XC90 (2008-2012) reviews / owners
Discussion
Hi All,
Looking for some reviews/owners/info on the XC90 D5 from approx 2008 - 2012
Current situation is I have a car (2007 SAAB 2.8 V6 estate 275ps) and my partner has a car (2012 Fiesta 1.4 80ps), I drive both, missus doesn't drive mine.
There is currently, me, her , her 10 year old and 2 dogs (20kg Husky, 45kg Wolfdog).
When we go anywhere its in the SAAB and this is how we do it. 2x dogs in the boot, her son in the back, and the other 2 back seats are full of her stuff, dogs stuff and her sons stuff (I usually travel with a small bag versus there 6).
We are expecting though, end of June. Which means more stuff to travel around with!
Originally the plan was, She was going to keep the Fiesta and I was going to get something V8/V10 looking at stuff like RS6 V10, XC90 V8, Q7 V8,V12. But thinking about it, the interior of this car is going to be messy with 2 hairy dogs (SAAB gets hoovered every week at moment) and 2 kids so decided its probably best to get her something for doing the lugging, I can keep the SAAB for now and probably swap it for something later on (fancy something with the Alfa Busso engine).
So the XC90 seems to be ticking boxes, The D5 especially although could be tempted by a petrol as well, looking to spend up to about £12k. Her usual driving is the school which is about 10 minutes away, shopping 10-15 mins away and that's about it, at the moment mine is just doing swimming/gym which is also 15 mins away. We do however have to travel to our parents which are both 2.5 hours away and a mixture of motorway and A roads.
So the D5 engine, ideally looking for the 200ps version ( I would be getting Polestar flash, unless somebody can recommend a better specialist company) or unless the lesser PS versions produce the same after tuning.
What are the different spec levels? Ideally I'd like DAB, cruise, heated seats (Fiesta has these) I've seen SE, SE Lux, Executive, R-Design I'm sure there is more.
Any owners able to comment on how their D5 ownership has been? any petrol owners able to give advise? petrol on long journeys doesn't scare me, my V6 SAAB does really well on the motorway, its just the non motorway its terrible at fuel wise.
Sorry for the long post!
Looking for some reviews/owners/info on the XC90 D5 from approx 2008 - 2012
Current situation is I have a car (2007 SAAB 2.8 V6 estate 275ps) and my partner has a car (2012 Fiesta 1.4 80ps), I drive both, missus doesn't drive mine.
There is currently, me, her , her 10 year old and 2 dogs (20kg Husky, 45kg Wolfdog).
When we go anywhere its in the SAAB and this is how we do it. 2x dogs in the boot, her son in the back, and the other 2 back seats are full of her stuff, dogs stuff and her sons stuff (I usually travel with a small bag versus there 6).
We are expecting though, end of June. Which means more stuff to travel around with!
Originally the plan was, She was going to keep the Fiesta and I was going to get something V8/V10 looking at stuff like RS6 V10, XC90 V8, Q7 V8,V12. But thinking about it, the interior of this car is going to be messy with 2 hairy dogs (SAAB gets hoovered every week at moment) and 2 kids so decided its probably best to get her something for doing the lugging, I can keep the SAAB for now and probably swap it for something later on (fancy something with the Alfa Busso engine).
So the XC90 seems to be ticking boxes, The D5 especially although could be tempted by a petrol as well, looking to spend up to about £12k. Her usual driving is the school which is about 10 minutes away, shopping 10-15 mins away and that's about it, at the moment mine is just doing swimming/gym which is also 15 mins away. We do however have to travel to our parents which are both 2.5 hours away and a mixture of motorway and A roads.
So the D5 engine, ideally looking for the 200ps version ( I would be getting Polestar flash, unless somebody can recommend a better specialist company) or unless the lesser PS versions produce the same after tuning.
What are the different spec levels? Ideally I'd like DAB, cruise, heated seats (Fiesta has these) I've seen SE, SE Lux, Executive, R-Design I'm sure there is more.
Any owners able to comment on how their D5 ownership has been? any petrol owners able to give advise? petrol on long journeys doesn't scare me, my V6 SAAB does really well on the motorway, its just the non motorway its terrible at fuel wise.
Sorry for the long post!
