The V8 is great. But, it is insane to say they're reliable. They also get terrible mileage. My 5 Cylinder XC90 got 2L/100km better than the V8 (10.5L/100km vs 12.9L/100km).
Our fleet of P2 XC70's have got down to the high 7L/100km range in the multiple ones we have had.
Saying the V8 doesn't have issues is a straight up lie, specially if you do not have a hoist.
On top of the idlers that fail and destroy the front engine cover (it is easier to pull the engine to replace if you have a hoist). The alternator is expensive and a bitch to change. The valve covers leak (usually onto the alternator)- That's a 4 hour job. Upper engine oil pans leaking (remove the subframe). Rear main seals leak, the connecting sleeve seals leak. All require dropping the subrame, removing exhaust manifolds.
But sure, the SI6 is a piece of ****
Don't think a POS & you have a way better sample size/inside track in adverse climate.
V8 ALT is a BITCH!
IDK if the leak is just slow here, or what, but at least you don't have to change the alt very often here (moderate marine climate similar to inland Vancouver)...maybe it's that dry cold that makes stuff shrivel up there sooner/alt life shorter also?
I've yet to attempt the front cover, so far always caught the tensioners in time (plenty of warning).
I'm curious though!
I've seen a couple V8 XC90 with the tensioners ripped off the front of for $350 (scrap) now, not too trashed really/nice otherwise for what they are really.
Doesn't look easy at all, but at that price for the right low mileage/nice example, I'd be tempted to suffer.
moth------>flame/buglight *BZZZZZZZOT*
Used cars with one big problem (main fuse/doesn't run/immobile at most ideally
) with records for dirt nothing/"can't go wrong" price, not a million little problems/abuse seem preferable.
Serious question:
How many week(ends) of dead XC90/S80 V8 /how hairbrained and moronic is it to attempt front cover replacement/repair in your avg. joe garage/$1 pays first months rent storage unit/shack without a lift/fairly generic tools (battery ratchet/cordless impacts/decent basics/air compressor/decent floor jack, engine support bar/overhead gantry block & tackle (beam in barn)/decent fluroescent lights), but no lift / giant wall/chest of volvo special tools shade-tree(ish) style?
Definitely have to beg for a lift, but I sort a think that of most-all the WWD AWD volvos...wouldn't want to deal with a turbo drain or the like on a T5 or T6 without.
V8's probably worse, trust you there.
Don't have to perform repairs all that often, but anything reaching up from below on those is ridiculously tight.
On the V8 I've only seen the front, & over time, rear crank seal leak significantly and valve covers sloooooooowly.
There are quite a few with 3-400K miles on them now virtually trouble free compared to their other counterparts, but cramped to repair.
Have yet to see the upper pan leak much/at all.
Weirdest V8 problem I've seen is the swollen rubber on the front crank damper from a leaky front main and sparking to the front cover from rubbing like a flint.
Not a real lead foot and it doesn't get real cold or hot here, XC90 get bad mileage for me no matter what.
I figure at least have an under-stressed V8, not a boosted thing (no heat, no turbos to wear out/burn oil or have suffered with infrequent oil changes).
~low 20s highway with any of the engines, I get ~17mpg city with the T5, 3.2 or V8 in traffic (XC90). Car's kind of a pig to pick up & slow down I think/expected better.
V8's worse, but at least for me combined, it's *almost* within random chance / statistical error worse (1mpg), but just under 2mpg worse (little outside statistical error)...it's an SUV, what do you expect?
Maybe it's even worse in cold weather?
More cylinders/mass to heat up/no watercooled turbo to get the coolant to OP temp instantly will make winter fuel econ terrible without a block heater I'd imagine.
That's certainly nice with the K-jet/non-IC 240Turbo w/water cooled turbo:winter warm-up time basically non-existent;no winter fuel econ loss worth mentioning.
I'd de-intercool the car for winter use.
No power loss at 3500ft-4000ft central plains elevation with a turbo car is probably nice too.
Near sea level in a humid/damp marine gloomy climate (50 degree ocean temp + or - 20 at most basically), N/A and more displacement is probably fine/preferable compared to turbocharging for cost of upkeep/operation for equivalent power, as it pertains to gasoline engines, in theory (YMMV...so many variables).
I'm surprised with how inexpensive batteries & giant power supplies are now that cars don't have a block heater to run automatically off the car's battery to prevent engine wear/winter fuel econ loss as standard and lower emissions.
I sort of doubt it'd be any meaningfully worse than the boosted motors in a car that was lighter/FWD without the XC taller tires.
XC70 with the boosted motors have all gotten atrocious city mileage as well...big tires and heavy car I guess?
Hwy econ with all tip top/tires inflated properly/no disappointment. ~26-28 like you'd expect for a modern mid-size car.
But haven't driven them long term with years and years of data-points from brand new/dealership credentialed training (voice of the ignorant masses).
Hard to gauge, I don't *think* I'm being a lead foot/trying to focus group bias the tests really...I know they're much faster/more effortless than I'm used to, but the 240s that I feel like I beat on get 21-22 on the original stock/skinny tires city. Haven't had someone shadow me in an AWD P2 XC or recorded myself to see if I'm in-fact be drag racing/6 car lengths ahead of myself in the 240 and then coming to a screeching halt in the XCs I've had briefly.
I don't *think* that's the case really, but it's qualitative/anecdotal.
I bet if I had a boost gauge and drove slightly deliberately out of boost most always, I'd put up much better numbers without trying very hard/being inconvenienced really at all.
It's just so odd...I don't *think* I'm driving like speed racer in boost all the time.
I just chalk it up to big baloony tires/heavy wheels to get going, terrible mileage using any boost regularly & heav(ish) car I guess?
Blocks are short in portland, traffic now can be as brutal as SF bay area in some places, short tall pointy hills on the west side of the river/speed traps(police state, if only for out of state plates on expensive cars...we can only dream) (have to use the brakes/engine braking on frequent descents) to obey speed limits.
), rattly/noisy/plastic FoMoCo labeled everything.