Tinners: the standard conti tyres are well known for having poor life expectancy. Nokian WR G2 or General Grabbers (Q7 owners fave) grip as well/better (in winter), are half the price and last 18-20k ....... Unless you live in Milton Keynes it seems!
Not had any abnormal tyre wear but I dont live on a roundabout 🙂
Whats the highest you've turned the sound system up? I got to nearly 3/4 once but my ears started bleeding!
Swapped my Disco 3 for a new XC90 D5 auto in March & really pleased with it. Easy-ish to get bikes on the roof by standing on the back seat with the door open & easily fits 4 bikes up there.
Fundamentaly I don't think the XC90 is as well designed as the D3, but reliability really let the D3 down (not just my experience) and the new D4 is massively expensive.
Not sure how I'd feel about a manual box, I guess it's personnal preference but I really think these cars suit autos. Used manuals are like hens-teeth so I guess most people agree.
Only problem I've had...... my wife decided to modify the side or ours against a metal post in the school car park. She drives past it twice a day FFS, so how the hell she 'forgot' it was there I've no idea!!
Mine is still on the original Conti's and has just hit 12k miles.. maybe I drive like a girl!
Thanks Tinners, it's good to hear something positive about them. I still can't decide....aggghhhh!
We have an 07 D5 in 185 guise.
The SE we have is specced pretty well, but if you go for leather don't forget to spec heated seats or you'll hurt the residual. Same with manual gearbox really.
The auto box takes as age to pull away from stand-still, but you get used to it... Ours is at 38k miles now and we now need the rear discs doing. Otherwise, only the solanoid on the box has gone wrong.
Seats are very comfy, it's fine in the snow and it's plenty big enough inside.
As others have said, find a local servicing company to avoid regualar £500 services. We get about 26 mpg driven fairly conservatively. The £400 VED is a bit of a git, but you know what you're getting into when you buy it.
I'd consider a low mileage two year old car, as we did. A year on the warranty to cover niggles, and a big saving as the residuals crash in the first year. We paid about £21k for a 17k mile, one owner minter from a main dealer with everything we wanted apart from Bluetooth...
We really like ours.
Volvo used prices seem high at the mo, maybe the winter holds prices up?
I was offered one yesterday for £20K, 3 years old, 50k miles, Sport SE spec
If the OP knows someone who is a member of the caravan Club, they've reviewed the XC90 D5 SE Lux Premium geartronic (new) in their monthly magazine this month and it comes out pretty well.
Might be a useful read for him if he can see a copy.
Buy a normal estate and fit or keep a spare set of snow tyres in the garage! Seems to me that a sh!t load of things go wrong with these cars and they cost a fortune to fix. With depreciation and running costs it would be cheaper to buy a second house and just use taxi's.
My mate bought an XC90 as he needs to fit in 3 baby seats. He loves it but regrets buying a petrol version, it has a shocking drink problem!
Very expensive car to run! Heavy on fuel and gets through pads and discs too quickly. Volvo dealerships can be very hit and miss as well.
Just back from a day driving in the snow in mine (kids and dog sledging to Roundhay). The way it handled the ice was amazing. Drove up the sheet ice outside Rothwell Park too. I only got mine in april, so this was my first chance to try its 4WD properly.
As a family car they are brilliant. MPG for the D5 auto is just over 30. It's a fantastic "place" to be in. Comfy heated leather seats, fab stereo and DVD's for the kids. Towbar for the bikes. The perfect active family car.
I do my own maintenance. A set of rear discs, pads and handbrake shoes was just over £150 from FRF Volvo delivered. Not cheap, but they are a casting work of art...vented disc , with housing for the shoes built in.