It cannot be overstated just how much parenthood changes you. All those things that defined your pre-child life? Gone, but you don’t mind. You learn to let go of life’s little frivolities so that you can better focus on keeping your tiny, perfect (and yes, often frustrating) bundle of joy alive because nothing hits as hard as that dopamine rush of your little one running up to you with a hug and an “I love you, papa.”
What’s that got to do with cars? A whole lot, actually. I’m sure that there are plenty of dudes (and ladies) out there who have held on to the “silly” cars of their youth. The cars they’ve lusted after. The ones that make a personal statement about their driver. The ones that will crumple up like tin foil if an amped-up teenager on an e-bike so much as glances it.
So what’s a dad to do? Buy something sensible, of course. And that’s the thought behind what will be an ongoing sub-genre of car reviews I’m calling “Dad Rides.” Rather than look at things strictly through the lens of a jaded car enthusiast, I’ll attempt to put on my “dad hat” and look at things, well, through the lens of a dad. Like, does the vehicle have enough room for the family? Is it comfortable enough to keep the kids from getting car sick? Is it quiet enough for third-row passengers to hear you yell “we don’t wipe our dirty shoes on the seats” for the 56th time? And is it nice enough to provide a respite from all the chaos during those rare solo drives?
And there’s probably no better dad ride to start off with than this: the Volvo XC90 AWD T8 Ultra.
Let’s be honest, this Volvo won’t exactly set anyone’s world on fire, but that’s not the point of this crossover. This is a quietly confident vehicle, one that’s happy blending into the background of the daily school run, yet handsome enough to show the office its driver is competent enough to lead a business-critical client meeting.
In the as-tested top-of-the-line Ultra guise, this XC90 pretty much nails the “grown-up retreat” bit of my seat-of-the-pants judging criteria. Its seats are trimmed in supple Nappa leather, and are heated and ventilated up front. But the softness of this seat covering, plus the fact that here they’re all finished in an easily stainable “Blond,” suggests that this luxury cabin would be trashed after just a few months. Best to get seats trimmed in Volvo’s synthetic Nordico material, and finished in black.
These seats are comfy, though. The third row is spacious enough for those kids who want their own hideaway, and the second-row captain’s chairs help ensure that no one is encroaching on anyone’s personal space. The front seats are kind of flat, though, and when experienced alongside the XC90’s low beltline, make you feel like you’re sitting on the Volvo rather than in it. Outward visibility is phenomenal, though.
In terms of tech, the optional Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system sounds great, which helps keep those repeated listens of the K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack a little more tolerable… when it works. This in-car tech suite continues to frustrate, and I’ll try not to repeat what I’ve already said in past Volvo reviews.
This specific XC90 is the 2025.5 model, so it gets the updated Google-powered infotainment system. More stuff is relegated to the touchscreen (touchscreen controls to open the glovebox—ugh) which is made all the more frustrating when said screen refuses to cooperate. There were a few days during my loan when the audio just didn’t work, and with no physical button tied to the screen itself, I couldn’t even hard reset to try and fix things that way. Turning the car on and off didn’t work, but suddenly, right before returning the XC90 to Volvo, things started working normally. You know what could have made this work normally? Buttons.
No one is buying a Volvo XC90 because they want a sporty, engaging drive, but this 5000-pound plug-in SUV is easy enough to maneuver. Its gas and electric powertrains work together to give you 455 horsepower and 523 lb-ft of torque, and its claimed 5.0-second 0-60 time sure makes it easy to merge onto freeways. But vehicles like these are more about ease and comfort than they are about sheer power, and this big Volvo delivers a ride that could best be described as serene.
So what about safety? This is a Volvo. Of course it’s safe. This thing’s got all the requisite active safety technologies plus a shell strong enough to withstand the full force of a mountain being dropped on it (don’t ask me to validate that last claim, though).
Is there a more sensible dad ride out there than the Volvo XC90 AWD T8 Ultra? Yeah, probably. With a starting MSRP of $77,495, that’s a lot of scratch for a ride whose interior will get, well, scratched when subject to the whims of small kids. But if the kids are older and know to keep their dirty shoes off the seats? It’s hard to find a dad ride that’s nicer.
Like pictures? Of course you do. Check out more of the 2025.5 Volvo XC90 AWD T8 Ultra in the photo gallery below.
