mpatel1080

I have looked at both of these vehicles and both have their pluses and minuses. The Audi accelerates and handles better, the Volvo is slightly smoother riding. The Volvo has a better third row, and Audi a better second row. Both have beautifully built interiors, and the tech systems are on par with each other...Volvo has the better center dash, while Audi's virtual cockpit is superior. However just sitting in the Volvo I felt it to be better...it is one of those vehicles that is more than the sum of its parts (kind of like the 911). I have driven Audi for a while, and I am very comfortable with the dealer experience and the reliability of the vehicle...I don't know if I want to take a risk with Volvo.

A4rooster

I too am waffling between the two but there are some serious problems with the xc90. Spend some time on the swedespeed forum and get comfortable with what's going on before you make the final decision. It was clearly released far too early, I'm not sure if waiting for the next model year would be suffice. Nice vehicle in many ways although IMO the only aspects that the xc90 rivalsl the Q7 is exterior looks and third row space.

zekeman

FWIW, the 21's on the Q7 are not run flats.
Z

zurichch

This is a great summary of the 2 and I would completely agree with all your points. I've owned of of the new 2016 XC90 and they are buying it back due to problems with the car holding a battery charge (its well documented on the swedespeed site). I would agree the XC90 feels like its still in Beta but I have to say for all the reasons I liked/bought it, its a fantastic ride. I'm looking forward to being able to do a direct comparison when my almost loaded Q7 arrives in a few weeks and I will post here, but I do agree there are too many similar problems appearing on the Volvo and if you can wait, buy the next year model- unless of course you already bought a Q7.... FWIW, the Volvo dealer experience (mine anyway) was vastly different than Audi...The Volvo dealer looks like its stuck in a time warp whereas the Audi dealer is, well...Audi.

mpatel1080

Are you buying another XC90 as well...or is the Q7 the replacement?

baltfan

To me this came down to the Sensus vs. MMI/Virtual cockpit. When I test drove the Volvo I saw the Sensus lag a couple of times. As well as it is laid out, there are still issues with having everything in one place that I constantly have to reach for.

With the MMI, Virtual Cockpit, and HUD, everything is either in front of me at all times or one click away. I love being able to scroll through radio stations with the MMI control and see what song is playing without choosing the actual station. Even if the Sensus does that, it would be cumbersome.

I can't tell you what an absolute joy it is to just sit in this car and operate it on a day to day basis. Everything just makes sense. I saw a criticism of the location of the volume control. (It is slightly below and to the right of the gear shift). When I first saw it, I though it was brilliant. I have control of the volume on the steering wheel, doesn't it make sense to put the volume control close to the passenger where I can still easily reach it? I don't have to reach for anything with this car.

Check to see if the adaptive cruise control shows up in the HUD for the Volvo. If it doesn't, that's a big deal if you plan to use it in stop-and-go traffic. It is very comforting to always know that your vehicle is locked onto the vehicle it is trailing and allows me to use the cruise control constantly. I don't want to have to look down to see if cruise control is actually locked working. When I look down, the car in front of me might be stopping. If I put my foot on the brake when I am not sure, then the cruise control goes off.

In short the actual day to day driving experience is going to be better in the Volvo. All of that being said, the XC90 is an impressive car and it does have remote starting which I wish on cold days the Audi had.

zurichch

The original plan was to buy both but because of the problems I've had with the Volvo I'm holding off and taking another look at it as a MY '17 if I don't buy anything else in the meantime.

A4rooster

Just took my first test drive of the 2017 Q7 and I was very impressed. I am also pleased that the exterior look is MUCH better than in photos. I'm also surprised, based on all the slightly negative feedback so far, how usable the third row is. Not cramped at all (I'm 5'9" for the record). This was one of my concerns based on my comparison to the XC90. With the 2nd row in the full forward position, there was still plenty of room in that row. Overall the XC90 doesn't come close IMO. The only thing they nailed was the exterior design; its a very attractive look.

Count Rushmore

My wife didn't even want to look at the XC90 due to the exterior.

I think both the Q7 and the XC90 look great, but to each their own.

Force-1

Curious if anyone else is interested in the new Jaguar F-Pace. Local dealer says they should have the first one early March. I am so interested that I'm putting off any thoughts of new Q7. Priced out a fully loaded one at around $70K, 380HP SC V-6.