volvo xc90 2.5 turbo petrol advice

[taxi paul]

I am thinking of swapping my jap bus for one of these. I know they are thirsty. Not sure about the new tax rules on these. One has popped up locally and seems OK from a reputable volvo specialist. Had cambelt and new brakes all round. Has much as I love my Japanese bus because I can only do one car nowadays if jap bus ftp's parts can be a pain for some thing's. So need 7 seats and 4wd . It's either one of these or hyundai santa fe circa 08 so no dpf. What do our collective think. Thanks for any advice.

[Longblackcoat]

If you need 7 seats and 4wd, note that the 3rd row seats are pretty cramped. Perfectly fine for small kids, but adults wouldn't want to do other than a hop down the road.

 

4wd system ceases to work due to worn splines on input shaft into box, basically makes car front wheel drive, no warning lights appear so the only way to check is to see if it will spin it's front wheels on loose surfaces. Cost to repair is anything from £250 to £1000 depending on where you take it and how badly seized up it is.

 

Also check the handbrake works especially on auto transmission models as the cables seize up. They run through the body which can make replacement labour intensive, the knock on effect can be seized rear hubs, scored discs and new pads, potential spend of up to £600

 

Check the stereo unit stays on, switch it on and leave for a couple of minutes, if it stays on fine, if not you need a new unit. £1200 from Volvo and you can't fit one from another car so don't buy a second hand unit.

[BorniteIdentity]

Personally, I think you're looking at this the wrong way.

 

Yes, parts may be harder to get for the Regius.  But the other variable in the equation is how likely are you to actually NEED parts.  My informed guess is that a 10 year old XC90 will be in the garage more than a late 90s petrol propelled Toyota.

 

You've already identified someone who knows the cars inside out and they've reassured you that parts are plentiful apart from glass.  There's a top breaker down here who has everything.  I'd not be throwing it away yet, because the poor things not actually done anything wrong!

 

If you want a new car, that's cool.  But I'd not worry about bits just yet.

[rantingYoof]

The autoboxes are utter chocolate, especially if the fluid has never been changed.

 

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[taxi paul]

Very true. I think I am just over thinking and worrying about nothing. The regius is perfect for me has a family car it's just that the seat isn't. I may just bite the bullet and swap for an alphard which is even better. I have looked around and honestly can't find anything has good for the money to be fair. I suppose I have answered my own question really. Thanks for the advice. I just got a bit Meh because a chap on the elgrand forum was quoted £2,400 for a rear screen. He his having to buy a whole tailgate and get it sprayed and fitted.

[BorniteIdentity]

What's up with the seat? Does it not go back far enough?

 

I had this with a little NOAH that I desperately wanted to buy last year.  My shins were burning within 2 miles of driving. I was really gutted,

[djimbob]

Jap import buses like Hiace, Elgrand etc are just ace, been driving them for years, rarely give any problems, I wouldn't touch a modern Volvo with a bargepole, due to the fact they're no longer simple to work on, and am I wrong in thinking they are owned by Ford still?

 

Anyhoo, Our Lass used to work for a firm called Birkby's in Yorkshire who made plastic parts for all manner of manufacturers, and the Japanese such as Honda and Toyota had incredibly strict quality control contracts, far, far more than even those such as BMW, JLR etc, with huge fines should the company fail these standards - sadly they never recovered from the 2008 crash.

 

The moral of the tale is, go Japanese for reliability, find out where the breakers of your models live and relax, consumables are readily available as a rule from the bay and most factors.

 

My Dad has an Elgrand at the moment, and every so often he gets into this state of mind, looking at nonsense like Zafira's, and newer Kia Sedona's, at which point I have to give his head a wobble and remind him what he would end up with would be inferior and definitely more unreliable!

 

Nothing wrong with wanting a change mind you, just be careful I suppose is my advice

[taxi paul]

The seat goes back enough but has no adjustment to height so when I have it right back has needed you have to lean forward to reach the steering wheel. This has no forward adjustment. This is why I got rid of my hyundai i800. So I have to lowered the steering wheel then squeeze between the seat and the wheel when getting in and out. The end result is that you feel has if you are sat on the car and not sitting in it ,if you know what I mean. The alphard has a lot better adjustment and is a lot comfier. I agree about the reliability of them and I will stick with it for now till I see the right alphard. I went and looked at nissan pathfinder and landcruiser but the rust on the subframe of a 09 car was scary, same with a 04 landcruiser. I may go and look at a noha I haven't really had a proper look at them.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

However, the XC90 is a very nice thing to drive, sit and even look at. It's the only 4x4 that doesn't scream drug dealer council wanker.

 

Buy one that works, look after it and if it goes wrong.......well, that's a bummer. 

 

If you really want one, just do it.

[rantingYoof]

Indeed, a externally tatty example for just over a bag with a good interior and decent wheels will likely get you over half back in bits if it kersploded.

 

Dooooo it. [/colossally unhelpful]

 

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[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Are they down to a grand yet? 

 

Cheapest I found on AT was £2500.

[hpi_matrix]

Go on then, ill throw it out there, have you thought about a Suzuki Vitara XL7:

 

 

Back seats even look half comfy:

 

[taxi paul]

I have thought about the suzuki . I sHall have to have a look. Thanks.

[rantingYoof]

Are they down to a grand yet?

 

Cheapest I found on AT was £2500.

Huh, it seems that's overly optimistic. Only truly borked ones are dropping below the two grand mark.

 

Remarkably good at holding onto value...V70s are the same.

 

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[wuvvum]

am I wrong in thinking they are owned by Ford still?

Aren't they now owned by the Hu Flung Dung Automobile and Puppy Concern of Guangzhou Limited or someone?

[Rod/b]

The People's Geely Motoring Devices and Tainted Milk Concern

[Longblackcoat]

 

Nothing wrong with wanting a change mind you, just be careful I suppose is my advice

 

 

I did over 100k miles in our D5 SE manual - the audio went kaput (got it fixed for £200 by a bloke in Croydon) and the 4wd stopped working but I got it sorted by Volvo under warranty. I never had a problem with the handbrake (though it was always rubbish).

 

The plus points were that the seats were amazingly comfortable, the Xenon headlights were excellent, and the car never broke down. It was great at doing long distances and was pretty economical.

 

Other than the bits that failed (mentioned above), the three offputting things were that it was both astonishingly slow and lacking in any form of civility, the ride was terrible, and the turning circle was the worst I've ever experienced. 

 

Overall, it was a pretty good car, but nothing special, and certainly not something I'd buy at the bottom end of the market. I don't recall services ever being below £500 (from a non-franchised specialist), and there's always the possibility of very large bills. 

[djimbob]

I've just bought a lexus RX300 2001 reg for my Daughter, reasonably safe in the knowledge it's well built and should be almost trouble free in it's later years, provided regular maintenance etc, and if TP wanted a five seater I would have recommended!

 

Had a good look at similar offerings, and not many were looking like a safe bet at all. I had a Merc ML320 a couple of years ago which didn't inspire confidence, although to be fair didn't let me or the missus down in the short time we owned it - just felt too fragile

 

Having said all that, I don't mind having a dodgy shiter for my own personal enjoyment*, but can't send the family out in them on a regular basis, more than my life is worth