“What SUV should I buy?” It’s a question consumers ask themselves every day, but what would Detroit editor Alisa Priddle drive? Keep reading for the answer, and see other editors’ picks here.
When you work in Detroit and have a cottage about 400 miles away in northern Ontario, a three-row SUV with all-wheel drive and a trailer hitch checks off a lot of boxes. When your mom is Finnish and you grew up with enough Scandinavian blood that you crave trees, lakes, and an infinite number of saunas, the zenlike Swedish design of a 2020 Volvo speaks to you.
About Alisa: Alisa Priddle is the Detroit Editor for MotorTrend and does not like hot weather. Even Detroit is too warm a clime, which sends her scurrying to cottage country in northern Ontario as often as humanly possible, with an overstuffed SUV and a trailer hitch to get the boat in the water.
There are a growing number of three-row SUVs out there; the choice has never been greater. VW created the new Atlas, Subaru added the Ascent, Lincoln introduced a new Aviator, and Hyundai and Kia have unveiled the fetching new Palisade and Telluride, respectively. The Toyota Highlander and Ford Explorer have been redone, and there are still stalwarts including the Honda Pilot and Dodge Durango.
I am drawn, inexorably, to the XC90. Let’s face it, it’s a looker, even though this generation is 4 years old. The design soothes my soul while the functionality takes care of my body and all the trappings that come with it.
A three-row offers the cargo space needed to get everything to the cottage, and once it’s emptied, I can add family members at will to traipse around. The XC90 is long enough for the degree of separation you want for a weekly drive to the community dump to drop off garbage and recyclables and check out the Share Shack where cottagers bring used items they no longer want but that candle holder is perfect for someone else’s place. Because this is a trip I frequently take, I would spend $150 for rubber floormats.
The $1,025 tow bar trailer hitch is also invaluable for launching our 16-foot Smoker Craft, as is the all-wheel drive to get up and down the boat ramp, and ground clearance of up to 10.5 inches is plenty. The XC90 T6 is rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds, more than enough for our aluminum fishing boat. The Volvo also provides a good ride height; you sit nice and high, but it’s not hard for a short person to get in and out.
Inside, I love the mix of rich leathers and natural open-pore wood; it makes me feel like I’m up north among the smooth rocks of the Canadian Shield with scraggly, wind-deformed pines.
The natural materials pair well with the large 9.0-inch touchscreen. The Sensus infotainment system takes longer than I would like to load, especially the navigation system. And it can be a bit intimidating at first to learn, but everything is on one of three menu screens that are only a swipe away. Once you locate the functions you need, it becomes easy. I appreciate the music display that shows what songs are currently playing on other channels—I am an unabashed station switcher.
Volvo’s XC90 is not inexpensive, with a 2019 T5 model starting at just under $50,000 with a 250-hp 2.0-liter turbo-four and front-wheel drive. The T6 adds a supercharger and a 316-hp power rating, while the T8 is the plug-in hybrid with a current system output of 400 hp and 472 lb-ft (there are promises of a larger capacity battery for the 2020 model year but no details yet). All have an eight-speed automatic transmission and the XC90 comes with front- or all-wheel drive.
My personal choice is the T6 with double boost. We last tested the T6 when it made its debut as a 2016 model and it was named MotorTrend SUV of the Year. The XC90 accelerated to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds, a whopping 2.3 seconds quicker than a last-gen XC90 AWD with a 3.2-liter naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine.
The powertrain has not changed for 2019, and even the changes planned for 2020—production began in May in Torslanda, Sweden—do not affect performance. The 2020 XC90 gets a few styling updates, including a new grille and wheels. Inside, there is a new wool blend material option, and you can choose a six-seater instead of the standard seven-passenger. But if none of these things matters, look for a deal on the outgoing 2019 model.
Being a Volvo, safety is part of the mantra. I like having blind-spot detection and assorted driver assists to keep me in the lane and at speed with the traffic around me. The SUV’s semi-autonomous features are impressive for the short time it will drive itself before forcing you to put your hands back on the wheel. Volvo offers a four-year/50,000-mile warranty, which covers the powertrain and provides four years of roadside assistance. Free scheduled maintenance is included for the first three years or 36,000 miles.
If I had the means, I would go for the T6 Inscription with AWD, the $2,500 Advanced package with rear cameras, a $750 package that heats the steering wheel and rear seats—the temperature can get down to –40 degrees up north—and the trailer hitch and rubber floormats. Total: $69,215.
An alternative would be going down a size to the new XC60, but that won’t bring down the price much, depending on how you option it. Another choice: I might pivot to the new Lincoln Aviator, which rides on a cool new rear-wheel-drive platform—with AWD available—and it’s equally gorgeous. Yup, I am a sucker for a gorgeous vehicle. Everyone should take a trip, even to the dump, in style.
The post 2019 Volvo XC90 T6: Why I’d Buy It – Alisa Priddle appeared first on Motortrend.
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