volvo xc90 thoughts and experiences? similar vehicles to consider?

[D&L's-mommy]

DH and I are in the market for another vehicle. We're leaning towards a SUV, possibly a crossover. I'm loving the volvo xc90, it's everything I'm looking for, but want to make sure I cover all my options.

here's our criteria:
-looking for used (maybe 2007-2010)
-budget of $12,000-$17,000, give or take
-we have 2 kids (currently 4 in a GN, 8 1/2 in a vivo)
-3rd row (not planning to use it daily if I can do 3 across, but there's been many times I wished I had it)
-I baby sit my niece and need to fit a infant seat or convertible
-hoping to do 3 across (we have a nautilus and vivo, shopping for a convertible), if not the vivo will go in the 3rd row (since I don't want to have to keep reinstalling the convertible seat or the GN, however DS is disabled and I'd have to climb in and out of the 3rd row to help him [not easily done with occupied 2nd row seats], so maybe convertible will go 3rd row, but it's the same issue there, I'd really like to keep my kids in the 2nd row since they'll be riding in it much more often than my niece will)
-safe (obviously)
-reasonably priced maintenance
-not too big (no bigger than explorer or trailblazer)

extra features I love about the xc 90

-center seat of 2nd row slides forward so you can attend your child in that seat
-integrated boosters outboard of 2nd row
-standard moon roof and leather (though I know leather can make installs tricky)
-it's pretty, lol

any experience with the XC90 or any other SUVS or crossovers would be helpful, I'm having a hard time finding a place to start comparing vehicles
thanks!

 

[careynj]

I have an XC70, and my parents' considered an XC90. It lost out due to the lack of third row tethers and the non-removable hearests. I'm not sure of the vehicle market in the US, I'm in Canada, but I know I couldn't have gotten an XC90 in that price and age range.
I have yet to find a booster that works really well with the headrests, other an my Oobr since when latched it doesn't require full seat back contact. That would not be available to you in the third row.
The Nautilus will work, I had one briefly, I did find that I had troubles installing it when the headrest was at certain heights, but I was very inexperienced. I find the Frontier works really well.
Are the built in boosters outboard in the XC90? I know I have them in my XC 70 but I thought they were centre in the XC90.

 

[D&L's-mommy]

We've been looking, we can get an xc 90 in that price and age range, quite a few few sale in that range locally.
I don't need tethers in 3rd row, because, If I can help it, I'm gonna do 3 across 2nd row, if not, just a booster will go 3rd row (assuming it fits properly). Thanks for pointing that out, now I know I can't put the harnesses nautilus or convertible 3rd row.
What was the problem with the boosters and the headrest? we have problems getting a HBB to fit properly in the captain's seats of my mother in laws windstar, we eventually gave up, and DS just uses a no back booster,( which doesn't thrill me, but he's definitely old enough). we found that either there was a huge gap between the headrest of the booster, or there the back of the HBB didn't have full contact with the seat. is that the same issues you experienced?
I looked again, the integrated booster is center in the xc90, thanks for pointing that out. It is a optional feature, so we may not get it anyway since we're buying used, it's not a deal breaker for us
I've had strict orders from DH that I'm not to buy another set of car seats for our kids so I have to make sure our seats fit properly, which is a pain

 

[careynj]

That's awesome that they're in your price range there.
Because the headrests tilt forward there is a really large gap between the booster and the vehicle seat. I just either have a kid harnessed in a frontier or in a backless in my car. I have an oobr that works, but it's currently being loaned out. So yes, same issue you experienced.

 

[D&L's-mommy]

Thanks! That's good to know, I imagine his vivo won't work but we have another HBB that won't work in any of our current vehicles because the vehicle headrest doesn't stick out far enough, so it may just work in the XC90. Can I ask what your parents ended up buying after looking at the XC90? I want to consider all my options

 

[careynj]

a 2013 explorer. I actually really like it. There are 6 grandkids 2-10, so we needed all the spaces for harnessed seats and boosters we could. Plus the headrests come out

 

[henrietta]

My Mom has a 2007 Nissan Murano that I really like. It's smaller than what you're looking at, but you can definitely do a 3 across in it, depending upon the third seat you're using. It comes w/leather and sunroof and in your price range.

I fit a harnessed forward facing Evenflo Triumph Advance, ds's backless booster (Harmony Literider) AND *myself* in the backseat, w/room to spare. I could have used ds Cybex highback booster and put myself in the center, but that was a tighter squeeze, b/c it has a pretty wide back on it and the Triumph is really wide. I think lots of combos would work in this car. I wouldn't be too surprised if a Nauti, Vivo, and forward or rearfacing Britax or Graco My Ride would work.