Volvo XC90 SUV long-term test review
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- Опубликовано: 17 янв 2025
- Andy Pringle spent most of his childhood being carted around in a big Volvo, and now he’s been carting his family around in today’s biggest Volvo, the XC90 SUV. So, how good was it is as a family car, and how effective was the plug-in hybrid system in in the real world? They’ve found out in the toughest test: everyday life in South West London. This video tells you our top five likes and dislikes, and how to spec yours if you plan on buying one…
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I'm sure the glovebox is broken, all other review videos show the lid coming down nice and slowly.......
Yes, it must be broken. Mine does not come down that fast. Not even close.
Jamie P thats write i watched multiple reviews for the XC90 and the glovebox never opened like this
In my xc90 this glovebox is opening nice and smooth. Sometimes I'm thinking it's even to slow.
Hilarious!
Well done review. Excellent identification of the features and benefits for a balanced review.
Brilliant "real world" review!!
Thankfully in my country the XC90 comes with B&W, air suspension, massaging seats metallic paint as standard in the T6 inscription trim.
So, he complains that the real-world MPG is not good enough.
He said that the battery pack allows for a 20 mile journey where he has seen 120MPG yet overall with lengthy journeys he's only managing 40MPG, I think 40 is really good for a car of that size when you're just on petrol power alone considering all the added weight of the batteries etc
6 months is hardly long term. I would like to know how the reliability holds up after 2 to 3 years
Well I have had mines for almost a year. Like I said before. The only way I would turn mine in would be for a fully autonmous functioning model. I think we purchase gas maybe every other month. Both our jobs are local so we rarely do over 25 miles in a day. Unfortunately we're leasing cause the payment were cheaper at the time. Now I wish we would have purchased it. If at the end of the lease full autonomy is still a ways off. I'll take the discounted purchase deal they offer you and pay cash. IDK It is a great family oriented car.
Does yours have a particle filter because if it has you need to take it on a run every couple of weeks or you will be polluting your neighbourhood?
Cool, calm and collected review ! Good job ! Well done ! As for the car... I think Volvo is on the right track.
Best xc90 review I’ve seen
according to an owner of an xc90 that i am acquainted with, the B & W sound system is a must-have
I have it, it is!
Anthony Blaise it is not
It really is though. I have driven mine back to back with a loaner that I had for a few days while mine was awaiting a part... The base system is adequate sure, but the Bowers has much better sound, no comparison at all. The Bowers has much more charity, no clapping with heavy bass, the adjustments alone allow attention to better sound, and was worth the extra money. I have had B&O in an Audi Q7, Bose in an Escalade, and this Bowers embarrasses both of those.
I have an almost identical car. I like the sound system a lot, but it is hard to justify EXCEPT that subsequent buyers of such an expensive, fully loaded vehicle will expect it to be there. I actually think that it would reduce the resale value if it was not there.
I would pick air suspension + parking package instead of sound upgrade.
I've been looking at a lot of videos trying top glean information about the fuel economy of the plug-in hybrid versus the mild hybrid XC90 models. This is the first review the mention specifically the fuel economy for long journeys. Where I live I seldom drive into town, and I drive a considerable number of long journeys each year to Europe. This would make the economic justification for the purchase of the plug-in difficult to justify, especially since I'll be spending more on fuel than with the mild hybrid. Your comments on options packs were also very useful. Thanks for helping me decide on which vehicle is best for me - I'm thinking a 2021 XC90 B6 petrol, options still TBD.
I have almost the exact car as you. The interior is different, and maybe you didn't get the winter package, but otherwise the same. Also at 5,000 miles. It is a great car, and almost all of my complaints, including the massaging seats, could be resolved with software improvements. In fact, I had one complaint that went away with the last update because they must have eliminated the "feature" (a noise every time you dropped out of pilot assist mode). I hope they can add more preferences that you can tweak, and make the whole system response faster. I thought the CarPlay was excellent, but I recently rented a Chevy and a Kia that actually were much faster. That could be fixed, as well as the speed of showing the backup camera after starting the car. I also have had glitches several times where a button simply did not work until I turned the car off and back on. Once the main volume button didn't work, though the one on the steering wheel did! Once or twice the little menu button for the dash menu did not work. These things should not happen. One addition Pro that you missed - it is really fast! The electric engine really helps and it is impressively quick. One additional Con - they removed the AM radio and the CD player (and fog lights) because of the Hybrid system. WTF?
