Acura MDX or VOLVO XC90

T.,

I have a Volvo XC90 now and I wish I went with the Acura MDX. In fact, these were the two trucks we narrowed it down to and I wanted the Acura but the Volvo had more features and turned out to be cheaper with a friends and family discount we had. What a mistake!
I have brought it in countless times for the same issue (water getting into my tailight) and some other minor things. I literally made a scene last week at the dealership because as my husband and I went and picked up our vehicle (again) I noticed the truck not running with the lights on. I asked one of the attendants for the keys and tried to start the ignition - dead battery! I lost it because this was the 7th time there wasting our gas and time and nobody seemed to care about taking care of us. Needless to say, I summoned the dealership owner and told them that they would never have our business again.
I'll tell you why I would go with Acura. Fantastic truck safetywise and comfortwise. I had a Lexus RX 330 before the Volvo and Acura is along the same line for customer service- AWESOME! I have buyer's remorse everyday and will definitely go with the Acura next time. I loved the navigation system on the Acura (touch screen with traffic update) while the Volvo nav horrible.
I'm not kidding, don't go with the Volvo. While it is a very safe truck and had that in consideration with two small kids, I heard that the Acura was voted safest suv last year.
The Acura retains its value much better and I can see why. It's a fantastic suv and I sigh everytime I see one on the street. GET THE ACURA OVER VOLVO and I hope Orloff Volvo reads this.
I forgot one of the greatest perks on owning an Acura or Lexus. You get unlimited free car washes (outside only). When I had my Lexus, I would constantly take advantage of this and trust me, it adds up now that I have to pay to take my Volvo to the car wash.

I just opened up our 2008 issue of Consumer Reports Best and Worst cars. It has "Automaker Report Cards". Honda/Acura scored best overall, having the best reliability ratings, best overall crash test results, best fuel economy, handling, etc. On a 100 point scale it scored a 78.

Volvo is lowest in reliability, having a high repair rate in all models. They are, on the other hand, considered very safe vehicles in general. On that scale it scored a 64.

I could not find your specific models (though I did not poor over the pages of results for that long), but I thought that might help in any case.

You may want to call your insurance company. Rates can vary greatly and they can tell you what either would cost you per year, approximately.

We were on the verge of purchasing the Volvo. I think it is the best car out there in terms of safety issues and design. The greatest thing about it is the built in car/booster seats too. Have you tried Fields Volvo and Patrick? Good dealerships, good responses from them in the past.

I have to vote for the MDX. We have a 2004 and 2008 - we loved the older one so much we replaced our sedan with an it. We also liked the Volvo but my husband is 6'5" and couldn't fit in it - the seats didn't go back/adjust enough and the shoulder/head room was incredibly tight for him. As for repairs on the 2004 MDX we haven't had to put new tires on it and with keeping up with the regular maintenance have had no issues with it to date.

We purchased the MDX about 2 1/2 years ago and still love it. The primary selling point for me was the 3rd row. Although, we have never had any problems with it, all the time that I've take it in for mileage service, the service department has been great. We purchased it at Napleton Acura in Elmhurst.

Good luck with your decision.

I have a MDX and this is my second one. I love my MDX no problems at all with it. Great SUV.

We have both of these cars in our family and have had nothing but good experiences with each of them. Both are very safe and have wonderful features. Take into account the maintenance costs and warranties with each. I love my Volvo probably best, but they are expensive cars to maintain. Volvo brakes are very unique to Volvo and that is why they are so safe, but they do wear out more quickly than other manufacturers. Either way, you should be very happy.

I have been driving my new 2008 Acura MDX for 6 weeks; I LOVE it! It is loaded with the Navigation and hands free phone voice system, body side moldings, pinstriping and a roof rack. I reluctantly traded in an Infiniti QX4 that I had for almost 8 years without any problems and a great service department (that I only needed for regular maintenance, no car trouble). I wanted to buy another Infiniti SUV, but we did not like the models that Infiniti is currently offering. We checked out every other dealers' comparable SUV models, including Volvo, and know we made the right choice for our money, features, and the repair-service reputation. Denise M. at Joe Rizza Acura in Orland Park was a terrific salesperson who was wonderful to work with; she knows her product after 8 years with Acura. My friends have already promised me that the Joe Rizza Acura service department is honest, pleasant and easy to communicate with. Good Luck to you with your shopping!

I have a 2006 MDX and LOVE it! With either car, do your research first so you are "armed" when you go in to negoiate a price. You can use www.edmunds.com or www.cars.com to do this. Also, on cars.com you can email dealerships for price quotes and they are usually cheaper than if you just walked in and talked to a salesperson. That's what we did and we got it for under invoice, since I had the quote in writing from another dealership when I went into the one we bought from. Good luck!

I've had the XC90 for four years and have never had any problems.

I have a 2005 MDX and I love it!!! We test drove about every SUV out there and decided on the Acura. I was in your position too when it came to making a final decision. We ended up going with the Acura becasue it was a more comfortable ride and you can't beat the features. I really felt that the Volvo rode/drove like a pick up truck, and if I wanted a pick up truck that is what I would have been looking at :).

As far as maintenance - the only thing we have done is oil changes and regular scheduled maintnance. I never worry about having mechanical issues with this car.

Good luck with your decision. If you are looking for a dealership, we have nothing but good things to say about McGrath Acura in Westmont.

Jessica