XC90 Moemtnum Vs Insccription comfort seat

Jooxi · Aug 19, 2021

Hi everyone,

We prebopusmly tried a recent XC90 Momentum and liked the seats, but wanted to take a look at the Inscription trim for some of the higher finishes, sound dampening, etc.

I hear a lot about people loving Volvo seats, but I am curious if anyone prefers the Momentum to the Inscription? The Inscription was very soft, but I am nervous that they may not be perhaps as supportive.

Any insights based on your experience? Thank you!

Ultrarunner511 · Aug 19, 2021

Jooxi said:
Hi everyone,

We prebopusmly tried a recent XC90 Momentum and liked the seats, but wanted to take a look at the Inscription trim for some of the higher finishes, sound dampening, etc.

I hear a lot about people loving Volvo seats, but I am curious if anyone prefers the Momentum to the Inscription? The Inscription was very soft, but I am nervous that they may not be perhaps as supportive.

Any insights based on your experience? Thank you!

We have a 2017 and 2021 Inscription. The 2017's seats after 80k miles are supportive, soft, and just as comfortable since the day we picked it up in Sweden. The leather has held exceptionally well, albeit we don't have kids or pets in the car that often. We have camped in it numerous times though.

I've found the momentum seats without the lower leg extensions to be lacking a little. Any time I've had a momentum loaner, I realize how much I miss the adjustments and the soft leather hugging me.

I'm not sure there's any sound dampening with an Inscription. If anything, the momentum's standard smaller wheels, and higher tires, make the ride quieter and smoother. The standard wheels on the Inscriptions are larger, thus then shorter tires' ability to absorb road noise and bumps is lessened.

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

MFinMN · Aug 19, 2021

I have an S90 rather than the XC90 but I checked out both the Momentum and Inscription trims prior to buying. I really liked the additional seat adjustments in the Inscription trim, but after thinking about it I decided that I really wouldn't use those additional adjustments much. Also, I really don't care about the addition of ventilated seats. My wife's car has them and we never use them so I didn't want to pay the extra money for them. In my case, I was able to get a Momentum that was totally loaded so I didn't feel like I was sacrificing a lot by not getting the Inscription. However, that doesn't mean that I don't suffer from Inscription envy. The Inscription has a lot of nice features beyond just the fancier seats. I would love to have an Inscription, but I also absolutely love my Momentum.

satrya · Aug 19, 2021

At the time of our purchase (end of 2017), there were things in the Momentum trim that we preferred over the Inscription (e.g. the raised roof rails; this is no longer the case in recent year models). In addition, the inscription seats were perforated and we didn't have good success with perforated seats in another vehicle with kids (ours and their friends). Some of the feature sets in Inscription were available in Momentum as part of the Momentum Plus package.

So far, we've used the xc90 for long road trips and found no issues in terms of seat comfort.

T8 or not T8 · Aug 19, 2021

Family member has inscription with the premium seats. I like the momentum seats better. The nicer seats are harder to clean because of the holes. I found them less comfortable because of the extra pieces they have that can move and be adjusted. I did not find the adjustments helpful or more comfortable than the regular leather seats. The butt ac option is nice but not worth the less comfortable seating.

mxms533 · Aug 19, 2021

We liked the Inscription seats as they looked inviting with the thigh extenders and generally felt comfortable and soft.
However we went with the Momentum after much debate. Two main reasons: with a young growing family, cleaning the perforations was a concern as someone else noted. Secondly, as someone with long legs, the thigh extension was not actually making contact with the bottom of my thighs unless the entire seat was set at an inconvenient angle

(at least for me - this is quite subjective). The geometry may have been updated as we tried it back in '16.

My wife's made it clear to me that the next Volvo will be an Inscription with the comfortable seats though.

seattlexc90 · Aug 19, 2021

T8 or not T8 said:
Family member has inscription with the premium seats. I like the momentum seats better. The nicer seats are harder to clean because of the holes. I found them less comfortable because of the extra pieces they have that can move and be adjusted. I did not find the adjustments helpful or more comfortable than the regular leather seats. The butt ac option is nice but not worth the less comfortable seating.

