VEA D4 XC60 R-design Lux - 3 week owner's review

[Arianne]

Hello fellow forum members......

It's been three weeks since we collected our new car and this is a short update:

She's absolutely brilliant

• no rattles;
• fantastic sound system (bought a £65 second-hand 30Gb iPod on eBay which lives in the centre console storage box with 1576 music files);
• 20" Ixion alloys are so, so easy to clean and they've just been sealed this weekend with Autoglym wheel sealant which has made them look even better;
• she drives smoothly when you want her to or like a missile when you are in a hurry;
• corners wonderfully, just throw her into a bend and .....voila;
• found LoveTyres.com with plenty of 255/45 R20 winter tyres at more reasonable prices (that's the premium brands) so will get a set in the summer when they might yet be on sale;
• the recent thread about 'things you may not know about your XC60' has been brilliant at helping me get the best from the technology;
• people stop and stare at this car - really they do. And that makes me smile even more;
• I forgot to mention that the dealer, TMS Volvo in Coventry, who were part of Drive the Deal's supplier, also included the 'bouquet of flowers' for Mrs A when we collected the car - so much for my local dealer telling us that the DtD supplier would be a RyanAir experience, far from it;
• the Volvo service pack vouchers were emailed through to me within three days of the car being purchased;
• this car has no 'black plastic / rubber' mouldings unlike my previous XC90. And so I don't need to spend ages applying bumper & trim gel on my hands & knees when she is being finished after a wash;
• trip computer says we're averaging 39.8mpg and that's with just 850 miles on the clock and we're still having fun with the throttle.

Slight issues, and they really are slight:

• that clutch pedal does feel like it sits just a bit too high, so the local dealer will be adjusting that in a month or so, and
• the driver's rubber winter mat (yes, I know this is really tiny).....the design means that it has a little area where it is a 'bubble' lift just under my heel for the clutch pedal and that's an irritant. So I've put the carpet mat over it at the moment until I can be bothered to sort it out.

Still waiting for a good day for a full detail treatment. For the moment the snowfoam pre-wash (Avalanche), Poorboys shampoo, lambswool mit and some quick Meguiar's spray wax has done the trick of making her look great.

This new XC60 is light years ahead of our XC90 in every way. Well worth the money - well done Volvo!


Arianne

[Crockers]

So I'm gathering you're pleased??

[Arianne]

Originally Posted by Crockers

So I'm gathering you're pleased??

Crockers, I know this next bit is probably really, really sad but........

If being 'pleased' means......did I just take my zapper, turn on the approach lights and enjoy staring at her on our drive for 90secs then......yep, I'm pleased!

Well worth the wait, even if it was an excrutiating four months.

Best wishes, Arianne

[watchboy]

Originally Posted by Arianne

Crockers, I know this next bit is probably really, really sad but........

If being 'pleased' means......did I just take my zapper, turn on the approach lights and enjoy staring at her on our drive for 90secs then......yep, I'm pleased!

Well worth the wait, even if it was an excrutiating four months.

Best wishes, Arianne

Ha, ha - I can't repeat what my wife said as she returned from a flyer around morrisons for a bag of bits and bobs.... I too was staring adoringly at my XC60 :-)

I just laughed, she grunted and agreed that she would never 'get it'!

Sounds like you are really enjoying it Arianne.... For gods sake get on and give it a proper clean will you!! The wait is killing me.

Paul

[Arianne]

Originally Posted by watchboy

For gods sake get on and give it a proper clean will you!! The wait is killing me.

Paul

Ok Paul, leave it with me - will try and get some hi-res 'magazine' shoot pics over the next week.

Arianne.

[XCeed]

Originally Posted by Arianne

I know this next bit is probably really, really sad but........

... I just take my zapper, turn on the approach lights and enjoy staring at her on our drive

Originally Posted by watchboy

... I too was staring adoringly at my XC60 :-)

OMG guys - I do believe they are in love!???

[wimorrison]

Might be worth looking for some 17" or 18" rims for the winter tyres as 20" are going to be in all the salt and grit which will punish them severely

The advantage to separate rims is also less damage changing the tyres and rebalancing twice a year - plus you can change when you want to rather than when tyre fitted says you can

[watchboy]

Originally Posted by XCeed

OMG guys - I do believe they are in love!???

I tell you what, I don't know about love.

More like the Silence of the Lambs scene where he winches down the moisturiser to the girl at the bottom of the well...... my wife was saying how sad it is to see a grown man applying multiple layers of wax and repeatedly making mention when it rains of "see how she beads!!" along with, "must give her a wash at the weekend" which always gets the desired response (you love that car more than me).

Of course my wife is correct on the latter but not on the former..... honest!!

Paul

p.s. did I mention I was almost convulsing seeing what Inego did to his XC60 at the weekend. The state of it!! Covered in Australian red dust and sand, I can see I will have to go and medicate now, again, just at the thought of such debris being left on his car ;-)

[spaceman2844]

Originally Posted by Arianne

Hello fellow forum members......

It's been three weeks since we collected our new car and this is a short update:

She's absolutely brilliant

she drives smoothly when you want her to or like a missile when you are in a hurry;

trip computer says we're averaging 39.8mpg and that's with just 850 miles on the clock and we're still having fun with the throttle.

This new XC60 is light years ahead of our XC90 in every way. Well worth the money - well done Volvo!

Arianne

Nice update, certainly sounds like you're happy with it! Really pleased with the XC60 as well - like you I previously had an XC90, and things have really moved on with the new engine and equipment in the XC60. In some ways the car does feel similar to the XC90 with that Volvo build quality and solidity, but it's a much more lively and refined drive. Performance is great and I'm averaging about 38-39mpg with the geartronic box in fairly heavy commuting traffic so pleased with that too.

[Tiff]

Let us know how you get on with the clutch pedal adjustment- my V40 R-Design is the same, asked about it at the dealers at the 3 month check, and was told it's normal and non adjustable. All the cars in the showroom were the same. Used to it now, but find it odd.