[pbm]

We just got the Volvo S90.
Got the delivery within 10 days of booking.

Pros:
1. Rear air suspension
2. Very good cabin noise insulation
3. Extremely comfortable front seats with memory, heating/ventilation and massage.
4. ADAS
5. Built in Google Maps


Cons:
1. Low ground clearance (155-165mm)
2. Less under thigh support on the rear seats
3. Only a mild hybrid available in India unlike PHEVs in the European markets.

If the badge isn’t an issue, go for this without a doubt.
We test drove the e class but that doesn’t offer air suspension with any petrol variant. And during the TD, cabin noise on a concrete road was much higher as compared to the S90.

Didn’t consider the 5 series as we already have one from 2016 and Lexus doesn’t have a dealership in Pune.

S90 is probably the only car sub 90L price point which offers air suspension.

[chandu]

what a good situation to be in @bongChennai.
I was in a similar situation in 2018 and test drove pretty much everything available in the 50 - 70L range, which due to all the cost increases have not become 60-90L now.
I ended up purchasing the Volvo V90 Cross country (wagon version of the S90 sedan) due to the following reasons:
1. Very comfortable
2. Very quiet (makes a huge difference to me)
3. Massaging seats
4. Adequate power
5. ADAS - pilot assist, lane keeping, radar based cruise control
6. excellent back seat comfort
7. Large boot.
8. Available in stock for immediate delivery.
Cons:
1. Parts take time but service was good.
2. AC has failed a couple of times but it was fixed under warranty.

I also looked at the ES300 but it was going to take time to deliver so I did not consider it, but, i had test driven it and it was at the top of my list.

The 5 and 6 series BMW were great to drive but the suspension was firm and you can feel every bump, which is great if you are on a track but not great if you want a comfortable ride on city roads. I did not try out the Merc as I have always had this feeling that mercs are for old people
Cheers... hope this helps

[amitoberoi]

Which car did you end up buying. Just curious as I am in the same situation currently, though only considering ES300h and Mercedes E200.

Would help if you can let us know which car you finally went for and what were the reasons to finalize one of them, thanks.

[GRV]

Hi
This is very complex decision to make i.e. to choose between S90, E class, 5 / 6 series, A6 and others. Though the final choice is always based on personal preferences, but reality of car is known only after you own it for some time.

Last week I got BMW 530 i M sport after selling my Volvo S90 (Dec 2019 model, fully loaded Inscription , Diesel) . When I purchased Volvo S90 in Dec 2019, My actual preference was BMW 5 series (530 i M sport), but both my wife and I were swayed by array of features and luxury quotient in Volvo and decided to go for it.

In 3 years, I have realized that the features (and S90 had loads of it) are kind of cherry on the top, but for a car core functionality is more important. These attractive features are either not that useful or loose charm quickly , where as core capability of the car remains for ever.

So what influenced me in Dec 2019 to go for Volvo S90 and not 5 series

Why I bought S 90

Absolutely Fabulous Interiors. While each one of us can have design preferences (Minimalist like Volvo or over the top like Mercedes), but there is no doubt that in terms of quality of Materials and workmanship, Volvo cabin was miles ahead of any German car. Extra soft Nappa leather seats, Perforated heated and cooled with massaging function (front seats), motorized thigh support extension, real wooden trims, Fantastic Bowers and Wilkins audio system (Miles and Miles ahead than competitors), rear air suspension, nappa leather clad dashboard, tons of safety features like CTA, Lane assistance and steering intervention, Automatic braking, Adaptive cruise ccontrol, 360 degree camera and the list goes on. Basically the interior and features drove the choice

My 3 years experience with Volvo S90

The cabin was a sea of tranquility. When stressed, I would go to my basement parking and sit in the car to destress, or go for a short drive with audio system playing my favorite song. Fantastic

A number of times, the steering intervened and stopped me from moving to left lane , when someone was trying to overtake me from left and car assessed a risk for accident. very useful feature indeed

I found adaptive cruise control of very limited utility. On highway it can be very useful feature , when you deploy this and take your legs away from accelerator and brakes and on long drives it reduces your fatigue, but on Indian road, could never use this feature more than 3 minutes at a stretch. This is due to the fact that In variably someone with suddenly come diagonally from your left crashing in your car . This feature looks good on paper , but in India conditions very very limited use

and then the autonomous driving, where steering wheel will turn automatically along the road marking etc. are pure Lolly pops. No functional utility

Even blind spot monitoring system along with CTA is not that useful in India context.

