New Volvo cars

Macdsl · #1 04-02-2018, 08:07 PM

Hi all, wife and I took a look at the new Volvo XC90 today and left more than impressed, which for me says a lot because not much about new vehicles impresses me any more. Anyone of you have or had a newer one, how did you like it? How was the dealer support and reliability? Just looking for a good discussion on them.

Twisted Canuck · #2 04-02-2018, 08:24 PM

I don't have one, but looked at the XC60 (we don't need 3 rows anymore)...and was also impressed. Ultimately we got a VW Tiguan R Line because the wife wanted something smaller, we still have a 16 year old driving it, and it was a lot less money...but down the road, when we are ready to upgrade to something in the more premium range it will be on the list to look at again. I lean towards the Porsche Macan GTS but that is another price range. Anyway, the Volvo styling, fit and finish were top range. I'm not convinced about their one motor fits all philosophy, where they add a turbo, and a supercharger on that to add power and torque. Seems to work though. I think it's a well made vehicle.

And make sure if you get one, you upgrade to the Bowers and Wilkens stereo, my God that thing was amazing!! As good or better than the Bang and Olofson in the Audi Q5 we tried, better than the Bose in my Porsche!

Newview01 · #3 04-02-2018, 08:24 PM

I rented a brand new vovlo sedan not long ago. Was very impressed. Comfortable seats, lots of power. That did it for me.

Trochu · #4 04-02-2018, 08:30 PM

I've never drove one but those interiors are gorgeous.

FellSwoop · #5 04-02-2018, 08:51 PM

Not sure if this hits the newness criteria but my wife and I bought a 2011 XC90 used in 2012 with 13000 km on it. We still drive it with about 128000 pm on it, mainly her car.
It is not powerfull with the 3.2 inline 6, not great on fuel about 14L/100 km. But torque feels good.
It burns about 2 to 2 1/2 liters oil between changes (10k) and has been getting steadily worse. The transmission shifts harshly on occasion and has been sporadically doing this since about 1 year after we got it, no diagnosis each time we have the dealer check it. The ignition key set locked up this Christmas and cost over $800 plus install and a week wait for parts. A headlamp is $250. Trim isn't attached that well and road noise is higher than expected for the price of the car.
On the positive side, it has good all wheel drive and weight distribution for on road snow and ice. Also the panels seem good, it was left on the street during a nasty hail storm and didn't get a dent where my neighbour's civic parked behind it took a beating. No rust so far.
The dealership in Calgary is Valentine Volvo and they seem good enough but expect to pay at least in my experience compared to north American or Japanese vehicle dealers.
This one is made is Sweden and rest of Europe, I read that they are to to build them in China from now on so the new ones may be different.

omega50 · #6 04-02-2018, 08:52 PM

I looked at one about 5 years ago and my Mechanic/Auto body shop owner friend cautioned me about the transmissions at that time.

Worried me because it was about a 9 year run with transmission issues. Seemed like a long time to have those issues.

But the past is the past.
Super comfortable and safe

JB_AOL · #7 04-02-2018, 09:03 PM

I've been drooling over a new v90.. Volvo has hired the right designers this go round. All their new vehicles are so nice..

Twisted Canuck · #8 04-02-2018, 09:17 PM

$250 for a headlight isn't so bad Fellswoop...my VW has those fancy lights that swivel/aim the direction you are going, to light up corners....yeah, if they go bust they have to swap out the whole unit, at a princely sum of $1250!! Pays to get the 3M protective coating on them. It's all a big racket....

pinelakeperch · #9 04-02-2018, 09:59 PM

I drive a 2011 C30 with the factory Polestar tune. Fun little car that has been the definition of Volvo's classic reliability. The new models (XC90, XC60, XC40, V90, S90) are absolutely beautiful. Currently in the market for the XC40, but will likely wait a year or two to see wait out any kinks. I know the early XC90s (2016s, I believe) had a fair bit of electrical problems, but they've been remedied as far as I know.

My dealer, Valentine Volvo, has been fantastic. I've also never had anything done other than a headlight bulb and oil changes in seven years and 150k of ownership

Check out swedespeed.com for some good information!

harrry · #10 04-03-2018, 06:29 AM

Its has a very nice Interior, though i never had one.

Dean2 · #11 04-03-2018, 08:33 AM

Have worked on many for friends. I intensely dislike Volvo's. Parts are outrageous, the cars are hard to work on, where they got any record of reliability beats the hell out of me. All the ones I have been closely associated with have required regular fixing and very expensive to fix, even doing it your self.

Last on was a 2016 that my brother in law had. After 130,000 KLMs, and $30,000 of warranty repairs and 18,000 in off warranty repairs he sold it before something else went wrong. Engine bearings once, turbo once, Tranny twice, front end three times, AWD once, main computer twice and on and on.

