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Volvo XC60 Questions and Comments

38 messages,  Last post on Mar 16, 2013 at 2:22 PM

You are in the Volvo XC60 Forum.

What is this discussion about? Volvo XC60, SUV

    

Messages Page 3 of 5

#17 of 38 Re: Got to have the Dynamic Package with a T6 [pawlybauls] by idmd

Sep 28, 2011 (5:16 pm)

Replying to: pawlybauls (Sep 26, 2011 6:44 am)
So here's my review of my 2011 XC60 R-Design after living with it for a little while. These are my current perceptions (some of which maybe incorrect and I may simply not know how to do something so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong).
 
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.

#18 of 38 Re: Great responses [juxta] by myob

Oct 10, 2011 (10:27 am)

Replying to: juxta (Aug 09, 2011 10:33 pm)
10 months into an '11 XC60 T6 R design we've had zero issues. No wind noise problem at all. It's a lot quieter than the Infiniti G35 we had before, and smoother riding than a BMW 328i w/o sport package, despite what some reviews claim (they're likely used to Volvo squishy soft).
 
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.

#19 of 38 XC60 continued discussion by mscar54

Oct 11, 2011 (5:16 am)

I am always glad to see these positive responses from owners. My own XC60 now has about 3300 miles on it and I am liking it more and more. Other than what I call the "quirky" response time and issues with the Info-system, and yes, some wind noise, the good things outweigh the smaller things. I'm still loving the room and the ride. My overall MPG, which is 60/40 town-highway driving, is about 22. And I love the electronic hatch, which I did not have in my Infinity EX.
 
Thanks to all for the reflections.

#20 of 38 Re: XC60 continued discussion [mscar54] by travelguy2

Oct 13, 2011 (1:25 pm)

Replying to: mscar54 (Oct 11, 2011 5:16 am)
Thanks for all of your comments on the XC60. The 2011 XC60 T6 is one of my two final choices. Just curious...I am hyper sensitive to the wind noise on the highway I guess given the comments in this forum. I know it's subjective but have you gotten "used to it." Also, do you find there is enough space in the rear door entryways to move items in and out (as I will be doing with an infant seat).

#21 of 38 Re: XC60 continued discussion [travelguy2] by shs111

Oct 13, 2011 (1:50 pm)

Replying to: travelguy2 (Oct 13, 2011 1:25 pm)
I may well be the exception, but I have not noticed -- nor had a problem with -- wind noise on the highway (unlike other cars I've owned in the past). And yes, I've found that there is enough space in the rear door entryways for infant seat, then toddler seat.

#22 of 38 Re: XC60 continued discussion [shs111] by travelguy2

Oct 13, 2011 (2:26 pm)

Replying to: shs111 (Oct 13, 2011 1:50 pm)
Thanks shs111 for the quick reply. I'm looking at the XC60 vs the Lexus RX 350 and wondered if you considered the Lexus as well.

#23 of 38 The wind noise issue by mscar54

Oct 13, 2011 (5:04 pm)

As I posted previously, I have noticed the wind noise, which is indeed greater than any I had in my '08 Infiniti EX. There may be plenty of reasons, e.g. the XC is bigger and would have a larger "footprint" against the wind...I'm not an engineer, so I don't really know. I would strongly suggest that you test drive it on the interstate at 50-70 mph and listen around the driver's window. With that said, I do play music frequently, and no, I don't even think about it then. And, it's not obnoxiously loud....more like white noise than anything. So, yes, I'm used to it and like the car enough that it doesn't drive me crazy.
 
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!

#24 of 38 Re: XC60 continued discussion [travelguy2] by juxta

Oct 13, 2011 (10:47 pm)

Replying to: travelguy2 (Oct 13, 2011 1:25 pm)
The wind noise becomes noticeable only when I hit ~60 mph, so you should do a test drive up to 65 mph to see for yourself. It's a small problem but not at all a deal breaker for me. Also, this is by no means as much wind noise as you'd get on a non-luxury vehicle.
 
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.

#25 of 38 Leg room/head room by bh3205

Nov 01, 2011 (3:55 pm)

Hi All,
 
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!

#26 of 38 Re: Leg room/head room [bh3205] by juxta

Dec 31, 2011 (12:47 am)

Replying to: bh3205 (Nov 01, 2011 3:55 pm)
Yeah, I'm 6'3"/215. I put the seat all the way back and "bucket" the seat a little (rear of seat is lower, front of seat is higher) which makes it fairly comfortable. I don't have a problem with headroom at all.

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