Should you buy one?

This is a stylish, usable and unpretentious estate that has a lot going for it. It’s efficient, lovely inside and comes packed with some of the most advanced safety kit available. If ultimate practicality isn’t your biggest concern it’s certainly worth thinking about.

Theoretically, the T6 Recharge plug-in hybrid should be the most economical – after all, you can drive it for miles on electric power alone. However, the expensive purchase price means that, unless you need the company car tax benefits or desire the performance it offers, we’d stick to the B4 petrol.

What we like

We like that it’s a credible alternative to the default prestige choice of the BMW 5 Series Touring. And that this credibility comes from Volvo’s own philosophy, rather than trying to take the Germans on at their own game.

Comfort and style are the key features here. The V90 is a lovely car to spend large amounts of time in and, though the infotainment can appear a little fiddly now, it all works very well.

What we don’t like

Beware: stylish as it is, the Volvo V90 doesn’t offer the same level of practicality as those main rivals or as broad a selection of engine choices if you’re buying new.

It’s also fairly far from being an engaging driver’s car. So if that’s a priority you’re better served elsewhere.

Further reading:

• Best hybrid cars 
• V90 too big? Read our Volvo V60 review
• Best estates to buy