But I was enjoying the car specially on highway drives. But slowly I started to feel the following

1. Car is underpowered (D4 engine) and Initial acceleration was slow, so negotiating urban traffic means pressing the pedal (or use dynamic mode) resulting into very high NVH from Engine. Over all I found that NVH level of the car (along with Tyre / Road noise) very high. That started nagging me as a driver.

2. Though the car rides air suspension in the rear, it does not make it very comfortable due to poor quality of roads. In fact I found the suspension too soft and car used to wobble a lot on uneven surfaces (which 90% of our roads are). I have taken the car to service center twice and asked them why the car wobbles so much ? the answer was because of its soft air suspension

3. Since I do not use a driver and love driving, the NVH level and ride quality started getting noticed every time I would take the car out. My wife could feel my irritation and we decided to sell Volvo and buy another car with low NVH, smooth drive and great ride quality

Why I chose BMW 5 series

I already have a c class (W 204), hence were not keen to another Mercedes. Anyway new E class is for rear seat passenger and not for keen driver. My 2019 choice of BMW cropped up again and we decided to take test drive again on Dec 22, with 5 series530 I m sport LCI. This time both me and my wife drove it 4 to 5 times and finally purchased it .

What we found great in this car:

The engine is a pure gem. So silent, so smooth and so much pulling power. Yes it shudders when you start it cold, but in a couple of seconds then it comes to its elements and is pure joy

The ride quality is fabulous. It is much much better than S90 and surprisingly it is for both good and bad roads. There is no wobbling and you feel solid and smooth when riding any surface

The i drive version 7 has some very useful features that Volvo lacked. Like reverse assistant (remembers last 50 meters of your travel and reverses the car automatically)

Though BMW does not come even close to S90 luxurious cabins and features line 360 degree (no more available in 5 series) or heads up display (only available in 530 D), still if one wants core functionality of car (how it rides, how it drives) , I am very happy that I made the switch. But I guess, if one is using a driver, S90 can be a great car, but for enthusiast drivers, BMW is the best choice.

Some additional comparison points that may be useful

There is a perception that Volvo has the most comfortable seats in the industry and seats are designed by Orthopedic doctors. While no doubt they are supremely comfortable , but whether they are the best, I have doubt. I also had this perception that BMW seats (specially sports seats that come in 530 i) are very narrow and not comfortable. If one looks front seats at S90 and 530i, Visually S90 seats appear a class apart. So I measured the depth, width and length of both seats and the dimension was 20 inches (L/W/D) and exactly the same. Visually, due to prominent side and back bolsters BMW seats look smaller but they are actually of same dimension. Now it is 7 days driving BMW and I actually have started loving the seats as much as that of Volvo in terms of seat cushioning and supportiveness. But yes, when you see or touch the seats , Volvo seats are much more comfortable because they are nappa leather, where as BMW is artificial leather. But during driving , I did not find any difference is seat comfort. If you are lean and have thin body then you may find BMW seats more comfortable as your will be wrapped around by the side bolsters. I am trying to lose weight to get that experience.

Where Volvo score over BMW is front seat leg space (width available in foot well). These is clearly measurable 2 inch more width in Volvo driver seat foot well compared to BMW and sometimes my legs feel a bit cramped for lateral space. But hopefully my legs will adjust to this soon

Another difference is the road presence. It is very subjective is nature. I have found that Volvo stands apart in any parking space. It is noticed because of its distinct front design. No other car has similar design. Where if a Honda city and BMW are parked side by side, many people wont find any difference in how they look. So S90 surely has very high road presence. I have experienced it. I used to get special attention and VIP parking slots by parking guards in Gurgaon / Delhi malls.

Boot space is Volvo is very good (500 ltrs), where as in 530 i it is less than 400 ltrs. In Volvo, I could load two very large suitcases and a bag. in BMW, only 2 medium size suitcases fit and no bags please.

I have already started missing the cabin quality of S90, the B&W audio system and Heads up display. But I have gained very low NVH, great Ride quality, convenient way to operate climate control and other features and better brand value (and possibly higher resale value) . It is a trade off .

I really think, why S90 can not be married with 530 i ???

Regards