- suv 172,685
- Houston, TX
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- autoshopper.com
- suv 172,685 black automatic
2003 volvo xc90 review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. A new level of safety comes to sport-utilities. introductionvolvo says its new xc90 is 'the first suv with a conscience.' it gets straight to the heart of the matter by directly addressing the three big suv issues. 1. It gets good gas mileage and the five-cylinder version has ultra-low (ulev) emissions. 2. It has a gyroscopic sensor that detects a possible impending rollover, activating a roll stability control system to apply braking and cut throttle to correct the imbalance; also, there's a high-strength steel roof structure, just in case. 3. It has a unique low front chassis crossmember, about the same height as the bumper of a sedan, designed to inflict less damage on any vehicle or its occupants that the xc90 might strike. a totally new vehicle, the 2003 volvo xc90 looks like a cross between a volvo cross country wagon and a bmw x5. Unlike the bmw, the new volvo is roomy, with a versatile interior that boasts more cargo space than the mercedes m-class, acura mdx, and other vehicles in this class. For the xc90, both engines have been slightly increased in displacement from previous versions, and tuned to deliver more horsepower and torque. volvo has kept the base price of the front-wheel-drive 2. 5t down to a very reasonable $33,500 (msrp) by limiting standard equipment, thus making the vehicle with its root strengths more affordable. However standard equipment does include the roll stability control, full-length side curtain airbags (another first), am/fm/cd player, fog lights, power driver's seat with memory, dual zone climate control, cargo cover, tinted windows and a trip computer. Major options include electronic all-wheel drive 1750), the premium package with leather power seats, a moonroof and 6-disc changer 2575), the versatility package with the third row of seats and its accessories 1,675, requiring the premium package), and navigation system with dvd map 1895). Stand-alone optional goodies which may be important include xenon headlamps 300), a vertical cargo net 300) which keeps gear in the back (a 60-pound dog flying forward at 30 mph weighs 2700 pounds, points out volvo), reverse warning beeper 400), 17-inch alloy wheels 500), rear audio controls and headphones 100), integrated child booster cushion for the second-row middle seat 150), and dolby 12-speaker sound system 750). There are also dealer accessories such as a drop-down dvd entertainment system. the t6 comes standard with all-wheel drive and most of the equipment from the 2. 5t's premium package. A high beltline adds to the correct visual image of one tall suv. the overall angularity clearly says volvo. And it has a wide track, for handling stability. Despite the xc90's height, it has a lower center of gravity than the v70 wagon, again for stability. like the v70, the back end of the xc90 appears to be made mostly of red plastic. That would be the taillights. However we have seen the optional 18-inch wheels for the t6, and they are hot. the back entry is in two sections with a 70/30 top/bottom split. The lower edge of the liftgate is waist level, leaving a tailgate that's a mere flap, so maybe this isn't the vehicle for football fans who host big tailgate parties. It's also inclined forward, which shortens the roofline and makes the whole vehicle look shorter. there are a lot of flat black and matt black composite pieces that detract from the style and potential elegance of the vehicle: bumpers, fender flares, cladding and assorted trim all the way up to the roof. It's a design element meant to emphasize the vehicle's higher ground clearance and suv-ness; which it does, but when a luxury vehicle goes out of its way to look like a cobbly truck, we wonder if maybe something has been lost in the translation. also, the fit of some of the pieces was poor. We have to allow some tolerance because the xc90s we drove were pre-production vehicles, cobbled together before the assembly line was up and running producing real cars. Latches on the gloveboxes and consoles were loose and sticky, and some of the exterior trim pieces could be wiggled like loose teeth. We expect the showroom models to be tighter. on the upside, suggesting that the above sloppiness may indeed be accountable to pre-production, the doors closed with a light touch, and had a nice solid sound when they latched. And the rear window wiper is sturdy, protected by flat black plastic, conspicuously stronger than that on the infiniti qx4 we drove to the airport on the way. . interiorwe realized just how good the new volvo xc90's cargo compartment was when we got home and stepped into a mercedes ml500. The ml500 will leave the xc90 t6 (twin turbos notwithstanding) in its dust in a road race, but the xc90 will carry a lot more stuff, especially comfortable people. This allows the instrument panel and front seats to be positioned more forward, opening up space (and legroom) behind them. With the center second-row seat lowered, there are nine-and-a-half unobstructed feet between the instrument panel and the rear gate, even with the third-row seats in use because there's a space between the seatbacks. Six surfers and two longboards could be squeezed inside. Equally impressive is the ease with which the seats slide and fold, change and vanish. Some highlights: second-row seats are split 40/20/40 and slide forward independently. Headrests don't have to be removed when the seats are folded flat. up front, the console between the front seats can be easily removed, allowing the center second-row seat to slide way forward between and just behind the front buckets. There's only enough leg room in the third row for two kids or two very short people. Getting into the third row is easier than it is in most suvs, however, due to how neatly the second-row seats slide and flip. There are entry grab handles over the three passenger doors, but the front-door handle is a bit narrow. The doors close with aluminum handles, but they too are narrow, with room for only two or maybe three fingers. that third row is a cozy and convenient little world of its own; kids might actually want to sit way back back there. Third-row seatbelts have pretensioners (yet another safety first), which are designed to reduce injury from the belts in a crash. Volvo also designed a crumple zone at the rear, for added safety in a rear-end collision. The third-row console has big cupholders, and there are also long deep pockets at the windowsills, power outlets, climate controls with individual vents. Headphone plugs are also provided, mea. Climate Control✔ AM/FM✔ Power Seats✔ CD Player✔ Sunroof/Moonroof✔ DVD Entertainment System✔ Navigation System✔ Alloy Wheels
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