Volvo Ups the Value Quotient on the XC90 SUV

The redesigned 2016 Volvo XC90 SUV has made a lot of news this year, accumulating awards and accolades. It earned good marks from Consumer Reports, with a competitive overall road test score thanks to a roomy interior, quiet cabin, great fit and finish and secure handling. We weren’t overly enamored with the stiff ride and unintuitive touch screen, however. (Recommendation is pending reliability experiences from owners.)

In the three-row luxury SUV segment, the XC90 is positioned above the Acura MDX and below the German competitors from Audi and BMW. Our XC90 T6 listed for $56,805. Now Volvo has introduced a less expensive, less powerful, two-row version called T5, starting at $43,950.

The new, lower priced trim level comes with a less powerful version of the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The turbocharged engine produces 250 horsepower, as opposed to the T6 we tested which is both turbocharged and supercharged. It produces 316 hp. The T5 also loses two gear ratios in the transmission—six instead of eight. Typically equipped, the T5 will hover around $50,000.

The T5 also sees a slight improvement to the gas mileage compared to its more powerful sibling. EPA estimates are 23 mpg overall as opposed to the T6’s 22 mpg, when equipped with AWD. The T6 yielded 20 mpg overall in our tests.