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XC90: CPO vs Newer Model Year

3K views 19 replies 12 participants last post by  OURDESIGN 
#1 ·
Looking to get back into the Volvo game (used to have a S80 V7) and looking to pick up an XC90 as a replacement for our 2018 Subaru Outback.

I tend to massively over-analyze everything, and I have been researching XC90's for months (COVID put a delay on pulling the trigger) and have seen an interesting trend in the market. I was previously planning on purchasing a CPO 2017 XC90 and then picking up the extended 10 year/unlimited mile warranty from Steingold. Used car prices have started to creep up across the board lately, and with rental car companies (Avis/Hertz) starting to struggle I am seeing many more former rental 2019-2020 XC90's for sale for similar prices/miles as a 2017 CPO.

The unlimited mile CPO warranty is really attractive to me, and is a pretty fair price overall, but I also like the idea of getting a car 2-3 years newer. I know there have been small updates to the XC90 between 2017-2019 but how much of a difference do those updates make? Is the CPO worth it?

Thanks all!
 
#3 ·
Used car prices have started to creep up across the board lately, and with rental car companies (Avis/Hertz) starting to struggle I am seeing many more former rental 2019-2020 XC90's for sale for similar prices/miles as a 2017 CPO.
For me, this is a no brainer. If all things (price, miles, model, options etc) are almost same or similar, then go with the newest car. You were anyway planning to get the CPO warranty upgrade, so you can get a 10-year/100K VIP extended warranty on a used car.

The unlimited mile CPO warranty is really attractive to me, and is a pretty fair price overall, but I also like the idea of getting a car 2-3 years newer. I know there have been small updates to the XC90 between 2017-2019 but how much of a difference do those updates make? Is the CPO worth it?
I get that the ULM warranty is attractive, but it depends on the car and how much you will actually drive. I bought a CPO 2017 XC90 T8 back in May. Car had 50K miles when I bought it, and I added another 4K since I got it. Car has been great, but I still got the 10-year/ULM warranty from Steingold for peace of mind. This is the first time I bought an extended warranty for one of cars, I usually don't consider them worth the money. But the XC90 T8 is one expensinve car to repair - the hybrid drive, air-suspension, electronics are all $$$ to repair if something fails.

My T8 was already 3-yrs old and had 50K miles, and adding another 50K in the next 7-yrs is very much possible so a ULM warranty made sense. But if I got a 2019 car with say 30K miles, and I'll probably drive 70K miles in the next 7-years, then a 8-yr/100K VIP ext warranty would meet my needs. I am using 7-yrs for my calculations, because 5-7 years is generally how long I keep a car. But if you like to use the car till the wheels fall off then CPO ULM warranty is definitely worth the small premium.
 
#4 ·
Looking to get back into the Volvo game (used to have a S80 V7) and looking to pick up an XC90 as a replacement for our 2018 Subaru Outback.

I tend to massively over-analyze everything, and I have been researching XC90's for months (COVID put a delay on pulling the trigger) and have seen an interesting trend in the market. I was previously planning on purchasing a CPO 2017 XC90 and then picking up the extended 10 year/unlimited mile warranty from Steingold. Used car prices have started to creep up across the board lately, and with rental car companies (Avis/Hertz) starting to struggle I am seeing many more former rental 2019-2020 XC90's for sale for similar prices/miles as a 2017 CPO.

The unlimited mile CPO warranty is really attractive to me, and is a pretty fair price overall, but I also like the idea of getting a car 2-3 years newer. I know there have been small updates to the XC90 between 2017-2019 but how much of a difference do those updates make? Is the CPO worth it?

Thanks all!
I am going to give you a slightly biased opinion that, yes, it's definitely worth it (I work for VCUSA and in charge of Pre-Owned sales from Midwest to West); it's an excellent program, has various options for you to add an extended warranty on top of the 5-yrs/unlimited miles warranty (you can get the extensions for up 100,000 miles or unlimited miles --> the delta is about $300 to $400, depending on how many miles you drive and/or the car you have found has).

Look for MY18s, they do cost a little more than MY17s but it will expand your options.

If you are located anywhere from the Midwest toward the West, and need any help or encounter any issues, please PM me and I will do my best to give you further guidance.

Best of luck! :)
 
#5 ·
This is why I love this forum.

I think the biggest reason we are leaning to a CPO is that we like to drive, and live in a fairly isolated part of the country (Idaho) where our nearest family is a 6 hour drive away. Our kids are getting old enough to start to do some road trips and we like the idea of the 10 year/unlimited mile warranty. We typically drive ~15k miles a year without road trips, so the extended warranty is actually a huge potential benefit for us to get a Volvo. From my research for T6 Momentum/Inscription vehicles there are no huge changes between 2017 to 2019, so to me it is really trying to find the right vehicle and the latest in-service date for the warranty.
 
#6 ·
@economonty7, I'm thinking about going the same route. My current V90 lease is due in a few months, and I'm contemplating the purchase of a 2017/2018 XC90 Inscription CPO with 40k or less. I was planning to purchase the extended 10 years/100k warranty to minimize any surprises when the car gets out of warranty.
Do you have any idea what I should expect to pay for a Volvo extended warranty?

From the research I did, it looks like I can get a 2017 model for around 40k, or 2018 (faster info system) for 45k in my market.
Is there anything else you are considering when looking for a user XC90? (
Any specific options I should stay away from (Air suspension, etc.)?
 
#8 ·
I know there have been small updates to the XC90 between 2017-2019 but how much of a difference do those updates make? Is the CPO worth it?
Checkout "Kris Rifa XC90" on YouTube if you haven't already. He discusses differences between MY2017 and MY2018 I believe, as well as a video on CPO. Good luck!
 
#9 ·
If you're driving that much, a CPO unlimited mile warranty is pretty valuable, especially if you choose a lot of options. I'm not aware of any meaningful changes between 2017 and 2018 MY T6's. I don't even think it has a faster Sensus - I had a 2018 S90, and it was quite slow. Don't think Sensus upgraded until 2019.
 
#10 ·
Not to bring back an old thread but I just wanted to give an update. In some ways I am kicking myself for not purchasing a car earlier during the pandemic as used car prices have increased pretty substantially since then.

Right now my biggest toss up is between purchasing a 2017 Inscription CPO with ~33k miles or a 2019 Momentum CPO with ~39k miles. The Inscription was a single owner lease and looks to be in great condition and has all the features I was looking for (vision, convenience) but is missing the air suspension. The Momentum was a former rental car and is only really 15 months newer (gotta love how new model years come out in May).

I know that the 2019 Sensus infotainment is faster, are there any other changes to the 2019's that I am really going to miss/regret? Does the inscription trim feel noticeably different/better than the momentum?

Thanks again all!
 
#11 ·
Not to bring back an old thread but I just wanted to give an update. In some ways I am kicking myself for not purchasing a car earlier during the pandemic as used car prices have increased pretty substantially since then.

Right now my biggest toss up is between purchasing a 2017 Inscription CPO with ~33k miles or a 2019 Momentum CPO with ~39k miles. The Inscription was a single owner lease and looks to be in great condition and has all the features I was looking for (vision, convenience) but is missing the air suspension. The Momentum was a former rental car and is only really 15 months newer (gotta love how new model years come out in May).

I know that the 2019 Sensus infotainment is faster, are there any other changes to the 2019's that I am really going to miss/regret? Does the inscription trim feel noticeably different/better than the momentum?

Thanks again all!
The Inscription is certainly a nicer place to be, for me personally I can't downgrade to Momentum trim from my Inscription with air suspension and B&W sound. I miss my 2018 Inscription every single moment when I was driving a 2020 Momentum loaner car.
But for you, I suggest you test drive both and decide for yourself.
 
#12 ·
@economonty7 I just purchased (today) a 2017 XC90 CPO inscription fully loaded (vision, convenience, Air, B&W, 22", etc.) for 38.5k.
It does have higher mileage than most lease returns (50k), but it is in excellent condition, and I purchased the 10 years/unlimited miles CPO extended warranty, so I don't have to worry about issues while I own the car.

Like you, I was considering the momentum trim at first, but after doing a test drive of a T6 momentum and an inscription back to back, I decided that the Inscription is a must for me. Mostly because of the much better seats, the nicer interior, and the option to get one with B&W, and Air.

The car that I was replacing was a v90CC fully loaded, and I got used to all the nice options. I also noticed that driving the xc90 without air suspension and bigger wheels (20"-22") is much harsher than my V90 with 19". The xc90 has a nice ride with the 19" wheels, but if you get one with 21" or 22" the Air makes a big difference.

