Volvo V90 Estate 2018 in-depth review | carwow Reviews

[@Zerofightervi]

I really don't understand Matt's annoyance at the Volvo having a manually adjustable steering wheel, adding electric motors is slow, it's heavy & it's complicated. If it does go wrong in the future it's also very expensive to fix.

[@mravocadoman2904]

I guess it's part of the competition between Mercedes and Volvo, in the sense that one has certain "luxury" features that the other doesn't. Some people apparently look for stuff like this. But I do very much agree with you. Manually adjusting is no problem and is cheaper in the long run for sure.

[@tsumugikotobuki0131]

Automatic seats and steering wheels can give a little more adjustability.

[@dioni82]

I prefer manual. I guess I'm just used to it more.

[@67tomcat]

Love that "boxy" 850- was so unique. You knew immediately it was a Volvo. New one is a beauty though.

[@davidtaylor2131]

I miss my 740 est. .. A LOT! ITS TURNING CIRCLE WAS SUPERB, BUT WINTER WITH A 4 SPD AUTO WAS A CHALLENGE…

[@elenaskyline7231]

This car looks WAYYYYY better than Mercedes E-Class Estate!

[@brq44]

@@AntonNilsson-p1lresponded 6 years later 😂

[@brq44]

@@AntonNilsson-p1l no 22 hours later to your comment lol

[@modmod392]

And me ….I’m in the game. That’s the internet for you

[@matevzkramar]

Regardless of its drawbacks, it has to be my favourite car. I have wanted one since it has come to the market. It’s just gorgeous!

[@SvenTheSveed]

Just look at it, it's stunning

[@AOI1601]

Yeah man it's so elegant , safe , fun to drive , luxurious and practical I really love you Volvo

[@vili3200]

Yep its amazing we have the same car

[@TheJoeMB]

Best looking car in the segment.

[@aeo5922]

What? You gotta be kidding me. I wouldn’t say it’s the best looking car in the “segment”. Bit of an overreaction

[@henjoh69]

@Tutti What? You gotta be kidding me. You think those ugly german overpriced estates are better looking than a V90?

[@davideselvi3906]

@@aeo5922 you don't understand much about cars

[@aeo5922]

I don’t understand much about cars? I didn’t say it was a bad looking car, I’d think a Mazda 6 or Audi rs7 looks better.

[@aeo5922]

Henjoh 176 might be overpriced but some people can afford it and yes those German estates are actually much better looking than the v90 or even xc90

[@onesandzeroes]

That old "box on wheels" was actually really good looking in its time. I used to dream of having one. In some ways I prefer it to this modern thingy.

[@bighands69]

It looked better than many modern cars.

[@ntwalipat2]

Oh yeah! I know exactly the paint color you're talking about too... The saffron pearl metallic colored one!

[@smiIingman]

These diesels have held up remarkably well and they are going for really good prices in the used market. There's thousands of these with the d3/d4 engines that have gone well over 500 thousand KM and are still going strong.

[@louis3127]

*Wait, What? You can fit a 750 litre bottle in the doorbins? Wow Volvo.*

[@carwow]

Those doorbins are like the Tardis!

[@faszikellemeszene]

750 liter bottle, Volvo FH16 750 I see what they did there

[@mjozic3785]

Lol i heard that too hahaha😂

[@longtailgt]

Unintentional eater egg lol

[@faszikellemeszene]

Minecraftcar88 I noticed that. Awesome truck.

[@nozislam]

I loved the volvo 850, gorgeous car back in the day.

[@shieldaigbencher]

for anyone watching now, I recently owned 2019 E class amg and Land Rover Discovery. Merc, lovely but uncomfortable, LR comfortable but not a good drive. V90 is exceptionally good. Quality is better than merc. Great drive. Comfortable as anything and decent to drive. Buy Volvo based on my experience. Mine is V90 D4 Inscription.

[@Sleepy.Time.]

