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Volvo XC60 Questions and Comments
I'd like feedback from owners of the XC60 on how you like your vehicle, particularly as contrasted to other vehicles you've owned. I'm researching this model for potential purchase, but have not test driven it yet. I currently own a 2008 Infiniti EX 35, which will become my daughter's car very soon, and I'll be looking for another.
Any and all comments and suggestions (likes, dislikes, features, etc.) are appreciated.
Any and all comments and suggestions (likes, dislikes, features, etc.) are appreciated.
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I like mine - a fully loaded 2011 T6 - but I'm biased of course. My wife got a 2011 Audi Q5 right before I got mine so I can compare those - but really any decision is going to come down to price and the test drive.
Compared to the Q5, I got more options with a slightly less overall refinement. I believe this still holds true for the 2012 models.
A comparably equipped Q5 (with BLIS, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry and push button start) was about $9 more. While the XC60 has more HP and torque, the Q5 has a quieter ride (engine and road noise are perhaps 30% less, wind noise above 60 MPH seems to be half as much).
The Q5 has a standard subwoofer (unavailable for the North American XC60 *grumble*), the Q5 automatic tailgate opens/closes twice as fast with much less noise (1/3 as loud as the XC60), the Q5 doors close with a heavier more sturdy feel and seal, and the Q5 moon roof is about 12" longer.
The XC60 tail lights are awesome and distinctive, while the Q5 has well-done and distinctive LED front running lights. Also the XC60 has an edge over the Q5 with the factory warranty and included maintenance.
But even if I wanted to pay more for the Q5, I don't like the body style as much as the XC60. Also, the controls for the entertainment/nav system are a bit more difficult to operate on the Q5.
I work from home so I don't drive much. I wanted a stronger engine for more acceleration and I like the low end torque, which gives better acceleration from a start than the Q5. I've had mine for 5 months now and it's got 1401 on the odometer, so I don't care about gas mileage and gas prices.
My issues with the XC60 are slight and mainly deal with refinement. For a luxury vehicle I expected more, and if things could be changed I would want, in order: 1) a quieter and faster automatic tailgate, 2) less wind noise at 60+ MPH, 3) less road noise when going over bumps in the road, 4) a subwoofer (standard or optional), and 5) fewer plastic parts, especially those at the bottom of the doors - the R-design paint-at-the-bottom look should be on all vehicles with maybe an option to have the current plastic at the bottom of the doors as scuff protection.
I haven't investigated this further, but noticed that this Volvo's sunroof interior slide cover was made out a mesh-like material. Is this true on all the models? Does anyone know if this allows unwanted sun rays in on the driver?
This model, too, had just the basic stereo system in it, but I took along a CD and had a listen. I felt that it was plenty o.k. for my uses. The comment about wind noise above 60 mph gives me pause, and truly, I did not drive it very long at high speed. I really do like a quiet ride and will have to take do another interstate test drive at high speeds to check it out.
The Volvo salesman gave me the speil about the XC60's being their hottest car, and indeed, the one I drove was one of only two on the lot. While I know the 2012's are just around the corner, has anyone felt that they were unable to negotiate a good price on their XC60 due to its high demand?
No issue here with wind noise above 60 mph.
Premium sound system is noticably better. Forgot to mention in previous post that my XC60 has AWD which works great. Save $ by not buying turbo.
The deal is certainly negotiable, especially if ordered vs. inventory. That would require 2012 at this point. I believe my deal was right around invoice per Edmunds.
This wind noise is compared to an Audi Q5 though! It is much more quiet than a typical car. Personally I think it could be improved to be at the level of an Audi. (Of course, all around I'd take my XC60 over the Q5 any day. I'm happy with my decision).
Glad you got one. I would have loved to get mine off the lot. Enjoy!
I have lots of family members with Volvos and while not the least reliable vehicles ever after 70K they all pretty much have spent some time at the shop. I think things are getting better with reliability but I'm anticipating more issues over the course of ownership compared to my Acura. That said the 5yrs/60K maintenance program and the fact I drive less than 10K per year means this thing will be under warrantee and the maintenance program the entire length of the loan. This means I'm not all that worried about my anticipated decrease in reliability. But who knows I could be pleasantly surprised.
Only time will tell. So far I like the car. This early into ownership all I can say is:
Pros: Great looks, sporty styling, nice handling for a crossover if you like a stiffer/sportier feel.
Cons: Going into this glass half empty with respect to reliability.
I'll update this thread as I get some more miles under my belt.
