Mild curio Dad wagon - V8 Volvo Xc90 Volvo Ocean Race
Discussion
So having been in the US for a few years now, our first car we bought when we moved out had reached the end of its usable life with us. It was a glorious Infiniti FX35, which was a great car, but at 150k miles it was heading in the direction of needing a lot of $$ spending to keep it going. It served us well, but with the addition of a baby during the period (And our existing dog) it was also getting a bit small for our needs.
Anyway, out with the old and in with the new.
My criteria was fairly broad. It is my wifes car rather than mine, so had to fit with her needs. The main criteria was simply needing more room, both seating and boot space. Of course in the US, these types of cars are very common and can range from the sublime to the ridiculous. We initially ruled out the Tahoe / Yukon / Escalade offerings on them being 'too' big (Wifes choice not mine), but we did come back to revisit them again later in the search. We also looked at Infiniti Qx56 and the Chrysler Aspen. But we just couldn't find one in our budget. We also looked at X5s and Q7s, but they both had the knack of being huge on the outside and small on the inside, neither were big enough. I also liked the look of the LR3 (Discovery) but alas, only high milers (160K +) in our budget.
I was beginning to get a little despondent at not finding a nice example of any of these cars in our budget, so I was about to give up and get saving again.
Then on a final look over autotrader, I found this... a 2006 Volvo XC90.
This particular example was low miles (for the USA) at 82k, It was pretty well loaded with kit and was a special edition. So a test drive and deal was done. We paid around 8000 GBP.
This is the Volvo Ocean Race edition, of which there are 800 worldwide (our is 237 as says our plaque) which comes in a special blue metallic color, special leather with blue stitching, had a bunch of badges and is loaded with a bunch of kit (NAV, parking, DVD system, heated leccy seats, multi zone climate etc..).
The best piece of kit however is the V8 lurking under the hood (Bonnet sorry), a Yamaha unit producing 311 bhp according to the web. It certainly moves in a straight line, not exactly great in the corners, but I don't think that is really the point of these ones. It is a rather subdued noise in and out of the cabin at normal revs, but it does get going as you push it on.
The seats and ride are supremely comfortable, and with its clever moving / folding seat system, it gives us 7 seats, or 5 and a huge boot.
Anyway, I'll let the pictures do the talking:
IMG_7119
IMG_7124
IMG_7126
IMG_7122 by
IMG_7131
IMG_7136
IMG_7134
IMG_7121
IMG_7120
IMG_7117
IMG_7129
Hope you like it, we are pleased so far. It appeals to my sense of motoring curio, I do love a rarity or special edition! The V8 being a novelty a well.
It needs a good clean inside and out. Although I am tempted to leave it based on the state my wife lets her cars get into!
I'll update the thread with news and views as we go!
Anyway, out with the old and in with the new.
My criteria was fairly broad. It is my wifes car rather than mine, so had to fit with her needs. The main criteria was simply needing more room, both seating and boot space. Of course in the US, these types of cars are very common and can range from the sublime to the ridiculous. We initially ruled out the Tahoe / Yukon / Escalade offerings on them being 'too' big (Wifes choice not mine), but we did come back to revisit them again later in the search. We also looked at Infiniti Qx56 and the Chrysler Aspen. But we just couldn't find one in our budget. We also looked at X5s and Q7s, but they both had the knack of being huge on the outside and small on the inside, neither were big enough. I also liked the look of the LR3 (Discovery) but alas, only high milers (160K +) in our budget.
I was beginning to get a little despondent at not finding a nice example of any of these cars in our budget, so I was about to give up and get saving again.
Then on a final look over autotrader, I found this... a 2006 Volvo XC90.
This particular example was low miles (for the USA) at 82k, It was pretty well loaded with kit and was a special edition. So a test drive and deal was done. We paid around 8000 GBP.
This is the Volvo Ocean Race edition, of which there are 800 worldwide (our is 237 as says our plaque) which comes in a special blue metallic color, special leather with blue stitching, had a bunch of badges and is loaded with a bunch of kit (NAV, parking, DVD system, heated leccy seats, multi zone climate etc..).
