[Argus]

I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a new XC40 Recharge. It's between one that has 19" wheels and a heat pump, and one that has 20 inch wheels and has the cold weather package but no heat pump. I live in the deep South USA where it is hot most of the time and never drive more than 100 miles a day.

And you guys and gals who have regrets, would you still buy it knowing what you know now? Or would you wait a year or two?

Thanks and this forum is great!

 

[Welland canada recharge]

I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a new XC40 Recharge. It's between one that has 19" wheels and a heat pump, and one that has 20 inch wheels and has the cold weather package but no heat pump. I live in the deep South USA where it is hot most of the time and never drive more than 100 miles a day.

And you guys and gals who have regrets, would you still buy it knowing what you know now? Or would you wait a year or two?

Thanks and this forum is great!

Buy now - volvo will have things fixed by early 2022.

 

[improvius]

Based on current tire availability I would definitely go with the 19s. And I'm waiting for the 2022 MY. I wouldn't be surprised if heat pumps are standard next year.

EDIT: Also, in theory, the 19s should get you better range.

 

[SeattleCat]

I have 19s with heat pump and all the other good packages.

imho 19s are better than 20s for effeciency and comfort of ride. Plus maybe better tire availability (second hand data).
Heat pump just makes sense. How much sense ? Well alas no numbers but we are really sure that it makes a lot of sense.

 

[Cuelaw57]

I agree that the 19” wheels and the heat pump to go. Better ride and efficiency. I really like my 19” wheels. Had 20” on a different vehicle and regretted going with style over practicality.

 

[SeattleCat]

I think the 19th inch look good.

 

[Homer]

Heat pumps are becoming standard on almost all high end EVs. It will most probably not be an option in the future. I would get the heat pump.

19 or 20 inch wheels is a topic that is well discussed on hundreds of car sites. The short answer is:
19 inch wheels, cheaper, lighter, better fuel economy, more cushioning.
20 inch wheels, harsher ride, aggressive look, more road contact patch for handling, feel and performance.

Having driven both, I liked the appearance, fit and driving qualities of the 20 inch wheel. Many choose the 19 for a softer ride.
It is a personal preference.

Getting almost all of the options at purchase is the best idea. Adding upgrades after the fact is often impossible or exorbitant
in price.

There's always a newer and better model on the horizon. My caveats are to not buy a car the year before a major model refresh. This model just came out. Improvements will be incremental not evolutionary.

 

[improvius]

19 or 20 inch wheels is a topic that is well discussed on hundreds of car sites. The short answer is:
19 inch wheels, cheaper, lighter, better fuel economy, more cushioning.
20 inch wheels, harsher ride, aggressive look, more road contact patch for handling, feel and performance.

Tires are the same size for either wheel set, so the contact patch will be the same. The 20s might give you a more stable feel when cornering because there's less sidewall flex, but otherwise I don't think there would be any performance benefit.

 

[David]

I never test drove a P8 with 19" wheels, but I love the feel and smoothness of driving mine with 20". And they just look so beautiful 😍

 

[SeattleCat]

Picture?

 

[David]

Picture?

There ya go! There's definitely a higher wheel-to-chassis ratio for those who like the style😬

 

[shawkinaw]

I had wanted the 19s for the theoretically better ride but couldn’t get the rest of the configuration I wanted so ended up with the 20s. But I’m very happy with the ride so no regrets there.

 

[sbixby]

I have 20s too. At the short moment I regret that, but only because the OEM tires are not readily available. I acquired FOUR pictures punctures in my right rear. Tire shop didn't have access to any short-term, so I dropped the wheel off at my dealer service center in hopes of a quicker resolution. Waiting to hear!

That said, I'm sure tires will come into the pipeline soon enough. I didn't try a 19" setup to know the difference, but I don't regret the 20's for the size it appearance.

 

[JT Rock]

I agree with Homer's points which sums it up. I've test driven the 20's, although I eventually went with the 19's because pot holes are far too common in my region.

 

[Homer]

Tires are the same size for either wheel set, so the contact patch will be the same. The 20s might give you a more stable feel when cornering because there's less sidewall flex, but otherwise I don't think there would be any performance benefit.

Tire patch is size is not directly related to tire width. It is a complex relationship of tire width, sidewall height and the sidewall flex. At speed, the sidewall deforms and directly affects the contact patch. A 19 inch tire has more sidewall flex than the same size 20 inch tire. That results in a different tire patch pattern.

For the same tire size, tires with a higher profile or aspect ratio tend to have a long and narrow contact patch.

Conversely, most high-performance and ultra-high performance tires have a lower profile . As a result, the contact patch is generally shorter and wider, which gives them strong cornering stability and traction.

So, all things being the same, the low profile tires has different handling due to the pattern of the tire patch.

Having driven both, I can confirm that the 20 inch tires, albeit stiffer and somewhat harsher, do impart a sense of increased responsiveness in turn and curves.

 

[MMK]

Hands down the 19" although i myself ended with 20" simply due to impatience, and total distrust of Dealer's schedule of delivery. I could definitely enjoy a softer ride - regardless the Car drives like a dream.

 

[sbixby]

Due to my tire issue, I drove my wife's 2021 Ridgeline to work today. I was rather surprised at how "odd" it felt after the P8 with just 1500 miles in 6 weeks.

Examples:
-- The automatic transmission shifting felt strange, there were subtle lurches that are absolutely normal but felt STRANGE.
-- OPD. How can anyone drive without OPD?
-- On/Off button. I got out with the engine running and it took me a moment to realize it.
-- Adaptive Cruise isn't as smooth in traffic, but that might just be implementation or bugs over the sensor or any number of things.
-- Handling -- it felt like a bloated pig after the P8. It's actually about 2-300 lbs lighter than the P8 but still handles like, well, a pickup truck.

 

[Argus]

Thanks all! Very helpful! Great looking machines.

I was just told the car with the 19's at the dealer had to go into service for a battery cell imbalance malfunction. They said they requested special tools from Volvo. Not sure if they are going to replace a cell or just use a special charge protocol. Any of you heard of that?

 

[MidnightInLA]

I went with the 20”. I actually wanted the 19” (because I have a tendency to scratch nice rims on curbs when parking and didn’t want to spend the extra money…) but this vehicle had everything else I wanted. I was told if I wanted to custom order the exact configuration that I wanted it would take a lot longer to actually receive the vehicle. So when the dealer said she had a onyx black P8 with the 20” rims, I just went with it. And I have zero regrets. The rims are super rad looking & the ride is unbelievably smooth compared to my other vehicle (a 2014 Acura MDX). Luckily with the 360 camera, curbs have not been an issue thus far. I also got the heat pump with mine & the tech package… pretty much everything minus the tow bar & the exterior appearance package.

 

[He Keith]

I love the look of the 20s, but those tires are impossible to find. I wanted the 19s but the only cars in stock with 19s were missing several options and tended to be closer to base models than well equipped.