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2019 Volvo XC60 Review

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The 2019 Volvo XC60 is one of the best compact luxury SUVs that you can buy. It has everything I love about the XC90 and a little more room than the XC40, which makes it a perfect fit for many drivers and small families.

Is the 2019 Volvo XC60 a Good Compact Luxury SUV?

Before you pull into the BMW or Audi dealer to pick up the latest BMW X3 or Audi Q5, you need to take a look at the Volvo XC60. It’s packed with safety features, an excellent semi-autonomous driving option and a great sound system. Combine that with a perfectly understated exterior style and incredible interior and there are a lot of reasons to check out the XC60 if you are in the market for a compact luxury SUV.

The 2019 Volvo XC60 is a good compact SUV.

The 2019 Volvo XC60 is a good luxury compact SUV.

The XC60 is fun to drive and when on the highway it is pleasant to pilot with the semi-autonomous mode engaged. The seats are comfortable and roomy enough for adult passengers in the back, plus you get a good amount of cargo room in the back. The interior is plush with a great look and feel and there are a lot of options — but they can push the price up significantly.

Volvo offers the XC60 in Momentum, R-Design and Inscription trims, starting at $39,800. Once you choose a trim, you can opt for various levels including T5, T6 or T8. I tested the 2019 Volvo XC60 T6 Inscription in AWD with the Nappa Leather Massage Package, Advanced Package, Heated Rear Seats & Steering Wheel, Bowers & Wilkins Premium Sound Metallic Paint and 4 corner air suspension that bumps the price up to $64,340.

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2019 Volvo XC60 Safety and Tech Are Center Stage

The Volvo brand is all about safety with a heritage in innovative safety features and that carries through to the latest models. One of the biggest features is automatic braking that will stop the XC60 to avoid an accident. I experienced this first hand in another Volvo when someone cut across my lane of traffic and it saved us from an accident. In addition to detecting cars, the XC60 can detect bikers, pedestrians and even large animals.

Alongside the collision avoidance tech, Volvo also includes Lane Keeping Aid and Oncoming Lane Mitigation as well as Run-of Road protection and Run-off Road mitigation. These features help keep you in your lane and from going out of your lane off the edge of the road. These are standard features, which you can add onto with various trim levels. The Inscription trim adds in blind spot monitoring, parking assist with front and rear parking options. The parking assist is easy to use and works with parallel parking and parking spots in parking lots. It’s an incredible feature if you park on the street often as it lets you park in spots that are smaller than most drivers are willing to try themselves.

With the Advanced Package that adds Pilot Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, a 360 degree camera system, head up display, Full LED headlights with active bend technology and a headlight cleaning system. This is $2,500 on the T6 Inscription and worth every penny. If you buy a Volvo XC60 and you drive any distance or in traffic, you need to add this package to get semi-autonomous driving. This makes highway driving and commuting much more enjoyable by keeping you in your lane and in the flow of traffic.

The Sensus system is good and supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The Sensus system is good and supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

From a technology standpoint the XC60 includes Android Auto and Apple CarPlay standard with an 8-inch touchscreen. If you want CarPlay on the BMW X5 you’ll need to spend an extra $300. On higher trim levels like the Inscription this is a 9-inch touch screen. While most cars use a landscape screen that is wider, Volvo uses a portrait mode so you can use CarPlay or Android Auto while still accessing other car features easily. The Sensus infotainment system is easy to use and navigate with swipes to secondary pages of information.

The Bowers & Wilkins Premium sound system is another must have upgrade. This $3,200 package brings one of the best in-car sound systems into the XC60, turning the compact luxury SUV into your fortress of solitude from the world. No matter what you listen to, this system sounds incredible and I found myself driving the 2019 XC60 just to listen to music.

Definitely go with the Bowers & Wilkins Premium sound upgrade.

Definitely go with the Bowers & Wilkins Premium sound upgrade.

How Does the 2019 Volvo XC60 Drive?

The XC60 is fun to drive thanks in part to the Super & Turbo Charged engine that delivers 316 horsepower. There is an option to get up to 400 horsepower with the T8 hybrid, but you spend nearly $8,000 for the added power and only get a 17 mile all-electric range and slightly better fuel economy. That money is better spent on the Advanced Package and Bowers & Wilkins upgrades.

In the driver seat you get quick acceleration and the handling is spot on with an engaging driving experience when you want it. The variety of drive modes even change the ride height with the optional 4 corner air suspension. The AWD helps you quickly get into traffic and is a very nice feature during the nasty Ohio winter.

The 2019 XC60 handles well and I appreciated the AWD system during the winter weather.

The 2019 XC60 handles well and I appreciated the AWD system during the winter weather.

I thoroughly enjoy the driving experience of the XC60 because it can deliver that fun driving experience when I am looking for it, but also be composed and semi autonomous when hauling my in-laws to dinner.

The T6 Inscription AWD I tested is rated for 22 mpg combines with 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway. That’s in line with what I experienced while testing and good for the class.

Oh My That Interior

The XC60 interior is impressive.

The XC60 interior is impressive.

The 2019 XC90 interior is spacious, comfortable and it looks amazing. The T6 Inscription I tested came with a driftwood interior with great looking wood accents that also felt incredibly nice. The Nappa Leather Package looks and feels nice, but it really shines when you turn on the massaging seat backs. Between that and the premium sound you may want to enjoy the interior for a few extra minutes when you get to work.

In the backseat there is a good amount of room for passengers, the seats are very comfortable and the same material quality carries through. You can put the headrests down with a touch of a button in the infotainment system and the Inscription trim includes power folding rear seats that you can put down from the back of the SUV.

There is a lot of cargo room in the back of the XC60, more than the Acura RDX, Audi Q5 and BMW X3. This completes the overall package, allowing you to haul a decent amount of stuff along with your passengers.

Looking for something smaller? Check out the 2019 Volvo XC40.

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