The best review i ever watched 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
9:47 - You say that air suspension on this rides smoother than coil, but did you try this without?
The B&W stereo is a highlight and a must if you put some miles on your vehicle. To each his own.
That T8 must be a beast! I wish Volvo would offer the T8 without a hybrid version.
Airbus A320 Aviation that’s called the t6
They do. Its the T6 😂
Apart from the already worn bolsters on the seats 4:33 Longevity really is important to buyers Volvo!
BrabusBandit which is why you always go for black seats
BrabusBandit that's the dye from clothes rubbing on the seats. you have clean them a lot to keep them nice.
BrabusBandit That's just staining, the car comes with a leather care kit (at my particular dealer anyway), so, allows you to clean them up and such, big disadvantage of light leather colours.
The dealer warned me about staining, particularly from newish blue jeans. Seems like a bizarre problem, but still a problem if it happens that often. Fortunately, I don't have any new blue jeans ;-)
I add sealer to mine once a month, makes a huge difference, and have to clean it more. Any interior that isn't dark suffers a similar fate.
Very good car, hope to have my own in future - as a single man I can get away with Volvo's smaller offerings at the moment
Similar to you, I'm probably looking to the S90 since I don't need the room. But, my god, it's such excellent value it's hard to pass up simply what it has. Maybe taking 4 other friends to a snow sports trip more often?
Thanks for this review, I’m now looking at buying a T8, and I’ve found this review very helpful. I’m looking at a 2017 model around there. But I’m now swithering as to whether the hybrid is worth the extra, i live in the country and I’d say most of my journeys are around the 10-15 mile mark, and it sounds like my mpg would suffer as the pure electric just wouldn’t manage that sort of distance to work well. Any thoughts?
Did you get a T8 in the end? How has it been?
@@Wellspicedchaffinch We have owned a T8 since 2017, it has been trouble free for 73000kms. The only negative are brakes that wear out prematurely if driven harder. No issues so far, still drives and feels as new. I think they offer a good value if you pick up a well maintained used one.
Loved the review! Thank you.
1:51 Claimed fuel economy 134.5mpg?
Good review 👍
Can;t wait until you review the V90 R-Design or the New XC60 :D
Great Review - We just purchased our T8 Inscription - Love it....our only challenge is we cannot get clear guidance on maximizing the Hybrid Engine. Differences in Hybrid Mode, when to use Charge Button that is OFF By default, when to use the B Regenerative Breaking? We also only wish that the Charge Button or Regenerative Braking B modes would allow the battery to be fully charged....we are still getting only around 26MPG - Thoughts or comments appreciated.
John Rezabek , here is my two cents. Use B gear instead of D to slow down the vehicle when red traffic light ahead. It will re-generate more KW and save the break pads.use pure driving mode if road conditions are good. Use save function to hold the EV range if you drive at 85 km/h or higher. Balance your EV range usage, e.g. If it is a short journey, use pure mode to maximize the MPG. If it is more than 30 km journey, use ice (save mode) on highways and pure driving mode for local traffic. In the winters, use ice (pure mode plus save) to warm up the cabin for the first few km and then turn off the save mode. It will give you more EV range. In snowing days, I have to no choice than use power driving mode if road conditions are bad or extremely cold weather and having hard time to warm up the cabin. Have fun!
Superb real world review.
Very interesting review, thanks.
cheers
Please fix your low mic quality
Great car, I read they have a 2 year waiting list now....
I really like the new s90 v90 and the new xc60
Great review dude you blend in well with the car the saga shirt adds the final touch 😉but are beards compulsory for owning a Volvo ?
Loved the video, thank you from Wales #
I'm picking up a Volvo XC60 next week, it's a late 2017 2.0L
SE Nav D4 'R Design' model.
