Used 2009 Volvo XC90 Consumer Reviews
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Great car needs better tires
20,000 trouble free miles in the V-8, average 19.7 mpg in mixed driving. Love the premium leather, the drive train, the ride and quality and the looks. But Volvo shouldn't build a all wheel drive car with the 19" Pirelli Scorpians. They are useless, not to say dangerous, in even light snow, got real noisy after 15,000 miles and were ready for scrap after 20k. I've replaced the with Conti HDC's, which are stock on Mercedes. My only other complaint is the turning radius that resembles a super tanker (supposedly to accommodate the width of the V-8); we call ours the "Queen Mary".
Scandinavian Delivery
We picked up the car at the Volvo delivery center in Goteberg, Sweden and drove to Oslo, Lillehammer, over the mountains to Balestrand, back through Sweden, Karlstad, Stockholm, Kalmar. Climbing the mountains was no effort for the V8 and was unaffected by the altitude. We drove 1700 miles in ten days. The only challenge was parking in an Oslo underground garage meant for the dimunitive European vehicles. Mileage for trip was 23.8 mpg which is excellent considering the mountain and in city driving. But minimum octane in Norway/Sweden was 95. I've been a Honda/Acura owner for 30 years. Owned an MDX and test drove a new MDX recently. The Volvo XC90 is the ultimate.
Great value for money
I've now driven almost 2200 miles with my XC90 3.2. No mechanical or other problems. The ride is a bit stiff but that does help the handling. Overall, it is an easy to handle car, but one does notice it is big and heavy. The AWD keeps it on the road all the time and it doesn't flip/ flop turning corners as much as other SUV's. But it does a bit the tendency to go straight when turning corners, probably based on it being a primairily FWD based car. The 3.2 is a nice engine, with enough power to handle the car and a full load of passengers and luggage. I can imagine with the weight of the car that the V8 would be a lot nicer to drive, although the mileage will be even worse.
20K+ and Still Liking it
I've driven the XC90 for 20K+ miles still love it. Mileage is almost always over 20. Trips - Norway/Sweden 1,700 miles - 23.8 mpg. Upper Midwest 2,400 - 23.4 mpg. New England - 3,400 miles 23.7 mpg. Amazingly good mileage. Comfort can't be beat. Have had ZERO problems, not even one repair trip to the dealer. It will be a long time before I trade-in this car.
Jury is still out
The wife and I have been driving the XC90 V8 for a little over a year now. The drive is exceptional and the power is second to none. This vehicle drives like a fine tuned sports car and grips the road like velcro. The vehicle is a real head turner going down the road and at traffic lights. Dynaudio is the best. Navigation is OK, but could be a little better with response times. I have missed a turn or two when driving. I am a bit surprised that some of the interior plastic decor parts (pieces that cover some of the metal have fallen off and the middle console is loosey goosey when you go to store something away. We are leasing and will be turning the vehicle in at the end of 2009