I test cars for a living and the Volvo XC90 is my favourite posh SUV
Car changing is a big deal
Managing editor Darren Cassey spent a month living with a Volvo XC90 – it’s not perfect, but if he was in the market for a posh hybrid SUV, this would be his weapon of choice.
If you want an upmarket family car, chances are you’re looking at a combination of SUVs from Audi, BMW and Mercedes. However, there’s another brand you should be considering, and this one’s not from Germany.
I’ve been living with Volvos for the best part of six months now – I ran an XC60 SUV over Christmas, then into the V60 estate, and most recently, the all-singing, all-dancing XC90.
As much as I’ve enjoyed those other models, it’s the Volvo XC90 that has stolen my heart as my family wagon of choice. Here’s why, if I was in the market for a big, posh SUV, I’d choose the Volvo XC90 – and the one reason I might not.
Remember, you can buy a brand new or used car right here on Carwow. And you can sell your car, too. We’re here to help you through every step of your car-changing journey.
It’s ridiculously practical
When you’re buying a family car, the most important thing it has to do is accommodate your partner, your kids, and all their things. That feel-good feeling from your fancy Volvo will quickly evaporate if you need to pile holiday bags on top of a screaming toddler every time you want a weekend getaway.
Fortunately, the XC90 has you covered. It’s a seven-seater, and the third row is spacious enough for adults. However, we’re a family of three and our little one is three years old, so we kept the third row flat. This opened up a huge boot that could take everything we threw at it. We didn’t even have to fold the second row on a tip run.
And with roomy middle seats, it was easy to fit our child seat with plenty of room for my son to kick his legs. He could still reach the back of the seat in front with his muddy shoes, though. Sorry, Volvo…
It feels really posh inside
Okay, so the infotainment display sitting proud of the dashboard looks like a bit of an afterthought, but that’s about where my criticism of the interior ends.
My Black Edition car had a fully black interior, giving it a really classy feel, with plenty of soft, expensive-feeling leather. Go for a different trim and there are more contrasting colours and surfaces that brighten the cabin up a bit, but I like the dark and moody vibe.
That infotainment system is great to use, so you can forgive the plonked placement. I love the Google-powered systems used by the likes of Volvo and Renault, because they seamlessly integrate the apps and accounts you use every day outside the car.
What’s Swedish for je ne sais quoi?
I’m not one for badge snobbery, and I tend to buy things because they’re good and I like them rather than what the brand name portrays to others. However, I’m not ashamed to admit that one of the things I like about the Volvo XC90 is that it just makes you feel good.
It has this intangible quality that makes you feel, dare I say it, kinda smug. And I say that as someone who was just borrowing one for a month, so I imagine if you’ve worked hard and can actually afford one, that feeling will only be amplified.
It’s a combination of the smart exterior design – and in the case of our test car, improved further by the stealthy all-black-everything specification – the quality interior and the imposing driving position. It’s really comfy and easy to drive, too.
The one question mark
Although my brief stint with the Volvo XC90 passed by flawlessly, my only concern with buying a Volvo right now is reliability. Over the past year we’ve had numerous minor niggles that are a small inconvenience to a journalist who’s sending the car back soon, but could be really annoying to an owner.
News editor Jamie Edkins ran a Volvo EX30 for a few months, which had a glitchy key that wouldn’t always register that he was next to the car – and because the key has no physical buttons, the only way to unlock it was through the app. Then, after I hit a deer in that car – not Volvo’s fault, admittedly – he had similar issues with the replacement car.
We also had an EX90 delivered with a faulty headlight, our original V60 had to go back to Volvo for a fault with the SOS button, and my current car – another V60 – was delivered with an issue where the main infotainment screen was always at full brightness. Not ideal at night, but this does appear to have fixed itself. The indicator occasionally missing the tick-tock sound, on the other hand, continues to amuse.
Nothing so serious as to leave you stranded, then – but no one wants to be on first name terms with their local dealer’s maintenance department, however lovely they might be.
Volvo XC90 alternatives
The Volvo XC90 is a fantastic car, but if you’re not convinced, here are three alternatives worth checking out.
Audi Q7
Comfortable and practical, but it can get very expensive with optional extras.
BMW X5
Lovely inside and great to drive, but it’s firm over bumps.
Mercedes GLE
Quality cabin and loads of space inside – unless you’re sitting in row three.
Car change? Carwow!
Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.
Click here to follow us on Reddit, where you can keep up-to-date with all the latest news, reviews, advice guides and videos. You can also subscribe to our WhatsApp channel to get the latest news sent straight to your phone.