XC 90 T8 hybrid circa £40k - is it fun ?
Discussion
I have a few cars and use my Porsche macan gts for my regular 400 mile round trip to london and back - it’s fun but a little thirsty and I sometime feel a nice xx90 would be comfy on the motorway and cheaper to run. I have an 06 XC90 that I use for carrying building materials/ tools etc around - I love it but I can’t take it into london due to its dirty Diesel engine …
Anyone think an XC90 hybrid would be a decent replacement for both cars ? I’m tall and I’m sure the newer XC 90 would be comfy. I remember sitting in a new one a few years back and it was gorgeous. Anyone have any feedback ? Could go up to about 40k.
Are they fun to drive too ?
Something like this ?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301273...
Anyone think an XC90 hybrid would be a decent replacement for both cars ? I’m tall and I’m sure the newer XC 90 would be comfy. I remember sitting in a new one a few years back and it was gorgeous. Anyone have any feedback ? Could go up to about 40k.
Are they fun to drive too ?
Something like this ?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301273...
I had the same decision to make about a year ago.
I decided on the D5. Not as 'exciting' as the T8, but from what I gathered, once you've exhausted the battery, it's really just quite a thirsty and still not-that-quick large SUV. A 400 mile round-trip doesn't seem that well suited... although given the car you're coming from, still maybe cheaper to run.
I believe the T8 is also prone to failing ERAD (Electric Rear Axle Drive?).
No complaints about the D5, other than it sounds like a tractor.
I decided on the D5. Not as 'exciting' as the T8, but from what I gathered, once you've exhausted the battery, it's really just quite a thirsty and still not-that-quick large SUV. A 400 mile round-trip doesn't seem that well suited... although given the car you're coming from, still maybe cheaper to run.
I believe the T8 is also prone to failing ERAD (Electric Rear Axle Drive?).
No complaints about the D5, other than it sounds like a tractor.
They're certainly ideal for 400mile trips - have covered 50,000 miles in our 2018 D5 including to Berlin, Prague and several ski trips from the UK.
We regularly run up to St Andrews from Essex in it and it's the perfect car for that kind of trip.
I wouldn't describe it as 'fun" though, I'd use words like competent, comfortable, composed.
We regularly run up to St Andrews from Essex in it and it's the perfect car for that kind of trip.
I wouldn't describe it as 'fun" though, I'd use words like competent, comfortable, composed.
Hi
I am on my 2nd T8 and just ordered a 3rd to arrive later this year.
Probably not fun in corners the way a Cayenne would be but off the line against a Focus ST / Gti yes it is fun as they are quicker than they look and they handle OK for a big car and the air-suspension makes a big difference to "handling"
We have 2 kids / dog / lots of gear and it is a great piece of kit if you want to move it all around at a reasonable pace and super good on a long run - the adaptive cruise is superb.
The current one is averaging 41 mpg (we charge it every night)
Genuninely cannot fault it as a surprisingly quick family car but if you want it to set your hair on fire it probably isn't the way
I am on my 2nd T8 and just ordered a 3rd to arrive later this year.
Probably not fun in corners the way a Cayenne would be but off the line against a Focus ST / Gti yes it is fun as they are quicker than they look and they handle OK for a big car and the air-suspension makes a big difference to "handling"
We have 2 kids / dog / lots of gear and it is a great piece of kit if you want to move it all around at a reasonable pace and super good on a long run - the adaptive cruise is superb.
The current one is averaging 41 mpg (we charge it every night)
Genuninely cannot fault it as a surprisingly quick family car but if you want it to set your hair on fire it probably isn't the way
If you don't charge it then you will get mpg somewhere in the 20's.
You can charge it whilst driving which we do if we are sure of using the charge before we get home and if on a long run we hold the charge or top it up from the engine / regen.
The first one we had was on a 17 plate and we got around 16 miles on a charge and the current 69 plate gets around 20 miles. The new one will (allegedly) get circa 50 miles on a charge which would really suit us
Hand on heart the reason we got the first one was because of the tax breaks as we have our own company but the fact we are on our 2nd and 3rd shows how good the cars are - we haven't even looked at something else as for us nothing really does the job in the same way.
I will stay with hybrid as long as I can as we live / spend leisure time in rural areas and the charge infrastructure is non existant so yes the hybrid does the job if you have a mix of driving. If you are jumping in and doing 150 miles a day then the diesel would probably get better mpg but the £/litre for diesel makes a difference
We had 2 MB R350 CDIs before and the Volvo is from another planet and is way better on fuel
If you do take the plunge the 22'' rims on the pre 2019 models are made of poppadums....this is the only thing we can fault it on but then again the local roads are like a Dakar stage
You can charge it whilst driving which we do if we are sure of using the charge before we get home and if on a long run we hold the charge or top it up from the engine / regen.
The first one we had was on a 17 plate and we got around 16 miles on a charge and the current 69 plate gets around 20 miles. The new one will (allegedly) get circa 50 miles on a charge which would really suit us
Hand on heart the reason we got the first one was because of the tax breaks as we have our own company but the fact we are on our 2nd and 3rd shows how good the cars are - we haven't even looked at something else as for us nothing really does the job in the same way.