I would not take a Volvo if they paid me to drive it unless it had full warranty end to end, and even then I am not sure the aggravation would be worth it.

tirebob · #12 04-03-2018, 09:50 AM

I have never owned one but I love the brand and the line and will buy one eventually. I can say that of all my customers in my 30+ years of being in the automotive business, there are no owners more loyal and happy with their vehicles as Volvo owners! I never hear complaints and almost every one of them say they will never own a different brand.

SlightlyDistracting · #13 04-03-2018, 10:23 AM

For the price. Buy a Mercedes

Bleat · #14 04-03-2018, 10:43 AM

We've owned many European cars and Volvo is by far our favorite. Our current Volvo is a 2010 XC60 with 215,000 km and hasn't caused us a lick of grief. I'll never own another German car again for reasons I won't get into here. Haven't had a good experience with any one of them. I wouldn't hesitate buying another Volvo in a heartbeat.....and am 99% certain we will again. Build quality, reliability and comfort have been second to none in our experience.

The only qualm, and this is true of most European cars, is parts are a bit harder to find than domestic, of course. Dealers stock everything and has never been an issue. I can find nearly anything online though and most times at a significant savings too. Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, whatever. Just have to wait a bit longer with shipping. If you do some of the work yourself.

Dean2 · #15 04-03-2018, 11:13 AM

https://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/volvo.htm

This is only one site with complaints about Volvo reliability and lousy customer/factory backing. If you google it, there are a ton more. I know there are lots of complaints on every car by few have this many complaints about the same issues and lack of manufacturer backing.

omega50 · #16 04-03-2018, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bleat

We've owned many European cars and Volvo is by far our favorite. Our current Volvo is a 2010 XC60 with 215,000 km and hasn't caused us a lick of grief. I'll never own another German car again for reasons I won't get into here. Haven't had a good experience with any one of them. I wouldn't hesitate buying another Volvo in a heartbeat.....and am 99% certain we will again. Build quality, reliability and comfort have been second to none in our experience.

The only qualm, and this is true of most European cars, is parts are a bit harder to find than domestic, of course. Dealers stock everything and has never been an issue. I can find nearly anything online though and most times at a significant savings too. Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, whatever. Just have to wait a bit longer with shipping. If you do some of the work yourself.

3.2l ?

JB_AOL · #17 04-03-2018, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dean2

https://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/volvo.htm

This is only one site with complaints about Volvo reliability and lousy customer/factory backing. If you google it, there are a ton more. I know there are lots of complaints on every car by few have this many complaints about the same issues and lack of manufacturer backing.

And just like all online surveys/reviews... Most people will go out of their way to complain about a product, but rarely do people post reviews if they are happy.

Kind of like the ecoboosts being a ****ty engine... hmm.. I know many people with high mileage ones, Zero issues.

R3illy · #18 04-03-2018, 02:52 PM

The edmonton volvo dealer is awesome to deal with. They always gave us a brand new volvo to drive around anytime the car was getting an oil change or had work done on it. My car always came back washed and cleaner then it was when i dropped it off.

Only ever had 2 minor issues with mine that they promptly dealt with. Lots i miss about my volvo.

EZM · #19 04-03-2018, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bleat

We've owned many European cars and Volvo is by far our favorite. Our current Volvo is a 2010 XC60 with 215,000 km and hasn't caused us a lick of grief. I'll never own another German car again for reasons I won't get into here. Haven't had a good experience with any one of them. I wouldn't hesitate buying another Volvo in a heartbeat.....and am 99% certain we will again. Build quality, reliability and comfort have been second to none in our experience.

The only qualm, and this is true of most European cars, is parts are a bit harder to find than domestic, of course. Dealers stock everything and has never been an issue. I can find nearly anything online though and most times at a significant savings too. Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, whatever. Just have to wait a bit longer with shipping. If you do some of the work yourself.

Sorry to hear you experiences with German vehicles - my experiences have all been spectacular with Mercedes, Audi, BMW. My VW Touareg did have some very annoying first year issues and was a valuable lesson for me - but other than that I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one.

As far as parts are concerned - I don't own a vehicle more than 3-5 years so I can't comment on major parts but anytime I needed something like a headlamp, moulding, or another smaller parts the dealer either had them or could have them in a day or two.

Volvos have an exceptional reputation. Although the wife and I haven't owned one ourselves, my SIL and Mother have and had excellent experiences with them. A co-worker also religiously owns only Volvos and his only complaint is that the older they get the parts do become expensive and the mechanics who work on them (outside of dealers) charge a premium.

I burned around in my Moms S60 when in Calgary and it was always a pretty fantastic car that was responsive and powerful.

