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Air Suspension

6K views 48 replies 24 participants last post by  bluestreak614 
#1 ·
I’m looking to buy a 2020 XC60 T8 for my wife.

Is it worth purchasing the air suspension?


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#6 ·
my 2 cents..I have a 2019 XC 60 T8 Inscription with no Air suspension and no B&W stereo.....I was given a 2019 T8 that had Air suspension and B&W stereo for a week. I told the sales manager,your just trying to make me regret not going with those 2 options,lol (They were fixing a small scratch) Air suspension was a tad bit nicer, but not something I have missed. And the stereo,sure it was a tad bit better, but the stereo in the Inscription is not the base model stereo. So for me, I am very happy I do not have air suspension and the B&W radio....$$ in my pocket. Just something you have to test drive. Another consideration in why I didnt want the air suspension...$$$$ to fix and I plan to keep this car for quite some time, so would prob be a negative when I went to sell it. Thats my 2 cents,lol
 
#7 ·
I didn't get it, mostly because I didn't want the B & W stereo. I had trouble finding one with air suspension and NO B & W (which is great, but not something I need or would want).

I personally think the XC60 has a very stiff suspension. When I test drove the air suspension, it seemed way smoother.

I will likely lease another XC60 (I LOVE mine) when this lease is up. I expect I'll special order just to get the air suspension.
 
#17 ·
I didn't get it, mostly because I didn't want the B & W stereo. I had trouble finding one with air suspension and NO B & W (which is great, but not something I need or would want).

I personally think the XC60 has a very stiff suspension. When I test drove the air suspension, it seemed way smoother.

I will likely lease another XC60 (I LOVE mine) when this lease is up. I expect I'll special order just to get the air suspension.
I only test driven non-air XC60 briefly, but it was OK. If you want to experience a really stiff suspension, take Audi Q5 for a test drive - you will feel each tiny bump on the road. Air suspension in XC60 is excellent and is well worth the cost.
 
#8 ·
I have it and had a loaner once without it and it was quite noticeable to me. if you do a comparison test drive make sure it's not only on good smooth roads.
Love the ability to raise and lower vehicle also.
 
#10 ·
Love the ability to raise and lower vehicle also.
Hello there!

To be clear, are you referring to the buttons in the trunk that allow you to raise and lower the car for loading/unloading (and allegedly for helping with connecting the tow hitch)? As far as I'm aware, the only other way you can control the height of the car is if you set it in off-road mode (in which case suspension goes all up).

Unless I'm mistaken?

Geoff
 
#14 ·
I'm looking to buy a 2020 XC60 T8 for my wife.

Is it worth purchasing the air suspension?

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I was fortunate enough to have an opportunity to drive about every permutation of the features I cared about prior to buying.

I found the air suspension to make a significant difference on the roads I took them over, and I'm very pleased I got it. I'd strongly recommend at least trying it out before you buy.

We passed on the B&W only because I wasn't hearing that much difference in the music I was listening to from the sources I was testing. Now that "HD streaming" is becoming a reality from multiple sources that may be a different story.
 
#15 ·
I found the air suspension to make a significant difference on the roads I took them over, and I'm very pleased I got it. I'd strongly recommend at least trying it out before you buy.
I love the suspension for everything else and I would definitely recommend it to despite the sales guy saying it wasn't worth it. It was one of the main reasons for swapping from an Inscription to an Inscription Pro (plus the other toys)
 
#18 ·
One thing to also keep in mind (sorry if it's too obvious!): I would think air suspension with the 19" rims would offer a softer ride than when it's paired with 22", so that's yet another data point to look at when testing out cars. Our XC60 actually being my wife's car, I knew she'd prefer the plushest ride, so I went with air suspension and 19" rims.

Geoff
 
#19 ·
You are correct that the 19 inch tires will offer a softer ride.

All, glad to hear everyone's opinions. Plan to do some test driving this weekend with my wife. She also wants to test drive a Lexus. I hope she picks the XC60 so we can have 2 Volvos in the garage.

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#20 ·
I have to say that I hate the RX and the NX both. Can't see out of them at all (horrendous visibility), no cargo capacity, dull handling, hideous styling, lousy infotainment.

Volvo isn't everybody's cup of tea and there are certainly vehicles in the class that night be better buys. Lexus is just a badge though.

Heck, I think the Toyota Highlander is a better overall vehicle then it's Lexus sibling.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Depends on your use case

If the planned use case is to just cruise at low speed, and perhaps do a little bit of rutted dirt roads, then perhaps it's worth it.
If the roads in your area are good, the R-design suspension offers just as supple of a ride & better body control at speed.

