"Volvo looks to safety to set XC90 apart from the pack"

Obviously a very intelligent report.... :)

I do disagree with one item in it, however. We own an '05 XC90V8, and have also driven about 700 mi in an '07 XC90 3.2 ltr 6 cylinder, and found that we got better highway gas mileage in the '05 V8 than in the '07 3.2 ltr. Also, most of the features listed for the V8 model aren't new in '07 --- we have most of them included on our '05 (except the blind-spot detector --- I'd like that because visibility is a little tough in that car --- and the outboard mirror turn signals). I also think the '07 V8 has headlamps that turn as you turn the steering wheel, which is a nice feature.

Odd that the IIHS ratings of the Honda Pilot are as good as those for the XC90.

Odder still that the NHTSA Frontal Crash tests for the Pilot are 5 stars for both driver and passenger:

07&make=Honda&model=Pilot The same tests for the XC90 are five star for the driver, but only four stars for the passenger:

07&make=Volvo&model=XC90 Volvo no longer stands head and shoulders above the rest of the competition for vehicle safety. The Honda Pilot is $10k less expensive than the XC90 and thus doesn't come with extra status points attached, but status points are hardly a safety feature :).

John

My question would be which specific safety features offered by Volvo exceed those offered by comparably priced and sized SUV's from other companies.