Dear Consumer Reports: We Beg to Differ

Miles Driven: 3,600

Full confession: I’m just nerdy enough that I’ve been reading Consumer Reports since high school, when my dad subscribed to the magazine. I subscribe to the online edition now, and still turn to it before making most major purchases. But I can’t agree fully endorse its review of the current-generation Volvo XC90, especially now that I’ve been driving my 2019 model for more than five months.

Our disagreements center around the XC90’s ride and its infotainment system. In its thumbnail summary of the vehicle, Consumer Reports writes that “handling is commendable, but the ride is stiff; it is slightly better with the optional air suspension.” In its full report, it goes on to say that “the stiff suspension is best suited to a perfectly smooth Swedish highway. On American roads, every bump and ripple is fed to the cabin.”

With so many versions of the XC90 from which to choose, with different wheel sizes and suspensions available, that uncharitable characterization of the vehicle’s ride deserves more nuance.

It’s true the XC90 will never be mistaken for a Buick—or a GMC Yukon XL Denali, like my last vehicle. A firm ride is the Volvo’s European default. But in my test drives before choosing a T6 Inscription, I found the ride in the base Momentum trim, with its standard 19” wheels, to be perfectly acceptable. On the other hand, I did find the ride in the standard Inscription trim, with optional 21” wheels, to be overly brittle and jittery. Like Consumer Reports, I didn’t like it. But I equipped my Inscription with the standard-for-that-trim 20” wheels, and also added the optional air suspension. Now the ride was not, in my view, slightly better. It was world’s better. I’ve put 3,600 miles on the vehicle now, on a wide array of road surfaces, including the notoriously bad stretch of Interstate 83 that runs through York County, Pennsylvania. Even after driving my GMC for 16 years, which I often likened to riding down the road in a La-Z-Boy, I find my new Volvo to have a perfectly acceptable—in fact, pleasant—ride.

As I’ve said before—quoting my Volvo salesman—the only people who buy the XC90 without the air suspension are, for the most part, people who didn’t drive it with the air suspension first.

Now to the infotainment system. “Our love of the interior,” Consumer Reports writes, “cooled when we engaged the large touch-screen console, which looks dazzling until you have to operate it. Almost all audio, climate, navigation, phone, and vehicle settings are integrated via swipe-and-tap commands that are frustratingly unintuitive.”

Does the XC90 require more of a learning curve than it would if the dash were outfitted with two dozen buttons? Sure. Is it any more complicated than your everyday smartphone? I’d say not. My first car was a 1970 Ford. I know old, simple cars. I’ve adapted quite easily to the Volvo’s controls and find them manageable—especially since some functions, like setting the interior temperature, for example, can be controlled by voice commands.

To be fair, some of Consumer Reports’ criticisms are on point. Getting only about 20 mpg around town from a four-cylinder engine could be considered disappointing, and the engine note is certainly less appealing than the note from the six-cylinder power plants that Volvo once favored—and are still found in most competitive vehicles. But none of this is a surprise to the new Volvo owner—you know this going into the purchase, unless you’ve purchased your vehicle without either reading about it or test-driving it.

On a brighter note, I agree wholeheartedly with Consumer Reports’ praise for other aspects of the XC90. Among its more favorable comments:

·      “What really wowed us was the quiet and impeccably finished interior. Take the easy step up into the cabin and you're welcomed with soft leather and beautifully finished wood panels, plus nice touches such as a knurled ignition-switch knob and a drive-mode selector.”

·      “The front seats maintain Volvo's tradition of extremely comfortable chairs; the roomy second-row perch offers lots of leg room. And Volvo is among the only manufacturers to offer a built-in child booster seat.”

·      “The XC90 is spacious and airy with big windows and relatively thin roof pillars that make it among the best SUVs for driver visibility.”

·      “The optional LED headlight high beams are the best we've ever tested. Volvo calls the daytime running lights ‘Thor's Hammer.’ You'll be able to spot the Norse gods picnicking in Asgard.”

The folks at Consumer Reports drive a lot of cars, and they play their cards straight. I just think that picking the right trim level and feature set get you an XC90 that’s far better than the publisher’s review might lead you to expect.