The Drive Home
After nearly two months to the day of waiting—and about 10 days ahead of original schedule—my new 2019 XC90 T6 Inscription was ready for pickup at my local dealer.
Upon arrival, I signed a few pieces of paper, after which my salesman, Bob, spent an hour going over the vehicle’s electronics, safety features and infotainment system. Even at that, I had to cut him about an hour short due to other commitments I had that afternoon. We agreed that I’d come back in a few weeks to figure out anything that was still eluding me.
In the meantime, it was off and away. My initial impressions on the approximately 12-mile ride home:
What a difference four years makes. When the second-generation XC90 hit dealer showrooms for the 2016 model year, I took one of the first examples for a test drive. I was both thrilled and disappointed. The car (sorry, I call this SUV a car) was gorgeous inside and out, but I thought the ride was overly brittle and the powertrain unrefined. I can’t remember if I was driving a T5 or T6, a Momentum or an Inscription, standard or air suspension. All I recall is that it seemed to jounce over every bump and crack in the road, that acceleration was strong but erratic, and that the stop/start feature was mildly intrusive. With my 2019, outfitted with 20” wheels and air suspension, none of that was true. The ride is superb. The stop/start feature is noticeable only for the surprising quiet that greets you when the engine shuts off. This was also the case in a recent T5 Momentum XC90 loaner that I drove, although the same feature in a T5 S90 wasn’t quite as smooth. Meanwhile, transmission shifts are virtually unnoticeable. The engine may not be quite as silky as the six-cylinder in Patti’s 2008 S80, but it’s very good. I say all this even in direct comparison to the 2003 GMC Yukon XL Denali I floated around in for the past 16 years—a stunningly comfortable ride with an impressive 320 hp V8 engine.
Comfortable seating position—and space—for the driver. I also was happy to be reminded that the driver’s seating position is very comfortable, not just because of the typically great Volvo seats but because the leg room is pleasantly wide. Not long, wide. Nobody measures this, but after nearly two decades in the Denali, I’m used to being able to, well, spread out while driving. This isn’t possible in a lot of smaller vehicles. In particular, I drove a Mazda CX9 that was simply delightful in every respect but one—it squeezed my legs together as if I were driving a toy car at an amusement park.
Leather, leather, leather. The car doesn’t just have that unmistakable new car smell, it has the rich aroma of nappa leather. Impressive.
Kick to open. Really. The mechanism that lets you open the rear cargo door by kicking your foot under the rear bumper actually works—reliably. That wasn’t true on a lot of the other vehicles I test drove before ordering this one.
Handy speed reminder. Bob showed me that you can set the digital display to let you know if you’ve exceeded the speed limit by whatever amount (I believe in 5 mph increments) you set. I like that. It also gives you the option for an audible warning, but thus far, I’ve decided not to active that feature.
No significant lag for Sensus startup. I’ve read complaints about the Sensus infotainment system taking a long time to warm up, such that you might have to sit and wait to use the backup camera. Maybe it’s because my car’s in the garage, where it’s reasonably warm, but the last time I got in the vehicle I sat down, shut the door, snapped on my seatbelt, put the car into reverse, and saw the backup camera image appear immediately on the infotainment screen in the center dash. We’ll monitor this going forward, but so far, so good.
As usual, Bob made the delivery experience a pleasure. Along with the new car, he gave me a custom-designed Wilbur milk chocolate bar (Wilbur is a fantastic chocolatier in Lititz, Pennsylvania; if you ever get a chance, try the dark chocolate Wilbur buds), a nicely insulated travel mug for beverages, and a bouquet of roses for my wife. He’s a smooth operator.