Volvo XC90 Estate 2002 - Present

The Volvo XC90 is the Swedish manufacturers first genuine 4X4 and it comes with a real sense of quality and refinement. Taking on the BMW X5 and the Mercedes M-Class the Volvo offers a similar level of finish, if not quite the same level of ability. Makes a good case for itself through it's price-tag though.

The XC90 is a big car. It's one of the few in it's class to offer seven seats, albeit with two small rear seats, suitable for children and small adults only. The finish inside the cabin is impressive to say the least and the list of extras as standard is decent too, including; alloy wheels, climate control, quality sound system and rear parking sensors. The parking sensors are entirely sensible as the XC90 can be hard to park.
Car parks provide an additional bug bear as the XC is so tall it can be hard to squeeze under barriers, and open the doors when parked.

The seats in the XC are extremely comfortable and beautifully finished. The ride is always pleasant for passengers as the suspension can take pretty well anything that's thrown at it. Exterior noise, road engine etc, are well suppressed.

Behind the wheel the XC90 benefits from the 2006 expansion of the engine range, but all of the engines are at least capable of delivering a reasonable drive. The 2.4 diesel will provide a better level of pulling power than the 2.9 petrol option, but both cruise well. The 4.4L V8 was among those introduced in 2006 and it offers the best level of performance with 0 - 60 in 6.9 seconds, restricted top speed of 130 mph, although it does so at a harrowing 20 mpg. It comes as no surprise that the oil burners are the only option to choose if you're looking at any level of fuel economy with the 2.4 (185 bhp), returning 34 mpg. All of the petrol engines are in the mid to low twenties.

The XC90 isn't as good to drive as it's German rivals but this is really splitting hairs. The suspension is set up to be sufficiently comfortable that there is a level of bodyroll when cornering at anything approaching speed. The steering is light to the point that there is little feel for the road, but this is a car made for people who like luxury and the trappings, not wrestling a car around the South Circular as quick as possible. The automatically-controlled four-wheel-drive system ensures that a good level of power is delivered to the right wheels at the right time.

The starting price is about ten grand cheaper than it's rivals, although the top spec is about the same, so the XC90 is worth considering. Maybe worth using it as a way to upgrade whichever car you decide to go for.

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