That's a pretty damning review...

 

Thankfully, the people commenting are smarter than those who wrote the review...

 

I was talking to my brother in law about the T8. It does sound good, but it just doesn't make economical sense. Although, I've gotta give credit where due, 0-60 in 5.3 seconds is pretty damn impressive. That said, the price is crushing, it's still a Volvo. I thought a $65K well loaded T6 was pushing the comfort level of a Volvo, but clearly the package warrants it, just not sure I can handle the T8 differences. Part of it is that I live in the City of Austin with regulated power, so every 500 kw puts me into a new price bracket. So a non-essential electric appliance such as a plug-in car gets billed at the highest rate as it's non-essential. In the Summer, that puts me into a high luxury tax bracket as I have a 3700 sq ft house with dual A/C running 24/7 as I work from home and have live-in childcare. So it doesn't make sense for us considering we drive <10K miles per year.

That and we had a 2006 Prius and it had a handful of issues that were tough to diagnose or get repaired outside of the Toyota dealer. Still impressive performance, and I applaud Volvo for going for it and making the T8.

 

Finally! I was waiting to see the 0-60 acceleration

"And the T8 did deliver better acceleration, hustling to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds"

 

Disappointed on unable to recover the extra money spent?
En, give him the $19k money and a T6, can he make the T6 5.3sec for 0-60 and also capable to run 50mpg or just over 30mpg by any means?

 

This review perpetuates the same fallacy that many reviews of EVs/PHEVs/hybrids make: assuming that 'payback period' is a thing. What's the payback period of the Inscription over the Momentum? A 911 Turbo over base? A Camry Limited over LE? People make vehicle option choices for many reasons, and most of the time it's not because they view it as saving money.

Because electrification lowers operating costs (to varying levels) and generally entails a higher upfront cost, payback period tends to rise to the fore. But it's not generally the primary reason these choices are made, in my experience and for the folks I know.

I've owned two Priuses and am buying a T8. The gas $$ savings is nice, but ancillary to the other benefits: higher and quicker torque output, lower emissions, and in the case of plug-ins, the ability to power the car in part off of the sunlight my home captures.

I do agree with the article that the T8 is not something that is going to come out cheaper for most folks. In the US it's something like an $18k option. It does bring with it some options that would otherwise require Momentum Plus, and drops the delta to the other trims, so realistically it's $16k or $17k. I'm in Colorado, which has one of the best state PHEV incentives in the US, which when combined with the federal credit drops the after-tax upcharge to $5k-$6k. Still not going to be made up by gas savings at current gas prices, but something easier to justify if the extra power, ability to make short drives on electricity alone, and support of Volvo's electrification plans are important to the buyer. Aside from Tesla, other manufacturers seem to be dipping a single toe into full EVs. Volvo's on the record with plans to go full EV across their line in a few years, not a couple decades. I want to support that.

For me, the biggest driver of the choice to go for the T8 over T6 was simple: I haven't bought a vehicle without some form of electrification in its powertrain since 2005, and I'm not going to do so in the future. Our last two cars were non-plug-in hybrids, this one is a PHEV, and if I can make it work it'll be the last vehicle with a gasoline engine in my garage. Full EVs only after this. I've driven electric enough to be convinced that that's clearly the future. For societal reasons, sure, but also because they're just better cars. More fun to drive, and as the tech continues to advance they'll be cheaper to maintain, last longer, and be much more convenient to fuel.

I got onboard the train relatively early and I'm not getting off. Yes, the T8 is a stepping stone and carries with it some compromises, but it's one of only a handful of options for plug-in 7 seaters. In my opinion, it's the best one.

Side note: how the hell did they manage just 19 MPG?

 

Side note: how the hell did they manage just 19 MPG?

Michigan winters?

 

If your going to buy a T8 in my opinion make sure you can drive most if your commute on electric..if you can your going to save allot of money. Keep in mind heating and AC, along with weather will reduce your range, If I'm careful I can go a month between fill ups because I do most my drive on electric.

