Volvo XC90 2008-2010 -Experience with this vehicle?

[cbond3318]

The couple of new body Explorers I have driven sure seemed like nice rigs. Not sure about 3rd row seating. 

They are and that is actually what we wanted originally but then refocused onto buying a house finally and hate the idea of financing as well as paying that much. As I told Jackelope, looking in the 8-12k range in order to leave with the title in hand.

[cbond3318]

Not knowing Volvo's real well I don't know the difference between a XC70 or XC90.  I had a Volvo as a rental, I believe it was a XC70.  Couple of things from my experience. 

I liked the car and it got great gas mileage.  It had lots of storage room in the back for our bags.

I'm a big guy (6'5" and hefty).  Getting in and out of the car was a pain.  The way the door and seat was caused me to twist around and hit my head/shoulder getting in and out.  My head also rubbed against the roof.  One bump we hit I cracked my head on the sunroof.  In order to get front seat leg room the back seat wound up with none.  Trying to fit 4 adults and an infant car seat in the car was a challenge.

I think the xc70 is the in between of the stationwagon model and the xc90 suv style. Good to know on the size, I am 6'1 and feel a little crammed in the jeep. Gas mileage is what really had me interested along with 3rd row, looks aren't to shabby either...

[jackelope]

The couple of new body Explorers I have driven sure seemed like nice rigs. Not sure about 3rd row seating. 

We just got a 14. It's really nice and the 3rd row is great.
2011 is the newest of that body style.

[runamuk]

Are you opposed to another Jeep? The Commander has the same drivetrain as your Jeep and has 3 rows. Not sure how new you're looking for. I feel like they quit making them in 2010. Can't recall for sure.

We were looking hard at the Kia Sorento before we bought our Explorer. 2 friends of ours have them and love them. 3 rows of seats, and they're relatively inexpensive.

I'm terrified of Volvo's, Land Rovers, Audi, etc. All too expensive to fix and too much dealer only stuff. Pass.

Not at all, the Commander is our slam dunk rig having owned/made repairs on a Jeep for 5 years. Seemed the MPG was comparable or the same to our GC. It just seemed I  was having a hard time finding them within my not over 100,000 mile mark. Not to say one wont appear though....

I had a 2008 commander briefly, I did not have the 3rd seat.  Things I liked (mind you I am a truck/suburban girl) it had lots of space the seating was pretty comfy.  It drove ok was a little van/boxy top heavy feeling but not horrible.  The main dislike I had was it wasn't really a 4x4 I mean it had a shift thingy but wasnt the same as the 4x4 I was used to.  The gas mileage stunk.  Mountain driving weyehauser roads driving capitol forest driving I got 13 mpg    and hwy I maybe got 20.  I did one long trip in it and I might have hit 22 before I hit dirt roads and wrecked the mileage again.  My driving back then I averaged about 16mpg.  oh I also disliked that I could barely crawl under it to change my oil, clearance was not great.

All that said it was an ok rig for a family I think.

[jackelope]

Are you opposed to another Jeep? The Commander has the same drivetrain as your Jeep and has 3 rows. Not sure how new you're looking for. I feel like they quit making them in 2010. Can't recall for sure.

We were looking hard at the Kia Sorento before we bought our Explorer. 2 friends of ours have them and love them. 3 rows of seats, and they're relatively inexpensive.

I'm terrified of Volvo's, Land Rovers, Audi, etc. All too expensive to fix and too much dealer only stuff. Pass.

Not at all, the Commander is our slam dunk rig having owned/made repairs on a Jeep for 5 years. Seemed the MPG was comparable or the same to our GC. It just seemed I  was having a hard time finding them within my not over 100,000 mile mark. Not to say one wont appear though....

I had a 2008 commander briefly, I did not have the 3rd seat.  Things I liked (mind you I am a truck/suburban girl) it had lots of space the seating was pretty comfy.  It drove ok was a little van/boxy top heavy feeling but not horrible.  The main dislike I had was it wasn't really a 4x4 I mean it had a shift thingy but wasnt the same as the 4x4 I was used to.  The gas mileage stunk.  Mountain driving weyehauser roads driving capitol forest driving I got 13 mpg    and hwy I maybe got 20.  I did one long trip in it and I might have hit 22 before I hit dirt roads and wrecked the mileage again.  My driving back then I averaged about 16mpg.  oh I also disliked that I could barely crawl under it to change my oil, clearance was not great.

All that said it was an ok rig for a family I think.

