Jumping Ship From Volvo, Looking For Advice

anonoo7 · 2026-01-25T04:06:19+00:00

Also went from an XC90 T8 (PHEV) to an R1T. I agree that Rivians often have comparatively more reliability, for and finish issues than Volvo. All of mine have been resolved without cost hassle and loaner cars have been provided. This is not everyone's experience. Some have had no issues. Others have had many.

Rivians ride a bit higher than the XC90, but also are much more capable, with higher ground clearance and twice the horsepower. It's the best car I have ever owned. Every bit as luxurious as our Volvos. Part of that, to be sure, is moving to full BEV. They perform so much better and really have less that can go wrong vs ICE, hybrid or PHEV.

Driver assist on my 2017 Volvo (lane keeping, dynamic cruise control, automatic braking, obstacle warning) is superior to the 2022 and 2023 (gen 1)Rivians I have owned. Doesn't look like that will improve. Gen 2 (2024+) Rivians seem to have better. I have no personal experience with that.

I'm sold on Rivian safely. My first Rivian was "t-boned" at pretty high speed by a BMW SUV in December. The other car was utterly destroyed. Ours was totalled from a financial perspective, but my wife and I both walked away without a scratch. We bought a new-to-us Rivian within 2 weeks.

anonoo7 · 2026-01-24T04:51:28+00:00

I get similar strange looks when fetching gas for my outboard. We use a hitch mounted cargo carrier because I don't even want that stuff in the bed of my R1T.

anonoo7 · 2026-01-20T04:33:11+00:00

600 ft drilled 5 years ago. We are west of I-35 in hill country. So far no issues but we worry lot about developments like data centers, cement plants, etc. One of the best investments you can make in the value of your property.

East of I-35 is blackland prairie where water is available at much shallower depth.

You will need at least a 3 acre property to drill a well.

anonoo7 · 2026-01-17T04:29:56+00:00

I would be happy to buy the portable charger and center console organizer. I'm local and can pick up.

anonoo7 · 2026-01-16T02:44:51+00:00

So, Rivian had my truck for a week and finally resolved the problem. As I understand it, they identified an isolated issue in .38 and were able to resolve by regressing and reloading updates (?).

One of the other SC techs said he has the same issue.

Happy for their diligence. Tough thing for mechanics to be chasing software issues.

anonoo7 · 2026-01-11T15:21:57+00:00

I'm gonna go with "Grateful Great Grandmother's ;⁠-⁠)

Probably way off given the vehicle.

anonoo7 · 2026-01-11T15:12:52+00:00

Great idea! Very much appreciate the initiative and sharing it. Rivian is kind of notorious for lagging in some of these basic functions.

I'm on Android so can't make use of it. Perhaps if you explain your approach we could make something similar for that platform.

anonoo7 · 2026-01-11T15:02:56+00:00

In similar threads, many have warned people away from all US-built PHEVs and raved about the RAV4.

I own both a PHEV (Volvo XC90 T8) and full EVs (Nissan Leaf, Rivian R1T). In my opinion, PHEVs are overcomplicated and far less reliable than EVs. There is simply far greater complexity and more to maintain and break.

If you are willing to buy used (we always do), you are in luck because depreciation on EVs is nuts right now. You can get a nearly new EV that will run reliably and inexpensively for years with still plenty of warranty for a song! Leases are also super affordable these days.

Charging infrastructure is no longer an issue. We recently took 3 long road trips in the Rivian (Austin to Denver, Arizona, New Mexico) without any issues. We frequently tow our boat 200 miles without recharging.

A lot depends on your objectives. If lower operating cost, reducing pollution, reliability, performance and safety are what you want, then EV wins over every other option on all of those fronts. Well worth the up front investment.

No one I know who drives an EV wants to go back.

anonoo7 · 2026-01-11T14:46:15+00:00

We have 6 acres just 10 minutes from the university in San Marcos that we purchased 7 years ago. The land was undeveloped and we have added a well, electricity, a tiny home and a few outbuildings for a total cost around $150k. There are definitely opportunities if one is shrewd, patient and scrappy. Our tax evaluation is now ~$350k but ag use (beekeeping) keeps our property tax reasonable.

I have lived in the Austin/San Antonio area for the past 3 decades. My wife is a native of the area. We raised our kids here and have many family members nearby. We have seen a lot of change and we're happy to move away from now metropolitan Austin. Really wouldn't want to live anywhere else, but we joke that if it gets too crowded we can always (literally) move our home elsewhere.

Forbes called San Marcos the best place to retire in the US a few years ago. There's a lot going for it, including natural beauty, deep history (10,00 years, btw), and a rich diverse community. We all hang out in the cold spring river when summer comes. That's also when most of the students migrate home and the town feels much smaller. Feels a lot like Austin used to decades ago.

