ot: volvo xc90

need opinions from xc90 owners. are you happy with it and did you compare it to the 3.0 x5 and v6 touareg? i was looking at the those two suv's untill i stumbled onto the xc90 t6, and now i'm leaning that way.

I bot last December--the new v8 is coming out soon--my wife and I love it--very comfortable and drives nicely. We have the 7 passenger because it qualified for the SUV tax loop hole. the X5 is alot more money apples to apples--VW i didnt look at. All the car mags say get the v8 VW not the v6 but hey they arent paying as well!!! Put I have 15k miles with no problems and the DVD navi is cool too. Mike

We looked at the XC90 (6 cylinder) and were dead set on it after driving the Cayenne S. However, we then drove a Cayenne turbo and a Lexus GX which made the Volvo seem pretty pathetic by comparison - especially the ride (especially the back seat). The Volvo just felt cheap after driving both of those cars. We (mistakenly) went for the Cayenne Turbo primarily owing to the power and have regretted it for some time owing to reliability and bugs. If we had it to do over again, we'd have bought the Lexus whose service (which you never need except for oil changes) is second to none. We had very low expectations for the Lexus which may be why we were so pleasantly surprised with it. So, you might as well drive it before diving into the Volvo. After many years of very subpar service experience with BMW, we didn't even consider the X5. I would have definetely looked at the Caddy given their recent performance and quality wins over the Germans, but it's my wife's and she just can't get past the Caddy stigmatism.

I have been looking at them too, but my wife likes Mercedes so we are gonna wait for the next generation of ML to compare with it first. The XC90 is coming out with a V8 so look out for that. I recently test drove the Caddy SRX and it drives nice. I like it better than the X5. To me it feels lighter and more nimble, but the X5 might have more ultimate grip. The interior of the SRX is not as luxurious as the X5, but it has more room. The power is good with the northstar, on par with the X5 4.4. I would buy one as I have seen some good deals on them, but my wife has something against american cars. Ben's idea of a Lexus is not bad, but I would warn you it depends what you are looking for. The GX is based on a 4 runner platform so it will drive more truck like rather than sedan like. They are great off roaders and nicely appointed, but I would pass as I find them not very plesant looking.

I had a T6 for about 6 months too. The only complaint was poor performance power wise and very poor fuel economy.

Actually we found the GX a much better ride than the XC. But you're right, they're kinda ugly. But then again, so is the Cayenne but the power sucked us in.

Rob --are you self-employed? the volvo is $45k x5 is $50-60K caddy v8 awd is $60k and cayenne turbo is $95k+ You get what you pay for. Mike

guys, thanks for the insight. the 3.0 x5, v6 touareg and t6 xc90 are all around $45k or under, which is all i want to spend. i thought the power of all three was sufficient, but that's under ideal cond. i liked the design/quality of the rx330, but it's fwd and smallish. as mentioned, i also rulled out the mbz ml because it's long in the tooth and due for replacement. i am self-employed, i guess you ask 'cause of tax loopholes (?) i'm not considering the caddy or cayenne. wants: 7-pass. capability is a plus, as is awd. it'll see more than 30k miles a yr. fuel efficiencty is a consideration. don't need a thirsty v8

The RX330 is available as FWD or AWD. That's what we got in place of the XC90. We decided to forgo the 7 passenger seating for the better fuel economy and long term reliability of the Lexus. My wife just loves the vehicle and I would have to pry it from her cold dead hands to get her to change now. You can get a fully loaded RX330 with Nav for under $45K. Lexus nav is superior to Volvo's system.

I WISH! Add "air suspension warning" light today to the numerous bugs and problems with our 6k old Cayenne Turdbo.

Used to be longtime Lexus owner here. Before we got my wife's Cay S, we looked at everything including all vehicles mentioned here. One thing surprising that we found was GX470 had better ride and was quieter than RX330. Generally it was better ride. Of course LX470 was notch better than that. We narrowed down our choices to GX470 or Cay S. GX470 won out against XC70 in reliable and comfortable category and Cay S won out against X5, SRX in sporty category. We wanted something sporty and special this time, so we went with Cay S. Touarag was nice ride, but we didn't want to pay big bucks for VW and we didn't want to deal with VW dealer. SRX came high on my list since it has almost perfect spec and I wanted to give an American make a chance, but my wife hates Arts and Science design. Some of these cars have nice incentives, so don't forget to get them! They partially reflect their receptions in the marketplace. Also, I heard rumor of updated engine for GX470 for 05.

