Decisions decisions - XC60?

[anotherv60]

Hello All,

I've resolved that I will change my V60 in the next few months and I've had some fun with the configurators and test driving the new XC60, V90CC and S90. All of which are great cars and the reason I'm having a hard time choosing.

I have discounted the S90 - although a great car it was just a little too low to the ground for my tastes even though the PCH deals were so tempting...

I was leaning towards the V90CC but having seen the new XC60 T5 momentum deals that launched this week they seem too good to miss, the problem I have is that I want all the toys but my Yorkshire blood is at odds with parting with more cash than I have too.

It sucks that the pilot assist is a £1500 option on the XC60!

I'd like your thoughts on the following options - how often do you use them / are they worth it - would you purchase again (feel free to suggest other options)

12.3" TFT display
Blis
surround view camera or front park assist
winter pack
Intelisafe pack (I know this includes Blis, but an extra £1000 for adaptive cruise?)

Cheers

[nu11eaf]

Originally Posted by anotherv60

Hello All,

I've resolved that I will change my V60 in the next few months and I've had some fun with the configurators and test driving the new XC60, V90CC and S90. All of which are great cars and the reason I'm having a hard time choosing.

I have discounted the S90 - although a great car it was just a little too low to the ground for my tastes even though the PCH deals were so tempting...

I was leaning towards the V90CC but having seen the new XC60 T5 momentum deals that launched this week they seem too good to miss, the problem I have is that I want all the toys but my Yorkshire blood is at odds with parting with more cash than I have too.

It sucks that the pilot assist is a £1500 option on the XC60!

I'd like your thoughts on the following options - how often do you use them / are they worth it - would you purchase again (feel free to suggest other options)

12.3" TFT display
Blis
surround view camera or front park assist
winter pack
Intelisafe pack (I know this includes Blis, but an extra £1000 for adaptive cruise?)

Cheers

I would not pay for Blis unless it is part of a package, I have it and do not rely on it or even think it of much benefit as I and I am sure the vast majority use their years of driving experience instead.
12" display yes, PA 2 is nice if you do a lot of motorway or major road driving but £1500 is a lot if you dont, winter pack yes, 360° camera yes. Adaptive cruise yes, heated steering wheel yes (in place of Blis). Heated screen yes if left parked outside overnight.
If you use remote start in the morning, you can set it so front and rear screen heaters and mirror heaters, heated seats and steering wheel all come on, it great to have a warm seat and steering wheel and main windows ice free when you get in.

[Mrjon]

I’d say the 12.3” drivers screen and the 360 degree camera are both good options.
The winter pack is paying dividends in the current cold weather as welll. One thing I didn’t think of though, I didn’t go with the HUD as I wanted to have the heated front screen so I wouldn’t waste time scraping the window in a morning.However I start my car 10 minutes before I leave using the VOC app and I find the normal car heating clears the frost from the screen by the time I get to the car, so could have gone with the HUD after all.
I’ve owned the previous generation XC60 but have only sat in the new version.There are a few little things that make the 90 series feel a little more top of the range, one being as you mentioned the pilot assist as standard on the 90s.
I loved my previous gen XC60, but the V90CC is without doubt even better. I also like the fact that in the 5 months I’ve been driving it I’ve only ever seen one other on the road.

[adambsmith]

The heated steering wheel is brilliant on cold mornings. One of the best options IMO! Can’t remember if it was standard or not on my Momentum.

[Jcbrown]

Originally Posted by anotherv60

I'd like your thoughts on the following options - how often do you use them / are they worth it - would you purchase again (feel free to suggest other options)

12.3" TFT display
Blis
surround view camera or front park assist
winter pack
Intelisafe pack (I know this includes Blis, but an extra £1000 for adaptive cruise?)

Of the ones you list:
12.3" TFT display - I've not actually been in one with the standard 8" display, so cannot compare. Personally I like the 12.3" display. I find the layout easy. maybe could have more tailoring options, but it would be a gimmick I would play with initially then leave alone. Would spec again if I was ordering anew

Blis - Not 100% convinced about this (see this thread). probably would not spec as a discretise option, but as part of a pack (such as Intllisafe), yes

surround view camera or front park assist - 360 Surround Camera: Use it a lot, miss it when in my wife's car. Would definitely spec if buying anew. Front parking - have had on past 3 cars now (and on wife's), I like it, and would spec again

winter pack - Heated steering wheel, love it, and would spec again. Heated blades/washers - you don't know you have them until you pull up to a services in -3 weather and everyone else is trying to unblock their washers This is the second car I have had, and would spec again. Headlight washers - questionable. Yes it cleans the lights, but drinks washer bottle (even with only doing it every 5 washes) and sprays everyone around you. Saying that, I have had such a system on every car for last 17 years, but it has either been standard or part of another pack. Heated screen is good, but I like HUD so would go for HUD in preference.

Intelisafe pack (I know this includes Blis, but an extra £1000 for adaptive cruise?): PA2 and adaptive cruise I use a lot, and would spec again. CTA I have found useful, and has warned me on a few occasions. Rear collision mitigation - luckily I have not had to test

Of others:
Pro pack is expensive, but includes Adaptive LEDs (outstanding), all of Winter pack, Drivers memory, which is great (essential my wifes says) if multiple people drive the car and VoC.

Xenium is again expensive, but includes Intellisafe and Panoramic roof. Had V90CC with Panoramic and it was nice. Others in this forum appear to like it

Heated rear seats - wife and daughter are fighting in the cold weather who sits in the front. Maybe I should have got heated rear seats

HUD - I do like this, and miss it when in my wifes car.

VoC - if you don't get heated front screen, get VoC, use remote start and/or preconditioning, and the lack of heated front screen is not a problem.

The above are based on my own experience and how I use my car. Other people and your own needs, likes and dislikes will differ of course.

[Chief inspector]

‘Missing’ spec and expensive options are legion on the middle sizes of cars. The 3 and 5 series BM’s are a case in point, if you spec a 3 series up to 5 series standards it ends up at least as expensive, if not more so than a 5 and of course you write down all the residuals.

The V90 Momentum pro I am looking at, despite have freewheeling rears, is a lot better equipped that the equivalent priced XC60.

Though I cant even look at the XC60 just now as due to the auto and 4WD, they’re all over my CO2 limit, so unless there is a manual or FWd coming it will need to be a V90 or a 520 touring.

[themanhimself]

Hello
360 camera excellent dont go without this

winter pack also very good nice heated steering wheel

would not be without adaptive cruise control had it in my last 2 cars excellent the auto pilot is a bit of a gimmick only use it to show someone what the car can do but never in real driving

BLIS i have also had it on my last 3 cars and i do use it and find it works very well as an aid

i had the intelligent lighting system in my last xc60 and did not like the way it was constantly adjusting the headlights so i just have the led headlights with auto dip and much better i think as lights are either on main beam or dip

hope this helps

[XC90Dreamer]

I am a new XC90 owner. My comments below

12.3" TFT display -
Nice big console. Nothing to dislike it.

Blis -
Came mandatory with Xenium. Thought it won't be useful but was amazed when I saw it working. It picks up the car in blindspot really well. If given a choice I will keep it as personally I like it for my big, low visibility car.


surround view camera or front park assist
Absolutely must have for me. My previous car is small city car. The 360 camera never made me feel I am driving a monster car. I am more confident about turning in small spaces. I won't buy another large car without 360 camera.

winter pack
Found it very useful for heated windscreens. They defrost quickly. The heated seats is a more a luxury feature.

Intelisafe pack (I know this includes Blis, but an extra £1000 for adaptive cruise?)
I haven't yet tried adaptive cruise control. It comes as standard on my car

I will put 360 camera as must have.

[themanhimself]

sorry forgot to say 12.3 screen is excellent and a must have

Billy

[Lexman8]

12.3" TFT display

Worth it. The 8" display looks wrong but bizarrely it includes coolant temperature which the bigger screen doesn't.

Blis

Would only get it if it was part of a pack where I wanted the other items. Mine sometimes fails to detect vehicles on the n/s but the dealer insists it's working to spec.

surround view camera or front park assist

I use the 360 camera a lot but front and rear sensors are useful too.

winter pack

Not sure what's included in it now but heated steering wheel is really good, heated washers quite good (but not a patch on Merc's system), headlamp washers are good for draining your washer bottle but not much else, heated windscreen - I've probably used it twice in the last year.

Intelisafe pack

Adaptive Cruise and Pilot Assist work well on motorways and dual-carriageways but pretty useless on lesser roads and around town.

I would also definitely get Volvo On Call if it isn't standard.