2004 Volvo XC90

Author's Rating:

Pros: Continues to have excellent safety standards.

Cons: Poor mpg, continuous tire replacement, and short-turning radius.

The Bottom Line: 
I wish I would have done more research on the XC90. Not at par with all other Volvo's quality and handling style. Although, safety is there.

Author's Review
We purchased our 2004 Volvo XC90 pre-owned, from a Volvo dealer. Although we've owned about half-dozen Volvos, this is the first one we have not been head-over-heels about. Let me first tell you that it is an SUV but it drives like a car. The ride is smooth. The interior of the car is roomy. We purchased the car because we have three children: 14, 13, and 8. The 13 year-old needs to sit behind me so that he has plenty of leg room. The third row seats two, the middle row seats three, the front seats the driver and passenger. The third seat is comfortable but not for a tall person. My husband and the 13 year-old who is 5'10" do not fit together in the rear seat. The front seats are great. Each has its individual temp. setting controls.

Lastly, the car has a very short-turning radius. We live in a street where in order to get to our house, you need to make a u-turn. I cannot do it unless I pull into the intersection street. I also cannot make u-turns in downtown. I need to go around the block or else, I would be impeding traffic trying to make a three-point turn going back and forth. I also have difficulty pulling into slim parking spaces or into lots where there is not enough turning space.

My husband likes the air-conditioning on. It does work phenomenally well. I get very cold so I have my seat-warmer turned on almost all the time.
The cup-holders in the middle are cheap and break all the time. The glove compartment has cost us a couple hundred dollars...consider it just that. It can only hold gloves, I guess. The first time we had an glove-compartment issue was when we thought the a/c needed free-on. We took it to the dealer and realized it was a napkin's fault. I fill my glove compartment with wipes and granola bars for the kids. Well, apparently, there is a vent inside the box which absorbs tissues and paper from the compartment. Guess what? Not only did it happen once but twice to us --for $180 a pop to clear each incident!

Gas mileage -- initially, we were told that the car would perform much better with premium. With the fuel price continuing to rise, we switched to regular. We have not noticed any difference in gas mileage. When we took the car in for service, there was nothing that was deteriorated or different after switching fuels. The gas mileage also didn't change. We are a bit disappointed with our overall mileage. We were told that we'd average 21 mpg. We are averaging approx. 17.5 mpg on the freeway and approx. 16 mpg. The dealer said that there is nothing wrong with the car and they have no idea why it is not getting 21 mpg. :-(

Tires -- phew! Tires...this is our second set in three years. Had we investigated this failure about this model, we would have not purchased this type. It is a common sore point when we realized that we would research this because it appeared uncommon. Apparently, it is a problem with XC90s. They require a special tire and in itself, it wears out very quickly. Don't kill yourself because you think your driving style is creating this. No. Also, the tires are highly expensive and difficult to find. We ended up taking the opinion of other owners and purchased a Chinese tire called Kuhmo. We were strongly advised by the dealer not to install them but we went ahead and did it. It is the first time we have not had to replace them as quick. We're so far...1200 miles over the last set of Michelin's and also at HALF the cost of the Michelin's. Wahoo!

The stereo is o.k., and has been repaired once because the speakers were blown. I also researched this and it is a common problem.

I was in a car accident in April. While at an intersection, I ran into a car who decided to stop in the middle of the intersection because he couldn't maneuver his stick. It was a stick shift. While he stalled, I ran into him. Although I demolished the back of the truck, not a bit of damage happened to the Volvo. This reinforced the safety reasons why we continue to buy Volvos.

The two back door for the hatch are very convenient although I wish the window was operable. I also wish there were windows on the back row. There is plenty of space to schlep athletic equipment and to take several suitcases without needing to put down the third row. Also, the third row splits in half so you can put one side down and someone can sit on the other side. The third row is also a bit elevated. When you sit in the back, you don't feel claustrophobic and you're able to see out the front window. It is a great thing for us who get car sick when we sit in the back.

The driver's seat has a three-person adjustable setting. It is nice to be able to get into the car, push a button, and get the seat to go back to where I had it set while driving it. I am short and the visibility in the car is excellent. I don't feel like a munchkin driving. The seatbelt over the shoulder adjusts so I don't get these marks on my neck and have people ask me what's happened to me and if I'm okay. That frequently occurs to me when I get into other cars and the strap fits improperly over my shoulder.

The upper hand handle for the passenger side is in an awkward place. It is not right over the window so you need to essentially stretch your arm out to grab it. Nearly everyone who gets into the car mentions something about it.

There are plenty of storage nooks. Each door has a pocket and the seats have back pockets. This is great for keeping the car looking neat.

The car is very safe but had we done our research specifically for this model, we would not have purchased it. We overlooked that part of it because we have always owned a Volvo and never expected anything to change.