MY19 XC90 T5 Momentum - 10 days in Impressions
 

Here is my view of XC90 T5 2019 Momemtum:

I collected it ten days and have done one round trip of 360 miles apart from that rest is city driving. When I collected the product specialist took me through all the main features and setup Volvo on call etc . I have coated it with three layers of polish this weekend and sealed with extra gloss protector.

What I like so far – list will probably grow as I get used to more of the features
1- 360 degree camera , Top feature I absolutely love it and its very well integrated within the system. I would say this is a must have add on and worth the extra money. Although I think Volvo should make this standard in all models.
2- The memory function and profile set by drivers is really a cool feature. We have two profile and every time I open the car door it cool to see the seat and mirrors adjusting. Profile also saves your radio stations, climate control settings and overall colour theme.
3- The adaptive cruise control, very easy to setup and use on the motorways. My previous car was a Mitsubishi Outlander 2.2 diesel and it did not have ACC . My first car with this feature and its very good.
4- Pilot feature, I have used this for about 50-60 miles its good and works well even with no road lights on the motorway. I used it predominantly cruising in the middle lane , I think it comes down to trust . I am slightly cynical of new tech and so I prefer ACC where I have control of the steering.
5- The blind spot monitoring system works very well, every time there is a car in your overtaking area you see an orange light in your wing mirror.
6- Overall the build quality is excellent, closing the doors you feel the satisfying thud !
7- Interior led lights are very bright and look really cool and the auto aircon is amazing, I don’t know how but it always manages to keep temperature just right without me having to fiddle with it.
8- The boot has a button to close and lock the car, who ever thought of this needs a medal! It makes life so much easier to press the button and not have to look back to make sure its closed before it will let you lock it.
9- VOC app is really cool, every bit of it has worked well and without fail. I cannot fault it.
10-T5 engine, is very very quite. Some time you have to try hard to check that its actually running. The acceleration is very good . Coming from driving diesels for over 12 years , its quite a change driving something so refined.


The Cons :
1-According to my dealer I have the first person who had ever ordered a T5 petrol engine on a XC90, but that does not mean much as it was only available from April/May onwards this year. The MPG on it is a concern for me, on motorway journey of 360 miles I got 36-38 mpg which I think is very decent for a patrol car however most of my driving is in the city and I think a full tank costing £90 will give me about 290-310 miles. As I mentioned above I have driven diesels for a long time and I guess I got used to slightly better MPG . For me the fact that it’s a 15 gallon tank which means it costs £90 till fill and town MPG of low 20s is a slight downer. I know in return I am getting a much quieter ride but in my head I am trying to balance out the two! I guess the jury is still out on this for me…. I think things will probably get better as the engine settles in over the next few k miles but I have to budget for more higher fuel costs than I have anticipated. My advice to anyone looking to buy XC90 with a T5 is to drive both versions and make an weigh up your options carefully.
2- TPMS, maybe it’s how I have its setup ( or not setup) . But I cannot see the PSI on my tyres, I have calibrated the tyres 2-3 times but all I see are green dots . It does not show the figures . Does anyone else have the same issue ?
3- The start stop feature cannot be permanently switched off , (I guess it helps my MPG). I thought that the 2019 models had a way of switching it off but not for me at the moment. I have found a way around it, the engine only switches off when the brake is hard pressed. There is a point when the brake is pressed that the car will stop but not switch off. You just have to find that biting point and learn to hold it. It helps in non traffic light stop situations where I don’t really want to inching forward and every time switching the engine on/off. Again if anyone has found a permanent way around it please share?

Overall I am loving the car and cannot swipe the grin off my face when I sit in it :teeth_smile:

Since MY17 cars have been fitted with an indirect pressure monitoring system which doesn't show actual pressure.

It cannot be permanently disabled.

[QUOTE=Lexman8;2453333]Since MY17 cars have been fitted with an indirect pressure monitoring system which doesn't show actual pressure.

Ok I did not realise that, so I guess it will tell you when the pressure is below the calibrated amount but not give you the actual figures .

