Yesterday evening we took delivery of a Volvo XC60 to run alongside our X3. The XC60 will be the OH's car, replacing the Land Rover Discovery which whilst excellent, spend most of its time either at the dealership being fixed or consuming obscene amounts of diesel. It's the new MY14 model Volvo which has the updated front end (DRL's have been moved & the grill widened) and the rear end sees the addition of awesome looking integrated exhausts. Inside sees a revised dash with a fully digital speedo.
The XC60 has the 'D5' engine which is a 2.4 litre Twin Turbo 5 Cylinder 20v common rail diesel engine. It produces 215bhp and 440nm of torque, mated to a 6 speed automatic gearbox. It's a torque convertor box, not double clutch.
It's not as highly specced as the X3, but came in £15,000 cheaper. It is, however, the highest spec offered in the SE Lux Nav guise and we have added a couple of options such as keyless entry, tinted windows, Volvo On Call, Spare Wheel & front/rear parking sensors.
When comparing list prices, the Volvo XC60 D5 SE Lux Nav Geartronic comes in at roughly £3,000 cheaper than a BMW X3 35d. This is before any options are added, and not taking into account differing levels of discount available.
Given many people come on here that may be considering different models from the current crossover lineup, I thought I would do a little comparison - just as I have done on the Volvo Forums. This will not be entirely fair as the SE Lux spec in the Volvo is perhaps more related to the SE spec offered with the X3, rather than the MSport that I have. Volvo do offer an R-Design version of the XC60 with firmer suspension and a sportier appearance and more supportive seats. Most of the points in this review/comparison are relevant though as the engines/gearbox/build quality remain the same.
BMW X3 35d MSport- BMW Engines are years ahead of the competition. The 3 litre straight 6 twin power diesel outputs 313bhp yet returns 47mpg on a long run. The Volvo will in reality return 10mpg less than this, despite having 100bhp and 200nm of torque less, and of course being 600cc less in terms of engine size.
- The 8 speed gearbox is much more suited to a drivers car than the 6 speed box offered in the Volvo.
- iDrive offers slightly more functionality than Sensus, though both are similar.
- Both of these cars have the top spec diesel engines available in their lineup. The BMW reaches 60mph in comfortably less than 6 seconds, the Volvo takes 8. You can specify a Polestar upgrade at the point of ordering, this will add 15bhp but costs £800+
- BMW offers HUD - not available on the XC60
- BMW offers Top View cameras which are not available on the XC60
- BMW steering wheel is chunkier and nicer to hold.
- Handling is much better when pushed.
Volvo XC60 D5 SE Lux Nav AWD Geartronic- The build quality and general fit & finish is far superior than the X3.
- The doors are chunkier and make a satisfying 'thud' when closed
- Keyless entry is on all 4 doors not just the front 2, and there is a physical lock button on the handle meaning the car won't get confused when being washed.
- The seats are supremely comfortable - much more so than the X3.
- Fully digital dashboard with selectable themes work very well.
- Illuminated cup holders as part of the winter illumination package
- Volvo offer radar guided cruise control on the XC60
- City Safety as standard - not an option on the X3
- Volvo offer a cool smart adaptive headlight system that automatically blanks out oncoming vehicles when on main beam, rather than just having to dip the lights.
- No run flat tyres (this is subjective - some will see this as a good thing, some as a bad thing)
- Not as involving to drive. Not a car that makes you want to drive fast.
- Excellent standard stereo. I'm no audiophile, but it sounds better than my £980 premium BMW stereo. That hurt!
- On Call is not standard, wheras I think the equivalent is on the BMW.
- Xenons are standard on this model, whereas even on the 35d the Vis Pack needs to be specified.
- Mirrors fold immediately on locking without needing to code the car.
- Electronic Handbrake in a silly place, and no Auto Hold feature
In summary, I wouldn't pitch them as direct competition against each other. On a day where I want to go and throw a car around some bends and have some fun, I would take the X3 without a shadow of a doubt. On a long journey, I'd take the Volvo. I also feel safer in the Volvo. Whether this is accurate or perceived due to brand image, that I will hopefully not need to find out.
I'm very impressed with the Volvo. For those who are interested, I attach some photos below:
