[mattlach]

Nonsense - This is the peak of Volvo build and quality. There's literally nothing better from VW or any other Euro manufacturer that compares to it's supreme driving experience.

It depends.

These are big cars, and they drive like big cars.

Sedans traditionally are a more spirited drive than wagons, and my 2017 short wheelbase S90 still drives like a large car. The Polestar software upgrade helped a little, but it still can't compensate for the fact that these are large cars, and are going to drive like large cars.

Not only did all S/V90's cars get a longer wheelbase for the 2018 model year and later, but the wagons are weighed down a little more and just don't feel as good. They feel even more like large cars.

It also depends on which VW OP is comparing it to. If OP is used to driving nimble little VW's, like a Golf/GTI the feeling is going to be very different. Compared to - for instance - a Tiguan, the V90 is going to drive better.

If OP is looking for a nimble spirited car - however the S60 is absolutely brilliant.

I think OP just picked the wrong model for his requirements.

 

[mattlach]

I bought my V90 Inscription, feeling it was a proper "estate" wagon. With this said, when shifting to "dynamic" mode, the resulting changes in the shifting, higher revs, tighter steering and suspension, and grippier brakes greatly improve handling and performance, IMO. Yes, it's not a sports car, but the "dynamic" mode breathes life into this car. Unless one can use their vehicle on a closed race track, there's little opportunity to really appreciate high performing vehicles, anyway. Most Porsches and Vettes I see, typically driving around town or on the highway, are not being driven like they are in a racing event. Personally, owning a car with a tremendous amount of capability, but not being able to truly access it, would be more frustrating.

While I do agree that Dynamic mode (called Polestar mode on cars with the Polestar software) makes the car a much better drive, these 2tonne+ cars are still not going to feel like driving a GTI with a proper three pedal manual.

The modes are a neat feature, but the truth is that the shift points for Dynamic/Polestar mode mean that they are not very useful unless you are planning in advance to do something racy/aggressive. You can't exactly drive around in those modes all the time.

And they take too long to switch between to be truly useful if you suddenly need them. (Click wheel, take eyes off road to look at screen, scroll laggy screen to correct mode, click wheel again, wait for it to kick in.). If these modes had physical dedicated buttons you could tap to engage them in a fraction of a second without any planning, they would be more useful.

 

[mattlach]

There are also few cars that own the term station wagon like Volvo does. It really is their pride and joy. This vehicle has reached an almost iconic status and it's not for being flashy necessarily. It instead has become synonymous for being almost low profile, not raising a bunch of unnecessary attention, functional yet beautiful design, and legendary Volvo dependability. It's so good at just being a car but it's also relaxing and there just isn't anything else quite like it. It's a very unique vehicle.

Don't get me wrong.

I agree they are great cars. IMHO much better than any VW, but they are not the same. If you are going to compare them to a VW it is probably a first gen Phaeton, not a GTI. (I only say first gen as later Phaetons were smaller)

Completely different cars for completely different purposes driven by different types of people or at least chosen at different times in their lives.

I bet OP would love how an S60 or V60 drives.

I suspect OP doesn't dislike how Volvos feel. I suspect OP dislikes how large cars feel. He might even be disappointed in a Panamera.

 

[mattlach]

OK, please don't all go apoplectic on me, but I'm considering the Tiguan, for its 75CF of carrying capacity, 6 speed manumatic shifter, and analog controls with actual knobs and dials. I know I'm comparing apples to oranges, but I've driving the Tiguan and it has the sporty feel I'm looking for even though its down on HP by 132. Its a more engaging drivers with the way the transmission is tuned.

Well for what it is worth, I have a 2017 short wheelbase S90 T6 (with Polestar software) and my wife has a 2022 Tiguan, and if you are looking for a good sporty drive, you are probably not going to enjoy the Tiguan.

That thing is a an absolute dog compared to my S90. It also makes me motion sick because both the brake and accelerator pedals are hyper-sensitve and first gear and reverse are very low, so despite its underpowered engine, it tends to lurch forward off the line and jerk to a stop unless you are very very light on the pedals, but once moving you can press the go pedal to the bottom, and there just isn't any more power there. Its a weird experience to me, having driven nothing but Volvos and Saabs for over 20 years now.

It's almost impossible to drive the Tiguan smoothly. It's like a featherweight cokehead. No strength for heavy lifting, but damn is it jittery and jerky.

In fact, I find that a lot of VW's and Toyotas are like this. They don't have the nice linear transitional pedals of a Volvo. Everything happens in the first few millimetars of pedal travel, and then pressing them further beyond that does very little.

My wife tells me she wishes she had increased her budget a little and picked up the Volvo XC60 instead. She regrets the Tiguan, but when she bought it in 2022, in that car market beggars couldn't exactly be choosers.

I wonder if part of the issue is that you are just accustomed to the more sensitive pedal style. I could see that if you are, and you use pedal inputs that would be appropriate for a VW on a Volvo, how the Volvo could feel unresponsive and dull.