Volvo XC90 Review: The Luxury SUV That Makes the Carpool Less Painful
We love our kids, but we NEED style and luxury. That's why we love the Volvo XC90 luxury SUV: 3-rows of comfortable seating, great technology and beautiful design.
Lillie Morales
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You can stop looking, I’ve found the ultimate mom car.
That’s if you’re looking for a luxury SUV crossover, of course. And why not? You deserve it. Just envision it. A fully loaded, beautifully designed car packed with safety and technology, spacious enough for your family or carpooling. No sacrificing style for space, even if you’re sacrificing your days sitting in the school pickup lane, the Starbucks drive through or hauling your kids and their friends to the movies. In the 2019 Volvo XC90, you get to surround yourself with luxury and great design and have space for kids, dogs and stuff.
Who This Car is For
- Big families or families that need third-row seating
- Families on the go with lots of stops during the day
- Buyers looking for a minivan alternative that offers spacious seating for 6 or 7 passengers
- Professionals who carpool and want a luxury car
- Buyers who need all-wheel drive capability
- Buyers who want the luxury and safety that Volvo promises
How Much this Luxury SUV Costs
The nice thing about Volvo is that each trim level is inclusive of a number of features; then, you can add a few packages that add more luxury, technology and drive capability to the car. The four different trims are:
- Momentum, the base model, which has a panoramic sunroof, keyless entry, leatherette upholstery, hands-free liftgate, multiple drive modes, a suite of active safety features and pilot assist semi-autonomous driver assistance with adaptive cruise control, is $47,700
- R-Design, which adds sporty style details, a premium Harman Kardon sound system and the large 12.3″ display screen that has won the hearts of critics and customers, starts at $54,950
- Inscription, which adds more luxury including premium design details, Napa leather upholstery, a premium Bowers & Wilkins sound system, and hill descent assist, starts at $61,750
- Excellence, the top of the line, is the highest priced trim package, adding the most powerful 400PH plug-in hybrid engine, head up display, a crystal Orrefors gear shift knob and massaging front seats, starts at $104,900
- Among the engine choices, all-wheel drive adds $2,500; upgrade to the 4-cylinder turbo 316 horsepower AWD engine for $6,100; upgrade to the 400 horsepower AWD plug-in hybrid, which has a range of 19 miles on a full charge, for an additional $6,100
- Among the option packages are Heated Seats and Steering Wheel ($750), the Advanced Package with 360-degree surround view camera, park assist pilot that steers you into a parking spot–both perpendicular and parallel– while you control speed, head up display and active bending headlights ($2,500) and the Luxury package that adds heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel and massaging front seats ($3,100).
Safety Features That Keep Your Family Safe
Volvo is known for safety. In fact, the circle-and-arrow logo is an ancient sign for iron. When Volvo first started building cars the symbol was integrated to indicate the brand’s commitment to strength. And the commitment continues today; Volvos are designed to protect passengers both with strong steel and with active safety features, most of which are standard on all models. A 360-degree camera helps the driver see what’s going on around the car, and there are sensors that let you know if another car, animals, pedestrians or cyclists are near. The car will also brake if it detects another car pulling out. And to save energy, the auto stop/start will shut off the engine when you are idling, such as at a traffic light or in the school pick up line. (You can turn this feature off if you find it annoying).
Among the safety features I love are:
- Distance alert, which is part of the adaptive cruise controls system, lets you know if you are too close to another car.
- Lane-keeping aid nudges the car back into its lane if you drift too close to the line
- Road sign information reads key road signs like the speed limit or a Do Not Enter sign; the signs pop up on the speedometer. Never miss a sign with this feature!
Related: I Visited Volvo’s First U.S. Factory… And Learned to Build a Car
The XC90’s display fully loaded. Photo: Lillie Morales
Tech is Front and Center in the Volvo XC90
If you like technology, this car has lots of it. And, it all displays on a lush display screen that is easy to use and nicely organized. Just swipe left for apps such as Apple CarPlay, swipe right for vehicle settings such as head up display. Swipe to the left to adjust the head up display or turn off systems like the blind spot monitor or the auto stop/start feature.
You can control everything from the climate, heated (or cooled) seats from the stationary climate control bar at the bottom of the touch screen
The driver’s digital display shows your speed and gas level, as well as if any of your passengers are not wearing their seat belts, the time, temperature, and more.
And did I mention you can pop open the trunk in three different ways? From inside the car, using the key fob and by sliding your foot underneath the rear bumper to activate the sensor. In case I missed anything, here is the tech that made this car really great…
- 360 surround view camera
- Apple CarPlay
- 12.3″ digital driver display
- Center display with touch screen
- 12V Power outlets in backseat console and trunk
- Bowers & Wilkins sound system
- Hands-free trunk
- Park assist
- WiFi and entertainment apps (some are an optional service)
Related: Volvo’s Safe Driving Tips to Reduce Car Crash Deaths and Serious Injuries to Zero by 2020
The tech in the XC90 is so smart, it can detect when a passenger is sitting in the car. Photo: Lillie Morales
The Big Story in the Volvo XC90: All. That. Style.