The best piece of kit however is the V8 lurking under the hood (Bonnet sorry), a Yamaha unit producing 311 bhp according to the web. It certainly moves in a straight line, not exactly great in the corners, but I don't think that is really the point of these ones. It is a rather subdued noise in and out of the cabin at normal revs, but it does get going as you push it on.
The seats and ride are supremely comfortable, and with its clever moving / folding seat system, it gives us 7 seats, or 5 and a huge boot.
Anyway, I'll let the pictures do the talking:
IMG_7119IMG_7124IMG_7126IMG_7122 by IMG_7131IMG_7136IMG_7134IMG_7121IMG_7120IMG_7117IMG_7129Hope you like it, we are pleased so far. It appeals to my sense of motoring curio, I do love a rarity or special edition! The V8 being a novelty a well.
It needs a good clean inside and out. Although I am tempted to leave it based on the state my wife lets her cars get into!
I'll update the thread with news and views as we go!
I'm an East coast resident and used to drive a company Ford Explorer until very recently. When I go back home to the UK I rent XC90's. The represent a great package of large and practical while still being useable in the small Northern Village I grew up in. I am going to start my new job on Monday and will be in a Taurus. I may end up buying a 3rd car to go along side the Taurus and Tiguan. If I do it will be a Volvo.
Thanks for the comments guys.
So far so good, we've had it fully laden with kid / dog stuff and performed well. Very comfortable on long journeys as well, very pleased with that. The old FX35 was very harsh, which made for great spirited driving, but not exactly what we need from this car.
I'm still in two minds about the exhaust. I don't think it makes sense to spend any real money on a family wagon, however a muffler (Silencer to you and I) delete seems popular. My only issue is the CA Smog test (Once every 2 years). Maybe I'll do it just after and see how I get on.
This is what it can sound like once done:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPbsl8zqJ3s
So far so good, we've had it fully laden with kid / dog stuff and performed well. Very comfortable on long journeys as well, very pleased with that. The old FX35 was very harsh, which made for great spirited driving, but not exactly what we need from this car.
I'm still in two minds about the exhaust. I don't think it makes sense to spend any real money on a family wagon, however a muffler (Silencer to you and I) delete seems popular. My only issue is the CA Smog test (Once every 2 years). Maybe I'll do it just after and see how I get on.
This is what it can sound like once done:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPbsl8zqJ3s
Very nice, and looking smart for 10 years old - being an innately practical family car most I see at that age have been beaten to death by toddlers or teenagers and are showing their age especially with the light-coloured leather.
Mind you, I suppose compared to a Suburban that's probably a mid-sized car!
Mind you, I suppose compared to a Suburban that's probably a mid-sized car!
That looks splendid. My sister had one of the very first XC90s when they came out. Had every option but with the diesel engine. This looks like a much nicer offering. I really like the wooden trim, looks very suiting to the boating nature of the special edition.
Where abouts in California are you? I moved out to San Diego a few years ago now. Been hard with family, but skype makes it bearable.
Where abouts in California are you? I moved out to San Diego a few years ago now. Been hard with family, but skype makes it bearable.
Polarbert said:
That looks splendid. My sister had one of the very first XC90s when they came out. Had every option but with the diesel engine. This looks like a much nicer offering. I really like the wooden trim, looks very suiting to the boating nature of the special edition.
Where abouts in California are you? I moved out to San Diego a few years ago now. Been hard with family, but skype makes it bearable.
Thanks for the comments. Normally these passed me by, but I must admit the special edition and colour combos really caught my eye, along with it being in good nick.Where abouts in California are you? I moved out to San Diego a few years ago now. Been hard with family, but skype makes it bearable.
We're in South Orange County (Dana Point), we've been here for 2 years now and loving every minute. No desire to go back at all, unless we have to (Going for Green Card right now).
Mine is a sport rather than an ocean race but we've had it 3 years and love it! The V8 was only in the XC90 a little while so they are rare. It's a fantastic engine, used in the Noble M600 too.Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff