Toying with the idea of a X5 or XC90. I'm also going to look at the new ML.

X5. £40K car and you still have to specify Lumbar support on the front seats as an extra! Sorry guys but the Cavalier GLS I bought 10 years ago had it a standard! Electric seats are even extra!

XC90 - Heated seats are an extra.... Sorry guys but the Volvo 244 my Dad bought 23 years so had it as standard!

The X5 simply is well overpriced... and the XC90 isn't too far behind it!

 

Yes, they do that because people are daft enough to put up with it, especially in that market segment where one upmanship is the game, certainly on the X5, its about time Volvo put a more powerful diesel engine in the XC90, 0-60 in 13 seconds nowadays is poo, my banger Pug 106 will out accelrate a 40 grand luxury car !

 

Been looking at either an XC90 D5 Se or a BMW E46 330D Sport. I know they are quite different cars but both have plus points. The Beemer would be £2500 less but 5 years free servicing is on the run out models.

The X5 is silly money, especially in a sector where the right spec is everything, you have to load it up to 44k, madness. The XC90 in Se Spec is better value, although the price can start creeping up once the option list gets raided.

 

XC70 D5 SE - £29,300 with the BiXenon Winter Pack (inc heated seats)

Does all the XC90 can do, got all the bits you could want, is faster to 60 & stonking midrange, high 30s at m'way crusiin or 40+ if stick to the limits, is more exclusive (try counting XC90s vs XC70s) & electric drivers seat. If you want SatNav/DVD, then the Lux is £31,000 & a few extra bits inc electric seat for passenger.

Plus the 70 does as much off-roady bit as ever you would do in an X5/XC90 just as capably

but I guess its not as much as an "image" if thats what you want to pay an extra £10k for...