I am thinking about replacing my 2015 V60. As this is my 5th Volvo (from a 122S) it is not surprising that the Volvo lineup is the starting point. Both the V60 and V90 are appealing (T5, FWD) I need to test drive both.

But...Having followed this forum for years, my impression is that the vast majority of troublesome issues are electrical/electronic. In many cases it seems that some design "features" are intended to force a solution via a pilgrimage to the Vidas altar with corresponding tribute to be offered.

Before I make a decision, some research, including attentive readings of other make forums is in order. Is this a general problem with all current cars or was the head of Volvo's systems design group trained at Lucas?

 

No, he was trained at BMW but fired when something worked 2 days in a row.

You don't have a lot of options, the Subarus are, well Subarus (good cars but butt ugly and sparse), the Jag and Porsche varients are nice but pricier. I do like the E Class wagon but resale is atrocious, Mercedes drivers don't care for wagons it seems. The new Buick looks nice and a good value for the money but will drop in resale too, like all Buicks lately. (the Caddy wagons were really nice so GM can do it) The best bet may be the Audi - I think it's only availible with the Quattro drivetrain, but 20 to 30 somethings will snap them up.

That said, I thinkthe Volvos gives the most with reasonable return on resale in that deadly 3 to 6 years time span.

 

I looked at a variety of makes and eliminated many due to my preferences - before my 2020 xc60 purchase

Subaru - ALL ARE CVT transmissions, and lack of HP

Porsche Macan- no remote start

Audi SQ5 - no remote start

Mercedes GLC 43 - exhaust too noisy/ wife would not approve

2020 Ford explorer ST - wife hated, wouldn't drive - too big

Bmw x3 m40i - no remote start

XC60T6 - Still a 4cyl but with polestar has adequate power. Wife likes

 

Hi. I too was worried about electronical/electronic issues in my recent new car purchase, particularly since I intended to buy-and-keep my car for a number of years. Took me over 1 1/2 years to finally decide on my V90 Inscription. During my research, I found that most common complaints concerned this issue, regardless of brand. The only exception was for non-luxury vehicles that don't have all of the new features typically found in luxury brands. With this said, from my research (I viewed and participated in a number of brand forums), the Volkswagen and Audi brands seemed to have more electrical issues, so I discounted these brands.

Feeling that electrical issues were somewhat common, with the exception of Volks and Audi, I decided to focus on comfort, safety, utility, followed by mechanical reliability (e.g., engine, trans, etc), regardless of brand. Later, after eliminating large SUVs and cross-overs, based on numerous test drives, I centered on a pure station wagon. At that time, only the V90 Inscription/R and the MB 450 Estate were in the market place. I chose the V90 Inscription but, for the first time in my life, decided to purchase the extended warranty because of my concern for the electrical gremlins.

PS: IMO, Lexus has a lot of electronic features in their vehicles, but not to the extent of other luxury car brands (although the LS comes closest. Also, Lexus/Toyota tends to delay the introduction of new technology, while other car (particularly "luxury") brands (e.g., MB, BMW, etc.), tend to be on the "bleeding-edge" with technology. Perhaps a Lexus vehicle may be worthwhile to consider, if your priority is to primarily mitigate potential electronics issues.

 

Appreciate all the above comments. The search is indeed constrained by the paucity of real station wagons on the US market. SUV's and cross-overs are off my list - don't need off-road capability and the handling compromises incurred. Mazda makes an interesting 6 series wagon but not for the US market. I have little concern for resale - given my age and the length of time I typically keep a car, that will be an issue for my estate. A few years ago while on holiday in Ireland I drove a BMW 5 series (diesel) wagon - excellent car but no longer available. The Benz is nice but it is expensive compared to the Volvos and my '94 300E had accumulated $15,000 in repair (repair, not maintenance) bills by the time I traded it at just over 100,000 miles because of incipient transmission failure.( and the MD "Tex" upholstery was cracked and peeling by then) I like the looks of the Jag but (a) it's hard to find one even to look at and (b) the marque does not enjoy a sterling reputation for reliability, the latter underscored by the relative paucity of dealers. I find the Subaru to be a bit crude and unattractive. The Audi will get a close look but starts out with the disadvantage of being available only with 4WD.

The odds are probably 4:1 or better on the Volvo

 

Hi. After placing my V90 order in Feb 2020, the A6 All-Road was introduced. I test drove the car and got pricing. It was a very nice car, particularly concerning the interior and electronics, IMO. However, properly optioned, the car was nearly at MB E450 Estate price territory, which I thought was excessive, particularly when compared to the V90 Inscription. Also, I didn't care for the raised height, nor the body side cladding. If the Euro-version Avant had been available (i.e., lower height and no body side cladding), I might have, at least , considered it.