JonBoy · #20 04-03-2018, 05:10 PM

I love the look and design of the new Volvos (and some of the older ones) but I wouldn't touch them with a 10-ft pole.

Turbocharged and supercharged small-displacement engines? Could you ask for a more complicated engine? That's just asking for issues down the road (literally and figuratively). I'm assuming you wouldn't get a base model, which is merely turbocharged but even then, it's a more complicated engine than I'd want.

Add in an electric motor (which should be reliable) and a battery pack (that will eventually need replacing) and I'd run away, if you're getting the T8 model.

If you want a moderately quick, luxurious, capable SUV, get an Acura MDX. If you want max performance and fuel mileage, get the Sport Hybrid model. It'll last you forever, cost way less to own and what you give up in style points you'll get back in resale, longevity and enjoyment.

Any MDX has a phenomenal AWD system and is proven already and it's just as quick as the Volvo. The Sport Hybrid has a few electric motors but also a basic V6 that is more than up to the task of moving the vehicle on its own.

You can always get a used MDX that is Acura Certified Pre-Owned and it adds another 7 years/130K kms to the existing warranty, for the powertrain...

FellSwoop · #21 04-03-2018, 08:42 PM

I should clarify my story above, it is $250 for the headlight bulb not the assembly.
A good comment on the XC90 is that the battery is in the back by the spare tire, takes 5 minutes to change.

srs123 · #22 04-06-2018, 05:05 PM

I’m really surprised that there is only 1 Volvo dealer in Calgary, makes it a bit difficult to get work done I think. It is also out of my way. Beautiful cars but they are the same price as a bmw. I wonder how they do in residual value and if they are as good as Toyota or German cars for resale

pinelakeperch · #23 04-06-2018, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srs123

I’m really surprised that there is only 1 Volvo dealer in Calgary, makes it a bit difficult to get work done I think. It is also out of my way. Beautiful cars but they are the same price as a bmw. I wonder how they do in residual value and if they are as good as Toyota or German cars for resale

Worst resale value in the business next to Jaguar. Definitely one of the negatives of buying one. Great cars, the current ones are very comparable to BMW and are a better value, in my opinion. Shouldn’t be much of a surprise that there isn’t more than one dealer in the city, it’s a niche manufacturer.

Drewski Canuck · #24 04-07-2018, 08:33 AM

Volvo at one time was owned by Ford. Then sold and sold again.

Just because your Parent's "Vulva" had some luck, it is that of legends.

Drewski

omega50 · #25 04-07-2018, 09:04 AM

YTD about 85,000 Volvos sold in Canada.
Almost non-existent in comparison
.

My Volvo experiences have been surviving unscathed in a high speed end over end crash as a passenger outside of Regina in 1980 in a 60's Volvo.

I owned a 70's era 244 sedan in 1985 for a few years. Changeover model fraught with issues. But the attention to engineering was remarkable. You could pull the grille and remove the rad in minutes. Quite amazing how it was built to be repaired. That said it stranded me up in Panorama on my Honeymoon with a burst fuel line at the fuel pump which was housed INSIDE of the rear coil spring.

Buddy let me have his 2005 C70 Convertible for a week in Atlanta on a business trip.
Fun and powerful. But brutally glitchy electronics

ATF · #26 04-07-2018, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drewski Canuck

Volvo at one time was owned by Ford. Then sold and sold again.

Just because your Parent's "Vulva" had some luck, it is that of legends.

Drewski

Owned by the Chinese now.
I looked at them and decided it wasn't the direction I wanted to go.

Dean2 · #27 04-07-2018, 09:51 AM

You can get a Lexus for the same money. Way better resale, more dealers and impeccable reliability record. Why screw with a relatively uncommon off brand now made in China, land of quality engineering.

FellSwoop · #28 04-07-2018, 10:02 AM

Thanks Dean2 for posting the link. I read the stories and realize that despite all the problems, mine is one of the better ones. This makes me really think about replacing it before something expensive happens. If it was just me driving it, I wouldn't care as a 2011 isn't worth anything and I could just send it to pick your part when something big fails. But it will most likely happen when my wife and daughter are driving it.

pinelakeperch · #29 04-07-2018, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dean2

You can get a Lexus for the same money. Way better resale, more dealers and impeccable reliability record. Why screw with a relatively uncommon off brand now made in China, land of quality engineering.

Made in China? Please educate me on the Volvos made in China that are available in Canada.

Dean2 · #30 04-08-2018, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinelakeperch

Made in China? Please educate me on the Volvos made in China that are available in Canada.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...duction_plants

S60L produced and exported since 2015, followed by the 90 series and 40

This article is from 2016

https://jalopnik.com/your-next-volvo...ina-1788485280