Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see May lease deals!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
First, a competent used car appraiser will be able to tell that its been hit and repaired, so that will lower your value.
Second, if it shows on Carfax as a severe or non severe accident that will lower your value also.
Third, most highline dealers wouldn't resell such a car so you would be left with whatever a wholesaler would be willing to give, regardless of whatever Kelly or Edmunds says the value is.
If you need the third row of seats, the MDX is the way to go. It looks better than the XC90 and is a more premium name, so value should hold up better and quality is clearly better.
If you do not need a third row of seats, the MDX is still a great choice. I passed on the VW because I could not get past the idea of paying $42K for a VW - if I am paying that kind of money, I should get a premium brand name. The XC90 is competent, but uninspiring. Not a bad choice, but just not worth $41K in my mind.
So my suggestion is to ask yourself if you think the Acura (at $40K) is worth the extra $8K vs. the Murano (at $32K). I think they are about equal in "value" - i.e., to the Murano add $4K for the premium brand name, $1,500 for the third row of seats, $2,500 for the more luxurious interior and you get the justification for the higher cost of the MDX. Simply, are you looking for the extra luxury that the MDX has over the Murano? If not, the Murano is a reasonable alternative with a surprising number of extras and more than sufficient "luxury".
The MDX, OTOH, is about as conservative as they come; the rear looks like a station wagon tacked on the end of a sedan. The XC90 is gorgeous compared to these two and more versatile as well. Many people prefer its interior design and quality.
As for value, we pay our money and make our choices. Families with multiple cars used primarily for commuting have many options to reduce their long-term transportaton budget.
there is a software download that is available but has not been modified on my car yet.
I realized one pivotal issue that helped me to decide and put a deposit on an XC90 last week... one thing to consider with the MDX is that it is still in the 2003 model year (I think the MDX's 2004 is coming out in November). If you consider retention value, and you want to buy NOW, you'll get better retention on the 2004 XC90 than the 2003 MDX, assuming mileage and condition are the same at time of trade in. [if you go to www.leasecompare.com, you can see what the leasing companies project for the residual value after 3 years]. Also, to look at a fair price comparison, you really should compare the XC90 (with premium, versatility, and climate) versus the MDX with the Touring package, since that gets you more similarity of features between the two.
When you put these factors together, the price is about the same. We picked the XC90 because we thought safety was more important to us. Generally speaking I agree with anilpunjabi's comment (thread #1994) - you get what you pay for.
Befitting the small difference in performance, Volvo charges less for the uplevel engine than Infiniti or BMW. A T5 equipped like the 2003 T6 I drove (but without the 18-inch wheels or power retractable mirrors) lists for $42,830.
I won’t bother to compare the prices of the Infiniti FX35 or BMW X5. Those offer much sportier handling in return for less capacity. The choice between them and the Volvo should be based on these differences.
The vehicle most similar to the Volvo is the Acura MDX, which lists for $38,800 in a “touring” model equipped like the XC90 I drove. The Acura doesn’t look as good, and its stability control lacks the Volvo’s anti-rollover features, and feels a bit less luxurious inside, but is quicker, better handling, and feels roomier. For most people it is a better value.
Even less expensive is the 2004 Chrysler Pacifica, which lists for $36,890 equipped as close as possible to the Volvo. The typical dealer discount and a $1,000 rebate brings this down to about $35,100 according to Edmunds. The main feature it lacks is stability control, which a vehicle in this class should have. Like the Acura, it is available with a rear seat entertainment system. The Pacifica handles more like a car than the other two owing to a lower seating position, but also lacks their ground clearance. Through the steering and brakes the Pacifica manages to feel like a more massive vehicle than the Volvo, though they weight about the same. Accleration is about on par with the XC90 T5. If you plan to remain on the pavement, this won’t matter. Materials are notably better than past Chryslers, about equal to those in the Acura. Chrysler has been having trouble selling a vehicle over $30,000, so I would expect larger rebates in the future. Even at the current price, it is much less expensive than the Volvo. Definitely worth considering.
