Volvo's SUV is a practical car with lots of surprises. Its base stereo system sounds extremely good and allows fine-tuning, while its smallish engine delivers strong acceleration. It's nothing fancy, but it works well.
Volvo's SUV comes with two engine choices: a six-cylinder or a V-8. Our test car came with the six-cylinder engine and optional all-wheel-drive. All-wheel-drive is standard with the V-8.
Two five-band equalizers--one for the front and one for the rear--are one of the surprises on this stereo. Few other cars allow this degree of audio fine-tuning.
The in-dash, six-disc changer works very well and sounds excellent. The controls are relatively simple, but the keypad is a little unnecessary, as it controls only radio presets.
We found the steering a little light on the XC90; not surprising, as this car is meant to be maneuvered around parking lots instead of pushed through fast corners.
The six-speed automatic transmission works well in this car. It also has a Winter mode, which changes the transmission logic to deal with snowy weather.