[XC90Mk1]

Originally Posted by Familyman 90

You'll find that for every person that reckons the P2 V70 was better than the P3 you'll find another that says the opposite. The technical aspects are unarguable and everything else is subjective so such arguments are silly.

I own a P3 V70 and P2 XC90, and have owned until recently a later 200 XC90 with the Euro 5 engine. You can't really compare. Even with the XC70 the type and intended market are so far removed from one another you still can't really compare and certainly can't say one is "better" - they're different tools for differnt jobs from different eras.

The moment you need to shift 7 people the earliest, most worn out XC90 163 is suddenly better than the sharpest, lowest mileage XC70.

The moment you want a nice bit of mid range grunt to make an effortless motorway overtake then you'll want the last of the 215 XC70's over any D5 P2 XC90 (we'll pretend the V8 doesn't exist for a moment).

I personally find the P3 comfort and ride just sublime, but then the XC90 cabin is a bit more spacious and leaves a bit more wiggle and shuffle room on a long journey and that brings a comfort bonus of its own.

The 90 better for moving a large load due to its slightly greater capacity, the 70 better for my gundog because he can jump into the boot unaided.

My wife is blind in one eye, she prefers the 90 over anything lower, and the XC70 does have a lower stance and sesting position. But then try and park in a tight spot and the slightly shorter XC70 P3 with its slightly better steering lock just pips it.

For every benefit one brings, the other has a benefit of it's own somewhere else.

Just decide your needs and the order of priority, and choose the one that is closest to satisfying the list. Everyones list will differ from each others, so it's impossible to say which is "better", and there is little evidemce to suggest the P3 is any less well built, finished or durable than the P2.

Just to add to this that my 2012 XC90 is the 200BHP version and never feels low on power. It is fairly powerful and quick to hustle along.