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Unsafe and Unpredictable: My Volvo EX90 Experience

myvolvoex90.com

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Re: Unsafe and Unpredictable: My Volvo EX90 Experience

#181

Post by vel0city »

Marsymars wrote: post #133
everybodyknows wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Was told by a mechanic a few months back that continuously-variable transmissions are standard in gas cars now, but have reliability problems. Old-tech automatics can (could?) still be had from Toyota and Mazda.

Note that the eCVT that Toyota/Ford (and soon Mazda) use in their hybrids is mechanically entirely different from classic CVTs.

Note that not all Ford hybrids are eCVTs. Hybrid Explorers don't have eCVTs, for example.

But Mavericks and some of their newer hybrids are eCVTs.

Re: Unsafe and Unpredictable: My Volvo EX90 Experience

#182

Post by dzhiurgis »

Shame, I hear the reviews say it's such a nice car. But looking at those screenshots I'll refuse to buy anything else until software matches Tesla. 90% of car features is software now and buying anything else than Tesla (or Rivian) is just asking for trouble.

Re: Unsafe and Unpredictable: My Volvo EX90 Experience

#183

Post by PaulHoule »

burnerthrow008 wrote: post #172
rich_sasha wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"European" cars are not really a category. French/Italian/Spanish cars are very different from German/Volvo, and even these groupings are a stretch. Then you have Dacia too, and I have no idea where to even put it. Plus you have some luxury British cars, which are again veery different. In-group std is greater than between-group std.

In the USA (where Consumer Reports exists), we don’t have any French or Spanish brands. Italian brands are only exotics and couple near-luxury brands from Stellantis. To a USAian, “European Brand” means something from Germany or Scandinavia. If you mean a Ferrari or Lamborghini, you say that name.

There's Fiat, an Italian brand that I think of as terribly downmarket. I think it's part of Stellantis and I think if you see Stellantis coming you're supposed to run, not walk away -- I guess Chrysler is still part of that, but Chrysler is also far worse than Ford and GM.

As for Ferrari and Lamborghini it doesn't matter what Consumer Reports thinks.

Re: Unsafe and Unpredictable: My Volvo EX90 Experience

#184

Post by moogly »

PaulHoule wrote: post #103
runako wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Toyota, Lexus, Subaru, Honda. Not sure if Hyundai & Kia are quite as reliable, but if not it's on them because they have some of the best warranties in the industry.

For a long time Consumer Reports has ranked cars as Japanese > American >> European, European cars have some luxury cachet but if you want a car that starts when you turn the key look elsewhere. American cars came a long way since the 1970s when they really were trash.

Pretty good case for why Consumer Reports is not very useful anymore https://youtu.be/WicesuUvTXo

Re: Unsafe and Unpredictable: My Volvo EX90 Experience

#185

Post by dzhiurgis »

xyx0826 wrote: post #161
asciii wrote: post #45

Volvo may not want to replace the car for the guy...but from a marketing standpoint, they truly picked the wrong hill. The site is very nice and pretty thorough. Makes me not want to get this car or any Volvo!

I applaud his efforts to document this what must’ve been a nightmare of a case for him. But it felt like a lot of the wording is speculative or hyperbolic in nature and aggressively tries to paint Volvo in a bad light. For example: “Analysis of Volvo's Final Response: This response … confirms Volvo's complete abandonment of customer responsibility…This is Volvo's definition of ‘customer care’ in 2025.” “Center Displa…

I agree it's not deadly critical, but if you can't pass state inspection with broken screen/engine light/broken stop light then case is clear.

Re: Unsafe and Unpredictable: My Volvo EX90 Experience

#186

Post by dreamcompiler »

mttch wrote: post #88

I wouldn’t buy Tesla again but I’ve never experienced software issues in mine. Although some of the menus could be re-arranged for clarity, it’s otherwise clear and responsive. The app is great and the third party apps are even better. I’ve not heard positive things from VW or MG owners in terms of software either. Is there any good alternative to Tesla in this domain?