Ive got a 2008 D5. Reliability has been pretty good however it does have an electrical fault which is a fairly common fault (BCM/ECM) which results in the traction control and ABS brake light warning coming up. It can be fixed but only with a £1100 part from Volvo which needs to be coded to the car. Ive tried to fix it with an auto electrician who apparently could work wonders, fixed it for a few months and fault came back again. I just ignore the warning lights now.
Heavy on tyres and suspension bushes as you would expect being such a big heavy car.
MPG is around 25mpg with mix of roads. Interior is well kitted, lots of cubby holes, 12V charging points etc. Boot is huge. Ideal for family.
Mine is on 150k now and I dont plan on changing it till the engine eventually gives up. Its just too handy and practical.
Heavy on tyres and suspension bushes as you would expect being such a big heavy car.
MPG is around 25mpg with mix of roads. Interior is well kitted, lots of cubby holes, 12V charging points etc. Boot is huge. Ideal for family.
Mine is on 150k now and I dont plan on changing it till the engine eventually gives up. Its just too handy and practical.
We had a 2010 R Design for 6yrs prior to getting the mk2.
Great utility cars.
2010 onward are, I think, the choice ones as less prone to AWD failure (IIRC). Other than that we had barely any issues...
- clock spring went. Cheap enough to replace
- rear wheel bearings need full hub replacement (IIRC) which wasn't that cheap
- they chew fuel
- turning circle is crap
- gearbox is sluggish pulling away from roundabouts etc and easy to catch out (can semi-overcome this by using manual mode...or by driving more carefully/not leaping for gaps)
- tyres and brakes on ours lasted fine
Only reason we traded it was it had done 100k miles and as it was transport for a young family we wanted to lessen the risk of breakdown (it never had). We also liked the mk2 and the newness of them was wearing off so good deals were available.
Will do all you need it to.
If buying now I'd probably look at the Lux SE spec rather than R Design - nothing wrong with the latter, but they're not hooning cars. Comfort is key. At your budget both trim levels are eminently in range so don't go lower - they're reasonably unrefined even with higher specs compared to new cars.
Great cars.
Great utility cars.
2010 onward are, I think, the choice ones as less prone to AWD failure (IIRC). Other than that we had barely any issues...
- clock spring went. Cheap enough to replace
- rear wheel bearings need full hub replacement (IIRC) which wasn't that cheap
- they chew fuel
- turning circle is crap
- gearbox is sluggish pulling away from roundabouts etc and easy to catch out (can semi-overcome this by using manual mode...or by driving more carefully/not leaping for gaps)
- tyres and brakes on ours lasted fine
Only reason we traded it was it had done 100k miles and as it was transport for a young family we wanted to lessen the risk of breakdown (it never had). We also liked the mk2 and the newness of them was wearing off so good deals were available.
Will do all you need it to.
If buying now I'd probably look at the Lux SE spec rather than R Design - nothing wrong with the latter, but they're not hooning cars. Comfort is key. At your budget both trim levels are eminently in range so don't go lower - they're reasonably unrefined even with higher specs compared to new cars.
Great cars.
My wife bought a D5 Active auto in 2010 which she had for 5 years, 95k miles. She loved it, great driving position, felt safe in it etc.
It was in general reliable, my comments echo many already made:-
Never got more than 26mpg but at the same time never got lower than 24
Poor turning circle
Lag when taking off at junctions
Heavy-ish of tyres, she got circa 20k miles on the fronts, 30k on the rears but mainly motorway driving
Rear wheel bearing, need to replace the hub but I did it at home so part costs of £120-ish only
Intercooler failed, common fault it seems and was £600-ish when replaced
Heavy of brake pads, it’s a heavy car
Trim held up well, bodywork was perfect. Drivers bolster split but we got the the seat covers replaced under warranty
It’s a ‘heavy’ feeling car to drive but that also gives the feeling of solidity, interior space is great
It was in general reliable, my comments echo many already made:-
Never got more than 26mpg but at the same time never got lower than 24
Poor turning circle
Lag when taking off at junctions
Heavy-ish of tyres, she got circa 20k miles on the fronts, 30k on the rears but mainly motorway driving
Rear wheel bearing, need to replace the hub but I did it at home so part costs of £120-ish only
Intercooler failed, common fault it seems and was £600-ish when replaced
Heavy of brake pads, it’s a heavy car
Trim held up well, bodywork was perfect. Drivers bolster split but we got the the seat covers replaced under warranty
It’s a ‘heavy’ feeling car to drive but that also gives the feeling of solidity, interior space is great
AJB88 said:
Is there anywhere I can find the spec hierarchy?
