Help chose! Do-it-all vs separate off roader (LR Discovery vs Volvo XC90)

[Frederic]

39 minutes ago, sertac said:

Actually in Tukey also Volvo is not very popular. What i am saying is once you own one you cant forget it. This is not related to country. If he ever driven one it is totally normal that he want to buy one, i can clearly understand why he is choosing a Volvo over a Lexus or Infinity. 

Agree with this. in Belgium we have a Volvo factory nearby, lots of dealerships and independent workshops, and is the go-to brand for reliable company cars that will last a very long time. I had a V40 that i literally drove into the ground and it never died on me. They focus on safety and comfort and have a very good name in Western Europe. 

Unfortunately UAE is a different story, where only the stealership will be the option. My friend here drove a S90 R-Design in Polestar Blue. Magnificent machine, but one has to know that Volvo is now owned by Geely, so i have no idea what the future will bring. He sold the car 6 months back when he moved to USA and lost A LOT of money on it because resale value in UAE is very poor on these cars.

[desertdude]

Volvo's are great cars I had two buddies who owned them including a XC90 and I drove the Volvo a lot. Great cars. But wouldn't recommend them for your only DD and weekend warrior. 

With that budget you can get both a LR3 and XC90 of a slightly older vintage. It's a buyer's market out there chock-full of stock

LR3s are great offroaders and not as plasticiky as the LR4 and there is a great network of new and used parts as well as specialists garages

Same can't be said for volvos. I remember when my bud lost his coolant expansion bottle on his Volvo it was no where to be found new or used. Had to order it and wait a few days and needless to say car was out of action for that much time.

Since I'm involved in the community there are many who have LR3s hitting 300k kms and they use them regularly off-road in the sand and they still look and drive just fine. 

There was even a chap who was hitting 400k miles yes miles not kms. 

Also remember both these cars are not your regular old 90s Corolla that you can just keep driving them with 20dhs oil changes and be fine.

 

[desertdude]

Also a small 2 liter 4 cyl motor is never going to have that kind of low down torque that you need while offroading forget the top end HP numbers that's just marketing lingo 

Imagine it's a twin turbo squuezing out so much power from a camry size engine which is usually 100hp. So how much on the edge it will always be on. 

Plus I've seen nothing but trouble with people who have turbocharged engines who off-road with them. The turbo vanes always getting chewed up. Oil leaks. Intercooler leaks etc etc. 

Somehow turbos and offroading in the desert don't mix

[Shadab Khan]

2 hours ago, Rahimdad said:

1. "check for 6 - 7 year old Volvos going for under 15K so that is a huge loss in about 3 years time."

2. As for the Disco I have been surprised by @Pickey Singh who had performed very well over several newbie drives, maybe he can give you a better idea.

3. Plus I am not comfortable with all the new age technology which is not tested enough and with sand or water going into the electronics could further make it dangerous for off-roading.

I have to admit: a part of me know its foolish to buy a Volvo in this country. I also hate to admit that you all are so right in the points you have brought up. Nevertheless let me share with you more on my thinking:

1. I did look at recent sales data. For the features that car has and for the amount of mileage I will put on it in the next 2 years (~15k per year), I am expecting at least 70K after 2 years. This car would still have 1 year of warranty left at that point so resale shouldn't be as low as older Volvos, which do not have as many selling points as the post-2016 Volvos when they were redesigned. Many families, particularly from EU where Volvos are popular, still see it as the ideal family car (for safety, 7 seats, isofix in 3rd row etc) and driver assist features which are particularly popular with female drivers.

2. Honestly, I think Land Rover's sales strategy is seriously flawed in GCC. They have neutered a car that had off-roading built into its DNA. They want you to think leather seats are a better premium than a rear diff lock in a Disco. 18" wheels are not even an option in "higher" trim! It pains me to see what they have done to it. That said, precisely for its off-road capabilities, I was looking at getting a Disco. What discouraged me was the fact that in addition my purchase, I might have to spend money to beef it up a bit so I can off-road without worries. Disco sport is not an option for me as it is not 7 seater.

3. You are absolutely right. If I do end up with the Volvo, I will plan to run it until it dies as a commuter+family car, and get a separate off-roader later this year.

2 hours ago, Chaitanya D said:

If you ask me keep your traverse for your regular drive as it is still under warranty. Spend about max 20k AED on a 2nd car for offroading/overland/camping ( used car like Jeep wrangler/Xterra/Pathfinder/FJ - if you find one). Keep all the remaining money safe with you for your other needs

Your advice is extremely sensible. I think I have a bit of savings built up and I need to be more careful with my money. The only explanation I have is that I value driver assist and safety features – driving (on road) in UAE makes me a bit nervous. Not that I want to be a careless XC90 driver, but knowing that it has emergency breaking, several collision alert and avoidance tech etc is a bit reassuring. XC90 is also one of the few cars my wife is not intimidated by to drive herself so that is another reason. Lastly, my traverse is actually fine, but it is a bit too big. My wife refuses to drive it.

2 hours ago, Gaurav said:

I'm genuinely curious to know why you choose Volvo against 20+ other super capable, proven, car brands?