Can anyone tell me anything about these engines? What are
they called - T5, T6 ?! I read some were made/are Ford
engines? Is this one?
TIA.
I really regret not getting the 360• camera. I wonder if it can be retrofitted onto my XC90.
Very, very unlikely (and certainly not by the official dealer / reps).
Around 36 mpg overall - man that's poor. Why buy such an expensive thing when you can get a 4x2 V90 with around 50 mpg that also costs 20.000 pounds less? I will never understand it.
Test drove a XC90 T6 R-Design in the US with the new polestar upgrade and air suspension. Was a very nice car but the whine from the 2l engine is off putting when at speed and the handling is a little soft in the corners. I also disliked the gear selector as it wasn't easy to judge the movement required to put it in Drive, Reverse, etc as it lacked any tactile feedback. Those are fairly small issues though that others might not care about or notice.
Hi Andy! Nice video there man! Did you have any struggle to keep the steering wheel clean during these six months?
Hi Marcos! Thanks. Yes, it was a bit of a struggle, and not just the steering wheel. I also found the upholstery in the driver's seat got badly stained by my jeans. That's not as rude as it sounds...!
Can you turn the wifi and bluetooth off successfully?
Nice test...all money went into the car looking at the house. Just kidding realy. Thanks for the vid.
what about road noise?
i tested an xc90 2 years ago, the engines delivers power, but i can hear the engine gets very noisy (like give it all) to move this heavy suv.
i also felt the road cracks while driving with air suspension.. as if am driving a sport car.. it didn't felt very luxurious.. maybe the wheel size is big, but still!
I would like to know the petrol savings for driving like this, say for a 10 year period?
At 3:05, the infotainment is reported as being easy to use. But Consumer Reports say it's difficult to use. There's somethng seriously wrong with Consumer Reports, IMO.
And comparing diesels to the T8 is, well, unimportant. Diesels are on the way out, big time! And none too soon, according to my wife, who hates the diesel smell all European cities have.
5:35 only british problems. Its a normal car here in the states lol
is this a hybrid?
Buying a huge 4WD SUV to drive mostly in town, very logical choice.
Are you still living in the 70-ies?
"Oh only farmers have 4x4 and thats heavy"
The T8 hybrid and other modern cars dont carry around mechanical differentials these days. Its all electrical rear-axle and the front powered by the gasoline enginee.
In pure-mode its RWD. This is a 5-7 seater SUV in its right enviroment, a family.
You should rather complain about the opposite, the most SUV-intense /capita place is Los Angeles.
Where rich people cruise around alone in huge SUVS, Hummer, Range rovers, Cadillac Escalade , G-wagons and they only go shopping and buying coffe.
Not ever going of tarmac or loading child-rollers etc.
Interestingly, we bought a Ford Escape for our daughter. We have winter where we live, so we thought she should have all wheel drive on the car. You could not buy an all wheel drive Ford Escape within 60 miles of Los Angeles. You had to go way out into the sticks to find one. But yes, they do have a lot of Luxury SUVs because an SUV is far more practical (not economical) than most cars.
Hey idiot, a simple hatchback will do the job in the city.
I've had SUVs and simple hatchbacks. The hatchbacks are better than a small car with a trunk, but they are definitely not as practical as an SUV. Go shopping at Home Depot or Ikea and tell me that the hatchback is as practical. A minivan is even more practical, but people dont like the stigma of driving them.
I've had my 2006 2.5T AWD XC90 on the old, abandoned logging trails above Buena Vista, Colorado, and I can tell you the old XC90 does extremely well on steep rutted mountain trails. It has enough off-road capability to please. But I'll admit I was sweating bullets sometimes.
It makes me laugh when so many people comment about the light coloured interiors get so much dirtier than black !! NO NO NO, the real difference is that it shows what dirt is visible !! it doesn't attract more dirt, but shows you what a black interior "hides" from your eyes !! the crap is STILL there, so having to clean the light coloured seats etc means it's also more hygienic, not manky and gross !!!
