[TTmom]

Hi all --

My TT was totaled by a red-light runner and I am looking for something cute to replace her. :crying I am considering the XC40 in blue/white because it is cute AND practical. The test drive was decent but not overwhelming.

What did you all drive before buying your XC40 and are you happy with your choice? Disappointed?

Hard to beat this one when it comes to looks, but to get the blue/white combo I have to get the Momentum and am on the fence because the interior is kinds of pedestrian.

Other choices are Lexus RX350, Audi Q5, Caddy XT5, and BMW X5. They all beat the XC40 Momentum on the inside, but none are close to this one in terms of cuteness.

Test drives are so short, they are nearly worthless. I know it is not a sports car, but is this really a fun ride in the real world? Anyone upgrade to Polestar? Did it make a difference? Thanks for your input.

 

[Goldfish]

Hi all --

My TT was totaled by a red-light runner and I am looking for something cute to replace her.

I am considering the XC40 in blue/white because it is cute AND practical. The test drive was decent but not overwhelming.

What did you all drive before buying your XC40 and are you happy with your choice? Disappointed?

Hard to beat this one when it comes to looks, but to get the blue/white combo I have to get the Momentum and am on the fence because the interior is kinds of pedestrian.

Other choices are Lexus RX350, Audi Q5, Caddy XT5, and BMW X5. They all beat the XC40 Momentum on the inside, but none are close to this one in terms of cuteness.

Test drives are so short, they are nearly worthless. I know it is not a sports car, but is this really a fun ride in the real world? Anyone upgrade to Polestar? Did it make a difference? Thanks for your input.

I believe you mean the Amazon blue with a white roof. I like this colour combination as well but it was discontinued when I ordered my XC40 in February. I will have a glacier silver (new colour) with black roof coming end of this month. It probably is this first of this kind and I will post photos after I got it.
Re previous cars had several SUVs before .. CR-V, ML and X5. Never considered a Volvo, was looking the Tiguan, Q3 before visiting a Volvo garage.

 

[TTmom]

Yep -- Amazon blue with white roof. There are a couple of them in the area (for now), so, if I want it, I do not need to special order it.

 

[bew136]

I traded in my 2013 Mini Cooper S Convertible. If I had a 2 car garage, I probably would have kept it and sill bought the Volvo. I am very happy with the Volvo, something I never thought I’d say. The drives are vastly different, which is what I liked. The XC40 did not try to pretend to be anything it wasn’t. It’s fun and comfortable for the commute. I bought the Inscription, so the interior a bit nicer. Personally, I thought the X1 and E-Pace were a tad dated feeling inside, and I just couldn’t wait for the Q3 to launch.

The other vehicles you mentioned are noticeably larger than the XC40. You might want to try driving them in tight areas. I know coming from such a small car I could really tell the difference in even the X3.

 

[TTmom]

Thanks BEW. That is helpful. I've been having second thoughts about the larger SUVs for the reason you mentioned. So, coming from the mini, you are having a good time with your XC40? Enjoying the actual driving experience? Do you miss your mini?

 

[bew136]

Thanks BEW. That is helpful. I've been having second thoughts about the larger SUVs for the reason you mentioned. So, coming from the mini, you are having a good time with your XC40? Enjoying the actual driving experience? Do you miss your mini?

Yes, I really enjoy the XC40. My driving is all town driving, and it’s great for that. If you want a sportier feel, test drive the R Design. I don’t miss the Mini for my day to day. I’m sure I’ll get nostalgic when the cooler weather returns to Florida and I could take a Saturday drive.

 

[amycvolvoxc40]

I drove a BMW X3 for 6 years and put a lot of money into it at the dealership. The XC40 is as tall as X3 but about 10 inches shorter. I can fit my bike in the back so that's all I really care about. The seats are much more comfortable for long drives. I just realized a few months in that you can extend the front seats.

 

[bdalameda]

I drove a BMW X3 for 6 years and put a lot of money into it at the dealership. The XC40 is as tall as X3 but about 10 inches shorter. I can fit my bike in the back so that's all I really care about. The seats are much more comfortable for long drives. I just realized a few months in that you can extend the front seats.

Doesn't it make a huge difference extending the seat base?

 

[Jezza]

You’re comparing the XC40 to substantially larger cars. I personally wouldn’t put them in the same category. The XC40 is deceivingly small. It’s really more comparable to an X1 or X2.