I took mine to the GTA this weekend and depending on where you live and how far you drive you'll suck the battery dry pretty quick. I was in an area where the speed limit was 70km and the battery wouldn't have lasted long, that also being said even when the battery was depleted it still operated fine in hybrid mode (the system will always have 20% battery even if the display shows dead) shutting of the engine and moving the car from stop on electric until about 20kph when the gas kicked in, you can even ease off the gas and use the electric to keep your speed, so you will still save gas money with a depleted battery, it's all driving habits and from the sounds of it they used a pretty heavy foot, it took me about 2 weeks to really learn the car and get the most out of the battery like shutting off the ac compressor and turning up the fan or seat cooling, backing way off the peddle when cruising on battery as the electric motor doesn't need allot of peddle input to keep the car at speed ( on level ground)

In power mode the T8 it can shovel it pretty good, the only time I feel the weight is when I break hard or throw it into a corner, more so than usual, But if you getting a xc90, T8 or not to throw into corners and expect it to stay on the level look for another car.

I would say the review was mostly fair ( in my opinion) coming from a sports sedan I can say I cant wait to get up in the morning get in that car and drive, and to me that's all I need as proof I got the right car. I do however agree it could use need more range ( maybe next gen.?)

 

Presumably the bit about how they were getting the back end sideways before the ICE kicked in might explain the mpg figure...

 

Is it an ice white or a crystal metal white in the review?

 

I've have often wondered what the point of T8 is. You'll pay a lot more money for a vehicle that is heavier, more technically complex than the already complex T6 (= reliability issues+expensive repairs after warranty period) and lacks a spare tire. Yes, you can run a bit faster 0-60 and it saves you a bit of gas, but that's it. For my money, I'd rather have Volvo put in a six cylinder turbo/supercharged engine in the XC90. It would probably be as fast as the T8 and could possibly save on the gas over the T6.

 

For my money, I'd rather have Volvo put in a six cylinder turbo/supercharged engine in the XC90. It would probably be as fast as the T8 and could possibly save on the gas over the T6.

I imagine a full Polestar variant would be as fast then the T8 with the current 362 hp 2.0L based on the weight savings alone. Probably end up cheaper as well. Depends on what you want though, but without the tax credits on the T8, I imagine it wouldn't be as popular. I would have gone with the T8 if I were registering it in CO.

 

Additional offset: after any Federal tax incentive, in D.C. vehicle purchases on PHEVs delivering in excess of 40mpg are exempt from sales/registration tax .
That's 8% on a vehicle of this weight or approximately $6500 that one is NOT paying.

 

meh...this is the very first review which trashes the T8...and the only one of many many singing its praises...

is it perfect ? not.. but Im loving my T8 so far..it has been flawless..and by far the best looking and most lux 7P-SUV

 

The guy writing the review was clearly an idiot. 800 miles but only 6 charges in total? 10 miles EV range? Probably drove it in power mode throughout.

 

@Zaxxon Great comments, thanks. It is our first foray into a hybrid. The decision was based on the fact we really liked our previous XC90 Sport with its fab V8 and that the rebates available here (Canada) are excellent on the T8-R versus T6 or T8 Inscription. We are also excited to be able to do 90% of our driving without engaging the combustion side of the equation. Of course I will still need to plant the right foot a few times to enjoy the 0-60 grin.

 

What someone wrote in response to the C/D review, from their site - note the comments are not mine.

I'm a T8 Inscription owner and my experience has been so different from C&D's, it makes me wonder if there was something wrong with their car. I'm also a 30-something from a family of motorheads who rebuild muscle cars and ride street bikes for fun, not a suspender-wearing grandpa. I'd never set foot on a Volvo lot before I went to test drive this car. So you can't dismiss my observations as coming from a soft customer.

FUEL ECONOMY: We're averaging 33MPG over our first few hundred miles. We live in Southern California, so maybe the warmer temperatures could explain our better fuel economy (60s and 70s?). However, this is me driving with a lead foot, doing longish trips (60 miles each way), rarely using the electric mode, and forgetting to charge the car at night half the time. So I can only imagine much better MPG is possible if only I drove "right".

HANDLING: One of the main reasons we chose the T8 over the T6 was we prefferred the ride. Maybe the T6 measures better on a spec sheet, but the T8 felt less lean, more planted to us. I figured this was due to the extra weight, and especially the lower center of gravity due to where that weight is located.

POWER & DELIVERY: Contrary to C&D, our T8 puts on power so smoothly, I have a tough time distinguishing when power is coming on from the electric vs. gas. The only giveaway is engine noise or vibration, really, which you will easily tune out if you aren't actively listening for it. I haven't experienced any trasmission clunkiness or jolts *at all* -- certainly nothing to slosh my coffee.

