Why you shouldn t buy this car: If you adore big, brawny V8 engines, the XC90 s Yamaha unit is too highly-strung to earn your affections. Also, if you re a PC suburbanite intent on burnishing your tree-hugging credentials, you ll want a more fuel efficient, hybrid-powered SUV.

Why you should buy this car: The XC90 is one of the world s most civilized SUV s. It embodies everything Ford/Land Rover/Volvo knows about clean, functional design and spacious interior architecture. The new V8 isn t perfect, but it provides a perfectly placed band-aid over the XC90 s Achilles heel.

Suitability Parameters:
· Speed Merchants: No
· Fashion Victims: Yes
· Treehuggers: Yes
· Mack Daddies: No
· Tuner Crowd: No
· Hairdressers: No
· Penny Pinchers: No
· Euro Snobs: No
· Working Stiffs: No
· Technogeeks: No
· Poseurs: No
· Soccer Moms: Yes
· Nascar Dads: No
· Golfing Grandparents: Yes

Vitals:
· Manufacturer: Volvo
· Model tested: XC90 V8
· Model year: 2006
· Price as Tested: $49,810
· Engine type: DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
· Horsepower: 311hp @ 5850 rpm
· Torque: 325 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
· Redline: 6000rpm
· Wheels and Tires: 18" "Atlantis" Alloy Wheels; Michelin Pilot HXMXM4 235 / 60R18 tires
· Drive type: Four wheel drive
· 0 - 60: 7.0 seconds
· 1/4 mile: NA
· Top speed: 118 (limited)
· Fuel economy city/highway: 15/20
· NHTSA crash test rating front/side/rollover: Not Tested/*****/****

[by Robert Farago]

Related:
Jalopnik Reviews: 2006 Volvo XC90 V8, Part 1, Part 2 [internal]

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