I agree with this assessment. Two major points in Momentum's favor for me:

1) The Momentum seats are most like our much-loved seats in our 2005 and 2012 XC90 models, and comfortable to sit "on" versus "in and more firmly held" in the Inscription seats. Also to consider, the adjustable/extendable bolster under leg at the front of the seat may not be a good fit for shorter legged drivers, even in the most retracted position. A sit test is a must for anyone making a choice on these two options.

2) For long life in wear/apperarance/cleanability, I prefer the full leather surfaces of the Momentum as opposed to the perforated in Inscription (especially now with 3 grandkids that will be climbing in and around, when not driving of course). Not sure of the benefit for ventilation in the seat, unless you are in fact in the 100+ degree parts of the country and your AC is not adequate for cabin comfort.

The Inscription seats are more akin to the legendary Recaro driver's seats, with great adjustments to be sure, but not as comfortable in our recent "sit test" of the two prior to recently ordering the 2022 Momentum. In a more performance oriented vehicle, sport sedan, etc., perhaps the very nice Inscription seats would get my vote, but the "regular" Momentum seats are terrific in my family's opinion. And the ~$4,000+ package difference will get you pretty much whatever other upgrades you want - except the B&W setup <sad>.

Stickygreen · Aug 20, 2021

Momentum seats are really nice and better than seats in most other manufacturer’s cars.

Inscription seats are sublime (especially with luxury pkg/massage feature). The nappa leather surfaces on steering wheel/seats/armrests also make the car a MUCH nicer place to be.

Just my opinion, but the t6 momentum loaner we got at last service felt like a ubiquitous entry-level luxo SUV. Our inscription with air suspension feels like a full on premium luxury vehicle.

T8 or not T8 · Aug 20, 2021

Stickygreen said:
Momentum seats are really nice and better than seats in most other manufacturer's cars.

Inscription seats are sublime (especially with luxury pkg/massage feature). The nappa leather surfaces on steering wheel/seats/armrests also make the car a MUCH nicer place to be.

Just my opinion, but the t6 momentum loaner we got at last service felt like a ubiquitous entry-level luxo SUV. Our inscription with air suspension feels like a full on premium luxury vehicle.

Sorry for sidebar but does the air suspension help with the ride too or does it just increase and decrease the height of the ride?

Stickygreen · Aug 20, 2021

Air suspension makes a huge difference in ride quality…our t6 with air and 21’s rides a lot better than the loaners we’ve driven with 19” and 20” wheels and steel springs.

Air suspension was my only “must have” while xc90 shopping

T8 or not T8 · Aug 20, 2021

Stickygreen said:
Air suspension makes a huge difference in ride quality…our t6 with air and 21's rides a lot better than the loaners we've driven with 19" and 20" wheels and steel springs.

Air suspension was my only "must have" while xc90 shopping

Nice. Fairly inexpensive then when you consider BW is 2x the cost.

Jooxi · Aug 20, 2021

Thanks so much for the all the detailed replies! And sorry for all the typos in my original post.

It's a tough call; I like a lot of the Inscription features but want to make sure seats are comfortable for my wife.

She prefers firmer more orthopedic seats; im trying to figure out if the Inscription and Momentum are overall the same just with different leather covering or somehow fundamentally different. The extra adjustability doesn't seem to matter too much or get in the way.

Will have to give it some thought....

FusionRedXC60 · Aug 20, 2021

Jooxi said:
Thanks so much for the all the detailed replies! And sorry for all the typos in my original post.

It's a tough call; I like a lot of the Inscription features but want to make sure seats are comfortable for my wife.

She prefers firmer more orthopedic seats; im trying to figure out if the Inscription and Momentum are overall the same just with different leather covering or somehow fundamentally different. The extra adjustability doesn't seem to matter too much or get in the way.

Will have to give it some thought....

Inscription seats are firmer, and nicer. One thing I can say is after whole day trip I don't feel tired.

likeXC90 · Aug 20, 2021

Ultrarunner511 said:
I'm not sure there's any sound dampening with an Inscription. If anything, the momentum's standard smaller wheels, and higher tires, make the ride quieter and smoother. The standard wheels on the Inscriptions are larger, thus then shorter tires' ability to absorb road noise and bumps is lessened.

