I owned this v90 cross country for three years, mine had the diesel engine. I fitted 18” wheels with offroad tyres. It easily tackled many offroad situations and unpaved rocky mountainpasses with absolute ease. People in Lamdcruisers and Defenders used to stop me and say that I wouldn’t be able to make the terrain and were surprised when I laughed them off. Volvo supplies a thick aluminum plate as an official accessory that I had fitted below the engine compartment. That took so e knocks, but I never felt that I really needed extra clearance. Amazing car.
We have a 2019 Ocean Race on 19” wheels. Never had any issues and the seats and ride are very comfortable. It’s been across the country a couple of times and regularly drives between the west coast and the UT mountains these days. Although it’s not an off-roader, it’s certainly capable of transiting a dirt or gravel road so long as the ground clearance isn’t an issue. Traction is always fine. In truth, though, the two places it’s most impressive are long-distance highway trips and snowy mountain conditions (the reason we got it in the first place). Not cheap, but I suspect the negative comments belong to people who’ve never actually owned one.
That would be nice. Maybe even a top gear kind of board where you rank them based on how they perform. Like a hot lap with the Sting, but off road and slip test ratings.
I have a V60 Cross Country. Best car I've ever had. Solid, comfortable, and great in snow/light off road. I swapped out the 19's and put on the base 18's and it drives even better
I'm not sure what generation of Haldex this one has but I have a 2015 V60 Cross Country, I put a full skid plate on it and downsized to 17 inch wheels wrapped in nitto AT's and the car is WAYYY more capable than it has any right to be. It's also a fantastic tow vehicle for anything under 4k pounds.
The volvo v90 xc is used as police cars in Europe. Its the standard squad car in Norway. Volvo have a dedicated factory in Sweden that modifies all the models into what the customers need.
Beautiful wagon and great traction test. Thank you. Regarding the wheels and tires I wanted to comment that the 21 Inch wheels with the summer tires on the V90 CC tested is an optional upgrade. All the V90 CC Ultimate trims come standard with the 20 Inch Wheels with all-season tires that have more tread and grip. Great to see how well it did in that test with those tires and wheels.
My parents are about to get one of these. 2018 model with the T5 250 horsepower engine, AWD, and only 52,000 miles on the clock. It's a replacement for our 2014 XC70 with 155,000 miles on the clock we've had since February 2015.
100% agree that the new CC’s are leaning to much towards luxury, instead of off road worthiness, (smaller rims, bigger sidewalks, maybe even cloth interior). Great video 🤗
Great reviews. Some time ago I watched a guy do similar tests in multiple brands. One other thing he did when he took them offroad was to test the body integrity. In one of the most body twisting runs, he stopped to see if the front doors would open. Some did, some didn't.
I can't remember the channel's name, but it's based on Australia and they have cool and tough tests to help people choose what's best on road, off-road, and towing in the real world! Too bad we Americans cannot get the same models, options and Diesel engine choices that the Aussies get to choose from! Our "climate and safety" regs force us to get inferior options but usually more luxury and comfort options on the ones that are here! While most won't ever see dirt or the "bush", it would be nice to have the option for those who want to actually use the vehicle for more than transporting kids to soccer practice in luxury that most can't afford the top trim anyway! We should at least get a bare bones utility model that's tough , gets decent mileage via diesel and is more affordable like the rest of the world enjoys.. 🤷♂️
I have 8 of those wheels, summer set and winter set and they are 21's My 2018 v90cc t6 polestar also has rear air suspension, that wasn't noted on that test car during testing.