Volvo wagons are great, loved my 2004 V70R

[@jamie123b]

Drove one at work yday and was v impressed with the 360 surround camera system! Best I’ve seen and I’ve parked 3000 cars for my job

[@trjansenmusic]

About the power, around 6:00. What I've noticed with really any recent Volvo with automatic suspension is that when you suddenly floor it, it sort of 'builds up' the power, then goes, whereas when you slowly press it in (mind you, this can still be quite quick, just not all at once) the response is immediate.

[@RichieRouge206]

Oh I'm soooo bored of this constant comparison with German bloody plastics. For gods sakes we don't drive around fondling the dash do we? Ive been in newish Audis recently and some of their plastics are certainly nothing to write home about. Is it really that sad that new car tests can only gripe about interior plastics because pretty much all new cars are of a high standard now. The main selling point for me is that a Volvo is an informed, stylish alternative to the tedious, dark and miserable over sporty German brands, which are no longer 'posh' nor exclusive anymore because they dominate the British roadscape to the point where everyone has one! It's almost an occasion to see a Jag, Volvo or Lexus these days and think "oooo thats different" This obsession to one-up and be like everyone else with German brands has reached fever point to the point where it's pretty tragic. Volvo are going for the non-sporty approach which makes a refreshing change. I love driving a fast car, but comfort is more enjoyable on our potholed, crappy roads and endless traffic jams. Well done Volvo for continuing to be different and gives that fresh Scandinavian approach.

[@thwomp-100]

RichieRouge206 Hater alert 🚨

[@emililorenzo3835]

Michael H no, he it's right ! I love german cars, but i would really see more volvo, jaguar, lexus or infiniti in the streets, just to see something different !

[@Horizon301.]

RichieRouge206 Audi quality is the best in the business I would say for cars under £100,000. And jaguars are just as common. If you buy something you don't want poor quality. I assume you haven't ever bought one before if you think it's not important at all.

[@japanluv]

RichieRouge206 I am on my first german car ( a 2009 C180 Estate) but I had a Volvo 850 and a S60 and loved them. I will go back to Volvo with these new models when they get couple of years old and 80k miles on the motorway:P I am a japanese car fan but I do love Volvos.

[@ALLYOUPEOPLEAREVAMPIRES1984]

RichieRouge206 Audi interior is fucking amazing

[@mikeradford5630]

Great review as always, but.... when talking about these new estate versions it would be nice if you could include something about turning circles or the ability to park them. I've had Volvo estates before & yes we all know they're half the length of a football pitch and you need double that length to park them in-line on the curb-side. If reversing into a space the front of my old one would turn on a sixpence.. but what of these new breeds???.. Thanks for the in-depth chat about all the cup holders etc but that doesn't sell a car to me!

[@anantarvind2917]

Mat! I am a big fan of your work. You give the most detailed and unbiased reviews. Keep up the good work and all the best.

[@visionemu2458]

Imagine calling a Volvo V90 "It's alright"

[@ThePennineWanderer]

Ikr you should say it’s amazing

[@swedenneutral7892]

I agree, it’s a Chinolvo V90 that can’t do 30 000 mil without major problems

[@dts7824]

@@swedenneutral7892 the v90 is made in Sweden. Getting Chinese money doesn't mean it's Chinese.

[@swedenneutral7892]

@@dts7824 While you are right that it’s made in Sweden, the quality is Chinese, China-quality on V90, Sweden-quality on 850

[@GG-ml3vr]

​​@@swedenneutral7892 Id love to disagree with you but you are correct i own a 1996 850r and a 2020 v90 and the build quality of the older car is better.Still love Volvos though.

[@MS-yy2dh]

I prefer the 850 myself. Easy to service and has more usable space in the rear - amazingly. I'm a little biased though as I've owned the same Volvo 850 now for almost 30 years.

[@chrislockey7706]

I know we need to move with the time's but I always liked the square volvos of the past. I used to own a 760 turbo estate, loved it.

[@sbomorse]

This is the best looking estate on sale bar none. Although the new XF Estate is very good looking, the Volvo is still nicer inside and out. I used to own a Volvo 240 GLT and I loved it!