As for B&O, I went for the Harman-Kardon system + Acoustic Laminated Glass for 1/3 the price. At speed, it is *better* than the B&O and normal glass. (of course, B&O and acoustic glass is the best)

That said, B&O can only be perceived better than HK at stand still. Once you move, the wind & road noise overshadow any nuances in audio performance anyway, so might as well get a more peaceful interior experience and not waste your money for the 5% of the time you're at standstill....
 
#23 ·
air suspension is great. i had one for my Audi A8L but ended up selling that car after twin turbo blew out and air suspension started leaking at the tune of ($16,000 for turbo replacement + $11,000 for air suspension replacement) just sell the air suspension car for before the warranty ends.
 
#24 · (Edited)
I have a 2019 XC60 T6 Inscription and have always wondered about what the air suspension is like. I like the road feel of what I have now. Our Lexus GS350 F-Sport is too cushy and not really my type of car in terms of road feel. My wife drives that though and misses her 2006 TSX in terms of road feel. I love good audio quality and really appreciate good sound systems. I didn't even embrace MP3s when they became so popular because the sound was horrible and I waited until AAC was released to put things in perspective. That being said, the sound system in the Inscription is great. The B&W is nice, BUT being that one of the significant reasons I got a Volvo was due to aesthetics and Scandinavian design inside and out, that center speaker on the dash is a no go for me. I can't stand that design choice. If I could afford it, I would max out a T6 or T8 in options and not get the B&W because of that one bloody speaker on the dash...only because the Inscription sound system is still very good. Admittedly if it was crap, then I may reconsider the B&W system.

To each their own. Some may think this is blasphemous to not get B&W because of the design choice of putting that speaker up there, but hey...you have to know where your values and compromises are situated.
 
#25 ·
I have a 2019 XC60 T6 Inscription and have always wondered about what the air suspension is like. I like the road feel of what I have now. Our Lexus GS350 F-Sport is too cushy and not really my type of car in terms of road feel. My wife drives that though and misses her 2006 TSX in terms of road feel. I love good audio quality and really appreciate good sound systems. I didn't even embrace MP3s when they became so popular because the sound was horrible and I waited until AAC was released to put things in perspective. That being said, the sound system in the Inscription is great. The B&W is nice, BUT being that one of the significant reasons I got a Volvo was due to aesthetics and Scandinavian design inside and out, that center speaker on the dash of the B&W is a no go for me. I can't stand that design choice. If I could afford it, I would max out a T6 or T8 in options and not get the B&W because of that one bloody speaker on the dash...only because the Inscription sound system is still very good. Admittedly if it was crap, then I may reconsider the B&W system.

To each their own. Some may think this is blasphemous to not get B&W because of the design choice of putting that speaker up there, but hey...you have to know where your values and compromises are situated.
Coming from a 1st gen 2010 XC60, I would be really bored without the B&W center speaker. I'm just very used to something being there.
 
#29 ·
We have a maxed out T6 Inscription w/B&W and no air suspension. Couldn't tell much difference on the test drive. Came out of a Mercedes GLC43AMG w/air suspension that was a total waste of money.
Very happy with the smooth, quiet ride. I think the biggest problem today with ride quality complaints is the big wheels with tiny side wall tires. And don't even get me started on "run flats". Ride like rocks.
 
#30 ·
YOu really think the XC60 has a "smooth quiet ride"? I have the 20" tires, which is part of the problem, but I think the XC60 ride is stiff bordering on harsh. I'm not somebody who cares a lot about ride quality, so the bumpy ride has not influenced by enjoyment of the car (still love it). However, none of the current Volvos has particularly good ride comfort.
 
#31 ·
Regarding the Volvo air suspension, how is it on cornering? Does it stiffen up the outside corners to reduce/control body lean?
 
#34 ·
The XC60 ride is filled with sharp bumps and it's quite busy.

Certainly one of the worst rides in any vehicle I've owned. It may be smoother than Land Rover or some other Volvos but it's still pretty harsh.

Los Angeles does have crappy roads (which influenced my opinion) but the XC60 ride comfort is poor, and in fact, Volvo ride comfort in general is not competitive with BMW, M-B, and Audi.

If ride comfort is a major issue, either look elsewhere or seriously consider the air suspension, imo.
 
#35 ·
I have the 2O" too. I think the ride is stiff and busy. The XC60 ride is filled with sharp bumps and it's quite busy.

Certainly one of the worst rides in any vehicle I've owned.

Los Angeles does have crappy roads (which influenced my opinion) but the XC60 ride comfort is poor, and in fact, Volvo ride comfort in general is not competitive with BMW, M-B, and Audi.

