Volvo XC90 v Landrover Discovery

tuggybear50

Hi folks. I am looking to buy a 4x4, secondhand, probably around 3-4 yrs old c £ 18,000 or thereabouts - partly because I now need a 7 seater but also because I will be getting a single horse trailer for towing occasionally and driving down rutty tracks to said horse. I currently have a Volvo V50 so towing a horse trailer with this is a no no and the rutty tracks at the stables do it no good as it is fairly low to the ground.

I have also had various issues with the V50 (it is now almost 6 yo & have had it from new) which have somewhat dented my confidence in Volvo, what with an alternator packing up, seat belt needing replacing, various electrics failing & now the catalytic converter which is likely to be around £ 700 to fix. It also eats tyres, they never last more than 20k miles and this has never been resolved and seems to be a common thing with certain Volvos (inc the XC90 !). So I am looking at selling as am thinking it will be not far off £1500 to get through MOT taking into account service and probably also brakes/pads/discs and yet another new tyre or two.

Having trawled the net extensively, I seem to be coming back to the Volvo XC90 and the Landrover Disco 3 both of which seem capable. I don't want an automatic which rules out some other makes. I do around 20000 miles a year, most of which is unfortunately short trips to/from work & stables, so probably only around 5000 motorway miles.

The first obvious difference is that on the surface the XC90 has lower £ for tax and insurance and does better mpg than the Disco. However does the XC90 have higher cost for parts & servicing compared to the Disco so would work out dearer longer term ? I think the XC90 is serviced 12000 mile intervals whereas the Disco is 15000 ?

I appreciate I am coloured by my V50 experiences so am thinking the XC90 if it goes wrong will be very expensive to fix, more so than the same repair would be on the Disco. However the tax/insurance fuel overall will be cheaper on the XC90 I guess.

I am in a total dither so am hoping for some thoughts from you all who might have experience of either the XC90 or Disco 3, or both.

Many thanks

KeithP

This question was asked a couple of weeks ago. This thread runs to four pages.

Hintza

We have recently had the same dilemma. Your options are fairly limited we had been using a Grand Cherokee and with the Mercedes engine is one to have a second look at. However this was on lease and we decide a bit of money saving was required and I have bought a Cherokee (cat D write off) I suspect it will not be a patch on the Grand Cherokee but it was cheap .

The XC90 is the only 4x4 that is cheap to lease just now as the model is about to be replaced (probably not an option but uou never know)

The Landrover I always feel are quite expensive and older models can be troublesome. If I could bear it for long journeys the Defender would be the towing car of choice.

If you don't need it for serious off road work the Touareg might be an option.

If you feel wealty you always have the Landcruiser.

But one worth looking at is a new Ssangyong Rexton. Gets ripped to pieces by the motoring press but at under £16,000 new and again with a Mercedes engine and gearbox is not as bad as some make out. Well worth considering.

Motorprovider called me 10 days ago to say they had a couple in but I had gone down the really cheap route by that point.

The new Freelander might be an option but with only 2 tonnes of towing capacity it might be tight.

pinkneonmartini

tuggybear50 wrote: »

It also eats tyres, they never last more than 20k miles and this has never been resolved and seems to be a common thing with certain Volvos

i don't think i've ever had a tyre last more than about 15k miles? I was under the impression that 10-12k was fair mileage for a tyre and anything over that was a bonus! lol or maybe i'm just too heavy footed?

back to your actual question, i'd take a look at the Jeeps like Hintza has suggested and then get yourself over to www.broadspeed.com i got a quote on a new wrangler yesterday with £5k off the list price!!!!! just trawling the web tryin to find a garage with one in stock near me so i can go and have a test drive before i ring up and snap their hand off!

AdrianHi

I've heard that now ownership of Volvo have passed to the Chinese company Zhejiang Geely Holding Group they have taken the decision to delay intoduction of the new model XC90 by 2 years. Might be just a rumour though.

Anyway, a friend of mine has just bought a brand new factory order base spec. XC90 D5 auto with £400 black paint option list price about £33K-£34K for... £22K. That'll be why lease prices are so low.
Just release Kia Sorento has 7 seat option for about £22K now with a 4 cyclinder diesel producing just short of 200bhp, 0-60 under 10 seconds, official combined 43mpg and 7 year warranty.
Also just released mid life updated Hyundai SanteFe has 7 seat option same sort of price, performance and 41-42mpg and a 5 year warranty.

Personally I would find an extra £4K for one of these vehicles still under warranty or expect to bag a used XC90 for a price adjusted now that they can be had for £22K. So wipe about 30% off any price anyone is asking if they have not done it already. Glad I didn't own an XC90 before this price reduction :eek:
£300 a month lease a good option too.

AdrianHi

Based on my father-in-laws experience of a Jeep Grand Cherokee you would have to be absolutelty completely out of your mind and in need of committing to a mental institution to put one of those on your drive.
Yes, realibility really is that bad.
If I was my father in law I wouldn't have had the Jeep in the first place but since it was there I would have dropped it like a hot potatoe well in advance of warranty expirey instead of peeing away on average £2000-£3000 a year in repairs and suffering the at least bi-annual event of having to be rescued from the other end of the country because the Jeep has broken down ... expensively ... again.
If you want me to have a Jeep on my drive I'm charging £500 a month storage fee, I certainly wouldn't rely on it to take me somewhere and get me home again.
... and the dash board top trim never was fitted straight, looked silly with gaps.

This is my calm, rational well though out opinion :rotfl:

PS. I think it was before the Merc engine, but the engine never broke, just the gearbox... at least twice, drive shafts at least twice may be 3 times, electrical faults making the car undriveable... sorry I better stop.