I think most BT issues are a combination of phone/car/software compatibility issues. You would have thought iPhones being so popular Acura would have made sure there was compatibility. Well they did at the time the car was manufactured based on the available software at the time. These issues would come and go with software updates to the phone. Interestingly my phone worked flawlessly with my wife's Pilot. There's nothing Acura or Volvo can do if I manufacture breaks compatibility with an update other than notify the manufacture and hope they fix it. That gets prioritized and if there are 6 million more important things Motorola may be slow to react. There just isn't enough standardization ATM. This issue MAY have nothing to do with Volvo......
With Comfort mode selected you can hardly feel a bump. Cornering is this mode does produce a "floaty" feeling from the loose suspension though.
I drive mainly in Sport mode when the road condition is decent. This has an excellent blend of shock support and stiff suspension for turns, lane changes and cornering.
The Advanced mode almost makes you forget that your in a CUV with a 9 inch ground clearance. I can take corners and 270 degree highway exits faster and smoother than I can with my S40 sedan! There is a noticeable difference in shock absorption in this mode, but not enough that bumps will rattle your teeth.
Switching between the modes while driving couldn't be easier and is conveniently located near the gearshift nob.
I haven't tested the Speed sensitive steering yet, I am using it on the medium setting right now. The steering wheel response at highway speed is sufficient for darting between lanes. At lower MPH, like about 40, it seems a little to sensitive though. At low parking speed the variable power steering seems really loose at the medium setting and takes a full steering wheel rotation to get a 90 degree turn.
Exterior: Great looking car. IMHO one of the best (if not the best) small CUV on the market today especially in R-Design trim where they've managed to make it look sporty but not cheesy (thinking about the poor GMC Acadia Denali here).
Interior: Typical Volvo design. The dash always seems down and a away from you and the seating height high. I feel the same in the XC90 - it's more like sitting on top of rather than cocooned in the vehicle. Nice material. Already have one legit squeak and the surface the passenger side seat belt naturally hangs next to is hard and makes noise over bumps. Sensus is a mixed bag as is the Nav. Lots of menus. Multiple ways of doing the same slightly different thing (ex. pressing sound for basic audio options vs navigating through Sensus to adjust audio. Why can I only turn surround sound on/off through the Sound button and not through Sensus with all the other audio options?). Just seems like things could be more organized. More importantly HOW DO I CANCEL THE NAVIGATION? Needs a quicker way of getting to things like cell phone presets. The nice thing about the system is it's reasonable responsive and the graphics are nice. Once you learn which of the 10 menus something is in it's easier to navigate. Lastly, it would be nice to be able to have the navigation screen show radio/iPod information across the top. As far as I know you have to switch screens if you want to know any information about Sat/iPod/Radio when you're looking at the NAV screen.
Audio: I have the Premier Audio system which isn't bad but it needed a lot of tweaking. I'm coming from an Acura with the ELS system which is the best OEM audio I've every heard. When I first got the XC is sounded horrible. Every live song played through my iPhone resulted in HUGE amounts of bass drum distortion at even medium volume levels. Songs recorded in studio less so. I had to adjust the EQ on the iPhone to "Reduced Base" and turn Surround Sound OFF. Now the system sounds very good at all volume levels and all songs.
Power train: Sweet engine. AWD is adequate so far. Still getting used to a non-SH AWD system that is mostly FWD torque steer and all. Transmission is smooth although "Sports" most manual shifts are only semi-manual. If you mash the throttle in manual mode it will downshift all by itself anyway. It would be nice to allow a complete and fully manual mode.
Grip is excellent, but steering does suffer from the numb and light steering. You can tell it could do a lot more if they gave you more feedback through the wheel. Drives like a sedan, not a crossover. Visability is good, comfort excellent, and the best feature is that the cargo area is large for the class and the seats fold fully flat. Power is excellent for this sort of vehicle, very smooth. Trottle tip in from a stop is a little on/off, wanting to either go slow or fast, but very manageable.
Dealership experience was top notch, they even offered a loaner for a basic oil change/inspection. According to another website I go to that tracks reliablity based on actual user reports '11's have been exceptionally trouble free, with '10's having a few more problems but nothing bad.
It is an excellent trip vehicle and also great around town. Not too big or too small.
Fuel economy is 20.9 mpg in hot weather short trips for errands (including idling waiting on the wife in the summer sometimes) with mostly rural 35-45 mph driving.
On 77mph avg highway trips I was pleasantly surprised to get 24 mpg (winter, no hills) vs the rated 22.
