We're keeping the all-wheel-drive wagon theme rolling. We reviewed the Subaru Impreza last week and the Volkswagen Golf SportWagen before that. Now we're looking at a slightly more upscale option. The Volvo V90 Cross Country T6 AWD wagon starts at $55,300, but our test car checked out at $69,440 thanks to a bunch of additions, including the Luxury Package, Convenience Package and a Bowers and Wilkins sound system.
It's both supercharged and turbocharged, squeezing 316 horsepower out of its 2.0-liter engine.
Other staff views
JG Pasterjak
Production/Art Director
No brown station wagon has any right being this sexy. Yet here we are. The V90 Cross Country is, inside and out, one of the more stunning cars we’ve seen in a while. The outside is a nice mix of aggression and subtlety, while inside is a nice mix of retro-futuristic art-deco touches and organic-feeing materials and textures.
But, sadly, the V90 seems to suffer from being less than the sum of its parts.
Admittedly, there’s not much wrong with the car. But the things that are wrong seem particularly annoying. All those shiny, neo-noir switches and handles inside the car look dope, but they’re as hot as a Geno’s Pizza Roll that just came out of the oven. You want so bad to grab it and be one with its cheesy deliciousness, but the pain turns you away.
The infotainment center is easy to read and seems intuitive… at first. Then you get three layers deep in a menu trying to change a setting and realize you went down the wrong rabbit hole.
Dynamically and practically, the V90 is an excellent car, and maybe these annoying distractions are completely overcomeable. Maybe some good window tint solves the surface heat issue. Maybe more time with the touchscreen gets you more familiar with the UI and it starts to make sense. Hopefully that’s the case, as this is a car that loves to be driven. We just want to love driving it more.
David S. Wallens
Editorial Director
Whoever thought that a brown Volvo station wagon could look so good but, yes, it totally does. The shape. The details. And that color. Remember when our parents warned us that one day all cars would resemble shapeless blobs? Well, we’re not there yet.
Okay, the important stuff.
The good: It’s not slow. It’s not going to outrun my M3, but it’s not a slug. It rides as nicely as you’d expect. On the highway it’s quiet and composed. In town it’s right on target.
The interior features all of the latest and greatest accoutrements. Heated seats? Of course. Cooled seats? Definitely. Massaging seats? Yep.
Enough room for my BMX bike? Easily.
The less good: Does the start knob have to be chrome-plated? On a hot day, it’s like grabbing a soldiering iron. I know, it sounds like a minor complaint, but a $70,000 car shouldn’t leave you making even the slightest quibble. (And on a related note, the chrome trim on the steering wheel also got nuclear hot down here in Florida.)
Let’s back up a second: $70,000 for a Volvo wagon!? Okay, some ’splaining. The V90 Cross Country T6 AWD starts at $55,300.
But then there are the options found on our test car: $4500 for the luxury package that adds things like leather interior, those massaging front seats and a climate controlled glove box; $595 for the totally justifiable Maple Brown Metallic paint; and $1950 for a Convenience Package that tacks on the heated washer nozzles, 360-degree camera and some more bells and whistles. But wait, we’re not done yet: $3200 for the Bowers and Wilkins sound system, $900 for the head-up display, $800 for the dubs and $1200 for the Premium Air Suspension in Rear, which makes me wonder what the standard one is like. Then add in a $995 destination fee, bringing the total to $69,440.
I’m at their site building up my own. Yes, I went with the brown, but I don’t really need most of those options. I am splurging $145 for the bike rack, but so far my total is $55,890. Yeah, that’s still way, way, way above my budget, but it’s also not $70,000.
And, realistically, well, not really because I’m dreaming here, I’d do a V90 R-Design. Once you opt for the T6 engine, you’re at $56,945 for this totally boss wagon. You can’t get the brown, though, but Volvo offers more neutrals than you ever thought possible. “Would you prefer the Savile Grey Metallic, Electric Silver Metallic or the Osmium Grey Metallic?”
“Give me the Bright Silver Metallic, please.”
Okay, back to our test car. I also didn’t find the touchscreen super-intuitive and, yes, I’m a Mac guy. All I want to do is crank down the a/c. I was cool with buttons but, like JG noted, you’d probably get used to it over time. Although, I have to say, we’re in different cars each week, and I still never quite got comfortable with this setup.
Final thoughts: Would I rather drive this than an SUV? Any day of the week. And twice on Sunday. If it were my 70 or even 55 large on the line, though, I’d want a few of those minor annoyances cleaned up. Don’t make me walk down to the Audi store.
Comments
Ian F
MegaDork
7/18/17 3:57 p.m.
"The less good: Does the start knob have to be chrome-plated? On a hot day, it’s like grabbing a soldiering iron. I know, it sounds like a minor complaint, but a $70,000 car shouldn’t leave you making even the slightest quibble. (And on a related note, the chrome trim on the steering wheel also got nuclear hot down here in Florida.)"
While Volvo may now be owned by the Chinese, once in awhile you can tell the company is based in Sweden. 
Volvo had a V90 (non-XC) at the New York Auto Show in the Maple Brown - I love that color.
I hate to pick such small nits, but when you're driving away in a $70,000 car, you should have any complaints, especially ones that involve pain and/or discomfort.
And, yeah, all cars should come in that color.
And tell me that the non-Cross Country isn't too cool:
Ian F
MegaDork
7/18/17 4:40 p.m.
In reply to David S. Wallens:
Oh yes. If I didn't have a general phobia about having a car loan again, I would have been at the loca dealer placing an OSD order for a V90 in Maple Brown Metallic with tan/cream leather. Base T5 version with FWD.
For now, I'll have to look longingly at my crusty 1800ES and imagine it painted that color some day.
Speaking of brown, I saw this last weekend. It looked all the wow.
Vigo
UltimaDork
7/19/17 2:51 p.m.
It's common for people to think I'm crazy but I've been pining for a Volvo to look this good ever since I belatedly realized how damn good looking the original S80 was. The S90/V90 finally gives me the New-Volvo eye candy I've been waiting for. I love the design, and my only complaint is that the only one I've been able to spend any time with in real life was in such horribly drab colors that it managed to wipe all the panache off a beautiful design.
Yes, that is one handsome wagon. Very anxious to see how it stacks up against the Regal this fall. The Buford may be nearly as good for $20k less, and I think it looks great too.
I hate to pick nits, but this is GRM? $70K a LOT of coin for a car, and more than 70 times what I paid for my DD Volvo wagon.
I find myself increasingly in the minority here as things evolve, so I'm just throwing that out there.
I love to see articles about cheaper alternatives, or that awesome tool that is useful in the shop, or that car that was under-appreciated when new and can be had for pennies on the dollar now and returns great performance/lux/uniqueness.
Ian F
MegaDork
7/20/17 6:37 a.m.
In reply to DrBoost:
I don't think anyone here disagrees with you, but as a semi-mainstream magazine the GRM staff are somewhat beholden to review the cars presented to them, within a somewhat broad criteria.
The staff does profile interesting used cars in just about every issue. The recent article on the VW MkIV GTI, for example. While I would have expanded the scope of that article to cover the MkIV in general, it essentially meets your criteria.
I tried the V90 and it's exactly the kind of daddy-mobile I'd want. It's gorgeous inside and out. It drives nicely.
It's a great car that's greatly over-priced.
Around here, the base price of a V90 is $8K more than an XC90. How that is justifiable to Volvo, I have no idea. And people seem to have noticed because I have yet to see a single V90 on the road.
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