I'd guess Rivian SW is good, because Volkswagen's SW got so bad they hired Rivian to rewrite it for them. (That contract is the only thing keeping Rivian afloat right now.)

Re: Unsafe and Unpredictable: My Volvo EX90 Experience

#187

Post by jay_kyburz »

eckelhesten wrote: post #12

Volvo sadly no longer stands for Swedish quality and safety. What you’re buying is essentially an overpriced Chinese car with Volvo stickers. And I’m saying this as a Swede. Buy German cars, specifically within the Volkswagen auto group (Audi, VW, Skoda etc) if you want reliable quality.

Did we forget about the emissions cheating already? Volkswagen is on my blacklist.

Re: Unsafe and Unpredictable: My Volvo EX90 Experience

#188

Post by ryandrake »

AlexandrB wrote: post #80
breadwinner wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I rented an Audi Q7 for a week recently. The drive quality of the car is excellent. But the software is terrible. Just getting CarPlay to work every time is a challenge. I will not be buying an Audi any time soon. As more and more of the vehicle's experience becomes software controlled, manufacturers who don't have good software development teams are going to lose out. German companies don't seem to understand the gr…

Software is indeed a differentiator, as in I want as little as possible of that shit in my car. Any car where all the controls are on a giant iPad in the middle are a non-starter for me.

Physical goods companies just don't get software, and they never seem to be able to do it right. They treat firmware and software like just another line item on the BOM. Like a screw or a silicon gasket: Source it from a cheap supplier, spoon it into the product somewhere on the assembly line, and then never touch it again. As long as it meets a list of checkbox requirements, the quality doesn't matter at all. A car company that obsesses over how nicely the exterior panels fit together will, on the other hand, not even care whether icons and text are aligned on their software.

Re: Unsafe and Unpredictable: My Volvo EX90 Experience

#189

Post by oxag3n »

runako wrote: post #85
nicce wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What reliable is left?

Toyota, Lexus, Subaru, Honda. Not sure if Hyundai & Kia are quite as reliable, but if not it's on them because they have some of the best warranties in the industry.

Was loyal Honda owner since my 1st one in 00s, my current two will be the last I own. Purchased brand new, multiple issues with body/chassis & HVAC in Pilot, electrical systems/motors in Oddy. The dealership tried to fix things and did it unprofessionally.

Re: Unsafe and Unpredictable: My Volvo EX90 Experience

#190

Post by iwanttocomment »

bsder wrote: post #105
iwanttocomment wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The open secret to EV ownership is to buy after the lease. The depreciation is insane, why pay to rent the car for three years when you can buy it outright after the lease return for a fraction of the cost? EVs with active cooling systems last just about forever but people are still "oh no the battery". (Still driving my 2012 EV - not a typo - and got a can't-miss off-lease CPO deal on a "new" 2022 this year.)

> The open secret to EV ownership is to buy after the lease. How do you dig into this responsibly? I really don't want to be buying a new car right now as the ICE ones all seem to be expensive trash but the EVs are changing so quickly that it isn't worth it. My Chevy Volt is beginning to show its age, but you will pry it from my cold, dead hands at this point.

Three years is plenty of time to assess the reliability of a make and model - and also to get early issues resolved. Take a look at the forums.

As the owner of both a 2012 BEV and a 2014 PHEV (in addition to my "new" 2022), all of which are in perfect mechanical condition, it's tough to look at BEV technology as something that will "greatly improve".

Is my 2022 BEV way better than my 2012? Sure, but it's an entire decade removed (my 2012 is looking like... well, whatever the dog did to it). Is it worse than current 2025/26 BEVs? No, not by much at all.

Keep on rockin' with the Volt until your dog rips up the upholstery. There'll be a three year old off-lease BEV or PHEV waiting for you at a shocking low price when it's time.

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