Thinking of buying a new Volvo XC90 V6

I have no idea about the car, but whenever I am in the market for a big ticket item I look at reviews from as many sources as I can find. I would think twice about something if Consumer Reports rates it low. What made them rate it as such? If it stupid stuff like not enough cup holders then I wouldn't worry too much. Just make sure that you are 100% comfortable with your purchase. There is no crappier feeling than buying something expensive and finding out that it has bad reviews 6 months down the line.

 

why are buying it, are they having a good promo or you're just crazy abotu this car?

 

My fiancé is really into safety and loves Volvo because of it, when we start a family she has mentioned that she wants a Volvo SUV.. Her father had one for a loner car and we both liked it, we took it for a drive and she was impressed with it, although I thought it drove kind of heavy..

At this years auto show we did notice that Volvo tweaked a bunch of little things in the interior since we last drove it over a year ago.. We didn't like some of the interior stuff like the dash and other odds and ends, but overall if safety is your top priority and you have to get an SUV I think the Volvo is a solid choice..

IMO Consumer Reports does a decent job with reviews, but I have found they have rated some very good items poorly over the years.. I wouldn't discount the Consumer Report totally, but it seem like if it's not a Honda, Toyota or any other value priced car the ratings are never what they should be.. I'd try to find as many reviews as possible (Edmonds, Car & Driver, Motor Week ex.) before you make your decision.

 

Is that the hardtop convertible?

My friend has one, and it is really amazing. It is nice but not gaudy inside, the way the convertible works is amazing, and it is safe.

The bad news is that because of the frame and safety design, it has a horrible turning radius. My friend said it drives him nuts.

 

Consumer reports sucks except for their reliability ratings since they use real data from their readers for those.

 

I believe Volvo (at least, the consumer car business) was sold to Ford back in 1998.

I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole if Ford now owns it. The only car I would touch with a ten-foot pole under the Ford banner is a Mustang.

I owned a Volvo back in the 80s when they were still foreign. It was an okay car but expensive to repair.

 

Ford does own it and theres rumors they might sell it.
From what I've heard Ford is using Volvos knowledge these days verse trying to base volvos off of fords.
Don't know if thats true or not but the wife wants one and hopefully is if we do get one.

 

I'd ignore Consumer Reports and go to car forums and do my research there. Look for/ask about common failures, user reviews after having driven the vehicle for more than 1-2 years, and research any recalls or recurring problems for the car on http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/.

Look for reviews in car mags, too.

 

if you got extra budget, go for the X5. It's much more reliable and safe than Volvo.

 

Maybe no.. The stability control in the Volvo is more advanced than the almost nonexistent one in the BMW, but I'm sure that's how BMW wanted it.. BMW seems to pride itself on having little to no computer control, which is nice if you want to push your car to the limits, but I wouldn't say it's safer..

 

volvo's are solid but honestly, i think they are over priced. Plus, the "safety" factor isnt as strong as i think it once was. They are decent looking cars and i still solidly built, but i dont know if its worth the extra price.

I think you are probably looking at $38-40K for the v6 model with some extras added on...you can get a lot of other well built vehicles that offer more for that price.

a mazda cx7 or cx9 are worth checking out.

 

Personally, I find the whole "safety" thing to be overrated. Plenty of people die every year in car crashes involving Volvos. You're either going to eat it in a car crash or you're not. Any car with adequate power and braking is just as safe as the next in the hands of a capable driver.

 

True, but we're talking about women here..

 

Exactly. Put her in a Volvo or a Pinto, doesn't matter. She's still going to text message, fiddle with the ipod, and put on her makeup while driving, all at the same time. Giving her a false sense of security just makes it more dangerous for the rest of us.

 

Read and consider the Consumer Reports reviews, but read their information carefully.

Here's why...

I was reading their reviews of an SUV once (about 2 years ago) and the review gave the SUV a poor ranking in crash tests. One immediately thinks "Wow. It must not be a safe car. I don't want to buy a car that doesn't protect me."

But then I read the details about their crash tests. The SUV was ranked poorly because it caused a lot of damage to the other vehicle in the crash. Now, perhaps I'm a little self-centered, but if I'm in a car wreck, my primary concern is the safety of me and my passengers. So, in that case, the crash test rating was not as big of a concern to me.