One thing I notice all reviewers of hybrid cars fail to take in to account when talking about the financial viabilities of such cars: the UK company car driver.
Most of these vehicles and their counterparts will be used by company drivers and the personal tax liability and company Class 1A NI contributions are significantly reduced for hybrids than diesels - even more so for plug in hybrids.
When you work out the savings for these drivers, hybrids make a lot of sense.
Also, there is still a rebate in the states. But more than that, people who are buying these are usually trying to be more ecologically sensitive while not sacrificing and buying a teeny car. Yeah, a diesel might work, but there are no diesel stations near my house.
Apart from this being £75,000 not your average company car. BIK is work out with the cost of the vehicle in mind as well. Maybe a hybrid BMW 3 series is a company car drivers cup of tea
This car would be perfect with a more traditional dahsboard, the digital infotainment looks to be really slow on startup and takes a while to learn how to use it.
After a couple days it's fine, and by the time you get your seatbelt on, and get your phone plugged in etc, you are all good to go
More traditional ??like the old one dasboard ??huh??
Had one for 18 months or so. Does nothing wrong, but you never look forward to driving it.
Good stuff:
Seats are fantastic.
Looks great.
We had the Alcantara interior. Nice.
Lots of storage.
Third row works well
Big tablet is “pretty good”
It’s actually small on the road (in North America). It also feels small to place on the road.
Bad stuff:
The autonomous driving bits are too intrusive. We both hated it because it got spooked too easily.
The mileage is barely better than the RRS I had before it. I think we routinely got around 15L per 100 kms in the 4 Cyr version. Not good.
It’s a snore fest to own. You just don’t care to drive it. I’m not actually sure why. It just is.
You can’t reach the 2 nd row center seat release with a car seat in the car and the seat down.
The steering has no feel, but it is accurate.
The wipers are a pain if you have ice and snow to deal with.
It’s boomy without the air suspension. Not a ride that is acceptable for the price.
>> it was not a car for us at all. Some like it, but we aren’t those people.
Sounds to me that you need Mercedes GLS 63 AMG.
2 ton - that's outrageous.
Xc 90familie test
Bmw 220 familie test
Small things with all autos keep up the good work.
Im subschribed on your channel grettings from Germany.
Test nissans xtrail 7seats and peugeot 5008 Thanks.
5,000 miles is hardly "long-term." The XC90 is a beautiful car but all the technology scares me. On Michigan roads especially, the electronics and the air suspension just seem like it would be a killer to service after a few years.
Thanks for your comment, which we understand. However, over here in the UK - where the average annual mileage is around 10,000 and most press tests of a car are based on a week’s loan - this is deemed a long-term test. I’m delighted to report that, apart from a couple of glitches with the sat-nav (which corrected themselves very quickly), we had no issue with the electronics or the suspension during our test. Only time will tell how these last over a number of years, but we saw nothing to give us any cause for concern.
That real life fuel economy is very sad, especially considering *how much more expensive* the hybrid version is.
Oh well, here's to hoping they'll get it right next time.
Емил Ефендулов ，depends on the distance of your daily commute. I can get 2.1 l/100Km in the summer and 3.0 l/100Km in the winter. Charge two times a day.
Taofen Wang me
Taofen Wang n
Contraction of a car. Ideal in the city for fuel consumption while being way too big for the city. Also, your review felt more like a sales pitch in large sections particularly your final comments "everybody should buy a Volvo XC90", ridiculous.
So you would spend 40 quid a month for lowering the car but not 60 for the stereo? I doubt most would agree.
Wow the string wheel is on the left (weird)
So adorable when senior citizens decide to have children after all.
Volvo is a Chinese car company and this car depreciation is huge.
He is from carwow you see him sitting in the middle seat and stuff for the practicalitiy really
A 7-seater for a family with one child? Why?
If most of the time drive is in heavy city traffic, it's certainly hybrid.
If you most on highway, then diesel.
And its not just about economy, but also comfort and tech durability.
Volvo last as long as you replace all the parts. Good engine.
Too wide for country roads and even too wide for the narrower lanes on motorway road work.