Was surprised how V90 cc did way better compared to A6 allroad in the 3-way slip test! 🤯🤯🤯 Great review! Thanks for reviewing lifted station wagons in an offroad!! 🤩 🍻
It's typical for European car manufacturers to only export the high-end versions of their cars to the US. Here in Sweden you can, if you really want to, get one of these with a diesel powertrain, 17-18 inch wheels with tires from Finnish Nokian and even a manual transmission at one point, they did discontinue the manual though so only automatic in the later years. Just like with American cars in the US, you can get the lower trim lines of European cars in Europe. You could get a real basic spec V90 Cross Country with cloth seats, 190hp diesel engine, manual transmission (only some years), and no fancy features like sunroof or cooled seats or whatever. These options are much simpler and is also why European cars are seen as more reliable in Europe than in the US, because you guys in the US always get the most expensive, most complicated versions of cars. In terms of other brands you can get very simple, cloth seated, no frills Audis, BMWs and Mercedes' as well, they're decently reliable compared to the fully specced out V8:s and V6:s and I6 with all the gimmicky electronics features.
One of my bigger gripes with my V60 recharge, is i couldnt get the PHEV drivetrain in a V60 CC or V90 CC. I scraped my front lip within my first 3 months of ownership. That, and (though i never had to live with it) sensus always seemed to be a much better laid out UI than android automotive
Low profile tires are beyond stupid. I live in the Denver metro area, and the roads are crap here. I have intentionally left 16-inch rims on my 2003 Excursion and run 35' tires so that I have sidewall flex. I never get flats. My ex had an Audi S6 and had flats all of the time...
Volvo awd works very well also falls a part very well. Had a few. Switched to Subaru five years ago, now just drive without fear to pay top dollar now and then just for having fun in snow.
Similar story to me. Have had 3 Volvos over the years, older ones were bombproof, newer they were the more issues for me. Looked at the V60cc but when I told the dealer what I wanted it for he looked a bit worried. So I picked up a 2023 Outback to replace my 2019 one. No regrets. I don’t think the Volvo would have lived up to being used regularly on farm tracks, winter unploughed roads and river banks.
I've seen a lot of off-road \ bumpy path \ deep snow videos of the Ford Maverick ... including TFL's video of the Maverick Hybrid getting loaded to the max with logs & compared to the Santa Cruz up Truth and Dare. Yet the non-hybrid Maverick AWD hasn't been on the rollers yet. I'm wondering how much wheel slip is going on before it transfers torque to a wheel with grip
I owned 2019 V90 CC with diesel engine. On this car I managed to drive in and out soo deep in Cerpathians mountains in snow without chains, where lc200s cannot manage to get on chains. (Before I got to know that it's better to use chains 😄)
Live in CO near west entrance Rocky Mountain NP. 2018 v90 CC with CPO factory warranty and additional third party extended warranty. base edition, non air suspension. Coming up on 60K service, and have received wildly conflicting recommendations on draining ( not power flushing) transmission fluid, haldex and diff fluids. Volvo dealer sticks to lifetime protocol and warns CPO policy is voided by breaking seal. Indy shops swear by 50K fluid changes. Problem: my inclination is for proper preventative maintenance, but since warranties cover failures, it seems like not replacing fluids is most economical for me, but stupid and wasteful as a practice. Welcome thoughts on the topic.
that seems like not an Cross country, but the regular one... agree 18" wheels... another 1" of ground clearance... but... I love it.... soo good looking.. wish they did a t8 version with 18" Ko2's... What is the highest performing off road wagon? would love a plug in hybrid v8 9" of ground clearance but low roof...
I don't think Cross Country in this application insinuates any off-road capability. It is simply meaning it will take you, your passengers, and the cargo comfortably across the country. A traditional highway cruising station wagon. Nothing more than that.
You're right. Volvo doesn't intend this for real off-roading. It is simply a better option for someone who'll be driving in snow/ice or gravel roads every now and then, not real off-roading. It is a great car for the adventerous people who might wanna take their family or friends on a long road trip up some mountain gravel roads to hike or something like that, but it is indeed not an off-roading vehicle.
