Volvo XC90 Reviews

"The wood inserts throughout the cabin provide some brightness and give it that upscale look. And the usual speedometer, tachometer and other gauges are as easy to read as ever."

"Ride motions are tidily controlled, the ZF rack-and-pinion steering reacts and reads back faithfully, and the chassis feels stable and predictable."

"The 6 [cylinder engine] has ample power from the light, and the twin turbos provide sufficient boost when you need to pass or climb that incline."

"The XC90 is well-stocked with standard features. Among them are dual-zone climate control, a power driver seat, steering wheel-mounted stereo controls, one-touch up and down front windows and a roof rack (cross bars are optional)."

"ROPS [Roll-Over Protection System] uses a torque sensor mounted in the floor to detect when the car starts to rotate about its longitudinal axis, or roll. The system then independently applies brakes to understeer the XC90 out of trouble. We tried to roll the thing and couldn't."

"Where it comes up short is in fuel economy, 15 m.p.g. city/20 m.p.g. highway with full-time all-wheel-drive."

"While around-town driving poses few problems, we found the engine tended to get out of breath while climbing grades, even though altitude doesn't affect for turbocharged motors nearly as much as naturally-aspirated ones."

"It lacks the silky, fluid quality of the Lexus RX 300 and the sport sedanlike demeanor of a BMW X5, but like the Acura MDX, it's a nice compromise of both."

"The ute accelerated to 60 mph in 9.15 seconds (the V8-equipped Aviator was more than a second quicker) and there is no turbo lag. The Volvo stopped from 60 mph in 135 feet (14 feet less than the 4818-pound Lincoln)."

"Like gazillions of soccer moms nationwide, we've succumbed to crossoveritis. So much so we've added Volvo's new upmarket SUV, the XC90, to the AutoWeek long-term fleet"

"When a car company whose name means 'I roll' in Latin plans a foray into the world of sport-utility vehicles, you can bet there's some serious review of the issues."