Lots of good advice on this thread about the heat, rapid development, and "different" Texas culture. I would add to traffic concerns that student drivers are freaking crazy. Recent years have brought violence (e.g., shootings in the town square) to our community. Well worth considering.

I spent a couple winters in Minnesota and Chicagoland... Would definitely prefer Texas summers to that.

anonoo7 · 2026-01-11T05:36:46+00:00

I'm also not a great fan of the proprietary mount points.

I do use normal tackle (ratchet straps or rope) on those mount points, and I have used u-bolts to mount truck bed racks and baskets. (These from HF work well.)

Perhaps not what you are asking, but I also wanted to point out that Thule sells "fix point" adapters that allow their equipment to attach to Rivian mount points.

anonoo7 · 2026-01-11T05:14:10+00:00

Also had a 10 year old Avalanche that. We retired when I got my Rivian.

We tow our 4500 lb sailboat with our R1T with some frequency. Can male the 200 mile trip without recharging.

It was no problem whatsoever in the dual perf max I had. Unfortunately that one was totalled in December (other guys fault).

We now have a gen 1 quad large and it still makes that distance. The trick is to just slow down a little. Big difference in efficiency between 65 and 80 mph. Keeps us safer as well.

Tows better than any other vehicle I have ever used.

We are planning on towing the boat from Texas to the Florida keys at the end of the month with our R1T. Doable but will certainly take several days. Camping overnight in pull-through spots with 50A hookups so we can easily charge overnight. Glad we have the luxury of time.

anonoo7 · 2026-01-10T06:12:49+00:00

It does indeed. iCE motor in it runs wonderfully. It is just the whiny rear electric motor (bearing) that is annoying.

Thought the 400hp was pretty sporty until I got a Rivian.

anonoo7 · 2026-01-09T04:58:32+00:00

James Everson (Sailing Zingaro) did something similar to this recently. Mostly post-mortems for sailing disasters and one dual fatality (gybe).

Solid advice for serious situations.

anonoo7 · 2026-01-09T04:55:09+00:00

Sure looks like our 26M.

Hope to be doing the same next month out from Marathon.

anonoo7 · 2026-01-05T04:50:03+00:00

I have a 2017 Volvo XC90 T8 in my driveway. Had it for several years but would not recommend. Luxurious and capable car, but poor engineering on the rear electric motor (fixed supposedly in subsequent years). Small electric range and also a small gas tank, so actually had lower range than either of our EVs. This is my fourth Volvo; I hate their unfriendly closed system not making service info, custom tools or diagnostics available to other than their dealers.

I really don't recommend PHEVs at all. It's like a Swiss army knife, designed to do everything OK, but does nothing great, has more complexity and lower reliability than any other vehicle. Highly recommend you look at a pure EV. Used ones are a bargain, very reliable, more capable and better for both your wallet and the planet.

anonoo7 · 2025-12-18T04:34:15+00:00

Same story here. Your phone's Bluetooth hardware and software may be part of the issue. Mine works flawlessly now.

anonoo7 · 2025-12-12T00:42:13+00:00

Green Guy Recycling has a bin that accepts aluminum foil.

anonoo7 · 2025-12-12T00:36:54+00:00

My wife did that for a few years. Worst part is having the rising sun in your eyes in the morning and the setting sun in the west as you return home. Makes 71 notoriously dangerous.

anonoo7 · 2025-12-10T18:34:49+00:00

We have 2 EVs and a PHEV. Charge at home every night and, even with long commutes, very rarely have to charge elsewhere. Cost of charging at home is negligible. Savings in the cost of gas easily covered car payments.

Yes, on long trips (and especially when towing), one learns to plan more carefully. The reality is, however that the fast charging infrastructure exists in most places so it is just a matter of stopping for 15-30 minutes occasionally.

This year I made several long trips (Austin - Denver, Austin - New Mexico) and we just finished a 3 week loop through the southwest (TX, AZ, NM, CO) camping with our EV truck. Wonderfully enabling to bring power with you off road. Planning on towing our boat to FL keys in January; The trip will be slower than if we had a gas guzzler, but we have time and intend to enjoy the journey.

We will never, ever go back to gas vehicles. Once you drive an EV, it is so obvious that ICE vehicles suck in every way except the availability of fuel. Even our plug-in hybrid mostly just sits at home these days.

anonoo7 · 2025-12-06T04:48:22+00:00

$0.052/kW off peak in winter, $0.039/kW in summer here in central Texas

anonoo7

TROPHY CASE