2007 Volvo XC90 Sport Utility Vehicle Reviews & Ratings

The Volvo XC90 seats five to seven passengers depending on the seating configuration. It's quiet, comfortable, and above all, roomy. By mounting its engine sideways across the chassis, Volvo has created a cabin with the space and flexibility of a minivan inside a relatively compact exterior. The materials and finish inside are very good, and functionality rates almost as high, despite some Volvo-specific quirks. The XC90 makes an excellent vehicle for families with two or more children growing into their teens.

Standard interior trim is a mix of brushed aluminum around the door pulls, wood trim on the center console and dark, matte-finish plastic behind the switches in the center stack. Volvo steering wheels have some of the chubbiest rims in the business, and they're so thick that drivers with small hands might find them a bit too hefty. The steering wheel (and for 2007, the shift lever) is covered in rich, grippy leather.

It requires a small step up to slide into the XC90's driver's seat, though well-placed grab handles make getting in easier. Those aluminum door pulls are not so effective, however. They're fairly narrow, and seem to be made for people with little hands (in contrast to the fat steering wheel rim).

The front bucket seats are comfortable, with good, adjustable lumbar support. While Volvo leather is some of the best around, the fabric upholstery in the base XC90 3.2 is soft and attractive.

Headroom is exceptional, thanks to the high roofline, and the big windows create a feeling of space, with excellent forward visibility. Unfortunately, Volvo's emphasis on safety has drawbacks in this regard. Large, tall headrests restrict forward visibility for passengers in the second- and third-row seats. More significantly, the headrests can reduce what the driver sees in the rearview mirror. Another minor annoyance is the perpetual reflection in the windshield from the big subwoofer in the top of the dash and the red button for the four-way flasher.

The instrument panel is canted upward toward the windshield, creating a stronger cockpit effect than one finds in the typical sport-utility vehicle. The gauges are simple and easy to read. Window switches are on the doors, right near the fingertips when the driver's left arm lies on the armrest, requiring no hand or wrist contortion to operate. Other controls are concentrated in one of two spots: on easy-to-use stalks flanking the steering wheel, or in the stack rising from the center console. Here you'll find some of those Volvo quirks, which are neither good nor bad. They're just a bit different than the convention in most cars.

The switches that direct airflow for the climate controls, for example, are fashioned with a now traditional Volvo icon that looks like a seated person set over the top. Push the person's feet and all air flows through the floor vents; push the head, and air flows toward the windshield. The audio controls are even more unusual, with a twisting knob that cycles through menus and a keypad that looks like telephone buttons. They all work quite well, once a user gains some familiarity, and nearly all are large and easy to locate, even at night.

Seating and cargo arrangements inside the XC90 are enormously versatile, allowing 64 different configurations, including six of the seven seats folded flat, including the front passenger seat. Equally impressive is the ease with which the seats slide, fold, change and vanish.

The second-row bench seat is split 40/20/40, and each section slides forward independently, adjusting the amount of legroom for the second and third rows. Headrests don't have to be removed when the seats are folded flat. The console between the front seats can be easily removed, allowing the center section of the second row to slide way forward between and just behind the front buckets. With the optional integrated booster cushion for that seat, tending to a toddler has never been easier.

The two-belt third seat is standard on the XC90 V8 and optional on the 3.2. Getting into the third row is easier than it is in many SUVs, because sliding and flipping the second-row seats is a breeze. Of course, with the second row positioned for adult-sized legs, there's only enough leg room in the third row for kids.

Still, for 10-year-olds the third row is a cozy and convenient little world all its own, with a storage console, cup holders, and separate climate controls and registers. Kids actually want to sit way back in the wayback. Headphone plugs are provided, meaning second- or third-row headphone users can listen to a CD while the front-seat occupants listen to the radio through the speakers.

Given the XC90's overall family friendly design, an overall lack of storage for smaller items (particularly in front) seems more glaring. This is a gripe we often with have with Volvos. The door pockets are narrow and the small center console compartment is slim and difficult to access. If you slide a few CDs in the slots, there's no more room at all.

Bigger items are another story, because the XC90 can carry more stuff than most of its competitors. With all six passenger seats folded down, it offers 92.3 cubic feet of cargo space, or more than what's available in the Mercedes M-Class (72.4 cubic feet), BMW X5 (54.5), Acura MDX (83.5), Lexus RX 330 (84.7), Cadillac SRX (69.5) and Infiniti FX (64.5). Even with all three rows of seats in place, there's room in the Volvo for two or three stacked duffel bags behind the third row.