[@davideselvi3906]

I don't really like the XF Sportbrake; the normal XF is better than that! Anyway, as far as wagons, the V90 definitely is the best of its segment

[@baptoufragilise]

What a perfect design

[@noahdurose31]

Am I the only one who ‘when he said putting the foot down now’ got an ad straight after.😂😀

[@mpc007]

Quality not quite there? Oh come on, this is miles better than BMW does on their recent interiors. Okay, MB and Audi are equal or better than the V90, but the 5 series definitely not. Same for V60 and 3 series.

[@tonystafford978]

i dont know what 5 series youv sat in but the build quality is miles ahead of this volvo.

[@Fearzzy]

MPC007_EXP new 5 series doesn't use cheap materials at all what so ever

[@davideselvi3906]

I think you're a little bit confused!! The V90 is way better than the german ones and you can't talk about the V60 and 3 series because that's an inferior category

[@krenkson]

I think it would be fair to say that Volvo S/V90 is more premium than germans IMO as you can barely see them on the streets while 5 series, E series, A6s are totally everywhere especially here in London. Volvo simply stands out, excellent design, beautiful and fresh interior. Only thing I miss here is V6 engine. Just not sure why they do not offer the T6 model over here.

[@nshprd]

To be fair it depends where you are. In finland and im sure in sweden as well there are more volvos. I do still obviously like the volvos better than the germans

[@sondersonics7534]

@@nshprd The volvo v90 is probably the most common car in sweden now lol. The V60 is also very popular

[@nshprd]

@@sondersonics7534 in finland if you were to tell me that there is a car around the corner it would most likely be a toyota, nissan, wolkswagen or volvo

[@Selleswiet]

Word of advice: never order a Volvo with a black interior. The light ones are so much better and breathe scandinavian design

[@DetailingCars]

Selleswiet u also gotta think about practicality. We got a v90 cross country with black interior and black wooden trim and its beautiful

[@the___truth8038]

Light interior is almost always cheap looking.

[@10293]

Selleswiet Light interiors just smudge and stain.

[@Acrum99]

I agree. I generally don't like light interior very much, but Volvo's light interior is really neat! I have an S60 from 2001 with the beige interior and it just wouldn't be the same with the black/grey interior.

[@tomsriv]

Black interior is boring and depressing. In the winter you never see whats in your car. Plus it reminds me of uber cars. Always with black interior.

[@mwwhatever]

I wouldn't mind having a manual steering wheel adjustment. It's probably more reliable, less weight, and cheaper to replace if it does fail. Some people are so damn lazy, we really are turning into the people from Wall-E...

[@Acrum99]

I agree, and I also don't like electric trunks very much. I prefer to open it myself.

[@davideselvi3906]

That's the future! You need to stick to it

[@satnitcboy]

I tend to agree - though if the car is shared by multiple drivers, the memory function on an electrically adjusted steering wheel will set it up for your preference, along with the seats, each time you change drivers. I can see why people would prefer that.

[@Elliott2001]

@@davideselvi3906 Sheep

[@Sasha-qf8eu]

I'd take this over the German rivals any day

[@renaulttoyota6794]

This thing costs €70000 in my country lol i would rather buy a audi rs3 or something

[@boi1146]

Renault Toyota where do you live

[@renaulttoyota6794]

Finland.

[@boi1146]

Costel Muian it was a cross country but if you think my comment is a little sassy imma delete it right away

[@davideselvi3906]

@@renaulttoyota6794 70k euros of full luxury! I wish I had this car

[@hlad11]

Love modern Volvo's!

[@jme_a]

9:12 the main issue with huge touchscreens is that awful marking and smudging you get. Altering the air conditioning/fans via touchscreen is always a terrible idea.

[@IAmAPhan]

FWIW, as an XC90 owner, I rarely change how my fan functions. The Auto feature is very good. I don't worry about it most of the time.

[@Zeus-se9pv]

+Lu-Hiep Phan Isn't it annoying to use the touchscreen while driving? Or can you control the most important stuff on the driver's display as well?

