Hits and Misses After a Year With Our 2016 Volvo XC90

CARS.COM — If we judged how much our editors like a car by the number of miles it accumulates in our long-term fleet, the 2016 Volvo XC90 would be an all-time favorite. We racked up 22,000 miles during its yearlong test, more than any of our previous long-term testers. But were they good miles?

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Most of them were problem-free. The $66,265 T6 Inscription didn’t cost us anything outside of fuel and a punctured tire. Oil changes, software updates and even replacement brake rotors (after experiencing squealing and a pulsating brake pedal) were all covered by Volvo. Fuel economy met the SUV’s 22-mpg combined rating at an observed 22.4 mpg recorded over 22,000 miles, which cost us $2,929 in premium gasoline. And that tire? It was $457 for one.

We asked editors who frequently drove the XC90 during the past year to wrap-up the ownership experience by summarizing what was most impressive and what needs improvement.

What We Liked

Joe Wiesenfelder, executive editor: I never lost my love for it. Seats, luxury interior, comfort. The gravelly engine was there all along, and it didn’t get worse; people’s objections to it did.
The XC90 is the Life cereal of test vehicles. My wife, “Mikey,” doesn’t like anything, and she liked this one every time I brought it home. After a few times, she even realized it was a model — even the exact car — she’d been in before…

Joe Bruzek, senior road test editor: The XC90’s luxurious interior quality remains a strong point among newer competitors such as the new Audi Q7 and Jaguar F-Pace.

Jennifer Geiger, assistant managing editor: The interior impressed every time I got inside it; the tasteful design, supple leather surfaces, low-gloss wood panels and aluminum trim are the picture of luxury.

Mike Hanley, senior editor: The XC90’s driving experience is just as impressive today as it was when we first bought it. From the air suspension’s serene ride to the elegantly appointed cabin, the XC90 is a first-rate luxury SUV.

Kelsey Mays, senior consumer affairs editor: Styling and cabin materials. A slew of pricier SUVs (Lexus LX and Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class, for example) don’t come close to the XC90’s cabin materials, and even after a year, the exterior still looks fresh.

What We Didn’t Like

Wiesenfelder:  I still think the touchscreen is a good model for other manufacturers, absent the lag. Perhaps there’s a way around that. I still think the worst of it is a slow boot-up. Considering that the car knows as soon as a key fob is nearby, it should immediately boot on spec rather than waiting until someone opens the driver’s door (and not the other doors or the liftgate). This could even be a software change.

They could also make the front lower along with the back. I don’t see an advantage to back-only, and all four corners would ease entry and exit.

I still don’t like the Sport mode, which is the main reason I never objected to the mode thumbwheel that’s too slippery. I simply never used it.

Bruzek: Wiesenfelder is right that the engine’s buzziness was always there, but it never really bothered me on brief stints with the car in our short-term testing before buying one. I grew tiresome of the rasp from under the hood the more hours I spent driving the XC90.

Geiger: While I’ve come around on the multimedia tablet and think it’s a great system, it can be better — specifically how the safety systems are controlled. It’s tough to access the safety menu while driving and even tougher to make changes.

Hanley: The dashboard touchscreen looks great and has an intuitive interface, but screen lag was a problem at times — especially right after starting the SUV. I’d also prefer physical climate system controls to the screen-based ones the XC90 has now. 

Mays: I disagree with Volvo’s decision to bury the climate and seat heaters in the giant touchscreen. The screen, like many, is somewhat unresponsive at startup, and that’s the last thing you want when you’re trying to set the climate controls and seat heaters on a cold day. Interior styling notwithstanding, Volvo should have given those items physical controls — and added a radio tuning knob, too.