I remember that car. I think I saw it in Bellevue that day you were here. Was it a v6? The hemi Commander or Grand Cherokee for that matter would have a 4 low range selection and the transfer case with that setup is a little more like an actual 4x4. They're actually pretty capable off road. The v6 all wheel drive setup is pretty much like driving a Subaru. Oh and a Commander with a v6 is immensely underpowered.
Do not......get a v6.

[runamuk]

Are you opposed to another Jeep? The Commander has the same drivetrain as your Jeep and has 3 rows. Not sure how new you're looking for. I feel like they quit making them in 2010. Can't recall for sure.

We were looking hard at the Kia Sorento before we bought our Explorer. 2 friends of ours have them and love them. 3 rows of seats, and they're relatively inexpensive.

I'm terrified of Volvo's, Land Rovers, Audi, etc. All too expensive to fix and too much dealer only stuff. Pass.

Not at all, the Commander is our slam dunk rig having owned/made repairs on a Jeep for 5 years. Seemed the MPG was comparable or the same to our GC. It just seemed I  was having a hard time finding them within my not over 100,000 mile mark. Not to say one wont appear though....

I had a 2008 commander briefly, I did not have the 3rd seat.  Things I liked (mind you I am a truck/suburban girl) it had lots of space the seating was pretty comfy.  It drove ok was a little van/boxy top heavy feeling but not horrible.  The main dislike I had was it wasn't really a 4x4 I mean it had a shift thingy but wasnt the same as the 4x4 I was used to.  The gas mileage stunk.  Mountain driving weyehauser roads driving capitol forest driving I got 13 mpg    and hwy I maybe got 20.  I did one long trip in it and I might have hit 22 before I hit dirt roads and wrecked the mileage again.  My driving back then I averaged about 16mpg.  oh I also disliked that I could barely crawl under it to change my oil, clearance was not great.

All that said it was an ok rig for a family I think.

I remember that car. I think I saw it in Bellevue that day you were here. Was it a v6? The hemi Commander or Grand Cherokee for that matter would have a 4 low range selection and the transfer case with that setup is a little more like an actual 4x4. They're actually pretty capable off road. The v6 all wheel drive setup is pretty much like driving a Subaru. Oh and a Commander with a v6 is immensely underpowered.
Do not......get a v6.

Yes you did, and yes it was the v6, and yes it was under powered for my liking.  I prefer too much engine just not the gas bill.  It was an ok vehicle just wasn't what I actually wanted.

[cbond3318]

Are you opposed to another Jeep? The Commander has the same drivetrain as your Jeep and has 3 rows. Not sure how new you're looking for. I feel like they quit making them in 2010. Can't recall for sure.

We were looking hard at the Kia Sorento before we bought our Explorer. 2 friends of ours have them and love them. 3 rows of seats, and they're relatively inexpensive.

I'm terrified of Volvo's, Land Rovers, Audi, etc. All too expensive to fix and too much dealer only stuff. Pass.

Not at all, the Commander is our slam dunk rig having owned/made repairs on a Jeep for 5 years. Seemed the MPG was comparable or the same to our GC. It just seemed I  was having a hard time finding them within my not over 100,000 mile mark. Not to say one wont appear though....

I had a 2008 commander briefly, I did not have the 3rd seat.  Things I liked (mind you I am a truck/suburban girl) it had lots of space the seating was pretty comfy.  It drove ok was a little van/boxy top heavy feeling but not horrible.  The main dislike I had was it wasn't really a 4x4 I mean it had a shift thingy but wasnt the same as the 4x4 I was used to.  The gas mileage stunk.  Mountain driving weyehauser roads driving capitol forest driving I got 13 mpg    and hwy I maybe got 20.  I did one long trip in it and I might have hit 22 before I hit dirt roads and wrecked the mileage again.  My driving back then I averaged about 16mpg.  oh I also disliked that I could barely crawl under it to change my oil, clearance was not great.

All that said it was an ok rig for a family I think.

Thank you! Was the interior narrow? and were there bad blindspots with the design?

[runamuk]

Are you opposed to another Jeep? The Commander has the same drivetrain as your Jeep and has 3 rows. Not sure how new you're looking for. I feel like they quit making them in 2010. Can't recall for sure.

We were looking hard at the Kia Sorento before we bought our Explorer. 2 friends of ours have them and love them. 3 rows of seats, and they're relatively inexpensive.

I'm terrified of Volvo's, Land Rovers, Audi, etc. All too expensive to fix and too much dealer only stuff. Pass.

Not at all, the Commander is our slam dunk rig having owned/made repairs on a Jeep for 5 years. Seemed the MPG was comparable or the same to our GC. It just seemed I  was having a hard time finding them within my not over 100,000 mile mark. Not to say one wont appear though....