[@Toerme]

Agreed. I bought a new Mazda last fall. The screen in the middle of the dash should be a touch screen appearently, I don't know, haven't checked just because it will look like hell if I start touching it. Thankfully I can control everything anyway with knobs and buttons.

[@andreeee5319]

you get a volvo microfiber towel with the car

[@Tipko]

I believe this is a reply from Volvo as in the past models they had received massive criticism to having had so many buttons. Now, instead, pretty much everything is integrated in the screen, meaning much less buttons than the competitors as a consequence. Seems they did their homework here :)

[@JG-wt5yh]

Volvo for life❤️🇸🇪

[@ParFektion]

You're wrong Mat! The interior quality is definitely on pair with BMW!

[@davideselvi3906]

Volvo is better than BMW

[@gordonfleming4141]

I've owned an x5 and now have the v90.The Volvo interior is far better

[@angusgrier5677]

Volvo's are so simple yet so elegant and beautiful

[@thruthegalaxy6660]

I feel the Volvo interior more solid and robust over the Mercedes

[@samuelurb2214]

i mean you shouldnt judge if you havent been in one

[@thruthegalaxy6660]

@@samuelurb2214 and what if I been LMAO

[@enai-lo]

@@thruthegalaxy6660 i sat in one v90 and the wood trim that rolled to open on the center console didn't move very well. but really the quality is very good, same or even higher than e class pre facelift but lower than e class face lift. already compared e class pre fl and fl and there is a step up in the quality btu overall both are great and nothing to worries about something to break in the interior during the lifetime, those luxury car are build in way more higher standard than any other cars

[@ahmetyumrukaya]

if i had this car i would fold rear seats over and over to hear the sound of it!

[@sniperjtg]

you forgot to give it a doug score

[@emililorenzo3835]

Great sw, my favourite in segment ! I would take the rdesign with 21 rims, carbon fiber and nappa leather inside, and if i have the money, THE T8 VERSION !

[@ephphatha230]

I spent about 90% of my childhood in the back of Volvo estates.

[@andrewbikes1]

When you unfortunately live in the states, at this point in time, i reckon this is the best estate on the market for the U.S

[@Tipko]

I had that box on a wheel :/ :D It was still an amazing car to drive and still better looking than previous Volvos

[@russcattell955i]

Looks like the large estate market has changed, it used to be all about the executive car with the load capacity of a van. I remember my 1st MD had a 244 then a 264 V6 wagon. A boxy rear that would carry huge amounts, even wardrobes (antique shop owners loved them) but still be luxury up front. I bought a Skoda estate because we transport dogs, inflatable dingy & outboard and all the other stuff we too and fro boating. I guess i'll be called old fashioned but I like practical these days.

[@ethamaxx]

Love these new Volvos! Beautiful!

[@nmnoz]

just watching you drive casually gave me a sense of comfort lol

[@a.m.417]

I like this guy, the way he presents the vehicles - competent and always with a bit of humor. Very nice to see. thanks for that! 😉👍Of course I bought the Volvo V90 D5 Inscription!

[@paulcretu4730]

Saw this car when I was servicing my XC70 at the local dealer, yes it looks a lot better than my car but, I can fit a lot more stuff in the boot of the xc70 and more importantly for me, the XC70 takes three child seats across the backseats.

[@porsche1415]

Matt tell us about your XC60 , When is it coming ?

[@sniperjtg]

i think he said late september

[@MaZEEZaM]

I absolutely hate delayed acceleration, I avoided buying a really nice Holden Calais back in the day because of its delay compared to the Ford Falcon I bought which is instant. I feel the delay is dangerous especially when going to overtake or worse, to get you out of an unexpected dangerous situation.

[@louis3127]

Lol when u get here before the first minute without notifications turned on

[@vili3200]

We have the black version!

[@DoSum4Me]

@0:10 yeah but at least those boxes on wheels were reliable, we have an 03 Volvo XC70 with 400,000 kilometers, and just now we are starting to get into the ball joints and wheel bearings but much cheaper to repair than my previous Audi. New Volvos are so gorgeous.. I'd only own one with a very good warranty.

