The CycleChat Large SUV Owners Club thread

[Drago]

I'm in D5 XC70.
Need a decent estate ✅
Very rural roads with no gritting ✅
Can carry us 5, luggage and dog and lots of bikes✅
Can tow over 2 tonnes ✅
Super safety record ✅
Comfy, refined and has most creature comforts required ✅
Super in snow and general kack weather✅
Equally fine in good weather✅
Doesn't break or rust✅
Looks good✅
Has the best HID headlights ever fitted to a modern car✅
Downside? Mediocre fuel economy. And there's nothing even close to it in EV territory yet so I'll be hanging on to it a while yet.

Fine machine Sir!

If @Bonefish Blues gets one we'll have to start a forum Volvo XC club.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Fine machine Sir!

If @Bonefish Blues gets one we'll have to start a forum Volvo XC club.

I done got one - Mrs B uses it most of the time, given her proclivity for vehicular - landscape interfacing. I make do with an S60 in winter and a C70 in summer.

 

[BianchiVirgin]

Mine's a very nice SE Lux that I bought in Bradford with 64k miles on it. I've only covered about 18k in 3.5 years so it's not exactly overworked. TBH we could manage without it probably but I want it and I like it so hah.

 

[Drago]

Well, conditions here are very, very icy and there are minor accumulations of snow in places.

So Mrs D has started the week by TWOC'ing my XC90 (R Design SE Premium with nav, comms, family and premium sound packs) and leaving me with her Scalextric car. To be fair the stability, chassis and and anti-rollover aids are first class on the XC, even after all these years, and with the Hankook Kinergy 4S2 boots its perfect for this sort of weather so I don't begrudge her taking it.

Another win for the large SUV

 

[Hicky]

Pressing the "W" button when its snowy and not having to be too concerned about the conditions under the wheels I'm a happy bunny....XC's are the biz.....along with the heated seat

 

[Drago]

Oh aye, W is great. Starts the transmission in 3rd, softens the throttle response, brilliant tool. But then it would be, because its a Volvo.

 

[BianchiVirgin]

Oh aye, W is great. Starts the transmission in 3rd, softens the throttle response, brilliant tool. But then it would be, because its a Volvo.

I don't have a W. But I do have cop on and a right foot that behaves.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Oh aye, W is great. Starts the transmission in 3rd, softens the throttle response, brilliant tool. But then it would be, because its a Volvo.

With you on the former, don't think the latter re throttle response is the case - it's simply that it starts in the higher gear (unless you're too heavy on the throttle, in which case it'll start in the lower gears as normal, because it assumes you want. to do that) so the throttle's blunted just because - iyswim.

 

[Colin Grigson]

This car was the love of my life, bought new, it was everything I ever wanted in a car for my family. Utterly bomb-proof, never let us down no matter how inhospitable the conditions. Never managed to get stuck no matter how hard we tried. It was a lot of money to have tied up in a vehicle so after 5 years ownership I sold it …. and I’ve regretted it ever since. It felt like the safest thing on the planet.

 

[Drago]

Funnily enough Griggers there was a brand new one outside the village shop the other day and it caused a strange stirring in my Y fronts!

Another road trip tomorrow, 350 miles in 2 days. Ive fuelled the old bus up ready, loaded the CD changer, got my travel mug on stand by. A nice couple of hours in comfort wafting along in my '90.

 

[BianchiVirgin]

This car was the love of my life, bought new, it was everything I ever wanted in a car for my family. Utterly bomb-proof, never let us down no matter how inhospitable the conditions. Never managed to get stuck no matter how hard we tried. It was a lot of money to have tied up in a vehicle so after 5 years ownership I sold it …. and I’ve regretted it ever since. It felt like the safest thing on the planet.
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Yeah, always liked those but mind numbingly expensive 😬

 

[Grant Fondo]

never been an owner, but had the good fortune of driving a Dodge Durango 5.7 V8 halfway across the States with quite a bit off-road a while back, brilliant fun.

 

[KneesUp]

Well, conditions here are very, very icy and there are minor accumulations of snow in places.

So Mrs D has started the week by TWOC'ing my XC90 (R Design SE Premium with nav, comms, family and premium sound packs) and leaving me with her Scalextric car. To be fair the stability, chassis and and anti-rollover aids are first class on the XC, even after all these years, and with the Hankook Kinergy 4S2 boots its perfect for this sort of weather so I don't begrudge her taking it.

Another win for the large SUV

We had a few inches of snow here, and my area is lots of narrow, hilly, untreated Victorian streets. I had no problem in my 2wd Civic because it has appropriate tyres. The C1 was even better. I guess having to start and stop ‘only’ 1300kg or only 900kg is easier than your 2+ tonnes. I wonder what the net benefit of more mass / drive to two more wheels actually is?

 

[Drago]

Having owned 3 x 107s I can confirm the XC90 eats them alive in the snow for going, turning and stopping. No getting away from the drivetrain, winter transmission mode, 3 Peaks rated tyres (our last 107 was also on all weather rubber), and the extremely effective multiple chassis aids. Wasted on a mere "few inches", but then look how badly the masses struggle with a mere dusting.

Not really surprising considering where it was designed and built, with development testing actually taking place in Kiruna, Lapland, North of the arctic circle. They are the only company to test all models down to -40°C.

And all the while my heated massage seats were cosseting me beautifully.

Having said all that, low mass and skinny rubber do make the 107/C1/Aygo triumvirate very good in the snow, well above average. Sadly, the moment it gets rammed down and becomes ice the story isn't so rosy.

But great little cars, love them.

 

[BianchiVirgin]

Having said all that, low mass and skinny rubber do make the 107/C1/Aygo triumvirate very good in the snow, well above average. Sadly, the moment it gets rammed down and becomes ice the story isn't so rosy.

But great little cars, love them.

Try crashing one and see who comes out of it.