If you see an R Design one you really like, don't let it put you off. Ours wasn't uncomfy....- found it, as you say comfort is key and the SE Lux seems to be the one over the R-Design, just wish the SE Lux had the blue dials like the R-Design.
Edited by AJB88 on Wednesday 12th January 07:32
Have been browsing recently don't really need the car till June but found one fairly local with 111k on it, price seems to be about 2k less than anything else with that mileage on it and includes a private plate (could be sold on for a few £££) so asked them how much they will give us for the Fiesta.
its a 2011, R-Design SE with the 200ps 197bhp engine. heated seats, electric seats etc. Also has the screens in the back (not sure how useful they are in 2022).
its a 2011, R-Design SE with the 200ps 197bhp engine. heated seats, electric seats etc. Also has the screens in the back (not sure how useful they are in 2022).
We have a 2010 D5 Auto Active on ~90k.
Great practical cars and a good compromise for us with 4 kids and able to tow a horse box occasionally without being a Discovery.
Ours has had R Design seats put in and they're much more comfy than the SE Lux or Exec seats.
I went for the smallest (17") wheels as the wife like to touch kerbs and the off road tyre choice is better.
Ours had the ABS / ESP unit fail. I found one on ebay with identical part numbers, had my indy fit and all good without coding.
Have also done brakes, tyres, front arms and several rear seat belts where the dog chewed them. (tuck them behind the trim).
Have fitted a genuine fixed tow bar & elec box for horse box towing.
Most annoying thing on ours was due to a previous elec bodge, the airbag unit got shorted out & failed. A new one + fitting + coding was not cheap....!
Volvo dealers do discount if you say you're a member of the web forum.
Keep the updates coming...
Great practical cars and a good compromise for us with 4 kids and able to tow a horse box occasionally without being a Discovery.
Ours has had R Design seats put in and they're much more comfy than the SE Lux or Exec seats.
I went for the smallest (17") wheels as the wife like to touch kerbs and the off road tyre choice is better.
Ours had the ABS / ESP unit fail. I found one on ebay with identical part numbers, had my indy fit and all good without coding.
Have also done brakes, tyres, front arms and several rear seat belts where the dog chewed them. (tuck them behind the trim).
Have fitted a genuine fixed tow bar & elec box for horse box towing.
Most annoying thing on ours was due to a previous elec bodge, the airbag unit got shorted out & failed. A new one + fitting + coding was not cheap....!
Volvo dealers do discount if you say you're a member of the web forum.
Keep the updates coming...
Updates are on my actual readers ride thread now, SAAB V6 + Volvo D5
So we purchased it, 2011 D5 R-Design 200ps model. 111k cambelt hadn't been done but they are doing it before we pick it up.
It has some dents and scratches hoping to get them pulled and polished out in next few weeks.
Missus is going from a 5 door fiesta to a 7 seater XC90.. what can go wrong! haha.
So we purchased it, 2011 D5 R-Design 200ps model. 111k cambelt hadn't been done but they are doing it before we pick it up.
It has some dents and scratches hoping to get them pulled and polished out in next few weeks.
Missus is going from a 5 door fiesta to a 7 seater XC90.. what can go wrong! haha.
Glad to hear you’ve made a purchase.
FWIW now, I owned a 2010 197 Exec. As a family bus it was practically perfect. Swallowed all the kit and clutter that comes with kids (I have 4..) The inside felt well screwed together and nothing internally broke. It was brilliantly comfortable. Could happily do a 2-3 hour motorway jolly and arrive at the other end fresh as a daisy. Obviously safe as houses in terms of collisions.
Mechanically the D5 lump was ok. It’s a bit rough when compared to more modern Diesel engines, but it’s pretty robust. I now have a V70 with the same unit and that’s on 198k and going strong. It did need a rear wheel bearing which seems a common theme but not an expensive fix. My main gripe was it wouldn’t budge over an average of 26mpg. Yea I know it’s a big heavy old bus and should be expected, but crikey it liked a drink. Full tank I struggled to squeeze 350 miles out of it. At the time I was doing about 1200 miles a month and It just got too much.
Now I’m doing about 500 miles a month I’d have another one in a heartbeat but don’t really have the need.
Enjoy the new car OP.