[@stephengregory7026]

A 750 litre bottle 😂. 3:15 . I’m sold !

[@bunsenn5064]

I’ll list off some odd accessories you can buy with the Volvo: child seat, dog harness, sport roof box, headrest pillow, and ski/bike roof harness

[@CSLFiero]

the integrated wiper fluid thing is so clever, can't believe i've never seen it before now.

[@tenti1524]

Been on jags for years

[@justusvanpeer6298]

such an amazing car

[@kirholstov]

8:39 As close as a Volvo can get to a Lamborghini. Still love Volvos though :)

[@Ben_Mayall]

It may look nice, but you can't get it with the lovely, silky smooth T5. My dad used to have an 850R and the engine was lovely.

[@boi1146]

Ben Mayall hell yes it was

[@AndorRadnai]

True. Volvo 5 cylinders were the best.

[@TheWitchfinderGenral]

Ahhh, the old inline 5. I had that in a Ford S-Max. It used to terrify boy racers and rep-mobile drivers, and it sounded fantastic.

[@TheAegisClaw]

850 T5 was the best car I ever had. Chip it, full stainless system and gain 75bhp. 310bhp was mental for back then.

[@pentabyte.]

Will we get to see any Volvo R-Designs?!

[@АртёмСмык-л7я]

"Box on wheels" that was shown in the beginning is actually looks much better than new car

[@Conceptcreator]

the steering on like the second gen. s60 and s80, v40 and so on look better to me. cleaner and just nicer...

[@rwg2626]

Big advantage is you get to deal with Volvo dealerships, very much unlike the German brand dealers who look down there nose at you

[@hamzaHrv]

Robin Gravestock na i got a 6k price cut on my q7 last year from the audi dealer

[@eUK95]

No mention of the automatic driving functions? :(

[@danI43541]

I prefer it when cars don't have just a touch screen... a few shortcut buttons or dials for the a/c are pretty handy

[@tadelitekeno197]

Pls do video on BMW x4 x6

[@KyroXI]

im 13 and will never be able to afford this car but im still watching because its carwow....

[@baptoufragilise]

Kyro there's no age to be a car enthusiast, even if you can't drive on the roads yet you will be able later and knowing about cars before driving is a good thing 😉

[@fockyerdod3r]

During long drive, changing the AC temp while you are on the free way is as dangerous as texting while driving. They need to stop integrating every function into a touch screen. It doesn't work and is too dangerous.

[@SeemsLegal]

It's got a bloody 3 pin socket in the back haha I'm sold. What more can you ask for

[@TheRg191]

The CLS Shooting brake is the best looking estate in my opinion, by miles. A guy I work with has a '15 plate and whenever I use (or spend any time as a passenger) it turns heads every single journey, still really rare to see on the road too so it feels pretty exclusive. Not even close to its competitors in practicality but that's not why he bought it, needed load length not full capacity so thumbs up all round.

[@Dreamlink91]

But the new one will never be in the same condition or in drivable state as that Box on wheels that drove past by :) , i had few newer volvos around 2015 and my old 2003 S60 outlived all of them, its not that the engine or gearboxes go bad but always electronis and it never drops.. while the old one just drives and goes.

[@hughjorgen30]

It is an astonishingly beautiful looking car

[@dillbyy5516]

Who actually wants a electrical adjustable steering column it takes like 4 hours to adjust it’s just quicker and more accurate with a manual one.

[@emilmuhrman]

I guess if you can have a memory that store things like seat, mirrors and steering column it could be nice if several people use the car.

[@mpc007]

And about the digital display, it is there on the Momentum too, but a smaller size unit. I believe its 8 inch where the Inscription/R-Design get 12 inch as standard. This means that in Momentum you have only one digital dial in the middle with fuel and temps as analog lights left and right. It gets a bit overlooked, since Volvo seems to only lend Inscriptions for reviews (but it is important since D4 Momentums are probably the most sold / leased). Momentums also don't get the 230v AC as standard, nor the Linear Wood trim on this model.

