2019 Volvo XC60 Review

The 2019 Volvo XC60 is one of the best compact luxury SUVs you can buy. It has everything I love about the XC90 and a little more space than the XC40, making it perfect for large numbers of riders and small families.

Is the 2019 Volvo XC60 a good compact luxury SUV?

Before you stop at the BMW or Audi dealership to pick up the latest BMW X3 or Audi Q5, you need to check out the Volvo XC60. It's packed with safety features, an excellent semi-autonomous driving option, and a great sound system. Combine that with perfectly understated exterior styling and an incredible interior, and there's plenty of reason to check out the XC60 if you're looking for a compact luxury SUV on the market.

The 2019 Volvo XC60 is a good luxury compact SUV.

The XC60 is fun to drive and on the highway it's comfortable to drive in semi-autonomous mode. The seats are comfortable and roomy enough for adult rear passengers, plus you get a good amount of cargo space in the back. The interior is plush with a great look and feel and there are plenty of options - but they can add significantly to the price.

Volvo offers the XC60 in Momentum, R-Design and Inscription trims starting at $39,800. Once you've decided on a loadout, you can opt for different tiers including T5, T6 or T8. I tested the 2019 Volvo XC60 T6 Inscription in AWD with Nappa leather massage package, Advanced package, heated rear seats and steering wheel, Bowers & Wilkins Premium Sound metallic paint and 4-corner air suspension, which brings the price to $64,340.

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2019 Volvo XC60 Safety and technology take center stage

The Volvo brand is all about safety with a legacy of innovative safety features that continues into the latest models. One of the biggest features is automatic braking, which stops the XC60 to avoid a crash. I saw this first hand in another Volvo when someone crossed my lane and it saved us from an accident. In addition to detecting cars, the XC60 can detect cyclists, pedestrians and even large animals.

In addition to collision avoidance technology, Volvo also includes Lane Keeping Assist and Oncoming Lane Mitigation, as well as Run-of-Road Protection and Run-off Road Mitigation. These features help you stay in your lane and stay in lane on the side of the road. These are standard features that you can add with different trim levels. Inscription trim adds blind spot monitoring and park assist with front and rear parking options. The parking assistant is easy to use and works when parallel parking and parking spaces in parking lots. It's an incredible feature if you park often on the street, as it lets you park in spots smaller than most drivers are willing to try themselves.

With the Advanced package, which includes 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. That costs $2,500 on the T6 Inscription and is worth every penny. If you buy a Volvo XC60 and drive any route or in traffic, you need to add this pack 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.

From a technological point of view, the XC60 includes Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard, with an 8-inch touchscreen. If you want CarPlay on BMW X5, you need to spend an extra $300. On higher trim levels like the Inscription, that's a 9-inch touchscreen. While most cars use a wider landscape screen, Volvo uses a portrait mode so you can use CarPlay or Android Auto and still easily access other vehicle features. The Sensus infotainment system is easy to use, swiping to navigate to secondary information pages.

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

Be sure to opt for the Bowers & Wilkins premium sound upgrade.

How does the 2019 Volvo XC60 drive?

The Volvo XC60 is fun to drive, thanks in part to the supercharged and turbocharged engine that delivers 316 hp. There's a chance to get up to 400 horsepower with the T8 hybrid, but you're paying nearly $8,000 for the extra power and you're only getting 17 miles of all-electric range and slightly better fuel economy. That money is better spent on the Advanced Package and Bowers & Wilkins upgrades.

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

The 2019 XC60 drives well and I really appreciated the AWD system in winter weather.

I really enjoy the driving experience of the XC60 because it can offer that fun driving experience when I'm looking for it, but also be composed and semi-autonomous when I'm lugging 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. This is consistent with what I experienced in testing and is good for the class.

Oh my this interior

The interior of the XC60 is impressive.

The interior of the 2019 XC90 is spacious, comfortable and looks fantastic. The T6 Inscription I tested featured a driftwood interior with great looking wood accents that also felt incredibly good. The Nappa leather package looks and feels good, but it really shines when you turn on the massage seatbacks. Between that and the premium sound, you might want a few more minutes to enjoy the interior when you get to work.

There is a lot of space for passengers in the back seat, the seats are very comfortable, and the same quality of materials prevails. You can fold down the headrests with the push of a button on the infotainment system, and Inscription trim includes power-folding rear seats that you fold down from the back of the SUV.

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

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

By: 2019 Volvo XC60 Review