The T8 is noticeably faster than the T6 in a straight line, which C&D points out. *More importantly*, however, is that the T8 has immediate torque off the line. In a T6, there is a noticeable and irritating lag from when you stomp on the throttle to when the car takes off. It's not any worse than most other turbo cars, but still enough that it gives me a little frowny face. In the T8, the immediate full torque of the electric engine (even if it is just 90 lb. ft. or whatever) is enough to mask that delay and give you some immediate pull. For me, coming from owning a Twin-Turbo V6 Ford Flex, this took the car from being slightly slower/sedate by comparison (the T6) to being a sllight improvement (the T8). Also, we were cross-shopping it against the Audi Q7, which is much more a driver's car but not as nice in all the design and features (IMO - especially the stereo, Volvo's B&W blows away Audi's B&O), and the T8 put it much closer to the Q7 in power, at least.

PRICE / AFFORDABILITY: Looking at several different apples/apples inventory during our shopping, the T8 ran for about $16K more than equivalent T6. In our state (CA), we get $1500 tax credit on top of the federal $4600, for a total of $6100 credit. That brings the price delta down to <$10K, which is a much different scenario when you factor that in. My calculations have me saving about $350-500 a year in gas after factoring in electric charging, so I'm obviously not going to pay for that with gas savings. But, as I wrote above, there are many other real reasons why we wanted the T8 which had nothing to do with gas economy. If anything, that was a footnote to the choice.

Let me add that the T8 with all the options came out to be less money than the loaded Audi Q7. For those worried about reliability of this complex machine (as some commenters brought up), we were able to get a 7-year 120,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty from Volvo and still cost the same as the Audi, which I feel nukes that concern for the most part (it includes things like loaner car, unlimited free towing, etc.).

At the end of the day, I agree the T8 is expensive and not something people choose for practical reasons exactly (contrary to the Volvo stereotype). It's just a little more practical than the German lux SUVs is all, but still tilted toward luxury more than practicality. If you want practical, get the Honda Pilot or the forthcoming Mazda CX-9, or even the Ford Flex I left behind.

Anyway, C&D's review here seems cursory and innaccurate, and I hope other prospective owners see this post and those of other owners to know so.

 

+1 to above review!

Can't wait to pick up our T8!

 

This review does not reflect my experiences with the T8 at all. How on earth did they manage to get such bad milage?

 

Meh.

I think this needs to be read along with Clarkson's review of the T8: http://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews/the-clarkson-review-2016-volvo-xc90-t8-twin-engine-inscription/

Yup, if you attempt to make it financially worth the difference, you do need to calculate tax savings, your distance driven, assumptions on the price of oil, etc. None of which I care about. And the bit on too many choices is very amusing to me. Clearly, he got in, stomped on the gas and did his best to prove a thesis. Okay.

It's a premium car. It's the premium-est of the XC90s, based on price. Yes, different governments offset that to different degrees, because they recognize the need to get away from oil. Some care more about that (and are less lobbied) than others.

The bit he's missing is it's a personal choice. There is enough about the T8 to be compelling on its own merits (power, right-now torque and the drive feel, which is indeed less flinty than the T6). Then there is the simple notion that we can't do this oil thing much longer, we are running out and we need to map the way to something else. This is a transitional technology, but it's critical. Personally, being on that curve now is something I'm happy to pay for. Hey volvo, this matters enough to me that I'm willing to pay the premium. Please make more, and keep investing in development. And yes, I get that it's going to cost me.

 

Well said - I agree the author went in with a bias, and he proved it. Nobody is buying the T8 because it makes the most economic sense, because it doesn't. It's the flagship of Volvo right now, arguably, and comes with a premium price. To state that it's not worth getting because the premium paid for the battery takes too long to recuperate is not what Volvo, or any of the owners, have in mind.

 

Double Meh ... not impressed with the article

Did they write this from a pre-production model? I got one of the first T8's imported to North America - and my experience is NOTHING like what they documented:

My pure battery only range has never been as low as 13 miles. In the dead of winter with it very cold (affects battery performance / range) and with headlights on and heat going still didn't get as low as 13 miles. And I've never depleted the battery in "just 10 miles". Fact is with a little finesse (and maybe luck) I've actually been able to squeak 20 miles pure electric out of this beast.

I've driven a T6 for some time as well - and I don't agree with the "extra mass saps the relatively lithe feel of the T6". The extra weight amounts to two to three adults - one could easily duplicate this with normal load. Reading into that - I wonder if you put four adults and two children into a T6 they'd say the same thing? Plus: no mention or credit on how well Volvo did with the battery weight distribution - there is something to be said about where they put it!

As for irritating driver and passenger and sloshing coffee around: sure, when in Hybrid or Pure mode the car is a rear wheel drive vehicle. Maybe the author has never driven one of those? I did find a couple of occasions where in the winter using electric only (rear wheel) drive I was able to get the back end of the vehicle to slide, like pulling out of my driveway on a snow covered street and pressing down on the gas <sic> pedal. But years ago my '67 GTO would do the same thing ...

"Over 800 miles of winter driving that included six charging sessions, our observed fuel economy was a meager 19 MPGe." OK - so they mentioned winter driving. All electric vehicles suffer from the same issue with decreased battery output with lower temps. So let's de-rate the electric range to say 15 miles times 6 charges = 90 miles. So that means they bought around 40 gallons of gas. Hmmm - no mention (complaint?!) about how small the T8's gas tank is (50 litres).

Maybe I am at the other end of the spectrum. I commute to/from work totally electric (and charge in both locations). I also make other trips where I charge as well. And occasionally longer drives (of course, only on gas). And my T8 has a lifetime eMPG of +/- 60.

My last fill-up was 7.236 gallons (x $2.419 = $17.50). I drove 617 miles on that amount of fuel - about 85 MPG.

"But this complex hybrid model is, ultimately, disappointing." I think what's more disappointing is the quality of this review. If you are perusing Swedespeed in review of T8 info please know that the C&D review is not indicative of what I've experienced with my T8. I find no fact with any of the negative comments:

• It is not complicated: in fact, I would like more control and more details ... and I think Volvo has done a great job in keeping it simple. To that extent, a recent software update (which came out BEFORE the review did) even makes things simpler.
  
• Published battery range is a real world 17 miles and I've been able to exceed that. Actual range depends on temperature and speed - all spelled out in detail in the Volvo T8 Owner's Manual.
  
• I have not noticed lack of coordination between the ICE and the electric drive train. In fact, often I'm amazed at how smoothly it brings different propulsion on and off-line.
  
• The C&D fuel economy numbers just don't add up: the only thing I can fathom is their consumption is including various road tests they may have done - which may be extreme. Even still - I can't see how they ended up with ridiculously poor numbers for 800 miles of travel.
  

This is one review where I recommend skip the article and enjoy the pictures.

 

I wish I would have taken the above advice - not wasted my time reading the article. I find it odd that C&D does not list the Volvo XC90 T8 in any of its groupings - at least none that I could find.

My experiences with my T8 have been superb. Winter and spring driving have been excellent. The transition between ICE and electric has been very smooth, the ride and handling have been comfortable and controlled.

In my first ten days (Feb. 1-10), my fuel economy averaged 22 mpg but that was during 0 F average daily temperatures. So far, I am averaging 38.5 mpg over 2500 miles over four months (which includes February and March) and that is with only one charge per day. On the interstate alone, I am getting 27 mpg, but then I did not buy the T8 for fuel economy, but for many other reasons. I also want to see Volvo succeed with the PHEV and EV roadmap - in part, because I am invested (with my T8).

 

From the review: Volvo has managed to package all of this in the same envelope as conventional XC90 models without intruding on the cabin, cargo hold, or third row, or diminishing the 5000-pound towing capacity.

Is this new for the 2017? I was sure the hybrid did diminish the towing capacity for the 2016?

Also just noticed the diesel T5 is available in the US?! Is this also new for 2017? Maybe we'll get it too in Canada!

 

Also just noticed the diesel T5 is available in the US?! Is this also new for 2017? Maybe we'll get it too in Canada!

The T5 is the 2.0L turbo without the supercharger. The diesels are the D4 and D5. In the US, the T5 is only available as a 5 seater as well.

 

Oh, thanks for the clarification. I forgot about that engine. Must not be popular in the US as I haven't seen any review on it.

 

The two T5 models were added to the US lineup at the end January, so it's only been available for a few months. Volvo didn't appear to do anything beyond issuing a press release for it, which is probably why there haven't been any reviews.