Ironically, our Swedish girl does not like the cold. When the temperatures first plummeted in the Detroit region, the tire pressure sensors kept going crazy. And the windshield wiper fluid appeared to have frozen somewhere deep in the tubing.
But both were temporary problems. The tire pressure sensors resumed normal operation. After a few hours in our pretty and heated Motor Trend garage, the wiper fluid thawed and has been fine since, even with repeated bouts of cold weather. So maybe our XC90 just had to acclimate.
One thing has not changed: the popularity of this SUV, especially in the wintery season. The dance card is almost always full when it comes to road trips, and our staff’s experiences in the vehicle continue to be positive.
The XC90 spent Christmas in Milwaukee with Automobile Detroit bureau chief Todd Lassa, who transported two adults, three collies, and a roof rack carrier full of gifts. Lassa described the Volvo as sublime, comfortable, and a tasteful alternative to Mercedes and BMWs. The dogs traveled in style with the second and third rows folded, and even with the roof carrier, there was never enough wind noise to wake them.
As for the humans up front, it was easy to forget there’s only a 2.0-liter turbo-four under the hood. The seamless delivery of power and torque could easily be mistaken for larger displacement and more cylinders. There is no drama merging into traffic, no turbo lag, and no drama braking. One annoyance: the constant warning that the parking cameras were obscured and needed to be washed. The warning persisted even after running the XC90 through the car wash a couple times.
The XC90 also took a five-hour trek to Indianapolis for a swim meet. The SUV easily fit a family of five, their luggage, and their swim bags almost as easily as the Suburban normally used for these trips. Being lower to the ground, the Volvo made climbing in and out easier.
The driver appreciated the adaptive cruise control and lane keeping technology, which redirects the SUV if it strays too close to the lane markings. From our own testing (we did it so you don’t have to—Volvo wants you to keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times), we have noted that the driver-assist system will steer on your behalf for about 15 seconds before it warns you to steer yourself. If you don’t take over, the steering assist will turn off.
The return trip from Indiana to Michigan was through ice and snow, but the bending headlights and all-wheel drive contributed to the sense of safety. The kids in back were glad for the working Wi-Fi—as we noted in a previous update, it had been giving us trouble. They were able to do their homework, stream movies, and use an assortment of devices.
Our gas mileage continues to drop, but no one seems to mind. At the 10-month mark we had averaged 20.6 mpg after 21,181 miles. That’s a further dip from 21.3 mpg after eight months and 17,752 miles, which in turn was a dip from 21.5 mpg at 15,031 miles. Some of the drop can likely be attributed to the miles with the roof carrier on top.
The Volvo made another trip to the dealer where it got its 20,000-mile scheduled maintenance and a software update to fix the Wi-Fi. A recall could not be completed because the parts were not in stock. Cost: $0. So far, all service on this vehicle has been covered. If only everything in life were that simple.
Read more on our 2016 Volvo XC90 T6 Inscription:
- Arrival
- Update 1: A Summer Road Trip With the XC90
- Update 2: Test Results, Glitches and Recalls
- Update 3: Testing Its Mettle
- Update 4: Big Screens and Big Snow
The post 2016 Volvo XC90 T6 AWD Update 5: Mileage Could Be Better But It’s Still Road-Trip Ready appeared first on Motor Trend.
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