Secondly would you or anyone else know if there is a way to see engine temperature. I have always had it in all previous cars and I just cant seem to find it in any of the setting or the dashboard where you normally expect to see it. Has Volvo taken this out of all the settings?

Thanks!

That's correct.

It's not possible to see it on the 12" display which is now standard. Bizarrely, it is shown on the older 8" displays.

I have just got the D5 2019 model after trying both the T5 and the D5 I decided that the petrol wasn't for me. It actually didn't seem much quieter and as you say the consumption is quite a bit down on the D5. I had the 2017 D5 and the 2019 version with the adblue seems quieter than the 2017 model. Even my wife noticed this as well.

I think that was sensible, I test drove the D5 on a XC60 and T5 on XC90. There is a growing number of people on forums and elsewhere that are actively promoting patrol over diesel and they have some good reasons. But in the case of XC90 I think that also has to coupled with the fact that its a big heavy car and overall the MPG on patrol will be significantly lower than diesel engine and this should be actively considered before making a choice. Hope you enjoy your new car when it arrives!

It depends on your use. Diesel is very punitive on short hops as it guzzles hard all the while it’s warming up and petrol is pretty much firing at full efficiency in 2-3min - urban school runs and short commutes it will be almost the same mpg. My average is under 30mpg and with T5 I’d be 27mpg (it was around 30 on xc60 I had on loan).

Even if there was 10mpg difference in best case forvdiesel say 30 vs 40 on rural+motorway with decent length commutes with say 1000 miles per month. That’s 8 gallons of fuel saving 50quid a month. Depreciation on xc90 is 700 on average per month. So choosing the engine on the basis of max achievable economy saving makes no sense to me when you are spending 10 times as much on the car already.
The noise comfort difference between t5 and D5 is huge. The marginal improvement between model years still leaves it far behind acceptably quiet diesels like VW. T5 is practically silent and no vibration. Power delivery in T5 is also much more linear and over longer band. Also D5 takes forever to produce warm air in winter without aux heater. T5 is 2-3min.
Only a big mileage people and those towing should really be considering D5 in my view and even then the comfort argument may outweigh the disadvantages. But dealers certainly push diesels hard. Volvo would not be able to satisfy the demand if their marketing was inline with their roadmap which is petrol electric hybrid, then electric. Watch them completely change their story when they are ready the phase out diesel.

I agree with Deman77

And there are other factors:-

Pump Price difference that may grow, ad blue another forgotten cost although may be small.
Surcharging for Diesel's driving into Cities over the coming years.
Price depreciation may grow wider, certainly will not get closer.
Servicing costs later on down the line.
Another stat though not to sure on it, but was posted by Car Mechanics Trade, Diesel's are 30% more likely to break down.

I find it hypercritical that Manufacturer's are pushing Diesel's so hard offering huge discounts just to shift what they know is a doomed and to be banned engine, wether if it is right or wrong.

It is a tough choice for sure, but many do not look at the long term picture, 3 years in todays car market is a very long time.

To the OP the engine does loosen up after a few 1000's miles, will help fuel consumption a little, and look at polestar maybe that will increase it and give other benefits.

All very valid points, there are numerous factors to consider. For me I am on a Pch for three years and the difference in price was extra £10/ m so over three years £360 extra to drive a D5. Without taking into account residual values, road tax etc or any long term ownership factors as essentially I am only renting the car I have to look at 8 k miles a year mostly city hops. Would I be at a significant disadvantage by having an Mpg of near 20 rather then near 30. It's interesting to hear Denman77 that you are getting below 30 mpg on a D5. If my t5 mpg gets better over time there might not be a big difference. At the moment on journey of 3-5 miles I am getting mid 22-25 mpg but on short hops it's below 15 mpg.
I have only had it for 600 miles so I am getting to feel my way around all the aspects. One thing for certain is I love the acceleration and how smooth the engine is.

I have had the new 1 for 2 weeks and it is better than the old 1 in that it is quieter and rides smoother on the 20" wheels than the 19" ones I had on the Momentum D5. If it is quiet now after a few hundred miles I can only see it getting better as the mileage climbs. I only do about 7000 miles per year so I am in no rush. I am very pleased with this new one.