Overview & Reviews
After receiving significant changes last year, the 2008 Volvo XC90 carries over much the same. An auto-dimming rearview mirror is standard on all XC90s, while the V8 models get some mild interior and exterior trim updates. A 3.2 Special Edition trim also debuts.
- Pleasing to drive, impressive safety ratings, high-quality interior materials, snug and comfy front seats, ample cargo space.
- Overall design is getting a bit stale, third-row seating compromises second-row space, subpar fuel economy with either engine.
User Reviews:
Showing 1 through 10 of 40.00-
Perfect truck at the right price - 2008 Volvo XC90
By Costin Harnoncourt - November 28 - 12:36 pmWe got this truck because it looks great, is very comfortable, rates very high in safety and best of all we got $10K of the sticker price. The seats are amazing, room for 7 and lots of trunk space. Great stereo system and power everything. The only problem is poor gas mileage
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Scandinavian Delivery - 2008 Volvo XC90
By bobliles - September 22 - 1:33 amWe picked up the car at the Volvo delivery center in Goteberg, Sweden and drove to Oslo, Lillehammer, over the mountains to Balestrand, back through Sweden, Karlstad, Stockholm, Kalmar. Climbing the mountains was no effort for the V8 and was unaffected by the altitude. We drove 1700 miles in ten days. The only challenge was parking in an Oslo underground garage meant for the dimunitive European vehicles. Mileage for trip was 23.8 mpg which is excellent considering the mountain and in city driving. But minimum octane in Norway/Sweden was 95. Ive been a Honda/Acura owner for 30 years. Owned an MDX and test drove a new MDX recently. The Volvo XC90 is the ultimate.
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Love it! - 2008 Volvo XC90
By Lars Hoej - June 22 - 1:36 amMy fourth Volvo, but SUV. A 2008 V8 Special Edition with practically all options. Paid $56,000 and have no regrets. The ride is smooth, steering responsive and road grip and stability far better than my wifes Acura MDX. Second row a bit cramped, but as it is meant for kids and they are more interested in the entertainment system, its not a big issue. Air condition for the rear seats is on all the time, as it enhances the over-all airflow. The air quality system and BLIS makes highway traffic very comfortable. I drive the car pretty hard and has a mileage below 12, but the V8 sound is so great that its hard not to use the power.
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My 2nd XC 90 - 2008 V8 - 2008 Volvo XC90
By eastcoastjim - August 6 - 1:36 amWe leased our 2nd XC 90 in August 2008, and couldnt be happier. Our first lease was a 2006 XC 90 with the 5 cyl. turbo, and it was a mediocre performer. Way underpowered, it worked so hard all the time it got horrible gas mileage and forget trying to get it to do a 50 to 70 pass on the highway. It had some warrenty work, but none of the horror stories I have read elsewhere. Based on the improved reliability cited by consumers reports, we decided to lease a new V8. It is light years better - it feels like a completely different car, and the gas mileage is about the same between the two. There are only minor differences between the model yrs, and the incentives made them the same price!
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Volvo is Swedish for "fill her up again" - 2008 Volvo XC90
By navydocwv - July 23 - 6:06 pmI love my new 2008 XC90, but with only a V6, I thought I would get a little better gas mileage. I am averaging 13 MPG. (My guess is that it is such a safe and heavy car from all the steel in it.) I got better gas mileage in my V8 Dodge Durango which was a larger SUV. Other than the gas mileage, this car is cream of the crop and will turn heads. I got the Willow Green which is a great color.
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Great car needs better tires - 2008 Volvo XC90
By scatback - July 11 - 6:46 am20,000 trouble free miles in the V-8, average 19.7 mpg in mixed driving. Love the premium leather, the drive train, the ride and quality and the looks. But Volvo shouldnt build a all wheel drive car with the 19" Pirelli Scorpians. They are useless, not to say dangerous, in even light snow, got real noisy after 15,000 miles and were ready for scrap after 20k. Ive replaced the with Conti HDCs, which are stock on Mercedes. My only other complaint is the turning radius that resembles a super tanker (supposedly to accommodate the width of the V-8); we call ours the "Queen Mary".
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Good Deal for the Money - 2008 Volvo XC90
By RD - May 14 - 4:13 amWe came out of a BMW X5 4.4 and couldnt be happier. Performance is the same, ride is sporty but not as stiff; we pretty much got this thing loaded and got a free Garmin Nav unit as well. Ended up with the V8 because we didnt feel the 6 cyl could do the job. Fuel economy in 600 miles of in- town driving around 16.5 mpg; pretty good for a heavy car. The biggest thing for us was keeping the same size SUV and getting more interior room and with the 3rd seat down, there is plenty for her and the babys stuff. We got ours at the end of the month and after negotiating, they practically gave this thing away. Get the Executive pack with different leather and the blindspot info deal; worth it.
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Movin up - 2008 Volvo XC90
By USNav8tor - May 4 - 3:03 amI recently traded my 06 BMW M3 convertible in for this SUV. I needed the space for our new baby. My rating is slightly lower on performance and fun to drive just based on the fact I have a hard time not comparing it to the M3 - totally different vehicles, but Im still having a little separation anxiety. I do love this SUV. I did my research and really found this to be the best bang for the buck and it is. I have been a german car owner and vowed to never buy anything else... well Volvo won me over! The Volvo XC90 is fantastic!
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Perfect car but not enoying it - 2008 Volvo XC90
By Thor - July 21 - 3:00 pmMy family has had a Volvo since 1981 and therefore it was not a difficult choice to purchase the XC90. The interior is typical Volvo (little bit too tight) but with the highest quality to find. All seats are strong and comfortable - not just the front seats as in some other SUVs.
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AWESOME SUV! - 2008 Volvo XC90
By mBot - May 16 - 1:23 pmLeased our 08 XC90 V8 AWD with Premium Package and Bi-Xenons in Feb 08. Best car weve ever owned! 24,000 miles on it so far and love it. No problems! Perfect size......spacious inside, 3rd Row if you need it / lots of cargo room if you dont. 2nd row slides fore and aft to adjust legroom where its needed most. Excellent interior materials and quality. Drives like a dream. Yamaha-built 4.4L V8 is a ROCKET and has tons of passing power, but will get 22-23 mpg on the highway if you set the cruise at 60-62mph. Yes, this is AWD:) Handles rock solid in the snow if you put snow tires on it. Great car.......were definitely buying it at the end of the lease