Units built mid '11 model year on have a better information screen with full color.
For those who prefer utility, reliability, styling, and comfort to max handling this is the choice in its class. The R design is stiffer and more buttoned down than the standard XC60. For better steering or max fuel economy you might prefer the X3 or Q5. Just be prepared for a few more headaches.
We've owned BMW, Saab, and Infiniti vehicles and overall for us the Volvo is the best combination of performance, utility, safety, and reliability. We also like that Volvo doesn't seem to carry the class warfare baggage like other brands.
Thanks to all for the reflections.
As far as the child seat, I'm past that phase so don't really know. Can't you get the child seat option in this vehicle (a built in one)?
It's got a very smooth ride, and love the electronic hatch, and it's much roomier than what I had, so all-in-all, I'm a happy camper. Oh, if you plan to use your phone with the blue tooth, connect it before buying! My phone connects, but I don't get sound out of the speaker, either talking or listening! Dealer has no answer....could be the phone??? It's one of those deals when you have the symbiotic relationship with devices made by different manufacturers when you get into the finger pointing of where the problem lies.
As far as the Lexus, I didn't even consider it simply because I don't like their looks as much, plus they are EVERYWHERE here, where I live, and I wanted something a bit less conventional. Aren't they also a good bit more expensive?
Let us know what you decide on. Happy trails!
By "problem" I mean the wind noise it is somewhat more as compared to my wife's 2011 Audi Q5, and that I have to turn up the audio 2-3 notches to compensate for the wind noise. I really like my XC60 but I believe Volvo should have done a better job minimizing the wind noise and it is one of my few complaints for this vehicle.
Thanks for the great comments on this car. Seems like a good choice for a family car and (pending a drive test) I'm starting to lean towards this model.
I'm 6'4''/240lb and I was wondering if there were any other big guys out there who have this car and if they like it. I have a lot of trouble with most cars given the amount of leg space and head room I need, so would love to get feedback from anyone who is willing ...
Thanks again for the comments!
I am in central NJ so want to know whats the best price for XC60 in the area as the dealer I saw took $1500 off MSRP which I didn't think was enough ..
For an additional 50 hp, the T6 is only $1650 more than the regular 2.0 with AWD. In a few months I might spend $1500 for the 25 HP software upgrade so in that sense it's worth the money.
The MPG difference isn't much. Maybe 24 highway vs 22 highway for the turbo? So for 12,000 miles a year that's only 45 gallons more (about $170 more per year).
When there is no front seat passenger this message lights up:
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
It is sort of annoying to constantly have that indicator lamp illuminated. Any way to disable it? Just curious and certainly this will be the first of many questions. Thanks!
It's pretty much out of my field of view so it doesn't bother me at all.
I was gone for 6 days and the battery did not have enough power to start the car. My co-worker was gone for 5 days and her battery was completely dead.
I had my battery checked by two dealers. The first said that the battery checked out fine but there was a software upgrade needed which was done. The second deals also said the battery was fine but that it was only charged to 50% capacity. They charged to 100% capacity. They suggested to make sure the battery was fully charged before letting it sit for a while.
I recently just got back from a 16 day trip and my XC60 started with no issues. The only thing that has changed was the software upgrade and I did not have my iPhone USB cord plugged in. I mention the USB cord because when my battery died after 6 days, I did have the cord plugged in. My coworker also had her USB cord plugged in when her battery died.
So.. I am not sure if it was making sure the battery was full charged, software upgrade or the USB cord not plugged in that made a difference. Maybe a combination of all. Just in case I now carry a portable jump starter in my car.
My coworker also had a software upgrade on her car but she has not left her car sitting for more than a couple days yet. So we do not know if anything has changed.
Question; for those who own the xc60, what do you thing of the cost of this car. I would love to have an idea. Thank you
It's been back at the dealer over a week now with a leak in the roof. It leaks after rain, etc. I discovered the leak about a week after my purchase. (I'm assuming it wasn't a new leak, so curious on how long it has been happening.)
1. Will this type of leak affect the inside of the car? I'm not sure how long it was going on, even if it gets fixed, will it have hurt the car long-term?
Also, the MPG seems low - it's about 18 average, with half highway/city.
2. Is that average for a T6?
I'm less than a month for my purchase, would a return be recommended? I purchased Volvo for reliability, so I wouldn't have to worry about this type of stuff. Any advice would be appreciated. I'm not sure what to believe.
Did you get your leak fixed? Have them pull the ceiling liner and check it if you're worried. Best of luck.