I will stay with hybrid as long as I can as we live / spend leisure time in rural areas and the charge infrastructure is non existant so yes the hybrid does the job if you have a mix of driving. If you are jumping in and doing 150 miles a day then the diesel would probably get better mpg but the £/litre for diesel makes a difference
We had 2 MB R350 CDIs before and the Volvo is from another planet and is way better on fuel
If you do take the plunge the 22'' rims on the pre 2019 models are made of poppadums....this is the only thing we can fault it on but then again the local roads are like a Dakar stage
Not a T8 but we're currently in an XC90 hire car
Its awful and I cant wait for it to go back. Yes its practical with a decent boot but it feels far flimsier than our own car (X5 45e), the infotainment system/screen is woeful versus our own car and crashes really regularly - not being able to turn the volume down when you get in with a sleeping newborn is an issue I didn't think I'd have....
In addition the "safety" features are crap - random emergency braking when there is no hazard etc - you can turn it off but you have to do so each and every drive from what i can see?
Its awful and I cant wait for it to go back. Yes its practical with a decent boot but it feels far flimsier than our own car (X5 45e), the infotainment system/screen is woeful versus our own car and crashes really regularly - not being able to turn the volume down when you get in with a sleeping newborn is an issue I didn't think I'd have....
In addition the "safety" features are crap - random emergency braking when there is no hazard etc - you can turn it off but you have to do so each and every drive from what i can see?
They're not "fun". But extremely pleasant places to spend long drives and do the job they are designed for incredibly well.
Ours doesn't feel flimsy in the slightest. They are a league above the mk1 (at least) - we loved the mk1, but the mk2 is better in every way (and so it should be, as the cost ramped up). When we bought ours I looked at all the usual suspects and the XC90 was a much nicer place to sit (ours is optioned up, including nappa leather...which I think makes a big difference).
We have a D5. The cost differential of purchasing a T8 would simply never have been recouped in fuel costs.
We're nearly 100k up in ours. Just got back from a 350 mile trip from Cornwall - cruised effortlessly in one hit. Could have done much longer. Don't recall anything other than routine servicing and an aux battery thus far (which may be asking for trouble
). I imagine we'll get another after this one, beyond which we may not need 7 seats any longer...whether we go for the electric version will depend on prices...but 100k for a family bus is stretching things.
Ours doesn't feel flimsy in the slightest. They are a league above the mk1 (at least) - we loved the mk1, but the mk2 is better in every way (and so it should be, as the cost ramped up). When we bought ours I looked at all the usual suspects and the XC90 was a much nicer place to sit (ours is optioned up, including nappa leather...which I think makes a big difference).
We have a D5. The cost differential of purchasing a T8 would simply never have been recouped in fuel costs.
We're nearly 100k up in ours. Just got back from a 350 mile trip from Cornwall - cruised effortlessly in one hit. Could have done much longer. Don't recall anything other than routine servicing and an aux battery thus far (which may be asking for trouble
). I imagine we'll get another after this one, beyond which we may not need 7 seats any longer...whether we go for the electric version will depend on prices...but 100k for a family bus is stretching things.swanseaboydan said:
I’ve got a few cars but the one I spend all my time in is the xc90 I paid 2700 Quid for 4 years ago ! So it make sense to get a newer one - and a cleaner one that i can drive through london …
A 2016 D5 is ULEZ compliant 
If you like your mk1, I think you'll love a mk2. But I wouldn't buy a T8 unless you do a lot of short trips that you could do on battery.
We had two XC60's before the XC90. Yes there's a fairly big difference in interior space - 90 feels more airy inside thought 95% of the time the 60 is perfectly adequate. Reliability on the 60 was near perfect (hence why we stuck with the brand).
We went up to the 90 for 2 reasons. 1. the kids kept getting bigger and 2. the new 60 had just come out so the deals on 90s were more attractive.
We went up to the 90 for 2 reasons. 1. the kids kept getting bigger and 2. the new 60 had just come out so the deals on 90s were more attractive.
I've seen these things literally at the bottom of reliability list's. I was looking at an (American) reliability index the other day and Volvo was at the bottom. It's no wonder when you look at their twincharger motors and hybrid/electric systems. I'd say that the latest XC90 is one (I said ONE) of the most complicated and sophisticated cars on the road
I'm sure they are absolutely wonderful to drive and the technology they have is great! They look fantastic as well, but I don't think the Geely models can be trusted for reliability
I'm sure they are absolutely wonderful to drive and the technology they have is great! They look fantastic as well, but I don't think the Geely models can be trusted for reliability
djone101 said:
I can only speak of my experience and both XC60s (3 years each) and the 50,000 miles we've done in our XC90 (over 5 years) have been pretty much faultless.
I'm genuinely pleased that you have had a good experience. I would most certainly love such a motor. Maybe Americans just don't understand how to use things and return it to the dealer as a fault?
I've never been a Volvo fan, but just through chance I am now a Volvo owner. Ford era and based S40 II R design. It's certainly got some problems that need sorting but to be fair to it it has done nearly 140k and presumably made the last 9 owners happy
Like most people that have been introduced to a brand, even if it's an old model, you start to like the brand and get more interested in their cars. I keep looking at S90s on eBay or C30/S40lV50 with T and D 5's. I don't think I can claim as a petrol head to have had a turbo charged Swede with a 1.6 Ford/PSA diesel. I reckon I might have to up my game and have a little bit of a dabble and have a 5 pot in my life. D5 is the only ever diesel I like the sound of.
swanseaboydan said:
My old d5 is louder than an old transit van !
I still think when they get going their odd cylinder warble is more appealing than most.I listened to my Ford Duratec 1.6 diesel in my Volvo yesterday after a long drive from the outside of the car and to be honest it was a lot quieter than I thought it would be. Mostly fan noise and injectors, but the engine itself sounded pretty quiet. No excessive rattling or mechanical noise compared to other Cr 4 pots
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