XC90 Air filter recommendation

Which air filter to choose?

xc90incanada »

Hi, I am looking for a recommendation on an air filter for 05 XC90. The choice is between OEM and a brand called K&N which is supposed to last the lifetime of the vehicle. The K&N can be cleaned with a special cleaner, but does that work well. For the extra $30-40 over the entire life, is it worth it to go K&N. Or should I go with new filter everytime. I dont’ do a lot of dusty conditions.

MadeInJapan »

I use a K&N in all of our Volvo’s. I play with our cars, but not like a hobby…I’m serious about them. I want better gas mileage, better handling, etc. The K&N allows more air flow so it helps the car’s power just a hair (not a huge amount like some people claim). However, the folks at K&N tend to “over-oil” their filters and because of this some people have complained that these filters messed up their expensive MAF sensor. If you go with one of these filters (which will save you money over the long haul), be ready to clean your MAF sensor within the first 1000 miles (really, an extra, preventative precaution)…then after that you’ll be fine. When you re-oil it at the specified interval, only oil the side that is in the filter box and away from the MAF sensor and don’t saturate the filter. I personally love the fact that I’ll never have to buy another air filter and have not had a MAF sensor go bad from the oil in the filter.

XC90 air filter recommendations

The Volvo XC90

The Volvo XC90 is a full-size luxury crossover SUV manufactured and marketed by Volvo Cars since 2002 and now in its second generation.

The first generation was introduced at the 2002 North American International Auto Show and used the Volvo P2 platform shared with the first generation Volvo S80 and other large Volvo cars. It was manufactured at Volvo’s Torslandaverken. Volvo moved production equipment of the first generation to China and ended Swedish production at the end of 2014, renaming the car as the Volvo XC Classic (or Volvo XC90 Classic).

At the end of 2014, the second generation XC90 was introduced. It is based on a new global platform, the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA). Both generations of the XC90 have won Motor Trend‘s SUV of the Year award in their debuts.

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Last Updated on June 12, 2025