I had a 2008 commander briefly, I did not have the 3rd seat.  Things I liked (mind you I am a truck/suburban girl) it had lots of space the seating was pretty comfy.  It drove ok was a little van/boxy top heavy feeling but not horrible.  The main dislike I had was it wasn't really a 4x4 I mean it had a shift thingy but wasnt the same as the 4x4 I was used to.  The gas mileage stunk.  Mountain driving weyehauser roads driving capitol forest driving I got 13 mpg    and hwy I maybe got 20.  I did one long trip in it and I might have hit 22 before I hit dirt roads and wrecked the mileage again.  My driving back then I averaged about 16mpg.  oh I also disliked that I could barely crawl under it to change my oil, clearance was not great.

All that said it was an ok rig for a family I think.

Thank you! Was the interior narrow? and were there bad blindspots with the design?

Actually visibility was pretty good.  The interior wasn't super narrow as I recall.  I could track down a bigger guy who rode in it a couple times and ask his opinion 

[cbond3318]

Are you opposed to another Jeep? The Commander has the same drivetrain as your Jeep and has 3 rows. Not sure how new you're looking for. I feel like they quit making them in 2010. Can't recall for sure.

We were looking hard at the Kia Sorento before we bought our Explorer. 2 friends of ours have them and love them. 3 rows of seats, and they're relatively inexpensive.

I'm terrified of Volvo's, Land Rovers, Audi, etc. All too expensive to fix and too much dealer only stuff. Pass.

Not at all, the Commander is our slam dunk rig having owned/made repairs on a Jeep for 5 years. Seemed the MPG was comparable or the same to our GC. It just seemed I  was having a hard time finding them within my not over 100,000 mile mark. Not to say one wont appear though....

I had a 2008 commander briefly, I did not have the 3rd seat.  Things I liked (mind you I am a truck/suburban girl) it had lots of space the seating was pretty comfy.  It drove ok was a little van/boxy top heavy feeling but not horrible.  The main dislike I had was it wasn't really a 4x4 I mean it had a shift thingy but wasnt the same as the 4x4 I was used to.  The gas mileage stunk.  Mountain driving weyehauser roads driving capitol forest driving I got 13 mpg    and hwy I maybe got 20.  I did one long trip in it and I might have hit 22 before I hit dirt roads and wrecked the mileage again.  My driving back then I averaged about 16mpg.  oh I also disliked that I could barely crawl under it to change my oil, clearance was not great.

All that said it was an ok rig for a family I think.

Thank you! Was the interior narrow? and were there bad blindspots with the design?

Actually visibility was pretty good.  The interior wasn't super narrow as I recall.  I could track down a bigger guy who rode in it a couple times and ask his opinion 

thanks, my wife assumes they are narrow and I have concerns riding shotgun with the Jeepy dash if that makes sense. I should probably just go check a few rigs out but cannot stand being on a car lot....

[runamuk]

I also hate them, car lots, but I have gotten pretty good at dealing with the sales sharks.  You should just go check a few out. I cannot see it being narrower than a volvo 

[Rick]

My sister drives a Commander. IIRC its an '07.  Its got the 4.7 V8.

That thing has been a money pit.  They've rebuilt the rear differential and either the transfer case or transmission.  My brother in law is replacing broken exhaust manifold bolts about every 6 months. 

I drove it from Davenport to Everett last summer. The smaller V8 was working harder than I thought it would with 4 adults in it and a jetski behind it.

It hasn't been a very impressive rig IMO.

[jackelope]

My sister drives a Commander. IIRC its an '07.  Its got the 4.7 V8.

That thing has been a money pit.  They've rebuilt the rear differential and either the transfer case or transmission.  My brother in law is replacing broken exhaust manifold bolts about every 6 months. 

I drove it from Davenport to Everett last summer. The smaller V8 was working harder than I thought it would with 4 adults in it and a jetski behind it.

It hasn't been a very impressive rig IMO.

Some are like that.
I know of a Commander at my old place of employment(that you know) that has had 3 transfer cases, but I've seen all kinds of things like that with lots of different cars.
I've never seen the exhaust manifolds more than once on the same car. I've seen both sides go bad, but that's it.
Now I'm selling them on Fords.

[jackelope]

Note...
Both v8's do exhaust manifolds. 4.7 and 5.7

[Labs07]

I have an 07 S60 AWD and can say anything bad about it other than the maintenance is more expensive.  If treated right you can get a lot of miles on them.  I have 146K on mine.