1,000-Mile Report: All Systems Go

The XC90’s odometer clicked past 1,000 miles last week, an apt time for our first status report. My top three takeaways:

The turbocharged and supercharged power plant is impressive. Had you told me 10 years ago I would one day swap the six-liter V8 in my GMC Yukon XL Denali for a two-liter four-cylinder—and give up only four horsepower—I would have found it hard to believe. But it’s true. The GMC’s engine generated 320 hp, the Volvo’s, with just one-third the displacement, throws off 316.

To be sure, I’m giving up some torque. The Volvo generates 295 lb-ft, versus 365 lb-ft for the Denali. And that translates into less towing power: 5,000 pounds for the Volvo, versus 8,000 for the Denali. But the truth is, I don’t plan on doing much if any towing with the Volvo. (I didn’t spring for the optional towing package.) And the Volvo is lighter than the Denali, too; it has a curb weight of 4,394 pounds, versus the Denali’s 5,820 pounds. That makes it easier to get by with less grunt.

The net result is that from a power perspective, the Volvo is perfectly fine, even in the Comfort driving mode I usually leave selected. Spin the dial to Sport mode, and the engine holds its gears a little longer and is downright spirited. All this is reflected in the Volvo’s 0-60 time of 6.1 seconds, per Volvo, versus 7.3 seconds for the Denali, according to Carspecs.us.

The four-corner air suspension is worth the price. It’s not hard to find reviews complaining that the XC90 has an overly busy ride. Indeed, when I drove a 2016 model—the first year this generation of XC90 was available—I thought the same thing. I don’t remember what trim level I was driving then. All I can say now, emphatically, is that my 2019, with the optional $1,800 air suspension, exhibits no such flaw. Yes, I’ve only put 1,000 miles on the vehicle, but it’s handled every road I’ve travelled exceptionally well. (I also stuck with the 20” wheels that come standard on the Inscription, rather than spending an extra $800 for the optional 21” wheels that seem to be specified for the vast majority of Inscriptions coming into the U.S. That gives me a little extra sidewall height to help absorb bumps.)

Not only do most Inscriptions come with the larger wheels, they also come without the air suspension. It’s almost like Volvo and its dealers are trying to make the ride harsher than it needs to be. Before ordering mine, I made sure to drive one XC90 with the air suspension and another without it, back-to-back. Afterwards, I remarked to my salesman that I was surprised so many people buy the vehicle without it. Who were they? “People who don’t do what you did,” he deadpanned.

The other nice thing about the air suspension is that you can set it to automatically lower the car more than 1.5” every time you exit the vehicle, making it easier to get in the next time you enter it.

My verdict on the front seats is … evolving. I chose the Inscription trim for my XC90 in part because my wife and younger son argued that the seats—Nappa leather, cooled as well as heated, with adjustable thigh support—were superior to those in the Momentum trim. And virtually every Inscription review I’d read raved about how comfortable the front seats were. To be sure, I liked the Nappa leather, too, along with a number of other enhancements the Inscription trim provides. But I also very much liked the way the Momentum seats felt—supremely cushioned and comfy, even if the leather wasn’t as supple.

The Inscription seats, by contrast, feel firmer, with more vertically angled side bolsters on the seat bottom, which I found uncomfortable after bringing the vehicle home. This was odd—and supremely disappointing. I’d driven a couple of 2018s prior to ordering mine and never noticed the problem. Now, with 1,000 miles on the odometer, the issue seems to be working itself out. Maybe the seat is breaking in a bit. Maybe I’m getting more used to its design. I still notice the side bolsters, but am not quite as bothered by them. And no one else in my family has complained at all. I’ll keep you posted.

Note: Counterintuitively, on some of the longer trips I’ve taken (two hours being the longest so far), my discomfort seems to lessen the longer I’m in the car, and the seats become more of the cradle I’d been expecting. Also, I’m well aware that criticizing the comfort of a Volvo’s front seats is a bit like saying Aaron Rodgers can’t throw a football, or mom’s cooking isn’t good. I am proceeding with appropriate caution.

1,000-Mile Numbers
Average mpg: 19.2
Maintenance costs: $0