[@WinkelHoof]

MPC007_EXP smaller screen on Momentum ....lol....What are you talking about....

[@WinkelHoof]

I think you got the V40 and the V90 mixed up.....

[@michalklucz6907]

can't wait for a test of 2018 V60!

[@jeejajee5664]

my FAV volvo among all

[@yourjokesaretotallyfromthe8909]

That *box-on-wheel* car are the most amazing and continental car I ever owns.

[@CSLFiero]

it's like a dentists waiting room, but you get to control the temperature.

[@orlando124431]

Massive door bins, kudos Volvo....750 liters is impressive.

[@Infinity.....]

I'm still driving a 1996 850. :)

[@Pienimusta]

Best reviewer ever.

[@gyes99]

Head bang for the passengers when folding rear seats down. Volvo's new safety feature?

[@daman7129]

Want a nice big wagon? Try the Aussie ford falcon.. Very good huge practical car.

[@varunsawhney83]

Matt is totally knitpicking !!!!Volvo needs to clear their cheques quicker!

[@ThinkCleverAndSmart]

Got a Volvo V60 ad before this! :P

[@aeo5922]

Matt, the door pockets are just small, it’s your job to say the honest truth.

[@alej469]

Ahahah amazing - that drive through of the older Volvo at the start. Priceless!

[@davidtaylor2131]

740 to 960 estates were cool motors

[@MrNgakakguling2]

that acceleration though..

[@ProfessorPesca]

The lack of physical buttons is such a turn off.

[@shopafelic]

Stunning interior, but I do prefer the light brown interior more. Lol @ 9:09

[@michaelwallon]

This crap about that the V90 reaction time when kicking the pedal into the floor is simply not true. Maybe you should have checked the drivers settings before you tried? Made my own comparison between the three cars before I finally decided to buy the Volvo V90. The Volvo is for sure quick enough!

[@munirshafi2647]

Michael Wallon Did you buy the D5 diesel, as that is what he was testing.

[@fockyerdod3r]

In comfort mode, the down shift response is slow. Only in sports mode it will then kick down faster. I still prefer BMW and Merc driving dynamic over it as V90 handle like a barge. But I do agree that V90 is incredibly comfortable.

[@jmstpt]

750 litres in a door pocket is not bad going! Good video - love the car :)

[@prometheus5311]

Beautifull car, too bad they don't fit them with the 5 cylinder engines anymore.

[@swanblake]

As in the commercials, I really feel we should put these reviewers in the German cars and there competition blindfolded, and asked which interior felt more premium. I think there is an unfair bias in favor of these magical German plastics. Volvo interior is superior.

[@enai-lo]

already sat and compared and volvo is a bit lower on build quality, the materials are as great or even better on some part like the wood but the adjustements of the part are not better. that's the real difference , german car are made with less let-by when talking about quality

[@loganclaffey1316]

Can you fit a packet of crisps in the glovebox?

[@HesteBremse]

I like Crisps and I can fit a bag of Crisps into any glovebox on any car - When I´m finished eating the Crisps that is.

[@trollololoooooo]

always the room for crisps.

[@GamingCrewX]

You got OnePlus 3, nice :D

[@BrandinooWOW]

You can fit a 750 litre bottle of water in the door bin? Jesus Christ man this is the most practical car of all time

[@rocketman4315]

Beautiful looking estate! I would love to see how it compares to the new Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer!

[@DetailingCars]

Andreas its not even close to the same class.

[@ramy21602]

If this interior is pretty minimalistic what is the intetior of the Tesla midel 3 then?

[@newblackdog7827]

Nothing like as practical as my Volvo 940 & 960 estates. I also suspect the chances of this being around when it’s 30 years old is pretty much zero!

[@HB45175]

It's so pretty

[@monkeysheep]

The rear door bins must be absolutely massive, far bigger than they appear, I mean you can fit a 750 litre bottle in there...... 3:11