Volvo XC90
 

Any opinions on the soon to launch Volvo XC90? Seems like an incredibly safe, versatile vehicle.

I've only seen a couple of pics, one was in a Volvo add in a recent issue of CAR. haven't heard much else about it though. Looks interesting though.


on a side Volvo note: I drove two S70 AWD's when shopping for a car awhile back - was dissapointed to find they didn't feel nearly as solid as the W124, so I got the E420. Maybe I drove a couple of bad ones (?) I really like Volvo's style and attention to safetly, and performance, but I walked away not overly impressed.

Regards,
- Ryan

Being someone who currently drives a square-rigged RWD turbo Volvo, I have to chime in here...

The XC90 seems like a great vehicle, on first impression, and it looks to have pretty good interior quality. However, previous generations of inline-6 and inline-5 Volvos (beginning with the '92 960) have had pretty horrid reliability, compared to MB standards.

The Volvo inline-5 and inline-6 motors have timing belts and interference designs. Bad, bad. Additionally, there have been reports on the Brickboard (www.brickboard.com); a Volvo discussion group that I frequent, of timing belts on I-5 Volvos breaking BEFORE their service intervals.

If you're thinking about buying one, by all means, buy an extended warranty....it could save you a lot of financial anguish.

Be glad you didn't buy that rolling electrical problem known as the S70. The E420 is many, many times the car.

-Sam