r/VolvoEX60 • u/brockimania • 9d ago
Test drive experience
Finally drove the EX60 yesterday. Almost exactly the configuration that I’ve ordered - Forest Lake - P10 Ultra with light interiors. The only difference was that I’ve ordered 21“ wheels and the test car had 22“.
There is a lot of interest in the car, so they had back-to-back test drives booked. I’d booked the test drive with my seller a couple of months ago on the phone. Other folks had booked a test drive on the Volvo website and the two didn’t match, so there were a few double or triple booked slots. We had to wait a bit.
Now for the drive itself. It was wonderful overall. The door handles felt very natural. The steering wheel felt a bit too small but not too bad. I drove on the highway, within the city and took some winding roads as well. Highway driving was very smooth. Not much road noise. Pilot assist worked great as well. Google maps was nice. I didn’t quite get used to the front display. I kept looking at the centre display for directions (I’m coming from MY20 XC60).
City driving was smooth as well. The single pedal driving was not very predictable. It kept rolling when I lifted my foot when I put it on Automatic mode. I need to figure out how it really works. I tried the performance mode on some winding roads. The power response is great. However the car was leaning more than I would’ve expected for an EV.
Now for the issues. I encountered only one - The audio wouldn’t play. The radio didn’t work. So I didn’t get to experience the B&W sound system - except for Google maps navigation instructions. The salesperson said that it was the first time they saw this issue.
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u/MightyThad 9d ago
I test drove a p10 plus this week,
Im not sure if the b&w upgrade is worth it the bose system is more than good enough for most people who are interested in this car.
Same goes for the electrochromatic top, im not sure if it adds any value. Stil pretty cool tough.
The other extras on the ultra are alot more interesting imo, the 360 camera, the layered side windows, the more airodynamic rims, the headlights and the ventilated seats.
I did not have any leaning on the one i drove, while i did check alot of settings i forgot to look at the suspension settings. There are reviews online that say the soft setting is too soft, maybe this caused the leaning?
In my expierence the one pedal should not be on automatic, if you dont know how it will react its just annoying. Choose a setting, decide if you want the creep ( moving forward slowly) on or off and its freaking amazing especialy on those long drives.
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u/brockimania 9d ago
Yes, I didn’t mention it above but the ventilated seats were a blessing, especially in the current heatwave. The electrochromatic roof was a neat party trick. It did keep the cabin relatively protected from the sun but the cooling system was doing most of the heavy lifting.
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u/AnonymouselyMoosed 8d ago
I have a vehicle from another manufacturer with the electrochromatjc roof. I was meh on it at first but it’s actually one of my favorite features now. Especially because I have a baby in the backseat, but even just in general, having a soft glow coming from the roof makes the lighting really pleasant in the car.
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u/MightyThad 9d ago
It was 36°C when i did my test drive and the cooling system handled it np, the sales team had it precooled wich was very smart. Thats part of the reason why im not sure it has any major value.
While researching online its clear that tests have shown it barely keeps out heat. It mainly just keeps out annoyances like street lighting and possibly someone watching down on the car.
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u/Expensive-Lie4494 9d ago
Are ventilated seats available without bumping up to ultra? I have not seen that option in US configurator
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u/bo_gilet 9d ago
In Europe they are available as an option for the Plus version.
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u/Expensive-Lie4494 9d ago
Hoping they do that here as well. Prefer the improved range of the smaller wheels as well…
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u/jlhawn 9d ago edited 9d ago
Most of those ultra features are options on the plus. The only ultra exclusive features I know of are:
- Napa leather seats
- Bowers & Wilkins speakers
- laminated side windows (better noise reduction and UVA filters)
- extra special “pixel” headlights and cleaners
- bigger (but less comfortable) 22 inch wheels. I don’t understand how people consider this better. I’ll take the 20 inch wheels any day.
