Pros

• Beautiful design for the inside.
• Beneficial tech traits based on Google.
• A plug-in hybrid powertrain is an option that can speed up quickly and use less gas.

Cons

• Some functions on a touchscreen can be hard to use.
• The seats in the third row need to be more significant for people.

How fast can the XC90 go? The XC90 moves well on the highway. We put the plug-in hybrid Recharge T8 through its paces. The solid electric help makes it easy to ride around town at a slow pace or speed up to highway speeds. It took our test XC90 5.4 seconds on our test track to go from 0 to 60 mph. That is normal for a luxury SUV with three rows of seats.

The Volvo took a little longer to stop in an emergency, from 60 mph than the average car in its class. This was mainly because the Volvo had low-grip all-season tires. The brakes are easy to adjust, making it easy to stop carefully and smoothly.

Even though the XC90’s handling isn’t excellent, its all-wheel-drive system makes it stable and sure-footed on the road. It would help if you weren’t afraid to drive on a winding, beautiful back road because the XC90’s suspension gives you great control over almost any road surface.

How does the XC90 make you feel at ease? Even though Volvos are known for having comfortable seats, the seats in the XC90 we drove were produced of wool instead of leather. Even though using a different material is good, some writers thought the thread needed to be thicker. Even small lumps and bumps in the road may be felt through the seat because the ride is so tight. We’d choose the leather seats over the wool ones because the leather ones have softer padding, smaller wheels, and airflow, while the wool ones don’t. This would make the ride better.

Even with these minor problems, the XC90 became an extraordinary haven. The XC90’s image as a modern luxury SUV is helped because it doesn’t make much noise or vibrations. It also feels very luxurious inside.

How does the inside look? The XC90’s cabin is usually very roomy, and the big windows make it much easier to see. The first two rows have plenty of room, but the third row is too small for anyone more significant than a toddler. Also, when you get close to or out of a car with air suspension, the ride height can drop quickly, making it easy to get in and out.

The XC90 has never had a great cabin, but that has never been our primary complaint. Because there are no actual buttons, using the infotainment system requires digging through many menus. Dealing with settings buried deep in the system is a headache that will almost certainly take your mind off driving. Volvo’s infotainment system might be easier to use if it had quick buttons that you could feel.

How good is the tech? The extra Bowers & Wilkins sound system in the XC90 will please audiophiles. It has one of the best car sound systems we’ve heard. The infotainment system in the XC90 has a lot of options, but it can be hard to use at times. Google connection makes it easy to get around, and word recognition is the best. There is also Apple CarPlay.

Volvo cars have great features to help the driver. The adaptive cruise control is easy to use, keeps a steady distance between vehicles, and speeds up and slows down quickly. Also, the method for staying in your lane is usually accurate.

What about putting things away? The XC90’s upright shape lets it hold many goods, especially when the second and third rows of seats are folded down. Even though the floor is pretty high, the XC90’s optional air suspension can lower the car’s ride height to make moving easier. Under the baggage area’s bottom is a space for plug-in charging cables and other small items, as well as two cubbies about the size of a backpack on each side. Small things only have a little room up front. On the thin, elegant-looking center desk are two cupholders and a few small trays. When designing the inside, Volvo put more stress on its appearance than on how it worked.

There are easy-to-use support points for child safety seats in the second row. On the other hand, there are no places to hook child safety seats to the two third-row seats. We also wish the doors opened at a wider angle so it would be easy to put a car seat in the right place.

How well does it use gasoline? The EPA says that standard XC90s with the base engine get a combined 23 to 24 mpg in the city and on the highway. We looked at the plug-in hybrid XC90 Recharge, on the other hand. The EPA says that it can go 32 miles just on battery power. The results of our tests are very close to that. On our test route, the XC90 Recharge drove entirely on electric power for 31.5 miles. Once the gas engine started, the XC90 got 28.1 mpg, about the same as the EPA’s total estimate for a luxury hybrid SUV, which is 27 mpg.

Is it wise to buy the XC90? We tried a pricey car called the XC90 Recharge. So, with that in mind, the high-quality materials used inside, the excellent build quality, and the large number of tech features give you a great deal for your money. The XC90 does a great job of making getting around easy and adding a good dose of absolute luxury. Volvo’s warranty is typical for a luxury brand, with free repair for three years or 36,000 miles.

The most current version of the XC90 has been on the market since 2016, and it has mostly stayed the same in terms of how it looks since then. Because of this, the style is getting a little old. On the other hand, the XC90 is appealing if you like the simplicity and reserve of Swedish design. Even though it’s not the newest car on the market, the big Volvo does pretty well against the competition.

We suggest the Base trim level for most buyers because it comes with all the standard features you’d expect from a high-end SUV. There are a lot of safety features, but some comforts and seat changes need to be included or can only be bought as extras. We also suggest moving to the B6 engine because it is more powerful and uses less gas.

Models of Volvo XC90

The Volvo XC90 is a medium-sized, high-end SUV with three rows of seats and three different powertrains. The 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the mild hybrid B5 makes 247 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. The B6 has the same engine as the B5 but has more power (295 hp and 310 lb-ft). An automatic transmission connects both cars with eight speeds that power all four wheels. The Recharge T8 is a plug-in hybrid car that can go 32 miles on electric power alone after a full charge. The rear electric motor puts out 455 horsepower and 523 lb-ft of torque.