General: 2015 XC90 D4 or D5

[SundayDriver]

Hello everyone,

I live in Ireland and I am considering buying the XC90. I have a certain budget which limits my choice to 2015 D4 or D5 most likely Momentum version. The cars I have been looking at so far were slightly above my budget, therefore I am still in the market for the right one.

However increasingly due to a better selection I am considering buying one in the UK and bringing it over to Ireland. I don't make many miles per year, maybe 6000-8000 if I get adventurous, but I like big cars (not that I owned one in the past) and really like the new XC90. So I did some research, read some opinions on autotrader and there were as many bad opinions as the good ones. Which made me thinking, should I perhaps save some more cash and try to get 2016/17 in case there are some teething issues with the 2015 being the first release of the new version? Also are they actually reliable, ofcourse I can either get lucky or not, but should I be concerned that the model I can afford would be without manufacturers warranty and is that a big risk to take with this car? The cars that would be within my budget if I was to buy it in Ireland are either from private sale or from smaller dealerships (not specifically a Volvo dealerships) that would have been imported from the UK. So yes I would be getting a 12 month warranty but I'm sure t&c's apply.

Some of the cars I checked on autotrader are from the Volvo Selekt range and sold by Volvo Dealers in the UK and have 12 months of warranty. Would this extend to Republic of Ireland or would I have to bring it bag to the place I bought the car from - which isn't feasable.

Last but not least - should I go for the D5 or would D4 be enough, I would be using this car on irish roads, so not exactly off-roading to perhaps justify the AWD cost.

Any input would be appreciated as I don't want to make a bad decission here since this car is more of a treat than necessity and since it's a significant financial investment I would prefer to be as informed as possible.

Thank you.

[SwissXC90]

2 options:

1. Listen to your heart: go for what you want
2. Listen to your head: go for what you can afford

[SundayDriver]

Originally Posted by SwissXC90

2 options:

1. Listen to your heart: go for what you want
2. Listen to your head: go for what you can afford

It begs a question, can my head be at ease because they're good cars and nothing bad will happen - because they're good cars, so that I can listen to my heart ?

[SwissXC90]

The facelift firstgen XC90s are the end of the product lifecycle for that generation vehicle
That means a huge amount of issues has been ironed out.

The newer cars are at the start of their lifecycle
That means some issues are still being ironed out, but the chances of free fixes and fixes via software are much much higher

As with any car, you can get lemons

I have a 2009 XC90 and it has been very reliable and only very very minor problems which are generaly age related (light bulbs, rubber bushes)

I saved around 50,000 EUR capital outlay compared to a new car - and thus am happy to accept the few paintwork scratches and slightly higher maintenance costs than a newer car.

If you want the absolute best for your money, get a 3 to 5 year old car. There you are on the best spot on the depreciation vs maintenance curve

[nu11eaf]

Originally Posted by SundayDriver

Hello everyone,

I live in Ireland and I am considering buying the XC90. I have a certain budget which limits my choice to 2015 D4 or D5 most likely Momentum version. The cars I have been looking at so far were slightly above my budget, therefore I am still in the market for the right one.

However increasingly due to a better selection I am considering buying one in the UK and bringing it over to Ireland. I don't make many miles per year, maybe 6000-8000 if I get adventurous, but I like big cars (not that I owned one in the past) and really like the new XC90. So I did some research, read some opinions on autotrader and there were as many bad opinions as the good ones. Which made me thinking, should I perhaps save some more cash and try to get 2016/17 in case there are some teething issues with the 2015 being the first release of the new version? Also are they actually reliable, ofcourse I can either get lucky or not, but should I be concerned that the model I can afford would be without manufacturers warranty and is that a big risk to take with this car? The cars that would be within my budget if I was to buy it in Ireland are either from private sale or from smaller dealerships (not specifically a Volvo dealerships) that would have been imported from the UK. So yes I would be getting a 12 month warranty but I'm sure t&c's apply.

Some of the cars I checked on autotrader are from the Volvo Selekt range and sold by Volvo Dealers in the UK and have 12 months of warranty. Would this extend to Republic of Ireland or would I have to bring it bag to the place I bought the car from - which isn't feasable.

Last but not least - should I go for the D5 or would D4 be enough, I would be using this car on irish roads, so not exactly off-roading to perhaps justify the AWD cost.

Any input would be appreciated as I don't want to make a bad decission here since this car is more of a treat than necessity and since it's a significant financial investment I would prefer to be as informed as possible.

Thank you.

If you are talking about the second generation XC90 then I would avoid the 2015 MY, go for a 2016 model from May onwards as they were upgraded and have powerpulse engines (235hp) and pilot assist 2 as well as other upgrades. If you are talking about Mk1 run out models they are the bees knees and a very good buy.

[SundayDriver]

Originally Posted by nu11eaf

If you are talking about the second generation XC90 then I would avoid the 2015 MY, go for a 2016 model from May onwards as they were upgraded and have powerpulse engines (235hp) and pilot assist 2 as well as other upgrades. If you are talking about Mk1 run out models they are the bees knees and a very good buy.

Thanks - will take all the comments on board.