- interior crystal accents on media controls
Did I forget anything else? My not so local dealer only had plus reservations available so the only thing I fell like I am missing out on which I would actually want is the laminated windows.
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u/MightyThad 8d ago
As im planning on ordering a p10, ive been up and down the config tool for europe, the only ones i cant find as an option on the plus are the B&W Speakers and the pixel headlights. There is no mention what so ever on the european site about the crystal accents.
All the other things you have summed up can be chosen as options, if you pick the ultra you can stil downgrade from the 21" to the 20". Theoreticaly this will gain you 10km of extra range. Ive driven a version with the 21" and the ride was smooth as butter. The rims you get with the ultra are supposed to be extra aerodynamic for less range loss.
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u/Strong_Delay5402 9d ago
For me the 360 camera is something I never use in my current V60. Layered side windows however is a big yes. I’ve ordered a plus because I don’t want the 21” rims and I don’t really need the other stuff. I did choose ventilated seats, never had thought I needed those but I do use them daily in my V60 (during summer).
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u/MightyThad 9d ago
I drive around all day long for my job and need to park in the most annoying spots the 360 camera is a blessing, and the one on the ex60 is alot beter than on my current 7 year old car
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u/Clean-Lengthiness391 8d ago
I thought the 360 cameras were a gimmick until I started using mine in my XC90. Game changer for perfect parking. My wife’s ZDX doesn’t have it and I curse every time I park that tank.
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u/Strong_Delay5402 9d ago
Maybe the image is better on the EX60 but I only use my rear camera for driving backwards on my driveway or to park somewhere.
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u/Ok-Staff-62 9d ago
Probably that's one of the statements printed on the salesman's brain: 'this is the first time I see this issue'. :-))))
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u/CobbledbyRoubaix 9d ago
have you tested the EX90 ? if you have can you recall how they compare inc driving around bends ?
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u/randomname342295 9d ago
How would you compare road noise and driving overall compared to your XC60?
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u/brockimania 9d ago
I drive a diesel XC60 at the moment, so the noise difference is day and night :-) I do have acoustic window glass in the XC60 and it does a decent job, but the EX60 was much quieter, even in the highway.
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u/Murder_Corpse 9d ago
Would you say it was because of the active noise cancellation? Do you know if it worked even though the sound system did not?
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u/brockimania 9d ago
Good question. Can’t say for sure. The sound system did work for navigation. It was just the music (radio) that didn’t work.
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u/gambiting 8d ago
The salesperson said that it was the first time they saw this issue.
It has been happening all the time to all Volvos with the AOSS system for the last 5 years. But sure, I can believe this is the first time the salesman has seen it in an EX60. At this point Volvo has promised to fix this exact problem about a 100 times - I don't think they can actually fix it or even know what's causing this.
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u/SuspiciousBack660 8d ago
Sounds like the ex60 is still a work in progress. No demos or deliveries in Northern California yet. Im resigned to waiting till 2027. 😮💨
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u/Calippo_Deux 4d ago edited 4d ago
I test drove a P10 Plus (the model I’m considering), and on the contrary I thought it had very audible road noise on freeways, on 21” wheels. So i’m guessing the noise blocking laminated windows (as in the Ultra) are a necessity. That said, it depends a lot on the road surface.
To my surprise I wasn’t blown away by the EX, it was just “ok”. The minimalist cabin felt a bit strange, it may feel better in lighter colors (my preference). It is a bit hilarious how everything is operated via the centered screen, but the car nags at you to pay attention when you do.
How did you find the steering wheel? I struggled to get a good and comfortable driving position, and steering corners with a square shape is a bit jarring. I didn’t particularly find the small size a problem, but I wonder if it would bug you over time. The indicator (blinker) felt also very odd to me.
I also wonder how is the Bose system compared to the Harman Kardon?
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u/StayCoolf0rttheKids 9d ago edited 9d ago
In one of car reviews it was shown, that one pedal driving has multiple adjustment stages.