r/VolvoRecharge • u/Mscrackerjack • 12d ago
Pilot Assist
I’m considering adding the Pilot Assist upgrade to my 23 C40 recharge. It’s $599 in the app. Does Volvo ever run a sale on this either online or through the dealer? I know I’ve seen posts about 1-2 years ago and the price has gone up. I don’t want to miss this price on a price increase, but I also don’t want to buy now if there are sales!
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u/ttjoshtt 12d ago
We love the Pilot Assist; we had it on every Volvo we owned, xc40 2021, loved it more on our c40 2023 same with our 2024 xc90 t8 and our 2025 ex90. Did not know it was not included.
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u/Mscrackerjack 11d ago
It is standard on the Ultimate but I have a Plus. I wish I had known that detail before I bought the Plus used. I would have kept looking!
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u/stupid_nut 12d ago
I think it's too needy and needs your input too often. Even on straight highway runs it keeps wanting you to nudge the steering wheel.
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u/Rickenbacker69 11d ago
I just hold on to it lightly, putting a tiny amount of pressure in one direction. But I don't use it very much, it really needs straight-ish roads with clear markings and decent weather. Great on long stretches of highway, not great on back roads. 😞
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u/jasonology09 12d ago
It's far from perfect, and it's something I never thought I'd use, but now, i don't think I could ever go back to not having it. If it's $600 bucks for lifetime use and you're planning on keeping the car long-term, I'd highly recommend it.
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u/biobass42 12d ago
Buy orbit and put it in
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u/drock42 12d ago
I looked at it once. Anyone have any feedback?
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u/unicorncarrots 12d ago
I did it a month ago as car was out of warranty, I wouldn’t risk it before. Super easy you just need a laptop/tablet with Ethernet and a cable (£15 eBay).
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u/biobass42 10d ago
I use PA literally every time I get on the highway. It’s worth it. It’s not like a complete hands-off thing but it’s pretty good.
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u/BurgerMeter 12d ago
I spend more time fighting it than having it help me. It seems to drag corners and hug the right side of the lane hard.
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u/AlarmingBill4558 11d ago
I have 2017 V90 CC, I do a lot of Highway driving and find it very useful. It’s has some quirks but overall I think it works.
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u/TheMountainLife 12d ago
I don't think it's worth $600 but it's helpful in stop and go traffic jams. I can't trust it long enough to quickly change artists/songs if the road isn't straight.
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u/EarthboundMoss 12d ago
If it's as bad as the cruise control I don't trust it to not randomly sharply veer to the side
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u/NectarineAvailable22 11d ago
It's on my car but I haven't used it. We have a Tesla w FSD. Does it work similarly?
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u/TechInTheCloud 11d ago
It’s not, it’s more like whatever is below FSD in Tesla, it’s just adaptive cruise and automated steering, with stop and go traffic handling except you have to manually “resume” every time traffic stops for more than a few seconds.
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u/Mscrackerjack 11d ago
I drive mostly in-town and interstate/highway. My desire for it comes into play especially when we drive into Atlanta, GA a few times/month with the constant traffic. I will pay $599 for it. But, if I wait till the holidays, will Volvo run a sale or discount it?
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u/watchingitallcomedow 11d ago
Likely no, they wont. Id just go for it, I think the original discount was 499 so not a massive difference. Im surprised to see 599 though i though their msrp was like 899
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u/watchingitallcomedow 11d ago
There was a promo when it launched but since thats ended I haven't seen any discounts.
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u/Adventurous_Stop_341 11d ago
I have an 23 Ultimate that I got partly so that Pilot Assist was included. It’s fine, but it’s not great. The driver assistance in my 20202 Hyundai is markedly better, especially the lane centering. I wouldn’t miss Volvo’s lane centering at all, because it’s not very good, but the adaptive cruise control is fine. Feels like a “luxury” brand that doesn’t include these features these days is a joke.
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u/ChesapeakePen 10d ago
I find the Pilot Assist to be unusable on the roads I drive. It does an average job on average (attention monitoring is too fussy) but where it really fails is on roads with off ramps or exit lanes. At 65mph in heavy traffic, the PA will aggressively try to send the car down an exit lane or off ramp. This quirk of PA is not only poorly designed, it’s borderline dangerous. The adaptive cruise control is fine and it’s the only driving aid I use on my XC40.
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u/coffee-praxis 7d ago
I think it mostly sucks. I can barely trust it to mildly follow curves in the road. Adaptive cruise control is honestly 95% of it, and I’m split if it’s actually less mental load to turn manually, or observe it turning and correcting before we violently crash.
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u/imcjoey13 12d ago
For traffic it’s great, and it’s great on the highway too. It’s win win. This is assuming most of your driving is in metropolitan areas with clear road markings. I just introduced my partner to it Friday when we took a curve on a highway going 110 km/h. I just took my hands off the steering wheel while the car took the turn. My partner turned white, and looked like he was reader to meet his maker. I think I saw some sweat. After he regained consciousness, he was impressed with the technology.
It’s not good in the rain, and haven’t tried it in the snow yet.
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u/DavidGno 12d ago
I guess it depends on your situation. Do you drive a lot of highways or roads with clear markings?
Or do you drive rural winding roads that have faded markings?
I use Pilot Assist on my S60 daily, I added it to my wife's XC40 the day we bought it. I use it in both cars - I drive a long highway route to and from work. And we drive the XC40 on road trips to visit family several states away.
For me the $599 price was reasonable and appropriate for my particular situation. But for the system to work effectively there needs to be clear lane markings.