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The dealer asked me if I wanted to test drive the XC90. So, I did. This was NOT the hybrid model, but was otherwise a top of the line 2017
Quote:
Originally Posted by IShootNikon
OP never mentioned demo car. Regardless I would not purchase that particular car. Pick up any other car on the lot if OP likes how it drives.
Sure it could have been a 1 in a million fluke event, but not risking it.
Very high odds its a demo test drive car. They tend to be fully loaded. If the OP was close to a deal for a specific car on the lot, they generally might let it out for a test drive...I'd experience where they don't even let it out for a test drive.
Side note, one of my buddies suggested I go take a look at the XC90 since all the rave reviews out there. I replied I am not feeling the AWD I4 engine with a S/C AND a turbo...and a plug in hybrid!...sounds like a recipe for disaster. Buddy suggested, go lease one instead in case its a lemon!
Any Hyundai or Kia with a Theta engine likely won't make it to 150k before it spins a rod bearing. Kia just finally extended the warranty on those to 120k miles due to a lawsuit.
Yep.
The JD Power ratings are pretty useless since they're for new cars still under warranty. If something breaks, you drive it to the dealership and it's their problem.
I don't particularly care for how Consumer Reports evaluates cars but their long term reliability data is really the only thing out there with any kind of statistically valid sample size. You get a better idea what 7 or 8 years of ownership might look like and that's when the expensive repairs happen in the unreliable cars.
The JD Power ratings are pretty useless since they're for new cars still under warranty. If something breaks, you drive it to the dealership and it's their problem.
I don't particularly care for how Consumer Reports evaluates cars but their long term reliability data is really the only thing out there with any kind of statistically valid sample size. You get a better idea what 7 or 8 years of ownership might look like and that's when the expensive repairs happen in the unreliable cars.
Isn't there another rating system that projects how valuable a car will be 5 years down the road - i.e., the percentage of the original sale price you can expect to get given average wear & tear and miles driven?
New engine technology has never been good for Volvo, nor have the early years in a drive shift, as the early XC wagons were not great. With a 2.5 or a 2.4, with or without turbo, or the 3.2, the Volvo is very reliable. I had an early XC that had the notorious transmission failures, and the new one with the 2.0 turbo and supercharged engine just spells disaster with Volvo, until the kinks are worked out.
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
New engine technology has never been good for Volvo, nor have the early years in a drive shift, as the early XC wagons were not great. With a 2.5 or a 2.4, with or without turbo, or the 3.2, the Volvo is very reliable. I had an early XC that had the notorious transmission failures, and the new one with the 2.0 turbo and supercharged engine just spells disaster with Volvo, until the kinks are worked out.
funny, my buddy's Volvo tranny died right before the warranty was up. Flipside, there seem to be a handful of people who lasts their older Volvos 200...300...500k on the odo....pretty crazy
Just so you know, you can start your car, and disconnect the battery and the car still runs. It's generator (alternator) is providing the 12/16 volts your car needs to run. So a bad battery will NOT cause your car to stop running unless the alternator is bad...
When I was reading this, the only thing I was thinking about was, oil. If the oil plug wasn't put into place correctly, oil would leak out and could cause the engine to alert with 'Critical Engine Failure' message and shut down.
I'm assuming it was a brand new car, and not a trade in, being a '17... The fact that it would leave the factory with an oil 'issue' seems hard to imagine, but odder things have happened...
Volvo lists a "Low pressure" message in their 'codes', so.. If it was that.. I would think it would give that error/message.
But.. To your point about disconnecting the battery.. That's not true anymore in all cases. There's vehicles out there now that if the battery is out of circuit.. Car dies. The battery can be dead, and you jump it and it runs.. But, if you disconnect the battery, it shuts down. More crap that some engineer said "Oooh, this is a good idea" but in practice, really sucks. Though.. How many times have you actually tried to drive somewhere without a battery, and why would you anyway.. lol.
Just so you know, you can start your car, and disconnect the battery and the car still runs. It's generator (alternator) is providing the 12/16 volts your car needs to run. So a bad battery will NOT cause your car to stop running unless the alternator is bad...
When I was reading this, the only thing I was thinking about was, oil. If the oil plug wasn't put into place correctly, oil would leak out and could cause the engine to alert with 'Critical Engine Failure' message and shut down.
I'm assuming it was a brand new car, and not a trade in, being a '17... The fact that it would leave the factory with an oil 'issue' seems hard to imagine, but odder things have happened...
The "disconnect the battery while it's running" stunt is OK for cars with generators, i.e. Aircooled Bugs, most Detroit iron before 1963 - once we get into the late 60's, this is no longer recommended, likely to blow out a diode in the alternator. Fast forward to the 21st century, and you are asking for all sorts of electrical gremlins, probably many of them intermittent, if you try this.
Consumer car buying rule #1: NEVER, EVER buy a first model year car!!!
OK, now that that is off my chest...
Lots of misinformation in this thread.
While Volvo is now owned by Geely, which is a Chinese company, the entire XC90 makeover from conception to manufacture was/is done in Sweden. This hasn't happened for about 15 years after Ford bought Volvo in the late 90's/early 2000's (can't remember when).
The XC90 is a clean slate design and the first car in their new lineup to use the expandable frame and engine technology they've developed. It hasn't even been released for six months. The car you were driving was a 2016 (if you even consider purchasing the car, wait for the 2017, it will have considerable improvements in the automation department).
After test driving the XC90 I personally was blown away when you compare it to what else is on the market in it's relative price range. That is obvious when you look at all the awards is has been giving this year. It's elegant, classy, luxurious, quiet, roomy, and economical all without being over-stated and pretentious like your typical B or M.
As for residual values I predict the 2016s will fare about as well as your typical X5 or GL (which is to say not very good). Especially since the 2017 will have a much better autopilot installed in it. Current one works up to 30 mph, 2017 should be 80 mph IIRC. Much, MUCH more useful.
There is a lowered priced XC90 with just two rows (5 seats) that runs on regular gasoline, it starts in the mid-40's, it would be an excellent value but the *typical* XC90 will be priced in the neighborhood of $55k-$60k.
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