Safe as a bank vault, plush ride, feels smaller than it is, high-quality interior materials, ample cargo room.
Cons
Turbocharged T6 engine not well suited to SUV duty, third-row seating takes up too much second-row space.
What’s new
Changes are minimal for the XC90's second year on the market. All models get wheel and tire upgrades -- 2.5Ts will wear 225/70R17 rubber and T6s will wear 235/65R17 rubber, but both get the same 17-inch "Neptune" wheels. Ice White is a new exterior color choice. Stand-alone options now include a wood steering wheel, aluminum dash inlays and a leather shift knob.
Edmunds says
Easy to drive and easy on the eyes, Volvo's first foray into the SUV arena has everything it needs to compete in this highly competitive category.
**Update at the end of review**
I bought this 2.5T Front Wheel Drive Volvo as a pre-owned, non warranty vehicle form an independent car lot in 2006. I had never owned a preowned vehicle before, I always bought/leased new cars before. But when I stumbled upon this car I fell in love and was willing to take a chance. Nine years on I am still in love with this car. It has not been … without the odd issue:
- when I first had it, the driver side headlight would randomly go out. I took it to a few garages and they didn't have a clue. I found an independent garage opened by a Volvo Certified Master Tech and he sorted it out right away (nearest Volvo dealership is over 2 hours from me)
- the radio died in 2011 (it was 7 years old) but I was able to replace it with one found from a salvaged xc90 in 2012 and saved a lot of money by waiting for a salvaged radio vs. a new replacement ($80 + installation)
- In 2014 (at 10 years old) we knew that there were some significant bits that needed to be replaced simply due to wear and tear - belts, water pump, blower fan was starting to go and the starter needed replacing. Thought about selling it but we had a rash of bad luck with BMWs and even a Porshe Cayman. My XC90 was still running great and the estimate to get all of the worn out pieces replaced was far far cheaper than getting another car. We even bought some new floor mats - no one believes this car is 11 years old. It rides and looks like a much newer car.
So here I am, 9 years after I bought it and still love it. The driver's seat is getting a bit worn but the rest of the car is still in amazing shape. The fabric on the roof has a bit of a droop in a place behind the backseat light and the weatherstripping is a bit worse for wear but these are all cosmetic. Mechanically it drives as beautifully as the day I bought it. Next year I'm probably going to look at getting a pre-owned XC60 or maybe another XC90 but I'm keeping this 2004 for my daughter. She doesn't start driving for another few years but I have full faith that this car has many more years left. And I'll feel a lot safer with her in the XC90.
*Update:
Edmunds asked me to update my review; I've now owned the car ten years and I'm still happy. All is well apart from the 6 disk CD changer; it's gone on the fritz and will only play disks inserted into slot 3. But meh...it was an $80 replacement from a salvaged XC90. We have a Volvo iPod adapter and rarely use the CD player anyway. I know in my old review I stated I would probably replace this car this year with a newer model but it's just not on my agenda at the moment. Maybe next year... ;)
We loved our 2004 T6 until yesterday when we had to be towed from Lake Tahoe to a Sacramento Volvo Dealer ( 109 miles ). Two different dealers told me this model has a huge transmission problem. There is talk of a law suit on the discussion board as so many owners have had problems. To be fair, some of the owners got full replacement including trnsmission, lines and radiator (around … $7000 n). We'll see how it goes ...
I have an 04 Volvo XC90 and had the bad experience of the Transmission Service Urgent light coming on and the vehicle putting itself into "limp mode" to stop further damage. Of all the blogs I read after this happened, most of them had negative outcomes as far as support from Volvo. I had a great experience and wanted to share that Volvo covered 100% of my damages. I am getting a new … transmission, new radiator and new lines installed. I called Volvo's customer service line. I was assigned a customer care rep that was extremely pleasant and helpful. She worked with the Volvo dealer and I had a response in 2 hours of the 100% coverage including the diagnostic fee. Volvo: 1-800-458-1552
Bought a used xc90 from volvo. We have averaged a new problem every 2000 miles. Including a breakdown leaving my pregnant wife stranded and now flickering headlights that cant be fixed despite visits to the dealership and throwing money at it. (computers and modules are next on the list) It would be nice if the dealership looked like they knew how to fix what is apparantly a common … problem on their vehicles...
So its going to be traded in with a 6 mth loss of 5-6k. Looks pretty but its not engineered well nor built well - certainly not the volvos of old.
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Photos not available$2,988fair price$260 above market