Growing up, I remember my mom going from a sports car to a minivan for a short time. She thought the minivan was fun to drive but I dreaded getting into that car. I used to duck into the back with the dog hoping my friends would not see me. I remember thinking that if I ever had kids one day, I would never, ever drive a minivan. (No offense if that’s your kind of ride, it’s just not mine.) With this car, you really don’t have to sacrifice style for space. You get comfort, space, room for up to 7 passengers, plenty of trunk space and luxury. And there’s nothing uncomfortable about this luxury SUV.
There’s plenty of room inside of the XC90. Photo: Lillie Morales
A Third Row That’s Actually Comfortable
The ample size and shape of the Volvo xC90 mean that this car offers a generous amount of space and comfort. The second row is available as a bench that seats three or two captain’s chairs, which allows access to the third row through the center. Your passengers will be pampered in leather seats that heat up if you opt for heated second-row seats. The backseat also has adjustable air vents, cup holders and storage compartments. And last but certainly not least, the XC90’s third row comfortably seats two passengers. I’d recommend the third row for older kids or adults who are in good shape. For example, a person with bad knees or back issues may not be comfortable in the third row. To get in and out of the third row, the second-row seats can be folded and pushed forward. Aside from that, it is very comfortable. My daughter loved hopping back there; she felt cozy and like she was in her own little space.
Related: 2019 Volvo XC60 Hybrid AWD R-Design Review: A Plug-in SUV That Is Far From Frumpy
My daughter loved hanging out in the third row! Photo: Lillie Morales
Plenty of Storage for When Life Gets Busy
Many of us shamefully admit to having too much stuff in the car and not enough room for things like groceries. The XC90 adds storage so you don’t have a clutter of things rolling around on the floors taking up precious cargo space. In the front there is storage for your phone, two cup holders and a power outlet. Inside the armrest, you’ll find more storage as well as USB and AUX ports to charge up and connect to the audio system. And behind the third row there is a generous amount of cargo space– 15.8 cubic feet of space. But if you need more room to load up, put the third row seats down and take advantage of the XC90’s 41.8 cubic feet of cargo space. There’s even a secret storage compartment under the cargo floor where you can keep cleaning supplies for the car, or anything you like, really.
The XC90 has a luxurious interior trimmed with luxe touches like leather covered surfaces, wood inlay and chrome trim. Photo: Lillie Morales
What We Love About this Luxury SUV
- Cabin filter- I have to put this at the top of my list because my daughter has bad allergies. So having a cabin filter that prevents dust and pollen from entering is pretty amazing. Any parent with children that have asthma or allergies will know the importance of this feature.
- Panoramic moonroof- Brings light into the car and is a lot of fun to look out during road trips. It has a power-operated shade to soften the light and if you want some air, the top part opens up.
- Rain sensing wipers- Imagine this- it starts raining and your car automatically turns on the wipers. How cool is that? This is a feature I never knew I wanted, but now I do.
- Power operated liftgate- I love that you can open the trunk by pushing a button on the car key or swiping your foot under the bumper. I found this feature to be super convenient when loading up the trunk.
- Seat massagers- Being on the road for too long can be damaging to your back. I found the seat massage feature to be quite nice. The option is available to both the driver and passenger and it has three levels of intensity to choose from.
- A built-in booster seat- This is great for carpools or times you have an extra passenger who needs a booster. Just push a button on the front of the seat and the seat bottom pops up and pushes back to offer a higher seat position so the seat belt fits properly.
- Leather gearshift- I loved that the Volvo XC90 has this. Many cars now come with push button gear selectors but I personally like to have a nice gearshift.
What You Need to Know
- There are many options when it comes to this luxury crossover; you can get it nicely outfitted or fully loaded. Many of the tech features are available on all models, and increasing the trim level essentially increases the level of luxury.
- The model I test drove was the T6 AWD Inscription; T6 indicates the 4-cylinder turbo 316 horsepower engine, and it was loaded with extras including the Advance package, upgraded paint and wheels, a built-in child booster seat and a premium sound system. The price on this model starts at $61,750 and came to just over $70,000 including delivery.
- To accommodate 7 passengers, buyers should opt for a second-row bench seat
- The all-wheel-drive 4 cylinder turbo model we drove is estimated to get 20 MPG city/27 highway
- The plug-in hybrid model is estimated to get 26 MPG city/30 MPG highway
- Volvo’s warranty covers the car for 4 years/50,000 miles
- Scheduled maintenance is complimentary for 3 years/36,000 miles
- Uses regular gas
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