Not joking, the 🔥🔥🔥You have EVER Been Mr Tommy oooh wee! Boy does Volvo suit you! A wagon no less!! You know that meme where James McAvoy is 🌬himself? Yeah! 😂 - That aside goes w/o saying I ❤my 850R 😂 wagon. I'm not a huge fan of the lifted ones, but rather this than a fugly Legacy! & now that they're hybrids, even better! EV soon enough too👍
Tommy...that car has 21 inch wheels, not 20s. They look great, but as you said, they are not the wheels you want to use to take the car off road. The would be better on an R-Design model (had an "18..fantastic car), which sadly has been discontinued in the US. Would love to see you guys test the V60 Polestar Engineered (I have a '23 and it's an incredible car)...the rear axle is only powered by electric motors, so I'd be interested to see how it does.
If this thing came with 20's, that shouldn't be too difficult. According to Tire Tack, you can go down to a 235/55-18 which opens up the Nitto Nomad Grappler and BFG Trail-Terrain A/T.
many cars have this system, applying breaks to the spinning wheel. Problem i've had (several times) is my check engine light might be on for a 'bad' catalytic converter, and that deactivates the traction control (not sure why), which has turned my Land Cruiser into a 1-wheel drive vehicle, on occasion. Most annoying. I think Mercedes uses a similar system. Just don't get why the CE light would deactivate TC.
“At no point there is jerk in this vehicle…” What the heck, man!? That’s a poopy way to call out Geoff. I mean, as a stuffed bear, he’s got no way to defend himself.
People who buy a V90 are not looking to go off-road. They want the al wheel drive to get them to the kids activities and the supermarket in the snow and slippery conditions.
I’d go for the regular v90 anyway. Not tall or big enough for most US buyers. In the US big means luxury🤪 Go get yourself a $70000 Dodge Ram Hemi Truck/Grocery getter😀
How come there is no mention this is a haldex system? FWD based system with transverse engine is extremely relevant for AWD system, and even comparing this to an A6 allroad or E-class without mentioning this seems kind of weak.
Volvo knows 99% of their customers will never be taking these vehicles far from their suburban enclaves much less off road, hence the showroom appeal of the 20” wheels and the Italian rubber.
It's typical for European car manufacturers to only export the high-end versions of their cars to the US. Here in Sweden you can, if you really want to, get one of these with a diesel powertrain, 17-18 inch wheels with tires from Finnish Nokian and even a manual transmission at one point, they did discontinue the manual though so only automatic in the later years. Just like with American cars in the US, you can get the lower trim lines of European cars in Europe. You could get a real basic spec V90 Cross Country with cloth seats, 150hp diesel engine, manual transmission (only some years), and no fancy features like sunroof or cooled seats or whatever. These options are much simpler and is also why European cars are seen as more reliable in Europe than in the US, because you guys in the US always get the most expensive, most complicated versions of cars. In terms of other brands you can get very simple, cloth seated, no frills Audis, BMWs and Mercedes' as well, they're decently reliable compared to the V8:s and V6:s and I6 with all the gimmicky electronics features.
Two major problems with this car: - The price. Good Lord, are they getting expensive; - Interior. This is supposed to be a Cross Country car designed to get in tough conditions with mud and snow. I’d love a more rugged interior where it won’t be scary or stressful to scratch stuff. I mean, it’s a wagon: dogs will scratch stuff, skis are going to get thrown in the trunk, 2x4s will be carried. Rugged interior, please. No fancy vegan leather or crystal shifters, please.
Agree … get rid of the interior chrome, too… my 2001 cross country wagon has all black inside - much more classy … and Volvo has lost their way in terms of safety by going too-touchscreen and eliminating much-safer physical buttons/dials for memory changing of climate & audio & drivetrain controls
@@cbatiau2528 My advice to Volvo: make an option that steals a page from Subie’s Wilderness edition interiors. Less expensive to produce and more friendly for “active” buyers who will throw stuff, tools and sh*** in the back.
Which is the exact reason I went for a Subaru Outback with wipe clean seats, lipped rubber mats, 18” wheels with lots of side wall, and better driving position to actually see the ruts and holes in the track.
