USED Volvo XC90 4x4 (02 - )

My car

I bought this car three weeks ago, and am very impressed.

Smooth on the motorway, which is where I spend most of my time driving, and returning mid to high 30's mpg.

Engine is quite noisy on start up, and it will never be a 0-60 king, but as a method of transporting me and my family around in safety and complete comfort, it is excellent.

In built DVD screens and mulit-changer keep the children amused for longer journeys, and the seven seat layout proved valuable for ferrying family members around over the festive period.

My car

I'm still pinching myself...cant beleive I've actually got one of these beasts...purchased to assist my ageing S80 of 4 years with a 140K on the clock the XC90 is our family car. The reality is its big, very big....but its so comfortable, the driving position is excellent, and you really feel on top of the world driving it....you have to really try it to appreciate it. We have a 185BHP - and it has some pull....and when driving before I know it we are doing 70MPH, hardly any role around bends/RO's, its quiet, we avergae 33mpg. I hate the hand-brake....and worry about hill-starts...and that is the only glich. Servicing...it depends on who you know...I go to a private/sole trading mechanic who has been looking after my cars for 20 years...all Volvos (340,440,S70,S80 now XC90) - none have ever gone wrong...is it the cars or my mechanic?...anyway - annual service (which I do every 6 months depsite these claims of 18K or 12 months these days) - £130 and a full set of brake pads...less than £150. Its an impressive looker on the drive or in the car parks. Practicality, 4 kids with the missus and friends on trips out - with still space for the picnic in the boot (with the back seats up). As a family, acers of space - struggle to reach to the back of the boot. Great off the beaten track ability too - you just feel sooo good being in it and being seen in it. If I didnt do 30K a year in my S80 (49mpg)I'd have another of these for my work car.

My car

Worst car I have ever had.

Since picking up my 03 plate XC90 T6 in March I have only been able to drive it 6 months. The rest of the time it has been in for repairs.

Although we bought the car from a Volvo dealership we were sold the car with brakes that needed replacing and a cracked engine seal - all discovered when it went into another dealership a day after to fix a diagnostics fault developed hours after we picked it up.

Since then we have had 2 drive shafts, front suspension arms, second brake disks, a whole new engine, bearings, break control module and now after picking up my car after 3 months we only drove it 2 miles before it developed another fault. It now back in the garage. And this was supposed to be a quality reliable car from a Volvo dealership. Although I have complained to Volvo themselves as well as the dealerships they will not take responsibility for how bad this car is.

Hey you can drive a XC90 into such incredible situations (ummmm school runs and M4) and get it back out again Not!!!!

My car

53 Reg purchased in Nov 04 with 30k on the clock. The vehicle now has 116k on the clock and is running as well as when I purchased it four years ago. In Dec 2006 the vehicle suffered a catastrophic engine failure resulting in a new transmission and gearbox....Cost to me? Nil. Why? According to Volvo this was the first in the UK to suffer such a failing and wanted to undertake bench tests to establish the exact cause. My dealer replaced everything that needed replacing at near zero cost to me.... So aftercare service from Volvo was superb. The car is used on a daily basis and regularly driven abroad. Servicing is not cheap but to keep a vehicle of this calibre on the road running like a new car don't be surprised or scared in paying out on average £700 per service.

Anything wrong with the XC90? Overall there's nothing major...Performance is ideal albeit if you want 0-60 in 3 seconds don't buy one. Previous car was an Audi A6 2.8i and that had all the performance required to satisfy that particular need. If there was one thing about my XC that I felt could be improved then I would have to point towards the interior.. It's fit for purpose but nothing seriously refined about it, but I guess I could have purchased one with leather interior.

If you have a family and want a vehicle that will provide you with comfort, reliability, good performance and plenty of space then buy one, but be prepared to be hit fairly heavily in the pocket when you get it serviced.