Moreover, the XC90 accommodates long objects easily. Lowering the center portion of the second-row seat opens 9.5 feet of unobstructed space between the instrument panel and the rear liftgate, and this applies with the third-row seat in place, thanks to passage space between the seatbacks. As a result, the XC90 can take four surfers and two long boards to the beach. It's a good vehicle for trout fishing because it will accommodate rigged nine-foot fly rods, allowing the angler to move to a new spot without having to break them down.

The Volvo XC90 is one of the most appealing vehicles Volvo builds. Beyond its family friendly design, functionality and flexible seating/cargo configurations, it's generally a pleasant vehicle to drive. It isn't particularly bulky or even hard to park, nor mundane in a people-mover, family wagon fashion. Many of the driving characteristics common to Volvos, including a hefty, solid demeanor, deliberate steering and a soft brake pedal, seem to go better in this sport-utility than in a sport sedan.

We think the base XC90 3.2 is the best deal. It's now powered by a 3.2-liter, inline six-cylinder engine, and it's an improvement in nearly every respect. Peak horsepower increases by 27 to 235 hp. And while this new six-cylinder lacks the immediate rush of acceleration generated by the previous turbocharged five-cylinder, it's far more flexible. The torque flows more evenly, meaning there is more even acceleration at any engine speed, and the six-cylinder feels much smoother in all circumstances, from idle to full-throttle acceleration. Forward momentum is further improved with a new, responsive six-speed automatic transmission, which includes a Geartronic manual shift feature that lets the driver shuttle up and down through the gears if he or she is feeling racy; this is sometimes useful to reduce shifting in hilly terrain.

Perhaps best of all, EPA mileage figures with the more powerful six-cylinder/six-speed automatic combination are the same as they were with the old five-cylinder/five-speed. We averaged just over 20 miles per gallon in a mix of city and freeway driving, and we'd call that pretty good in an all-wheel-drive vehicle as heavy as the XC90. We recommend the optional all-wheel drive for owners in the Snow Belt, and in climates where it rains a lot. So equipped, the XC90 3.2 will still retail for well under $40,000.

The all-wheel-drive system operates seamlessly, and the driver will almost never know when it's working. In normal, good-traction conditions, 95 percent of the engine's power goes to the front wheels. If those wheels lose traction, a multi-plate clutch begins routing power to the rear, to a maximum split of 65 percent to the back tires. This frontward bias leaves the XC90 with a default understeer condition. (Understeer is where the front tires start losing grip and sliding before the rear tires do.) This push is much easier to handle than a skittish rear end, because a driver's natural instinct is to slow down, and that basically solves the problem.

The XC90's optional V8 engine was developed for the U.S. market, where about 30 percent of all SUVs are sold with V8s. Because Volvo has no history with V8s, it worked with Yamaha to develop one compact enough to fit in the XC90's engine bay. With the V8, Volvo also made some changes in the all-wheel-drive system. In normal circumstances, the V8 system sends more power to the rear wheels for better take off from a standing start, and it incorporates a fast-reacting Instant Traction system to minimize wheel spin.

We spent several hours in the XC90 V8 and found it well-suited to the sort of driving done by many American SUV owners. On one hand, we enjoyed its quick acceleration and no-sweat passing capability. On the other, it doesn't turn the XC90 into a lightning-quick hot rod, and it doesn't increase tow rating a single pound, though it might make towing easier. In short, we'd call the V8 a luxury in this vehicle, rather than a must-have piece of hardware.

Regardless of which engine was chosen, the XC90's silky smooth feeling at 80 mph impressed us. Its chassis closely follows the design of Volvo's Cross Country wagon, though it's wider and the components are beefier. The XC90 handles bumpy roads with dips and gullies well, without crashing loudly or bottoming when driven hard. It doesn't offer the sporty handling of a BMW X5 or Infiniti FX35, but some of us prefer it. The Volvo's power rack-and-pinion steering is on the heavy side, and not particularly quick in sharp curves yet the XC90 doesn't wallow or sway excessively under hard cornering. The electronic stability system, called DSTC, stepped in a few times when we were thrashing down a particularly ornery road, and applied the brakes at one wheel without cutting engine power. It worked as intended, and helped keep the XC90 going where we intended while driving at rate few owners will care to undertake.