FWIW now, I owned a 2010 197 Exec. As a family bus it was practically perfect. Swallowed all the kit and clutter that comes with kids (I have 4..) The inside felt well screwed together and nothing internally broke. It was brilliantly comfortable. Could happily do a 2-3 hour motorway jolly and arrive at the other end fresh as a daisy. Obviously safe as houses in terms of collisions.
Mechanically the D5 lump was ok. It’s a bit rough when compared to more modern Diesel engines, but it’s pretty robust. I now have a V70 with the same unit and that’s on 198k and going strong. It did need a rear wheel bearing which seems a common theme but not an expensive fix. My main gripe was it wouldn’t budge over an average of 26mpg. Yea I know it’s a big heavy old bus and should be expected, but crikey it liked a drink. Full tank I struggled to squeeze 350 miles out of it. At the time I was doing about 1200 miles a month and It just got too much.
Now I’m doing about 500 miles a month I’d have another one in a heartbeat but don’t really have the need.
Enjoy the new car OP.
I've had Volvo cars for the last 18 years (740/940/960 Estates - mainly the 940)
Current one is about to hit 200k miles and is as tough as old boots but wife keeps suggesting a change.
Looked at the XC90 but rear carrying capacity is less than the 940 (we have two dog cages to go in the rear).
Now I'll be honest, I'm quite happy plodding on with the old girl (the Volvo 940), but keep noticing the XC90 that the neighbour has (doesn't seem to get much maintenance but regularly has "problems") and Range Rovers/Discos.
Anyone with any real world experience of the XC90 v RR please - budget up to £10k
Thanks
Current one is about to hit 200k miles and is as tough as old boots but wife keeps suggesting a change.
Looked at the XC90 but rear carrying capacity is less than the 940 (we have two dog cages to go in the rear).
Now I'll be honest, I'm quite happy plodding on with the old girl (the Volvo 940), but keep noticing the XC90 that the neighbour has (doesn't seem to get much maintenance but regularly has "problems") and Range Rovers/Discos.
Anyone with any real world experience of the XC90 v RR please - budget up to £10k
Thanks
Just to close this off on my part anyway, we purchased the 2011 XC90 we went to look at. 111k on it, dealer has done cambelt for us.
had the issue with oil being overfilled and service required light on, I've drained it back and now the light has gone. Took it on its first proper drive the other day around 5 hours worth and returned 32.3mpg.
had the issue with oil being overfilled and service required light on, I've drained it back and now the light has gone. Took it on its first proper drive the other day around 5 hours worth and returned 32.3mpg.
Murph7355 said:
Skyedriver said:
...
Anyone with any real world experience of the XC90 v RR please - budget up to £10k
....
Wouldn't touch a Range Rover at 10k. With the issues people I know with various newer ones have had, I wouldn't touch one at all tbh.Anyone with any real world experience of the XC90 v RR please - budget up to £10k
....
Skyedriver said:
They do have a reputation, don't they.
Just a little 
JLR products are ones that I love, but could never own one.
I once wanted to buy a Series/Defender, but the first test drive put me off for life
(I shouldn't have gone that far by rights. A mate had one that a few of us spent 2hrs of purgatory in, in Wales. Cramped, cold, uncomfortable and ripped my trousers on some part of "rugged trim item" as I got out of it).Murph7355 said:
Just a little
JLR products are ones that I love, but could never own one.
I once wanted to buy a Series/Defender, but the first test drive put me off for life (I shouldn't have gone that far by rights. A mate had one that a few of us spent 2hrs of purgatory in, in Wales. Cramped, cold, uncomfortable and ripped my trousers on some part of "rugged trim item" as I got out of it).
I believe a RR has a few less sharp edges than a Defender and possibly a heater. When I started work in 1970 we had a couple of E reg 1967 LWB Diesel Vans (guess they were S2A) flat out they would reach 55mph, had the turning circle of an aircraft carrier but we could autocross them over construction sites though. Remember the separate heater, down in the passenger footwell, could just about melt your wellies.JLR products are ones that I love, but could never own one.
I once wanted to buy a Series/Defender, but the first test drive put me off for life
(I shouldn't have gone that far by rights. A mate had one that a few of us spent 2hrs of purgatory in, in Wales. Cramped, cold, uncomfortable and ripped my trousers on some part of "rugged trim item" as I got out of it).Gassing Station | Volvo & Polestar | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff