The CX-9 looks better in photos than in real life... it's a long vehicle and looks more van-ish to me. That's a shame, because we really liked it (have a CX-5 that I gave to my dad) and wanted to buy it. That's how we got to the XC90 ironically. I think it's a great value. BUT, I've been pretty disappointed in most of Mazda's drivetrains lately, mostly from a sound/feel perspective. My dad's CX-5 sounds like a sewing machine.

Pilot - I am a huge Honda man... so I am usually biased towards Hondas. The Pilot is very nice, but it's just too... normal. We wanted something nicer this time around. The Pilot never was an option, just because of the style. It's not ugly, but we just didn't want it. The Ridgeline was on our list (completely different vehicle, I know). We had a first gen and REALLY loved it.

I despise most everything Toyota/Lexus. The company has a habit of cheating and getting busted in motorsports. No thanks. Silly, I know... but important to me. haha

Jeep - Wranglers are terrible vehicles, not sure why anyone would daily drive it. It's loud, it's uncomfortable, it's not practical. Want to off road, do it. Every other Jeep product, think rental car. Now the GC... I COULD see myself in one. They seem nice the few times I've driven them. BUT.... I think it's less refined than compared to the XC90. The controls, for example, the sound and feel of the turn signal, etc, also seems less refined to me.

Of the bunch, I think the Volvo is the most refined vehicle. I say spring the the Inscription model + B&W. We only live once, I say!

 

The CX-9 looks better in photos than in real life... it's a long vehicle and looks more van-ish to me. That's a shame, because we really liked it (have a CX-5 that I gave to my dad) and wanted to buy it. That's how we got to the XC90 ironically. I think it's a great value. BUT, I've been pretty disappointed in most of Mazda's drivetrains lately, mostly from a sound/feel perspective. My dad's CX-5 sounds like a sewing machine.

Pilot - I am a huge Honda man... so I am usually biased towards Hondas. The Pilot is very nice, but it's just too... normal. We wanted something nicer this time around. The Pilot never was an option, just because of the style. It's not ugly, but we just didn't want it. The Ridgeline was on our list (completely different vehicle, I know). We had a first gen and REALLY loved it.

I despise most everything Toyota/Lexus. The company has a habit of cheating and getting busted in motorsports. No thanks. Silly, I know... but important to me. haha

Jeep - Wranglers are terrible vehicles, not sure why anyone would daily drive it. It's loud, it's uncomfortable, it's not practical. Want to off road, do it. Every other Jeep product, think rental car. Now the GC... I COULD see myself in one. They seem nice the few times I've driven them. BUT.... I think it's less refined than compared to the XC90. The controls, for example, the sound and feel of the turn signal, etc, also seems less refined to me.

Of the bunch, I think the Volvo is the most refined vehicle. I say spring the the Inscription model + B&W. We only live once, I say!

I agree, Lexus drivers tend to be workaholic professionals with little time or interest to research a purchase. It is chilling to know that their chief test driver died on a public 2 lane road in an LFA supercar hitting a small BMW with several occupants all of which survived with scratches.

 

- Don't know anything about Jeep as a brand, it's never mentioned in conjunction with reliability or resale value, but I do see a lot of them

Jeep, and FCA (parent company), are garbage when it comes to product quality and reliability. While Volvo hasn't exactly been stellar of late (hopefully new ownernship and SPA platform will help), FCA products all hold down the bottom with ease. I told my wife she's never allowed to by a JGC or any FCA product, because it will just spend more time at the dealership than in our hands.

http://www.consumerreports.org/car-reliability/car-brands-reliability-how-they-stack-up/

(as an aside, Volvo's reputation is also why we opted for the extended warranty and maintenance up front. A bit of an insurance policy for ourselves.)

 

Wow I had no idea Fiat/Chryster/Jeep occupied virtually all of the "least reliable" categories! Volvo is merely "meh" (LOL!)

 

So much to say here.

First off I want to address the reliability comparison between Jeep and Volvo.
If you want to compare model for model since that's what's being considered I'd have to say the Grand Cherokee has the edge.
The WK2 Grand Cherokee model has been out since early 2013 and except for a facelift in 2017 remains structurally the same.
This gives the Grand Cherokee an edge over the XC90 since most bugs have been worked out after this many years of production.
I bought my 2014 Grand Cherokee in early 2014 and it now has 33k reliable miles. When I first purchased the Jeep and joined
a Jeep Grand Cherokee forum it was not unlike this one filled with complaints and issues. Those threads have subsided over the past
few years and overall the Grand Cherokee as a solid vehicle. You can get a fully loaded Summit which is top of the line before the SRT model
for thousands under a similarly equipped xc90. For the last few years there has been a dealer in Virginia offering Grand Cherokee's for 5.5% under invoice.
I've read hundred of posts where people ordered there Jeep over the phone and then either flew in to pickup or had their car delivered via trailer.
You'll never see this kind of discount from a "luxury" car brand. On the other hand the XC90 fit and finish is a step above the Grand Cherokee. Even with the Summit model some of the materials just seem cheap and it's not uncommon to find body panel fitment off.
As far as technology they both offer similar options. Engines offered in the Grand Cherokee comes with a very capable 3.6, a 5.7, or the SRT with a 6.4.
When it comes to service again it's going to be wash because ive been to some very incompetent Jeep and Volvo dealers.
Hopefully this will change with Volvo. Our purchasing dealer told us Volvo is pushing them to do a ground up remodel.

Overall it's a tough decision. Cost will almost most definitely be cheaper from the beginning to the end with the Jeep.
I showed my wife the Summit and she just wasn't impressed after we had already seen the RDesign and I hope we made the right decision.

As far as the Wrangler is concerned ...It's a Jeep thing ...you wouldn't understand.
The updated Wrangler comes out later this year and I for one am seriously considering one for a daily driver.

 

As far as the Wrangler is concerned ...It's a Jeep thing ...you wouldn't understand.
The updated Wrangler comes out later this year and I for one am seriously considering one for a daily driver.

This is such a true statement. As a former JKU owner, it is a great daily driver and it is a very practical four seasons SUV. Offering 4 doors, 4x4, 6spd manual or automatic, convertible, fun colors, and zombie apocalypse capabilities, it truly is a Jeep thing. Accept it for what it is, there is more road noise from tires but surprisingly quite for a brick in the wind with just the soft top. The stock headlights are horrible but have finally been fixed with the factory LED setup.

It took me six months of owning one to "get it". Is it safe? Not by Volvo standards. Is it fuel efficient - about the same as the majority of SUVs, mid-to high teens as a daily driver. I am averaging 16.5mpg with the XC90 Inscription I have this week. I know its easy to pick on the Wrangler and I see it is always on the "worse" car lists but after owning one, I have a much different perspective. And if you enjoy customizing your vehicle, I doubt there is any other vehicle that has as much aftermarket parts to make it your own style and performance.

The dealer in Tysons Corner, VA does get people from all over the country with their 6% under invoice pricing.

\end Jeep rant

 

As a former BMW driver I would just like to comment on the GUI interface that you mention above. Although I like a Sensus and the touch screen works fine when your standing still, it is hard to use while driving. I still rate the BMW iDrive interface as superior. Best is to have both interfaces, touch and a wheel, as in the new 5 series.

 

Totally agree with this comment. The wheel interface is definitely superior while in motion. I've had 20 months of experience on the XC90 touch interface and it's far more dangerous to use in motion than the wheel on my old Pilot (which is an impoverished version of the BMW wheel interface). I don't think who hasn't really lived with the wheel interface for a while can really compare it to touch. It's counter-intuitive. I didn't think I would like it when I bought the Pilot and considered a "con" versus some peers with touch interfaces at the time. But after living with it for a while and developing an understanding of how quickly I could do things and how little visual attention it took, it was surprising how much less efficient and more distracting the touch interface on the XC90 is. Having the option to do both ways -- touch for passengers and while stopped and wheel for the driver in motion -- is great.

 

A while back I test drove a 14 Jeep GC Overland Ecodiesel (whatever, loaded every option). 4miles into the test drive, check engine light came on and "service DEF system" displayed on the cluster. I know it's an issue with that particular model, but on a test drive of a $60+ vehicle? No thanks. It was super nice though, bit some stuff seemed cheap as stated above. 29mpg looks nice too!

 

Remaining test drives are the Honda Pilot, Mazda CX-9 and Toyota Highlander. The Pilot is the front runner among those but it sure looks like a minivan these days

EDIT: removed statement about Red paint on JGC, dealer was not correct, it doesn't seem to be widely available

What's the timeframe for the purchase? If you're a few months out, the Volkswagen Atlas will be on the market for some more comparison shopping.

 

What's your timeframe for the purchase? If you're a few months out, the Volkswagen Atlas will be on the market.

If doing Volvo OSD, will place order at the end of the year. Otherwise will purchase summer of 2018.

That Atlas looks great! A poor man's Q7

 

Kind of an apples and oranges comparison, but I test drove both...

Volvo was much more refined
GC was ready for more boulders
Volvo was 7 passenger
GC had very little cargo space out back with sloped rear
Volvo was far nicer looking and quieter

Sensus is great (but as I found out this week, if it goes down, you lose some critical features). I am totally fine using it and the steering wheel controls in motion, but use Siri and CarPlay most of the time, which is just a long press on the voice command button on the wheel... "SIRI, send a text to wife!" etc.

 

I had the chance to work in the JNAP in Detroit when the JGC was introduced in 1993.
First one off the assembly line didn't start....cameras, Detroit Press,Iaccocca, all were there.
They worked on it for 15 minutes, then pushed it off the line.
Unit 2 did start.

Around 2005 I test drove a brand new.
It died on the test drive, on a busy road, in heavy traffic.

Sales guy said it was my lucky day.

They would fix it and offer the biggest discount possible.

I said no thanks and walked the half mile back to the dealership.

My Jeep Wrangler motor seized at 84,000 miles.
Hell of an Off Roader though.

I'm done with Jeep.


Few things in life will depreciate as quickly as a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

 

Few things in life will depreciate as quickly as a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Very true. The Cadillac Escalade being another.

 

We bought our 2003 4Runner as a lease turn in, and have loved the car. 170K miles now, and has never stranded us. After buying our XC90 this year, I'm reluctantly going to part ways with her. I've been amazed at how many new XC90 owners were former 4Runner owners.

 

I think it really depends on the overall level of background noise and how loud you are speaking. I've noticed that at moderate to loud radio levels that the Hey Siri function doesn't work especially if the radio is playing something like the news. This isn't too surprising when you think about it; the phone just can't tell if you're giving a command or not. I don't know how much if anything it has to do with software versions for the vehicle. As I imagine it, CarPlay is just getting the vehicle's microphones - possibly just the driver microphone - piped into it on a constant basis much like the iPhone's built-in mics are always listening when you're connected via Bluetooth or not connected at all.

 

We got a comedian here.

Funny thing is your 20+ yr old experience is still irrelevant. Even more so because the door was passed through the Volvo "quality" inspector even though it had a terrible repaint on one door. You see not unlike you it's their job to check for "damage or flaws" on a new vehicle.

One thing you are right about is I shouldn't have put my faith and money into Volvo's quality and ethics policy and should have done a thorough inspection of my own during the initial delivery. Live and learn.

..and I bet you re-inspected them after reading my posts.

 

the JGC has clear advantages if you are going to tow or go offroad. Few people have those needs, however. Am sure the Volvo is preferable as a daily driver, but if you need something more rugged.....

JGC diesel will be out soon, I think.

if money is no object, buy the T8 and then just rent an SUV for those vacations where you tow/go offroad.....

 

Aside from off-roading and towing, plus the fact that it is built in the USA (which is important to some people), I don't think that the two vehicles are comparable. The XC90 is just so much better in every other way, the usual complainers' complaints notwithstanding. That said, if the Jeep seems like a better deal, go for it-- I certainly don't have a stake in what cars other people covet.

 

Since the JGC fails the emergency lane change maneuver, lifting a wheel and having a high likelihood of rolling over, I don't really care what the price is. It's not a safe vehicle. Just Google a few videos and I think it would make you want to pass over a JGC pretty soon. I don't see these two vehicle similar in any way other than they are an SUV. From an engineering, fit/finish, safety, quality, durability, resale, durability perspective the two are in completely different categories. New we will be comparing a Tahoe or Explorer to an XC90 as if they are "equals".

 

We just bought a JGC for my fiancés birthday. I can tell you it is a very nice car and I think it has tremendous value. We went with the Summit trim so it comes loaded with everything but rear entertainment. The leather is nice, the sound is nice, I've found the ride quality and steering smooth, the inside looks nice and I love the roof. The sticker on the car was 56k I believe. We got it for 47.5. It ended being only like 5k more than the limited trim. I think it would have been ridiculous to save the 5 and go limited (the limited would not have had ACC or some other features).

We also have the T8. I love love love the car. Just wish I could charge it every night.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Parked in the handicapped spot?

 

Seriously? It's late and likely a dealer put it there as they were taking delivery.

The snark of American made vehicles around here gets a bit old. This attitude is one of the only reasons I am considering a Lincoln Continental or MKZ Black Label. The service of black label is quite superior--yes superior--to anything Volvo offers currently.

You might have some dealers giving black label type of service but it's not consistent.

Why don't you take that back to VCNA and have them revamp some things Yannis rather than be snarky and petty about some parking job?

Honestly. You're better than that.

 

I own both, and they are both great vehicles in their own way. The XC90 obviously has a much more luxurious interior, but the GC isn't bad at all. Mine is a 2012, and the newer ones are even nicer. I will say that I have a lot more confidence in the Jeep, and I'd feel much more comfortable taking a long road trip in it than I would in the Volvo. And as far as quality goes, I haven't had any issues with my Jeep the entire time I've owned it. I also had a 2006 Dodge Charger, and that was problem free as well.

 

The Jeep GC, for 5 years in a row, including the current model year, has received a 'marginal' in the IIHS's small overlap test. It seems it doesn't matter to Jeep that 2,500 people die in the US alone, in this kind of accident. And here's the GC failing the moose test.

To be fair, Jeep finally fixed the moose rollover problem--after many years.

 

This was already mentioned and was rectified before 2014 when the facelift model was released.

 

My question is why compare the two? Would you ever compare a JGC to a Q7 or a GL? Volvo is in that same mold, not the JGC mold. And I love the JGC


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My question is why compare the two? Would you ever compare a JGC to a Q7 or a GL? Volvo is in that same mold, not the JGC mold. And I love the JGC

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Wifey likes the JGC, that's why. Need there be any other reason?

 

Happy wife, happy life indeed.

 

I'm just shocked by the very poor crash test results of the GC, we're in 2017 - just unacceptable! Plus I'm surprised anyone who buys a Volvo mainly for its safety, would actually buy a Chrysler product with such bad crash test results lol Sorry just my opinion of course

 

I own two Volvos. I am looking for a vehicle that will tow my camper but that I'd be willing to drive on a daily basis. And I need it to handle dirt roads, but not necessarily boulders. There isnt a long list of vehicles that fit the bill, especially if you want to store lots of camping gear in the vehicle rather than in the camper (like I do). The XC60/Subaru Forester-size SUVs are too small to store much camping gear inside, so it's a JGC or XC90 or bigger. I'll also shop the Yukon. I don't want a Cadillac (purely for image reasons, to be honest). Frankly I wish the Volvo was less upscale.

The T8 probably wins the comparo, but I can't get my head around spending that kind of coin. But I also don't want to drive an SUV on a daily basis unless I can make SOME green argument. A nd I do think the T8 would be a better daily ride than the JGC.

So, it's not odd to compare the JGC and the T8.

 

I picked up a used '13 grand cherokee overland. I can't believe I now have 2 jeeps(gc and wrangler) and a durango. I still drive the V70 some, when none of the other cars are available. I've got money in my pocket wanting to surprise my wife and I'd like to get something 'better' and 'safer' than her Durango. Problem is the XC90 is safer, in crash tests, but no way is it better, and especially for that money. Everybody has their priorities. Plus, volvos have left a bad taste. I've yet to find a better more luxurious SUV than the durango that can do EVERYTHING the durango can. For the money I would be paying, I expect ZERO backward steps. I know she likes Volvo styling. LOL, she has actually mentioned she is thinking of a Grand Cherokee SRT!

And the irony that if I found the magic lamp that granted me a wish of which car company would I be given control of, I have absolutely no love in me for the actual CJD brand, and I would actually ask for Volvo to own so that I could design my dream car line. I like CJD products, don't care for the brand, I like Volvo company or at least Volvo of the past and what they use to stand for, but don't care for their products. I would go back to Volvo's original family/practical value core as the basis for my dream company. I would like to change them back to what they were and stop this nonsense premium, snobby attitude of trying to be more 'premium' and 'elite'. I believe in function over form. That use to be Volvo. Volvo is now all only about form. I appreciate that the lower tier brands have found a way to offer almost all of the premiumness of the upper ones without the excess baggage. For those people not blinded by the brand image, they have more choices to choose from. I do want something better, I wish Volvo could provide it, just have to be patient and hope.



FACT: Volvos are safer than CJD. Volvo cares about safety, but not much else. CJD cares about everything else, then hopefully does well on the crash test.
FACT: 99.6% of american buyers are interested in everything else.
FACT: Volvo as a company finally is improving substantially, but still has a LONG ways to go.
FACT: The IIHS scores do not rank from DEATH to LIVE. POOR does not even remotely come close to saying you're going to die just as GOOD doesn't guarantee you will live.
FACT: The '11 audi A4 with a POOR small overlap had 0 recorded deaths that year.
FACT: In terms of actual recorded death rates, the true ultimate indicator of what really is happening in real life, in the 2008 death rate study (with the older generation gc and wrangler), the Jeep Grand Cherokee AND Wrangler both scored higher than the Volvo XC90 despite their inferior scores. In the 2011 study, the roles are reversed, the XC90 does better (actually recording 0 deaths).
FACT: People have died in Volvos, Audis, and Jeeps, and everything else.
FACT: CJD and Volvo are at the bottom of JD power reliability study. For the longest time, Volvo was just above CJD at the botom. In the last report, the roles reversed with CJD showing improvements and Volvo dropping a few more notches.
FACT: Driving while distracted is a significant cause of accidents and death.
FACT: Not wearing a seatbelt is the biggest contributor to death in an accident, not the car.
FACT: Buy a Volvo but decide not to wear your seatbelt? You're a f#@#@##ing idiot.



OPINION: If safety is your 1st priority, and you really mean that, then you buy a Volvo, and you shouldn't bother researching anything because you're likely not going to like some of what you read and it's all irrelevant anyways if safety truly is your #1 priority.
OPINION: CJD are MUCH easier to use and less distracting and have more features than Volvo.
OPINION: Want a flag sewn into your seat, that's what's important to you, get a Volvo. Want to remote start from your fob (or even your phone if you want to pay the fee) and have your climate controls and other stuff immediately usable the very second you get in, get the Jeep.
OPINION: If I had to pick a car to be in that was going to be test slammed into a wall, in a heartbeat I would pick Volvo.
OPINION: If I had to pick a car to be in for a cross country trip, in a heartbeat, having owned two now, it would NOT be a Volvo. I would want the best chance possible to actually enjoy that trip.
OPINION: You are more likely to survive/have less injury in a really really really really serious real world accident in a Volvo than any other car.
OPINION: You are more likely to get into that accident in the 1st place with a Volvo, especially these latest ones.
OPINION: These newest generations of Volvos with the all touch sensus nonsense are the most dangerous ever. They may do the best on crashes, but the new Sensus touch and steering wheel controls negate all that.
OPINION: CJD steering wheel audio controls are the best ever on any car.
OPINION: If Volvo ever did get a marginal on a crash test, certain people on this forum would just look past that and they already have. The prior S60 had a marginal for pelvic injuries on the side crash, these individuals did not call it a death trap. The XC90 gets a poor for headlights, they blame the test. LOL. Whenever Volvo does poor, they figure out how to dismiss it. When the competition does the same, they try to find a way to label them death traps. When Volvo does great, it's all because of their engineering. Whenever any competition also does great, they try to imply it was because of luck.
OPINION: These GC,Durango,Explorer vs XC90, Fusion,Optima vs S60 posts hit a nerve with the fanboys because of the "more for less" content . It wasn't always that way. Premium use to really mean "more". Not anymore. There is WAY WAY WAY WAY more improved refinement and "premiumness" in the new GC, Durango, Explorer, Fusion, Optima than in the new XC90. I don't blame the fanboys for immediately going to their strength, safety, but it is sad, that they NEVER are able to honestly debate any of the other stuff. Safety is their ONLY card. A shame that they work so hard to derail these threads because they just can't accept that people cross shop these cars between tiered brands.
OPINION: I like the GC and Durango models because they just work really well, are a good balance of "premiumness" for the dollar along with everything else they offer. My issue with Volvo is tons and tons of little things that ultimately add up to a lot. No individual thing is a deal breaker but the sum of all of them is. Like I've said before, Volvo is death by a thousand cuts, and Volvo has yet to figure out how to solve that.
OPINION: Volvos demo and test drive really well but eventually leave a bad taste. Volvo owner retention over the years is very LOW.
OPINION: This forum has a problem like our gov. There are two extreme sides of very highly biased indivduals that can't see the forest through the trees. Both sides are full of lies. The haters just hate. They offer absolutely no value. They can easily be ignored. The other side IMO, is the real problem, and they create just as much trouble if not actually even more. They do offer some value, but at the same time, they skew a lot of info and they can't admit 2+2=4 when they need it to equal 5 so that they can promote their Volvo propaganda. And they do it with a smile on their face.

FACT: Stuck in the middle are the ones trying to have intelligent conversations and trying to help Volvo build a better car.

 

I picked up a used '13 grand cherokee overland. I can't believe I now have 2 jeeps(gc and wrangler) and a durango. I still drive the V70 some, when none of the other cars are available. I've got money in my pocket wanting to surprise my wife and I'd like to get something 'better' and 'safer' than her Durango. Problem is the XC90 is safer, in crash tests, but no way is it better, and especially for that money. Everybody has their priorities. Plus, volvos have left a bad taste. I've yet to find a better more luxurious SUV than the durango that can do EVERYTHING the durango can. For the money I would be paying, I expect ZERO backward steps. I know she likes Volvo styling. LOL, she has actually mentioned she is thinking of a Grand Cherokee SRT!

And the irony that if I found the magic lamp that granted me a wish of which car company would I be given control of, I have absolutely no love in me for the actual CJD brand, and I would actually ask for Volvo to own so that I could design my dream car line. I like CJD products, don't care for the brand, I like Volvo company or at least Volvo of the past and what they use to stand for, but don't care for their products. I would go back to Volvo's original family/practical value core as the basis for my dream company. I would like to change them back to what they were and stop this nonsense premium, snobby attitude of trying to be more 'premium' and 'elite'. I believe in function over form. That use to be Volvo. Volvo is now all only about form. I appreciate that the lower tier brands have found a way to offer almost all of the premiumness of the upper ones without the excess baggage. For those people not blinded by the brand image, they have more choices to choose from. I do want something better, I wish Volvo could provide it, just have to be patient and hope.

FACT: Volvos are safer than CJD. Volvo cares about safety, but not much else. CJD cares about everything else, then hopefully does well on the crash test.
FACT: 99.6% of american buyers are interested in everything else.
FACT: Volvo as a company finally is improving substantially, but still has a LONG ways to go.
FACT: The IIHS scores do not rank from DEATH to LIVE. POOR does not even remotely come close to saying you're going to die just as GOOD doesn't guarantee you will live.
FACT: The '11 audi A4 with a POOR small overlap had 0 recorded deaths that year.
FACT: In terms of actual recorded death rates, the true ultimate indicator of what really is happening in real life, in the 2008 death rate study (with the older generation gc and wrangler), the Jeep Grand Cherokee AND Wrangler both scored higher than the Volvo XC90 despite their inferior scores. In the 2011 study, the roles are reversed, the XC90 does better (actually recording 0 deaths).
FACT: People have died in Volvos, Audis, and Jeeps, and everything else.
FACT: CJD and Volvo are at the bottom of JD power reliability study. For the longest time, Volvo was just above CJD at the botom. In the last report, the roles reversed with CJD showing improvements and Volvo dropping a few more notches.
FACT: Driving while distracted is a significant cause of accidents and death.
FACT: Not wearing a seatbelt is the biggest contributor to death in an accident, not the car.
FACT: Buy a Volvo but decide not to wear your seatbelt? You're a f#@#@##ing idiot.

OPINION: If safety is your 1st priority, and you really mean that, then you buy a Volvo, and you shouldn't bother researching anything because you're likely not going to like some of what you read and it's all irrelevant anyways if safety truly is your #1 priority.
OPINION: CJD are MUCH easier to use and less distracting and have more features than Volvo.
OPINION: Want a flag sewn into your seat, that's what's important to you, get a Volvo. Want to remote start from your fob (or even your phone if you want to pay the fee) and have your climate controls and other stuff immediately usable the very second you get in, get the Jeep.
OPINION: If I had to pick a car to be in that was going to be test slammed into a wall, in a heartbeat I would pick Volvo.
OPINION: If I had to pick a car to be in for a cross country trip, in a heartbeat, having owned two now, it would NOT be a Volvo. I would want the best chance possible to actually enjoy that trip.
OPINION: You are more likely to survive/have less injury in a really really really really serious real world accident in a Volvo than any other car.
OPINION: You are more likely to get into that accident in the 1st place with a Volvo, especially these latest ones.
OPINION: These newest generations of Volvos with the all touch sensus nonsense are the most dangerous ever. They may do the best on crashes, but the new Sensus touch and steering wheel controls negate all that.
OPINION: CJD steering wheel audio controls are the best ever on any car.
OPINION: If Volvo ever did get a marginal on a crash test, certain people on this forum would just look past that and they already have. The prior S60 had a marginal for pelvic injuries on the side crash, these individuals did not call it a death trap. The XC90 gets a poor for headlights, they blame the test. LOL. Whenever Volvo does poor, they figure out how to dismiss it. When the competition does the same, they try to find a way to label them death traps. When Volvo does great, it's all because of their engineering. Whenever any competition also does great, they try to imply it was because of luck.
OPINION: These GC,Durango,Explorer vs XC90, Fusion,Optima vs S60 posts hit a nerve with the fanboys because of the "more for less" content . It wasn't always that way. Premium use to really mean "more". Not anymore. There is WAY WAY WAY WAY more improved refinement and "premiumness" in the new GC, Durango, Explorer, Fusion, Optima than in the new XC90. I don't blame the fanboys for immediately going to their strength, safety, but it is sad, that they NEVER are able to honestly debate any of the other stuff. Safety is their ONLY card. A shame that they work so hard to derail these threads because they just can't accept that people cross shop these cars between tiered brands.
OPINION: I like the GC and Durango models because they just work really well, are a good balance of "premiumness" for the dollar along with everything else they offer. My issue with Volvo is tons and tons of little things that ultimately add up to a lot. No individual thing is a deal breaker but the sum of all of them is. Like I've said before, Volvo is death by a thousand cuts, and Volvo has yet to figure out how to solve that.
OPINION: Volvos demo and test drive really well but eventually leave a bad taste. Volvo owner retention over the years is very LOW.
OPINION: This forum has a problem like our gov. There are two extreme sides of very highly biased indivduals that can't see the forest through the trees. Both sides are full of lies. The haters just hate. They offer absolutely no value. They can easily be ignored. The other side IMO, is the real problem, and they create just as much trouble if not actually even more. They do offer some value, but at the same time, they skew a lot of info and they can't admit 2+2=4 when they need it to equal 5 so that they can promote their Volvo propaganda. And they do it with a smile on their face.

FACT: Stuck in the middle are the ones trying to have intelligent conversations and trying to help Volvo build a better car.

Bravo, Pattyweb. This post pretty much sums up my feelings on this board over the last 5 years. I love Volvos and have owned three over the last 5 years but there is surely a "From God's lips to Volvo's ears" mentality for many on Swedespeed. I can honestly say that if not for the safety factor, I would likely not even consider a Volvo. The styling doesn't blow me away. The performance doesn't blow me away. The seats DO blow me away but I rarely drive long distances and can do without. The reliability certainly doesn't blow me away and that's from my and my in-law's experiences and the available data (JD Power/CR/True Delta, et al.). I can't speak to the new XC90 but the transmissions/shifting compared to Toyotas/Hondas/Lexus I've driven? Not in the same ballpark. And now it seems posters are labeled 'trolls' for making cogent arguments! Pattyweb is a 12 year member of this forum and his posts have provided me with a ton of useful information. Calling him a troll is lazy and inaccurate.

 

Bull.

I know you've seen this because I've seen you comment on it here.

Old cars suck by today's standards. Even old Volvos.

 

Combined speeds of 80+ mph! Nice. I would still trust an 850 wagon over anything Chrysler.

Anyway, back to the "Jeep Grand Cherokee is as safe as a Volvo discussion"!

 

Do you want to misread any worse? Wtf?

 

 

The word asperger's syndrome comes to mind.

Here's an old Volvo 850 SIPS Commercial. Yes, entertaining Volvo propaganda, but it still shows that tiny little Volvo was, once again, ahead of the game, back in the day, beating the bloated automotive giants.

He's talking about his XC90 that he picked up OSD and in Sweden, it clearly had a mismatched door panel.

OK, understood. I would be upset too. But I would like to think I wouldn't be so angry that I would defend JGC safety.

 

Looks like we have a new troll lol