That being said I love my XC40 for the most part. I’ve had it almost a year. It replaced a Mustang but that was a needed diversion from dog haulers. It really replaced a VW Golf TDI which was amazing car but I was forced to sell it back because of dieselgate.

I got the R Design with 20” wheels and do NOT recommend that setup for Midwest roads. Combined with the short wheelbase of the XC40, the car is very bumpy and that may be the reason I turn it in when the subscription is up.

Details such as paint quality and the function of features are not as well thought out as my stepmom’s Mercedes GLC, for example. The rain sensor can be frustrating and it’s hard to get the sunroof to do what you want, when you want it. Things like that. But the design is wonderful and I’m not at all getting tired of it.

Let us know if you have specific questions or decide to get something!

 

[Watson58]

I truly enjoyed my XC 40 R Design T5 AWD.

The XC 40 has no air conditioned seats and I am not able to read directly the individual tire pressures. For those, I do miss my 2015 Impala LTZ.

 

[TTmom]

Thank you all for your input. I am going to test the R. I AM OG when it comes to liking buttons. How easy is it to adjust to having to use the touch screen for so many things?

 

[Watson58]

Thank you all for your input. I am going to test the R. I AM OG when it comes to liking buttons. How easy is it to adjust to having to use the touch screen for so many things?

This is one of the areas where Volvo failed miserably with the user interface. For a company proud with their safety obsession, the touch screen central console interface is just too convoluted to be operated safely while driving.

 

[Jezza]

Now that I’ve gotten used to it, I think the touchscreen in lieu of buttons is great. I thought I’d miss them but I don’t at all. The few buttons that are there seem silly now, other than the hazard flashers and media start/stop. I do like the large volume control knob and use it all the time.. The other few seem almost silly (how often do you really turn the rear defroster on?). So I’m happy to have adopted the touchscreen technology. The only thing I’ll say is that it can be hard/frustrating to push the right “button” on the screen when the car is moving for the reasons I described in my earlier post. The R Design with 20 inch rims, high center of gravity and short wheelbase means the car is moving around a lot!

 

[U4ic]

I had the same reservations about the all in one TS but it really seems like after your initial set up it wont be any more distracting than using a central knob that other manufacturers use for an interface. Whether its a TS or a knob you have to periodically glance at it and take your eyes of the road.
I think one issue is that most people get stressed with the TS because they don't realize they don't have to actually push on the selections on the screen. I had to tell that to dealer who was showing me the car and show him that he just needed to touch NOT push. Before you say anything i will tell you he was an older gentleman at the ripe age of 71.

 

[stan]

We had plenty of time to evaluate replacement vehicles prior to the expiration of the lease of our jaguar XE. We wanted something that looked good, was comfortable for long trips, had enough power to haul my trailer with an ATV, and had enough room for 4 adults comfortably. My wife wanted to consider an SUV, and since it will be her daily driver that's what we'll get (my daily driver is a VW Jetta Sportswagen TDI, 6 sp manual) I started evaluating vehicles about 6 months ago and test drove Mini, Porsche, Infinity, Alfa, Audi, BMW, Jeep, Cadillac, Buick and Jaguar in addition to the Volvo. We've owned 3 Volvo's in the past, along with 2 Mercedes, Alfa and an Acura, and other vehicles.

We narrowed our choice down to the Mercedes GLC and the Volvo XC 40 T5. It was difficult to decide between these two vehicles because both have so many features that we liked, are dependable, and have a good dealership network. The deciding factor was that the Volvo offered a better choice in exterior colors and the seats are more comfortable. Our previous Mercedes were a CLK 500 Convertible and an E-350 sedan and both were great vehicles, but we found ourselves squirming around hunting for a comfortable seating position after a few hundred miles. With our previous Volvo's we were as comfortable after a 500 mile day as we were when we started, and the seats in the XC 40 seem to have that same feature.

We are purchasing through the Overseas Delivery Program and have ordered the XC40 T5 Inscription in Thunder Grey (new for 2020) with blond interior. We've requested delivery in Gothenburg in mid October and will spent two weeks in Europe (The Netherlands, Germany, France and either Spain or Italy) and turn the car in at Frankfurt. We're still waiting for the dealer allocation, which hopefully will be granted this coming week.