We have a MY19T8 Inscription on 22"s with air suspension. It is so quiet on electric that I admittedly have fun sneaking up on friends [emoji846]. It's relatively quiet when the dino juice guzzler is running. There is definitely insulation throughout the vehicle which I discovered while doing some mods on the ceiling, front, floors, and back. Below are some photos from just trying to access the front passenger fuse box. (Is this insulation thickness and black foam present on all trims?) Even the air suspension canisters in the rear boot have an exterior rubber liner for sound dampening. My previous vehicles were all POS and had nowhere close to this or any sound insulation compared to the Volvo.

T8 or not T8 said:
Sorry for sidebar but does the air suspension help with the ride too or does it just increase and decrease the height of the ride?

During Italian highway tune-ups I am shocked at how well it handles. I'm thinking it's the air suspension but am not knowledgeable enough to say for certain, but it sure is fuuuuun to drive!

Is there any chance OP you can stop at the Volvo dealer and try out the seats yourself?

Ultrarunner511 · Aug 20, 2021

likeXC90 said:
We have a MY19T8 Inscription on 22"s with air suspension. It is so quiet on electric that I admittedly have fun sneaking up on friends [emoji846]. It's relatively quiet when the dino juice guzzler is running. There is definitely insulation throughout the vehicle which I discovered while doing some mods on the ceiling, front, floors, and back. Below are some photos from just trying to access the front passenger fuse box. (Is this insulation thickness and black foam present on all trims?) Even the air suspension canisters in the rear boot have an exterior rubber liner for sound dampening. My previous vehicles were all POS and had nowhere close to this or any sound insulation compared to the Volvo.

During Italian highway tune-ups I am shocked at how well it handles. I'm thinking it's the air suspension but am not knowledgeable enough to say for certain, but it sure is fuuuuun to drive!

Is there any chance OP you can stop at the Volvo dealer and try out the seats yourself?

I guess I meant was that there's no difference in sound insulation between the Momentum and the Inscription. Sorry, I should have been more specific!

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

Stickygreen · Aug 20, 2021

If seats are important to your wife, try find an inscription with luxury package. The seat massage is probably my wife’s favorite feature of our xc90.

Ultrarunner511 · Aug 20, 2021

Stickygreen said:
If seats are important to your wife, try find an inscription with luxury package. The seat massage is probably my wife's favorite feature of our xc90.

I second this. Our 2021 has the luxury package. Love the massage feature!

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

taek · Aug 21, 2021

Jooxi said:
She prefers firmer more orthopedic seats; im trying to figure out if the Inscription and Momentum are overall the same just with different leather covering or somehow fundamentally different. The extra adjustability doesn't seem to matter too much or get in the way.

I was originally planning on getting an Inscription, but my wife who has back issues from a bad car accident loved the firm R-Design seats. I was surprised, but she really wanted it over the Inscription. I guess for some people, comfortable does not mean softer.

Delmarva · Aug 21, 2021

taek said:
I was originally planning on getting an Inscription, but my wife who has back issues from a bad car accident loved the firm R-Design seats. I was surprised, but she really wanted it over the Inscription. I guess for some people, comfortable does not mean softer.

I think comfortable means a seat that allows one to drive long distances in comfort. We drove all three models and decided the seats with extensions would not fit either of us well. The napa leather was out because of long term wear concerns. The T6 Momentum were the best fit for both of us.

T8 or not T8 · Aug 22, 2021

Delmarva said:
I think comfortable means a seat that allows one to drive long distances in comfort. We drove all three models and decided the seats with extensions would not fit either of us well. The napa leather was out because of long term wear concerns. The T6 Momentum were the best fit for both of us.

I drove 300 miles straight in an inscription v60 then drove back in a momentum xc90. Recognizing that the ride is different in the sedan and suv, I was more comfortable in the momentum. Maybe if I gave it more time I would have felt differently.

XC90 Moemtnum Vs Insccription comfort seat

Jooxi

Ultrarunner511

MFinMN

satrya

T8 or not T8

mxms533

seattlexc90

Stickygreen

T8 or not T8

Stickygreen

T8 or not T8

Jooxi

FusionRedXC60

likeXC90

Ultrarunner511

Stickygreen

Ultrarunner511

taek

Delmarva

T8 or not T8

Top Contributors this Month

Recommended Communities