaps rather than just attack traffic. Not enough storage up front? There are numerous storage areas in the front; I count 11 compartments and trays. Cramped up front? I'm over 6' and there is plenty of room. Poor visibility to the rear? It's typical of mid-sized SUVs and as such the driver has to learn to use the mirrors and know where the car's corners are--i.e., basic driving skills. On the one hand they want the car to be even bigger so they can carry more but on the other it is already too big for them to drive easily. Funny, those contradictions in life.

chomondely

2003 2.t awd. I replaced the factory pads at 103,000 miles. The front rotors had to be replaced , but the rear rotors were fine. I get around 22 mpg.
The biggest ex pence was replacing the radio at 112,000 miles. Both the head unit and the tuner had to be replaced at a cost of $1,900.00. I drove for three months with a boom box seat belted into the front seat but my children told me that I was not cool so I replaced the radio.
You can not simply remove the head unit in the he dash and replace it with an aftermarket radio. When you disconnect the power to the head unit, the windshield come on and can not be turned off. The headlights come and can not be turned off. Neither turn signal works. I was too scared to see if the brake lights worked.

mib90024

Please urgently advise if all the previous problem with 2005 XC90 V8 has been fixed for the 2006 XC90 V8 model. I am very close to go with the under invoice offer by the dealer but after looked at the A/C, transmission gear shifting, vibration problem with the rack, stalling, rear door adjar/pop open, brake pad wear-outs, coolant need refills constant, car smoke smell when not using recycle A/C...etc;

Please urgently advise if all these issues are still there with the 2006 XC90 V8???

Before I have a RX300 and the car maintenance is about $2400/yr. but it never stall, nor have any of the A/C, door popping or vibration noise problems. But it does have the coolant smell during hot summer days, new brake pads every yr./new tires every 2 yrs.

I was hoping the XC90 V8 has more power to MOVE than the RX300 or 330 since they are too smooth and has no power/like floating in the air when you drive. Not very solid feeling nor do I like the new Highlander/they have the same front dash design like the old RX300;but nicer than the newer RX330 on the front dash design.

Please urgently advise if the 2006 XC90 V8 is OK to buy or should I want for 2007 model?? :confuse: :confuse:

volvomax

99% of all 2005 XC90's are perfect.
If you research any car and spend time in any internet forum you will find people who are unhappy w/ their cars.
The vast majority of people who are happy w/ their cars never say so.

mib90024

Would really like to hear more from the happy Volvo 2006 V8 users on their opinions about the 2006 model car? As well as the pros & cons of the 2006 model car. :confuse: :confuse:

I have also seen consumer report on BMW X5 and they have no bad reviews/ complaints about their BMWs? I am trying to compare the X5 with the XC90 V8 which one is a better car with less factory defective problems. So I can pick one since they are about the same price range. But people are saying the XC90 is a better car than X5??Any idea? :confuse: ">

Please advise.

Many Thanks again.

guyf

I've got a 2004 and it is fine.

volvomax

When the current X5 came out it had a few teething issues. Resolved now.

XC90 is bigger, w/ more passenger and cargo space.
Less expensive, sometimes $10,000 less.
BMW is quicker(except for the XC90 V8) handles a little better on a racetrack and has that cool spinning propeller badge.

mib90024

Hi VolvoMax,

Thanks for the info you have provided but I have following question, the Volvo XC90 V8 I was quoted is $55,765 MSRP, Invoice $52,004. Residual:61% of $54,600, $5500 down for monthly lease of $551/mon plus tax for 36 mos lease.

Is this quote/deal too high??Or too much money down??

Since BMW X5 4.4i is leasing at $700/mo with out of packet is $1475.00 when pick up a car & nothing down for the 36 months lease. I must think if putting same amount of money as needed above($5500 as required by Volvo), would get me down more from $700/mo to Very close to the Volvo monthly leasing rate as above. Now how can we see the money saving & difference between Volvo in the $10,000 price difference there?

Now both cars are 4.4i engines with similar power, is the quote I get from this Volvo too high?? Since this is already AAA member best deal.

Please advise. :confuse:

volvomax

What is the MSRP on the BMW?
A $55,000 Volvo has nav and a dvd system, does the bimmer?
The 36 mo residual for the X5 4.4i is 52% so something is not right.
W/ 1500 out of pocket on the Volvo you should be around $100/mo more than what you were quoted.

tidester

You may want to browse through Volvo XC90: Prices Paid & Buying Experience and BMW X5: Lease Questions to see what others are paying. Lease Questions - Ask Here may also be helpful.

tidester, host

c130

I have been driving a new 2005 XC90 V8, which was loaned to me by my dealer. I ordered a 2006 XC90 V8 and it should arrive within the next week. The 2005 I have been driving for about 7 or 8 weeks has been perfect so far, not one complaint, but it only has about 2700 miles on it. The dealership loaned me an 2.5 XC90 for the first 4 weeks, which they then sold and it was flawless also except for the old style DVD system, which did not want to retract while in reverse.

dogbert_nc

For '06 OSD, the difference between 2.5T AWD and V8 comparably equipped (assuming that you want Premium and Versatility pkgs on the 2.5T which is included on the V8) is....

Exactly $3,000. Well worth it for the extra HP, comparable gas mileage, and likely better resale value.

Outside of of OSD, the gap widens to something closer to $5,000.