The Volvo’s price seems more reasonable compared to the slightly pricier SUVs from Mercedes and BMW, especially considering that those are smaller, less voluminous vehicles without a third row. If you want a European brand and a third row with your SUV, the Volvo is currently your only alternative.
Final Words
From its appearance and horsepower I thought the Volvo XC90 might serve as a larger, more versatile substitute for BMW’s X5. However, it is biased much more towards comfort and utility. This is not a problem for most people shopping for such a vehicle, as sporty handling likely isn’t high on their list of priorities. They’re interested in room, safety, comfort, and perhaps prestige, and in these areas the XC90 does well. Acura and Chrysler offer less expensive alternatives, but for people who desire a European SUV with three rows of seats, the Volvo is currently the only game in town.
Without considering price this is a four-star vehicle. But because the price is significantly higher than comparable vehicles, I've reduced my rating to three.
Recommended
Yes
Also, feel free to use quotation marks when quoting somebody else's writing.
Thanks!
tidester, host
We are looking to tow a 3600lb. boat and trailer with a car filled to the max in passengers.
thank you! <><
Many safety "experts" consider the offset-test much more real-world. After all, how many vehicles crash head-on into walls? A vehicle rear-ending another vehicle is not the same because the NHTSA test doesn't even use a deformable barrier.
In fact, NHTSA wants to adopt the offset crash test in addition to its current full-frontal test, but thus far budget restrictions have prevented it.
If the XC90 doesn't get the 5-star rating, it's a small disappointment but I don't think it invalidates the vehicle's position as one of the safest (and quite possibly THE safest) SUV out there. A lot of recent vehicles seem to be having trouble with the NHTSA front test, and many of them are no slouches in the safety department. E.g. the new Mercedes-Benz E-class also got four stars, and so did the C-class. NHTSA just re-tested the Acura MDX, whose 2002 version to 5 stars. The 2003 MDX dropped to 4-stars, probably because of a slightly higher vehicle rate and its new dual-stage, dual-threshold airbags.
The only quibbles I have with their testing:
1) They do not test side-impact with a large barrier like IIHS has just started to do. Then again, such larger vehicles are less common in Europe.
2) They've damaged the credibility of their "5-star rating" by altering the scoring system. It used to be extremely difficult to get 5 stars in their testing. Now quite a few vehicles have one. Unfortunately, most of this is due to a change in their scoring. A vehicle now gets 1 or 2 points for having a seatbelt reminder system.
EuroNCAP claims that this is valid given how important seatbelt use is in crashes. I find that highly questionable, as it artificially influences the full crash test result. If they're going to give points to belt reminder systems, they may as well award points for stability control, a boron roof, etc.
Thus I no longer look just at the star rating from EuroNCAP but the numerical scores awarded for front and side impact tests.
What is sobering is that the XC90 would NOT have received five stars from EuroNCAP using the older scoring system (without adding points for a seatbelt reminder). It would have come out one point short. It still has an outstanding performance, but it's not really five stars.
Thanks.
-rollie
rdollie@att.net
Steve, Host
Oh, BTW, it was Land Rover Free Lander that was shown with 2 stars.
More cars selling above sticker price (sunspot.net)
Steve, Host
I wonder how Edmunds.com figures the average. I checked their TMV (true market value or actual selling price) for the XC90 T6 and 2.5T in several west coast zip codes and it was below MSRP in each case. The article mentioned L.A. but that may have been a particular dealer; one L.A. dealer I visited last year was charging straight MSRP.
To me, the more telling item mentioned in the article is the unwanted options that you may pay for because that is what the dealer ordered. My local dealer even has the habit of adding Volvo accessories onto the car and charging full MSRP for them. Argues for overseas delivery if you can wait.
http://www.sector7-g.com/volvo/key.html
I've heard other XC90 owners complain of the new key and the "D" ring. I had a similar problem with our '00 Passat switchblade type key and its "O" ring. The darn thing kept on popping of the remote. I solved it by using the small ring from a Maglite keychain flashlight - its smaller than the ring that is around the Nissan remote that attaches to the pocket knife in your picture.