Mainly the driver assist and safety features which are class leading at this price point (below 150K) in a 7 seater. Only other 7-seater that can offer all of these features below 150K price point is a CX-9 but we did not like it in a test drive, and they are only marginally better in resale than Volvos as far as I can gather. Also wife finds XC90 non-intimidating. Lastly, both wife and I don't like the styling on Land cruisers or Patrols, and these cars with driver assist features (higher trims) are actually even more expensive than discoveries in the used market!

I had originally zeroed-in on Disco because LR has better parts supply in UAE than Volvo, but ultimately decided against it as I am now convinced it's not as capable of an off-roader as many other cheaper cars. At the moment a jeep wrangler looks pretty attractive to me as a dedicated off roader.

[Shadab Khan]

6 hours ago, desertdude said:

1. I remember when my bud lost his coolant expansion bottle on his Volvo it was no where to be found new or used. Had to order it and wait a few days and needless to say car was out of action for that much time.

2. Also remember both these cars are not your regular old 90s Corolla that you can just keep driving them with 20dhs oil changes and be fine.

 

Thanks @desertdude for sharing your perspective, greatly appreciated! Please see my comments below:

1) This is my number one worry – parts. I did end up putting a 1000 AED holding deposit on the XC90 today. Fortunately car won't be available for test drive until later this week so I can sleep on my decision and think about the extremely useful advise I have received on this forum.

2) I am fine with paying for regular servicing actually, not a problem.

6 hours ago, desertdude said:

1. Also a small 2 liter 4 cyl motor is never going to have that kind of low down torque that you need while offroading forget the top end HP numbers that's just marketing lingo 

I am convinced XC90 won't cut it for off-roading. I am also convinced my needs are for two separate cars, and now it's a matter of deciding on a 7-seater family car (XC90 or not) with driver assist and safety features, and an off-roader, which I think will end up being Jeep given the great parts supply and community support here.

[desertdude]

1 hour ago, Shadab Khan said:

Thanks @desertdude for sharing your perspective, greatly appreciated! Please see my comments below:

1) This is my number one worry – parts. I did end up putting a 1000 AED holding deposit on the XC90 today. Fortunately car won't be available for test drive until later this week so I can sleep on my decision and think about the extremely useful advise I have received on this forum.

2) I am fine with paying for regular servicing actually, not a problem.

I am convinced XC90 won't cut it for off-roading. I am also convinced my needs are for two separate cars, and now it's a matter of deciding on a 7-seater family car (XC90 or not) with driver assist and safety features, and an off-roader, which I think will end up being Jeep given the great parts supply and community support here.

Well If you are looking for confirmation that yes XC90 is a great ride and checks all your boxes well that obviously isn't going to happen.

Personally I don't know why you are so adamant about these driver assist features that they are turning into deal breaker. 

And what are you on about LR not being off road capable? Are we talking about the same car here. 

The LR3 is a different car than the discovery. The "new" discovery I agree is useless. Not the the LR3 or even 4.

These are the boxy double roof beasts which come with adjustable height suspension as standard and a V8.

And they are comfortable as fek on road beat any Japanese luxury SUV in that dept and extremely capable off road right out the box.

[desertdude]

This big boxy silver thing is the LR3
 

Maybe you were confusing it with this 

Anyways seems like your mind is made up and you just came here to get confirmation of your choice. So go for it, you only live once but like everyone here, don't get upset when they say We told you so!

[desertdude]

P.P.S : When it comes to off road even the shitiest Land Rover which I believe was the 4 cylinder Freelander will leave any Volvo behind in the dust. 

Because Land Rover is the only Manufacturer that started off with a pure bred 4x4 and till today is the only one producing only 4x4s and AWD SUVs it has no sedan or 2wd drive in the line up and never has 

All their vehicles even from their cheapest to the most expensive are built around a certain minimum level of off road capability. 

[Chaitanya D]

9 hours ago, Shadab Khan said:

Your advice is extremely sensible. I think I have a bit of savings built up and I need to be more careful with my money. The only explanation I have is that I value driver assist and safety features – driving (on road) in UAE makes me a bit nervous. Not that I want to be a careless XC90 driver, but knowing that it has emergency breaking, several collision alert and avoidance tech etc is a bit reassuring. XC90 is also one of the few cars my wife is not intimidated by to drive herself so that is another reason. Lastly, my traverse is actually fine, but it is a bit too big. My wife refuses to drive it.

Well its your decision finally which you have to stand by. Choose what suits your family first , better not to bring it for offroading as it will get abused and dirty over time. If you can balance out the equation considering the expenses for two cars (insurance/registration/some upgrades) then go for it.

If you decide to buy a cheaper used 4by4 car exclusive for offroading then bear in mind that it will need time and money ( for change of oils/bushes/mounts/tyres etc) to get it sand/off road worthy!

[Rahimdad]

@Shadab Khan looks like your mind and heart are in the same place, Wish you all the best with your decision and hope that the Volvo is going to bring you and your family years of happiness and will be worth the price you pay. Looking forward to meeting with you on the sands once you decide to join us for a drive and hoping to see another wise choice for your off-road vehicle.