No chance for a Range Rover or a Discovery then?
hah, 99mpg discrepancy between claimed and average economy
because he drives actively with the petrol engine, without the electric engine engaged
Fantastic car, not sure I can justify £60k though.
This is a "long term review" for a year? Not very long term. I'd hate to see all the other reviews.
Air suspension is a joke if you plan to own this car beyond its warranty, in fact same thing can be said for most cars with air suspension
I tested one a couple of weeks back and I found the visibility was poor through the front windscreen, looking forward to RT'ing the XC60 though
That price tag tho
its among the cheapest cars that you can get at that kind of level, jaguar f pace, range rover, bmw x5, q7 and so on..
All Videos the similar (plug in hybrid) BMW X5e and Porsche Cayenne were similarly priced, if not more expensive. Not as nice or as large, though.
My older brother bought this car 2 years ago But he did not realize that he bought the car at a higher price. Now he wants to sell it, but he is not getting a fair price for the car, which is why he is now at a loss.!
yes for only some people = no for most people
That's a 100,000 dollar suv in canada
He means lease not finance
All this tech scares the hell out of me come Service and repair time. I’ve got an older xc90 d5 and it does the job. Buying one of these new ones second hand could mean you are one bill away from scrape value after a few years if some of this tech goes wrong... and it does go wrong.
Your steering wheel is on the wrong side.
Since you are a family father, I'm surprised you did not mention anything about you go in the world's safest car. Very poorly done
‘That’s a fair point, but the good news is that I never had to make use of the safety kit while I was using the car (other than the Pilot Assist, which I do talk about at length), so I didn’t mention it. However, if you look at all our other coverage about the car, you’ll see that we lavish praise on the car’s safety kit.’ www.autotrader.co.uk/content/volvo/xc90
yes it's good that you do not have to use the security features, but it is always important to mention that you travel in the world's safest car when talking about cars / costs / family. Otherwise .... Good job
T8 engine is just asking for problems. 2.0l, with turbo, with charge boost, hybrid. The most unreliable version and also the most expensive variant. Should have just had a bigger engine.
35.9mpg vs claimed 134.5mpg. Biggest scandal going! The XC90 D5 does that in the real world.
except your diesel will be worth nothing in 5 years time :(
Looking at the depreciation of the T8, doesn't look like it'll be worth much either
Not if you try to sell it out of EU ....
I'd be much more worried about buying a diesel and not being able to drive it in urban/suburban areas in a few years due to bans and the massive depreciation that kicks in at that point.
because he isnt using the electric engine you dumbass
I hope the new Chinese owners of Volvo does not put a lot of Chinese made crap on the XC90 and other models. To the new owners leave Volvo alone and make profits.
this truck is small. even in tight spaces you should never have a problem parking this thing.
He used in that way to see how it coped in that environment.
Either stop living in London or buy a tiny car,there is onlly threeof you. Leave the SUvs to us that liveoutside that dump :-)
Normal everyday £75,000 car lol
Longevity? Really? Until ypu have had the car well beyond 5 years you can't even begin to evaluate longevity unless you live in cloud cuckoo land.
Long term? Talk after 200k
Metallic paint makes the car much "smarter"!? I don't understand the British convention to use a word like smart, whose definition does not describe outward appearance to do just that. It appears to dilute the meaning of the word.
dilute is used to describe conditions of fluids.
In this context the smart means "practical"
Bollocks! it means formal,elegant and /or nice-looking
those dislikes..........volvo is a shame to the automotive world.
dschonsie why?
yea a shame.. for being better than almost all other cars
you aint a car guy
Lol. Had the pleasure of having BMW's and Audi´s and let me tell you-The new xc90 sets a new standard of luxury feel. I'm a bit older now with young kids and had this on his abroad. Looking to own one when the company car needs renewing
Time has shown that the XC90 is not very reliable
too expensive
No its worth it
Christ, but it looks soooo boring.
Tesla Model X is better and safer!
Nope this car is safer and much better then your Tesla shit
boring
Wellcome to the real world.