If ride comfort is a major issue, either look elsewhere or seriously consider the air suspension, imo.
Again, your opinion.
I drove Q5 on Florida roads (night and day vs. NJ roads) and I felt that it was not very comfortable, for example.
For me, XC60 is too plush. XC90 feels numb to the road conditions, for example, even with 20" wheels.
Opinions are like...&^(#$holes, you know.
 
#36 · (Edited)
Yeah, it's my opinion. Where did I say otherwise? You might notice that the second sentence in my post starts with I THINK and the third sentence of my post includes the phrase MY OPINION. Did I claim to be presenting objective fact? No trying to provoke, but those are pretty silly pointless comments.

That said, it's an opinion shared by Edmunds, Consumer Reports, Motor Trend, Car and Driver. Almost every review of the Volvo dings it on the ride quality.

Again, no offense, because I know you are a nice guy and informed and it is your opinion - but you seriously want to argue that the XC60's ride is PLUSH? Are we even driving the same vehicle?

I had an XC90 last week as a loaner - ride quality was even worse. The XC60 is a bit harsh but quite livable and I can't say that the ride quality detracts from the ownership experience too much. The XC90, on the other hand, rides worse than the RAV4 I had as a rental a few weeks back. It had a lot of upsides too (like the Volvo gorgeous interior) but the ride was definitely not my cup of tea.
 
#37 · (Edited)
Yeah, it's my opinion. Where did I say otherwise?
You didn't. I was just pointing out that two people driving the same car can have diametrically opposed views is all.

That said, it's an opinion shared by Edmunds, Consumer Reports, Motor Trend, Car and Driver. Almost every review of the Volvo dings it on the ride quality.
I haven't read many of those, just some. But what I got out of their reviews (mostly) was that XC60 doesn't handle well, not that the ride is harsh. Again - my subjective understanding.

Again, no offense, because I know you are a nice guy and informed and it is your opinion - but you seriously want to argue that the XC60's ride is PLUSH? Are we even driving the same vehicle?
That's how I feel. Can't help it. I also drove all sorts of other 2018-2020 XC60s, XC90s, 2019-2020 S60s, and 2019-2020 XC40.
XC40 was the only one (20" wheels) where I felt the ride was harsh.

I had an XC90 last week as a loaner - ride quality was even worse. The XC60 is a bit harsh but quite livable and I can't say that the ride quality detracts from the ownership experience too much. The XC90, on the other hand, rides worse than the RAV4 I had as a rental a few weeks back. It had a lot of upsides too (like the Volvo gorgeous interior) but the ride was definitely not my cup of tea.
I've had an XC90 loaner for about 4 weeks once. 20" wheels. I felt that it handled the road quality a lot better than my XC60.

===

TL;DR I think our differences might be attributed by what we are used to. I haven't driven the latest BMWs or MBs, so I can't judge, for example.
So again, to me, Volvo rides very well.
That's why people should take extended test drives to judge for themselves.
 
#43 ·
I push my XC60 fairly hard when cornering and the body lean is far less than my last XC60. Air suspension + 21” wheels has really nice handling and maneuvering.
 
#44 ·
Wow this thread has really exploded. Thanks to all who responded!!

This weekend my wife and I test drove a Honda CRV Touring, Volvo XC60 T8 and. Lexus RX-450h. My wife picked Volvo first.

The XC60 did not have air suspension and I was still pretty impressed. The dealer did not have a unit to test drive with air suspension. Hope to test drive one soon.

Below is my scoring of the 3 vehicles. 1 to 5 ranking with 1 being low and 5 being the highest.

Volvo:
Technology 5
Handling 4
Quietness 4
Seating Comfort 5
Acceleration 5
Styling 5

Lexus:
Technology 4
Handling 4
Quietness 4
Seating Comfort 3
Acceleration 3
Styling 3

Honda:
Technology 3
Handling 3
Quietness 3
Seating Comfort 4
Acceleration 4
Styling 3

The headrest in the Lexus was very uncomfortable and seemed to protrude forward. My wife is short and it was very uncomfortable.

Lexus has improved their tech in the 2020’s, but still seems antiquated. The Lexus rep was so excited to show us the panorama view of the car. Lexus has this crazy small spinning action. I did not have the heart to tell him I was NOT impressed.

As we all know Volvo will be the most expensive and Honda the least. The Volvo sales rep seemed to also be the most knowledgeable with Honda being the least.

Overall, my wife enjoyed driving the Volvo. I see an XC60 in our future that will be joining my S90 T8 in the garage.




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