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2006 VOLVO XC90 reviews

VOLVO XC90 reviews by year of make:   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010  2011  Read all reviews

David James, Herefordshire

Volvo XC90 2006

5 star review

A lovely comfortable vehicle that I love driving, but they need maintaining and have some technical quirks that require either an expensive main dealer or an independent volvo specialist to deal with these issues, such as airbag errors and the annoying service light, which seems to be deliberately timed by Volvo to come on AFTER we have had it serviced! Aside from that, ours has covered a vast amount of mileage (242,000) so we feel sure we are approaching the world record! To sum up: Great drive, super tow vehicle, and very compfortable. Reliable providing they are serviced and maintained and someone is on hand with specialised Volvo kit to diagnose any light and beeps!

Submitted: 10/10/2011 10:09:50

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Matin Banbury, Essex

Volvo XC90 Executive 2006

2 star review

I have owned a black xc90 D5 Exec with nearly every extra (DVD, satnav, fridge etc) for the last 4years, from new, and have put 112,000 miles on it. So I’m in a pretty good position to have a view! The good points are that it looks good, is spacious, comfortable, is reasonably economical given its size. The built in child seat is excellent. The bad points are numerous and I would not buy another. The biggest problem is the engine. It is underpowered, sounds like a tractor, and has ’lag’ from stationary that has put me in dangerous situations several times - literally you can wait for 3 seconds before starting to accelerate which is scary when a truck is bearing down on you! It also doesn’t do snow. Actually 4x4 is a misnoma - because it doesn’t have limited slip differentials or ’diff lock’ as soon as one wheel gets stuck all the others have no traction at all. So it is really a 4x1. It is oddly expensive on tyres. The satnav has a mind of its own, sends you odd routes, doesn’t do postcode navigation, and the graphics are appalling. It has just failed and I’m told it is going to be a very large bill to replace. Now its a few years old I would prefer to put secondhand parts on it. But Volvo have put chips into nearly everything on the car that mean you can only replace things at a main dealer for full price. I’m told that even goes down to things like the mirrors, wiper motors, anything. They claim that this is to reduce theft - call me a cynic! Smaller niggles include the headlight dip which is the type that needs 2 movements to dip (why do manufacturers do that?), a very plasticy dashboard (on their top version that isnt acceptable), an expensive DVD system that doesn’t and has never worked and the dealer couldnt get it to work and other little things... I have only failed to replace it because it isnt important in my life, but I’m really looking forward to my new audi Q7 arriving. My other car is an Aston Martin DBS so dont worry about me - I get my kicks elsewhere....

Submitted: 26/09/2010 21:36:06

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David Blattman, Selkirkshire

Volvo XC90 D5 SE (185bhp manual gearbox) 2006

4 star review

Bought new in March 2006 and now at 77,000 miles in Dec ’09. Twice yearly trips from Scotland to Austria otherwise rural roads and town driving. Luxury pan-euro cruiser at 100mph+ on autobahn commands respect from other road users. Never used snow chains in Alps or Scottish winters as AWD simply pulls car anywhere (fitted with Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow winter tyres). 29mpg town / 35mpg rural / 39mpg at steady 70mph UK motorway. £210 / band F road tax. Faults have been rear wheel bearing (known fault replaced with enhanced units by dealer under warranty) & drop links. Otherwise reliable. Servicing costs pricey but dealer is best ever experienced - washes, valets car and dresses tyres for even the smallest of vists - swaps summer / winter tyres at no cost. Load lugger, takes 7 passengers (rear seats comfy up to about 45min journey for adults), super safe, fantastic drive. Power just about matched to car but avoid pre-2006 D5 smaller units (162bhp). Great car but make sure you have the budget to continue servicing & ownership!

Submitted: 31/12/2009 11:11:56

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Richard Sherwood, Oxfordshire

Volvo XC90 D5 SE Geartronic 2006

4 star review

At present I am in a love-hate relationship with my April 2006 XC90. I bought it at 3100 miles as an ex-demonstrator. Mileage now 25785. It is mainly used for towing a 17 foot caravan and it is the best towcar I have had in 40 years of caravanning. Towing mileage so far 6034. The car had its annual service as usual in April 2009. At 24856 miles (957 miles after service including 205 miles towing) while towing it suddenly displayed "Anti-skid service required" followed by "Engine service required urgent" and then went into limp mode. The engine management symbol was on. The car was recovered by truck to the supplying dealer who diagnosed "injector for No 4 cylinder not seated fully into unit and after clearing codes and road testing found the engine management light and then discovered a signal wire detached from block connector/housing - not fully in block connector. Resecured & tighten (sic) wire cleared codes and road tested. Vehicle OK". Last week the same sequence occurred with caravan on tow and we had to be trucked home 130 miles. Mileage from first breakdown 929 including 230 miles of towing. By the time we got home and it came off the truck the management light had gone out and an hour or so after that the message about engine service had also gone out. After some persuasion the dealer collected the car by truck, having no difficulty driving the car up the ramps. Their finding is now awaited. The car has otherwise performed well and took us on 1493 miles of towing in Iberia in 2007 and 1617 in France last year without problems. In 2008 while solo away from home we had similar displays but no limping and another dealer to which I immediately took it said there was a recall outstanding which the supplying and servicing dealer had not told me about. Something to do with software I was told. I bought the car for retirement and long term ownership but am now wondering whether I have to review my decision.

Submitted: 15/07/2009 09:27:41

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