My sister is looking at picking up a 2019 Volvo S90.. My experience tapers off pretty quickly as soon as they figured out how to make a fillet on the corners.
So what's the deal with modern ones? I know a few years ago they had lots of platform sharing with Ford and Mazda, but I'm not sure what's been going on with the company drive Geely took over.
Thanks!
I have 2, a 2017 and a 2019. Between them they have 20,000 miles on them with almost zero trouble, but that's not saying much about longevity.
They're gorgeous outside and very nice inside. I have a few minor quibbles with the infotainment system, but only minor.
The S90 has the same power train as my V70, in a car that weighs a couple hundred pounds more. Mine feels pretty quick and I can't imagine it being a slug in the bigger car.
I'll try to give some more detail later but I'm on my phone now.
Thanks Duke!
They are extremely comfy.
The driver nannies are very intrusive if that is something you don't like.
I can't imagine that they will be long-term reliable but for now they are beautiful, comfy rides. The V90 in particular is the unobtanium ideal.
I don't think we drove the S90, but we have enjoyed other late-model Volvos.
Some recent reviews:
In reply to WonkoTheSane (Forum Supporter) :
Wonko:
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/new-cars/2019-volvo-v60-t6-awd-momentum/
Most of the commentary here would apply to the S90 as well. I've sat in them in the showroom but never driven one. FWIW the S90 moved to the new (current) platform in 2017, rather than 2019 as the 60-series did, so it has had a little more time away from any first-year bugs.
I would hold out for a T6 version. The T5 moves DW's 2017 S60 just fine, but again, the 90-series is bigger and a bit heavier. The extra torque of the twin-charged T6 would probably be beneficial... but it's your sister, so I won't make that judgment for you.
I would also recommend the Advanced package, which includes a lot of nice stuff like adaptive cruise, which works very well. It also adds a heads-up display, which I love.
The safety systems are pretty present, but they can be easily adjusted to be less intrusive. I don't use the lane departure system, though it works fine. The collision avoidance system is pretty quiet during straight driving, but it gets a little startled if it detects objects just off-path while you are steering. For a real world scenario: say you're driving along on a multi-lane street, and the car in front of you slows to make a right turn. As they make their turn, you ease left to go around them, and the Volvo detects a stopped car in the left turn lane a little ahead. You know there is plenty of room and that this is just a temporary wiggle in your course, but the system thinks you're steering towards a collision, so it throws up the warnings and maybe taps the brakes.
The sensitivity of this system is adjusted by the preferred following distance you set in the adaptive cruise, so you have some control over it. You can also turn it off.
The big iPad dash works pretty well and is not hard to use, even when driving. Entertainment controls are physical knobs and steering wheel buttons, so you don't need to fuss around with it all the time. It might have been nice to have physical HVAC controls but the system is intuitive and big enough on screen that adjustments are not hard while driving. Backup camera and 360 above-view are large and clear.
The dash is all digital, which is nice, but it doesn't include many gauges. Speed, tach, gear, fuel, and alerts are pretty much it. Temperature, oil pressure, etc aren't even available in optional themes - this is a shortcoming, though a common one in modern cars. There is a space between speedo and tach that can be used to display information like current media, nav map / instructions, etc. This is the source of my largest ergonomic quibble:
Under normal driving, I don't want anything there. I've told the car I don't want anything there. But for some reason it insists on sometimes popping up the current radio station and/or song, even though I have specifically said I don't want that information on the dash, just the stack. It's like the radio is so excited to share the news that it just can't contain itself, but then it remembers my setting, and takes it away again. I'm hoping someday a software update will fix that, and I complained about it when I had the car in for service, but they couldn't stop it.
I love driving it. It's quick enough, and power delivery is generally smooth. As a couple reviewers mentioned, the trans is a little slow to downshift if you nail it. Under normal driving that's not an issue, but if you drive the way GRMers do, it's another minor quibble. Honestly, I wish it shifted more like my wife's 2017. Since it is the same 8-speed, I'm not really sure why it doesn't. Again, at least for my car, there was no software update available (yet) to adjust this.
For what it is, general handling is excellent, even when driven aggressively on back roads. Steering feel is a slight step back from DW's 2017, for some reason, but that's not to say it is bad at all. Damping and spring rates are good, firm enough to be entertaining but not harsh. Turn-in and placement are on point for a moderately heavy moderately luxurious car.
Seats are typical Volvo - excellent. I don't know about the base trim, but DW's S60 Inscription and my V60 R-design both have fantastic, supportive comfort.
Both are cars you could drive all day at 80 mph with no drama, no fatigue, and no complaints.
My uninformed and inexperienced answer is that I think the modern Volvo's look great but they scare me from a long-reliability perspective. Again no personal experience, maybe just fear of Geely.
I will add that just yesterday, outside the main entrance of The Cleveland Clinic, I saw a V60 Polstar in exclusive Polstar blue. Gorgeous! Sample:
There is also an all white V90 wagon around here that I love.
Volvo V60 GRM thread
In reply to John Welsh (Moderate Supporter) :
When I was shopping for my 2019 V60 (new gen) last year, for about the same money I could have got a 2018 leftover 2018 Polestar V60 (same gen as the one you posted) in the same Brilliant Blue Metallic color mine is. I went with the newer design but I am still not totally convinced that was the correct choice.
[edit]
On the subject of Geely, I will say that the engineering is all done in Sweden and the US. Our 2017 S60 was built in China and the 2019 was built in Sweden.
The assembly, fit, finish, and paint on both are excellent - can't tell the difference.
Thanks for all the info, guys!
I passed it all on to big sis. She's going to check out your reviews, David.
Duke - Extra special thanks to you for taking the time to write it all out!
I have a few friends with the current Geely-era Volvos and they love them. The only complaint is that they CHEW through brakes. We collectively think it's got something to do wtih the adaptive cruise and/or lane keep functions using them often.
Ooohhhh.. is that how lane keep functions work? That's a lot more brilliant than what I assumed, where it was using the electric power steering to adjust the rack. Just braking the opposite side should work..
I can't imagine the adaptive cruise works have anything to do with it, though? That should only activate brakes in the event a serious speed differential..
Nothing to add except the polestar wagon in that blue is really eye catching in real life, very “wow.”
In reply to WonkoTheSane (Forum Supporter) :
Yes, I assume the lane keep nudges one front caliper to alert you. it's really just enough to tug on the wheel. And the adaptive cruise will brake pretty firmly when people slow down in front of you. It's pretty serious about keeping the following distance that you set.
The other nice programming feature is that if you are on adaptive cruise and coming up behind slower traffic, it will keep on the throttle and let you get closer if you are signaling for a lane change, rather than backing off. So you don't find yourself moving over into faster traffic at the same time the car is backing off from the set point speed.
Duke said:In reply to WonkoTheSane (Forum Supporter) :
Yes, I assume the lane keep nudges one front caliper to alert you. it's really just enough to tug on the wheel. And the adaptive cruise will brake pretty firmly when people slow down in front of you. It's pretty serious about keeping the following distance that you set.
The other nice programming feature is that if you are on adaptive cruise and coming up behind slower traffic, it will keep on the throttle and let you get closer if you are signaling for a lane change, rather than backing off. So you don't find yourself moving over into faster traffic at the same time the car is backing off from the set point speed.
Yeah, that makes perfect sense, especially because stability control is already running through the ABS system, just add a bit of a pulse. Brilliant :)
That sounds like good tuning on the adaptive cruise...
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