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We have a bunch of firsts: test results, glitches, and our first service appointment and recall.
We love having the XC90 in our Detroit Motor Trend garage, but it often means we have to wait a bit longer to get test results out here.
But patience has paid off, and instrumentation shows our 2016 is a bit quicker than the Inscription we tested in California in late 2015 when it won Motor Trend SUV of the Year.
Frank Markus was able to shave off 1/100th of a second in each of three 0?60 runs in Dynamic mode at a facility in metro Detroit. He noted this would be a great car to run bracket racing, a form of drag racing that rewards consistency.
Our 2016 T6 did the quarter mile in 15.0 seconds at 94.0 mph at a test facility in Michigan, beating the California results of 15.1 seconds at 90.4 mph. With the faster times came a longer braking distance: 121 feet to stop from 60 compared with 113 feet in previous testing. It is likely that the grip of our surface in Michigan was slightly less than that of the California asphalt; both the lateral grip and braking performance fell by 7 percent even though the tires are identical and the weight is extremely close.
In the first six months with the Volvo, we also have experienced our first glitches.
A colleague was returning from Tennessee with the XC90's gas gauge reading 30 miles to empty when it ran out of gas, all the lights in the instrument cluster lit up, and a warning popped up: "engine performance reduced." After we towed it to a gas station (a $79 bill) and filled the tank, the XC90 started up, but the lights in the gauge were still lit up, and the warning message was still flashing. Unplugging the battery reset the electronics, and after it was plugged back in, the Volvo started easily and was back to normal. The problem has not reoccurred. We reached out to Volvo but have not received an explanation for what we hope was a fluke.
Meanwhile, our gas mileage has averaged 21.5 mpg over the first 9,519 miles, a 0.5-mpg improvement as we break it in.
Our 2016 model was also subject to a recall: a software issue with the sunroof. It was fixed when we took it in for its 10,000-mile checkup. We had the oil changed, fluids checked and topped up, and a number of standard checks completed. Total cost: $0. Volvo provides complimentary maintenance at 10,000, 20,000 and 30,000 miles. A nice touch indeed.
- BASE PRICE $56,395
- PRICE AS TESTED $69,625
- VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 7-pass, 4-door SUV
- ENGINE 2.0L/316-hp/295-lb-ftTurbo- and supercharged DOHC 16-valve I-4
- TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic
- CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,800 lb (52/48%)
- WHEELBASE 117.4 in
- LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 194.8 x 75.7 x 69.9 in
- 0-60 MPH 6.6 sec
- QUARTER MILE 15.0 sec @ 94.0 mph
- BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 121 ft
- LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.79 g (avg)
- EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 20/25/22 mpg
- ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY 169/135 kW-hrs/100 miles
- CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 0.88 lb/mile
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