I don't think that there is enough difference between the 2017 and 2019 models worth the added money, but that is only my personal opinion.

in the end, getting any XC90 will much nice then any none luxury SUV you can get.
 
#13 ·
I ended up going a totally different route than I intended yesterday morning it turns out! I was planning to get a 2017 XC90 Inscription with 30k miles that was pretty basic as far as an inscription, with only the vision and convenience packages for ~39.5K. Looked like a great car and an alright price for my area. Doing a little bit more looking and shopping I found a 2019 that was still new that had the advance package and 21 inch wheels etc that actually had the same original sticker as the Inscription for the same ~39.5k which, for a new XC90 was too good to pass up.

I did go check out the inscription trim (though it was a T8) and it was impressive, but I also felt like the inscription trim really shines when it is fully outfitted with the B&W sound and air suspension etc.

For me at least the less optioned inscription wasn't worth it compared to a new Momentum. Also it should be noted I have 2 kids under 3 and our current 2018 Subaru Outback had perforated leather seats and food and other kids crap. Would get stuck in the holes, which to me was a concern with the beautiful nappa leather.

Overall I think I got a good deal and this car should be great and will make me appreciate when I can get a more loaded inscription eventually. Happy to officially join the Volvo family again!
 
#16 ·
I ended up going a totally different route than I intended yesterday morning it turns out! I was planning to get a 2017 XC90 Inscription with 30k miles that was pretty basic as far as an inscription, with only the vision and convenience packages for ~39.5K. Looked like a great car and an alright price for my area. Doing a little bit more looking and shopping I found a 2019 that was still new that had the advance package and 21 inch wheels etc that actually had the same original sticker as the Inscription for the same ~39.5k which, for a new XC90 was too good to pass up.

I did go check out the inscription trim (though it was a T8) and it was impressive, but I also felt like the inscription trim really shines when it is fully outfitted with the B&W sound and air suspension etc.

For me at least the less optioned inscription wasn't worth it compared to a new Momentum. Also it should be noted I have 2 kids under 3 and our current 2018 Subaru Outback had perforated leather seats and food and other kids crap. Would get stuck in the holes, which to me was a concern with the beautiful nappa leather.

Overall I think I got a good deal and this car should be great and will make me appreciate when I can get a more loaded inscription eventually. Happy to officially join the Volvo family again!
It didn't happen without pictures [emoji6]. So the 2019 was a new car purchase? Congrats on joining! Be sure to remember that you can buy the VIP extended warranty during your factory warranty period. Steingold Volvo has some excellent discounts on here occasionally. Their discounts undercut what most dealers will offer. I highly recommend the extended warranty if you plan to keep the car for years to come.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
 
#14 ·
Go for the 19 or later... better computer hardware and you can turn off the start/stop. Rental car companies in general have been on short term turnovers.. it makes sense really.. they have no maintenance down time because they pretty well use up the first oil change and trade it in. They get huge fleet deals from Volvo, so the upfront price is lower for them. When they sell them at auction, they are getting in far before the lease turn ins so lower competition means higher auction value. As a business model, it wouldn't make sense for them to keep the cars any longer. I don't think that many people renting Volvo XC90s are going out racing on the town, and if they did, the warranty has your back.
 
#17 ·
I can't believe someone just recommended buying a rental car. :eek:
Why not? You can have 9 years of warranty to back it up. Most people don't keep their cars close to that long. I've never seen more issues come from used rentals compared to any other used car I've sold.
 
#19 ·
As I said, I've never seen any increase in issues with rental cars I've sold than any other used car. Frankly, I have fewer issues since most of them are only a year old... It's time and miles that make the biggest factor... hence you won't pay more for a warranty on a rental than you will on a trade, but you will for miles and time....

Everyone loves leased vehicles. My friends parents had a Porsche back in the late 90s... the month before he turned it in, he let all us kids have turns thrashing it. Knowing who owned it before you is risk mitigation at best... I've rented lots of cars, and never did to any of them what I did to that Porsche... I've seen cars people owned that look horrible. I had a friend transport sheep in the back seat of her BMW... stuff happens. Used cars are used cars... a warranty will cover anything other than cosmetic issues that a rental car will see, and I seriously don't see any reason why that will be a higher figure than on other used cars.
 
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