My wife and I are on the hunt for an SUV and have looked at the XC90, X-3, X-5, Touareg, GMC Envoy and the Highlander from Toyota. We currently have a 2002 Volvo T-5 that we bought to later (now two years later) get into the XC90, now that demand has dropped and supply is up. Volvo invited us out to a demonstration event where they had several XC90's of all flavors, event tent, bitchin presentation with video and everything else they could do to show the thing off, including an example of all the competitions SUV's, short autox course setup, slick road simulation, the works. We were really impressed with the XC90, especially the T-6 model. Fast forward two years later, we have really grown to love the Volvo brand and feel there is quality still there. Then we drove the Touareg V-6 and V-8. We both now are fond of the Touareg and will more than likely end up with the VW. Our scorecard, as we see it: XC90 T-6 is powerful, but only a 4speed auto--recent price increase--limited interior colors--reports of poor mileage--seems to be reliable--third row seating--saw the V-8 at SEMA last week, but its still transverse mounted Highlander: reliable, quiet--good mileage--fully loaded with DVD $36k--no memory package--everyone has one--third row seating X-3: cheap interior--silky smooth straight 6--included maintenance--too expensive for given quality X-5: nice interior--silky smooth straight 6 (or V-8)--not much room--no third row seating--reports of being problematic--expensive FX35/45: have not driven yet, but looks small inside--very stylish--good quality--reliable--no third row seating--great exhaust note Touareg: V-6 for 2005 has 20 more HP--6speed auto--no third row seating--2004 models are really problematic--2005 models are supposed to be sorted--very sophisticated--VW customer satisfaction seems generally low (varied opinions)--V-8 model hauls butt (for a tank SUV)--great exhaust note--highly optioned V-8 are close to $50K--huge towing capacity GMC Envoy: roomy--third row seating available--cheaper--huge factory incentives and discounts--cheap financing--solid rear axle (bummer)--not sure about GM quality--not thrilled with it Like to have a look at the LR3, but weary of reliability and cost Like to drive the FX35/45 Cayenne S: my favorite--too pricey--better dealer service?--towing capacity-- would probably be unhappy with the V-6--not sure

Rob, Chris, don't see a Lexus on your list. Why not? Just curious. Here is a heresy as well. How about a minivan? Sienna meets most if not all of Rob's criteria.

The LR3 is probably the new leader in this segment, I wouldn't worry about reliability (other than first year issues), Dealer service network is good..... but it does show a significant price increase. My son is weighing the pros and cons of the Cayenne S versus the LR3, and he's leaning towards the LR3 because of the Visibility, Aux out on the radio (IPod compatiblle) and Blue tooth capability (coming soon). Is it still an ugly duckling?

I am also looking at the Land Rover LR3 or the VW Toureg V8. Having driven them both I am still undecided. The LR3 is priced $10k more than the old Discovery II, but it is a completely new vehicle sharing only the traditional items like the stepped rear window and roof line. Similarly equiped it's less money than the Toureg. I also considered the Lexus RX/GX but felt like they were a lot of $ for what they are... (IMHO)

I feel Lexus quality and service is top notch, but for some reason, the RX330 doesnt grab me, unfortunately... Bless my wifes heart, she says nooooooo minivans

Same here, thank God!

We went for the XC90 D5 7 seater as the best compromise between economy, usefulness and comfort. It's fully loaded and very easy to live with. The diesel engine could do with a few more ponies but the family wagen was never intended to be a racer. The touareg was dismissed as it manages to give very little interior space for such a large external size. The BMW priced itself out of the discussion and suffers a little from the touareg syndrome too. I was considering the Lexus hybrid but they've kept pushing back the release. The only real option will be the Cayenne with the lexus hybrid motor. When will it arrive?

As someone who has been driving Volvo's for 15 years, I can't rate them highly enough. I have a V70 that I bought new about 5 years ago with no problems (apart from needing to replace some rusted brake parts about a year ago). One benefit that Volvo have that no other makers have - they are used to COLD. The handling in snow and ice is second to none, as is the heating system . They're also famous for reliability (I remember reading years ago that the average life expectency of a Volvo was 19+ years) and safety. You can't go wrong with a Volvo.

Yep, I've probably had a half dozen of them and am always thrilled with their reliability. I'm not sure if it's the same now that it's a Ford. But then again, my 04 F150 has been a LOT more reliable with fewer bugs than our 04 Cayenne TT. Both are first year models.

Ben, Go to the dieselstop.com and you'll really appreciate how lucky you have been with that new Ford F150. Ultra thin sheet metal and What? No vibration problems. Think Porsche treats it's customers poorly, read there for a while and see how the world really is. I hope I haven't jinxed your truck, I'm considering the Titan and Tundra.