I'm not sure if something wll work for the Volvo, but you can bet I'll be checking it out when I take delivery!
George
Yes, it's big but it also has many features. Not your standard remote. Volvo is working on an even more elaborate "personal communicator" that has fingerprint recognition and keyless vehicle operation.
-rollie
rdollie@att.net
I agree that oil changes and light maintenance one could do themselves and save a few bucks and time. But while it's under warranty I prefer to have the dealer do everything.
One side note regarding the maintenance. The timing belt change is recommended at 120,000 miles. With this particular engine, if the belt fails, the engine suffers serious damage, driving the piston into valves that are open. Some engines are manufactured to prevent this from happening by designing a recess well for the valves so they are not damaged by the piston when the belt breaks. Something to consider if your worried about service interval costs.
WOW! $800 dollars for 60,000 mile service. Which may not be high IF they do a whole lot in return.
The RSC system makes it extremely hard to roll.
Also, residual for the XC90 are fabulous so leasing is a good way to go.
The XC70(Cross Country) gets a little better gas mileage than the XC90 2.5T, lot beter than the T6, is easier to drive and park.
The XC90 has alot more space, and 3rd row seats.
Do you need the space?
If not stick w/ the Cross Country.
The XC70 is theoretically harder to roll, but RSC evens out the odds.
If you haven't had a chance to experience RSC in the hands of a professional I heartily recommend it.
As for the Exec, it will not be out until the end of the year.
Meaning, I assume, that the XC90 will redirect more energy before it reaches the limit when crash energy is transferred directly to the passengers. Are there test results available that measure the difference between the two vehicles?
The XC70's is around 30,000 lbs to the roof.
For we owners, it's a sturdy, flexible, safe vehicle. For what it's worth, they said my '03 Suburban and '99 Beetle are bags of bolts, yet I've had no major problems with either. The Suburban hasn't had the even the slightest problem.
So we pays our money and takes our pick.
Also, just a note. Many of the posters here have complaints about the XC90. Someone pointed out previously that this is just standard for these types of message boards. After about 6 months of reading numerous boards here my response is BULL. Go to the Murano site, for example, and the amount of complaints are significantly less. That's hard to quantify, more just a sense. Nevertheless, my take is that XC90 owners may be trying to sugarcoat the flaws with this vehicle. Not that there are that many, just that for $43K there should be much less complaining.
As for the key fob. Not only does the little ring come off, but the key always opens in my pocket. To say that it "isn't designed" to be with other keys is ridiculous. It is like saying a radiator that overheats isn't designed to work without overheating. Nobody has just one key and a key that isn't designed to be on a ring with other keys or designed not to have other keys attached isn't well designed. At 45K, I have high expectations.
The headlight switch design...well it sucks. It is "automatic" but you have to remember to have it in one position during the day and another at night to be able to use the high beams. In the horizontal position the regular lights come on at night...great-it is automatic...except you can't lock the high beams!!! What is the purpose of this???? Who remembers to turn the knob? It is just silly.
Fog lights should have an on switch that stays on. It resets every time the car is restarted. I can't be bothered to remember every time.
Dash design. The rubber spaces for pens on either end of the shift area are magnets for dirt and dust. It looks and feels unattractive. There is no good place for coins.
Navigation. There should be a mute. In order to mute the system you have to go through long menus. Whatever it was on the radio you wanted to hear is long over.
Heating/Air conditioning. It really isn't clear how to work this....when to put it on auto or when it is on manual. Since it doesn't read out the internal temperature, knowing where to set the temp dial is hard....When I want it a bit colder, I don't know where to set it cause I don't know what temperature it already thinks it is.
It is a good car but it is very expensive so it is too bad that many features are very disappointing.
Fog light is meant to be used only when there is "fog", isn't it? It is quite annoying to be have a car follow or from opposite direction with fog light when there is no need for it. I believe the switch was designed to "help" the driver just in case he/she has forgotten to do so.