Ride quality in the XC90 is very good, and stiff at the wheels but not in the cabin. It doesn't exactly absorb the ridges and bumps, because you feel the suspension working over them, but it doesn't transfer any harshness to the arms or seat of the pants, either. Speed bumps in particular are interesting: It's as if the suspension challenges them and hammers back, protecting us from jouncing even when we hit them at 15 mph.

The brake pedal in the XC90 can feel a little soft until the driver gets familiar. But once that occurs, that driver can stop the XC90 smoothly and progressively, and very quickly if necessary, with no drama. Substantially sized brakes are one reason for the XC90's substantial maximum towing capacity of nearly 5000 pounds, which is more than enough for family duty such as towing a camper, ATVs or a couple of watercraft.

The 2007 Volvo XC90 is available with a six-cylinder or V8 engine. Both models feature a six-speed automatic transmission, and both are available with all-wheel drive.

The base XC90 3.2 ($36,135) is new for 2007, with a 3.2-liter normally aspirated inline-6 replacing the previous 2.5-liter turbocharged 5. The new engine generates 15 percent more horsepower (235) and torque (236 lb-ft), yet delivers the same EPA mileage ratings as its predecessor.

The XC90 3.2 comes with fabric upholstery, but standard features are otherwise premium grade, including an eight-way power driver's seat with memory, a 160-watt, eight-speaker stereo with CD and MP3 jack, dual-zone automatic climate control, cruise control, trip computer, power windows, doors, locks and mirrors, and 17-inch alloy wheels. It comes standard with five-passenger seating. Electronically controlled fulltime all-wheel drive ($1,850) is optional on the XC90 3.2.

Option packages bring the XC90 3.2's features up to par with the V8 model, minus the V8 engine. The Premium Package ($2,995) includes leather seating, a power front passenger seat, the power moonroof and six-CD changer. The Versatility Package ($2,250) can be added to the premium package and includes the third-row seat, rear air conditioning, a built-in second-row child booster seat and self-leveling rear suspension.

The seven-passenger XC90 V8 ($45,840) is powered by a 4.4-liter V8 developed to Volvo specifications by Yamaha, the Japanese motorcycle builder and auto engine specialist. The V8 generates 311 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, with standard all-wheel drive. In addition to a two-place third seat with rear air conditioning, the V8 adds leather upholstery, an eight-way power front passenger seat, a six-CD changer, a power moonroof, auto-dimming interior mirror and speed-sensitive power steering.

Option groups for the XC90 V8 include a Touring Package ($1,300), with 18-inch wheels, premium sound with a 305-watt amplifier and 12 speakers and special Sapeli wood inlays on the dash, gearshift knob and steering wheel. The Sport Package ($2,875) adds chromed 19-inch wheels and heavily bolstered sport seats.

Packages available on all XC90s include a Climate group ($675), with heated seats, headlight washers and rain-sensing wipers, and a Convenience Package ($1,295) that adds rear park assist, power retractable side mirrors and a cargo security cover and net. Stand-alone options include a navigation system ($2,120), a rear-seat DVD system with two headrest-mounted seven-inch color screens ($1,995), 18-inch wheels in chrome ($1,400) or alloy ($750), Active Bi-Xenon headlights ($800) and metallic paint ($475).

Safety features make the XC90 is one of the best equipped sport-utilities on the market. Standard safety features include dual-stage front impact and side-impact airbags for front passengers, and curtain type head protection airbags for all outboard seats. The XC90 was one the first SUVs equipped with a rollover protection system, which senses an impending vehicle rollover, tightens the seatbelts and deploys the curtain airbags. The seats feature Volvo's Whiplash Protection System, which moves them back and downward if the vehicle is hit from behind, reducing neck snap.

Safety features intended to help drivers avoid collisions to begin with advanced four-channel antilock brakes, an electronic stability program to help manage skids, and Roll Stability Control, which uses a gyroscopic sensor to reduce the possibility of a rollover by applying brakes and modulating engine power.

The 2007 XC90 is offered for the first time with Volvo's blind-spot monitoring system, or BLIS ($595). BLIS uses cameras to monitor an area measuring 10 feet by 31 feet on either side of the car, which is often not covered by the side mirrors, and reports the presence of another vehicle in the blind spots with a prominent warning light in the appropriate mirror.