I have been away from the board for awhile due to business and travel Here is my consolidated take on our 2016 T8-R after about 4 months and 12,000KM's:
Exterior:
Bursting Blue with 22" rims - really like the look, paint is flawless, rims are outstanding and set off the whole vehicle. A very elegant package. Did a full dealer tint which is also a great add. 9/10
Interior:
Find it overall a little dark. The seat inserts s/be an offset color to brighten things up. Specifically, the seats are top of class for comfort. All interior materials are excellent and the infotainment is outstanding. All touch points/knobs are quality. Ours has the base sound system and it is fine. Would have opted for the upgraded version but it was N/A. HVAC is excellent, no complaints. Road sound insulation is great. Zero rattles or other nuisances. Sunroof package is great and works as it should, no leaks btw. Hauled 7 tallish folks to a wedding recently. Nobody was cramped. 8/10
Driving:
I previously had the V-8 90 Sport. Really liked it. I find the steering in the new T8-R even better, While on paper the V8 I had would not match the new T8 engine the latter seems lacking in grunt in comparison. That said it does feel lighter on its feet and is responsive and enjoyable to drive. The ride IMO is somewhere in between an AUDI and a BMW. Also easy to manoeuver in tightish spaces and if you hammer it on the open road it is up to the task. Great cruiser. To put it simply, it is a joy to hang out with. 8/10
Value:
With the Ontario government hybrid rebate this is a no brainer. Already received our first cheque...nice. Starting January 1st charging the vehicle will also be free @ home. Basically chop $12K from the MSRP for our 2016 and compare what you would rather drive for $58K net. Good luck. An Acura? 10/10
The Hybrid Aspect:
This is my Wife's daily driver. Her commute is 26 KM's one way. She gets there daily on battery. There is no "range anxiety" as there is a full tank of gas of course. It would be great if she could recharge upon arrival but no dice yet. Overall it is a great bonus to have a hybrid in the garage. I am looking for a new DD myself and would only consider a hybrid. We are sold on the concept. Note we did not go for a dedicated circuit charger, we plug OEM charger into 110V at 9 p.m. nightly. Takes 4-5 hours. 8/10
Overall:
I really don't like how Volvo mishmashes the safety options into various packages. I understand that they need to maximize profits however they stand for safety. A one stop package that bundles all safety options without the superfluous adds would be very welcome indeed. The interior needs more panache. I think it is a great lease on a 42 month basis as I did. Good value. Had early problems on the electrical side vis a vis "updates" but it settled down quickly. No problems since then. My outlook was to buy a very safe vehicle with some fun factor for my family.
An OP on the Board asked me if I would reverse the deal. Not really. But I remain dissatisfied that the vehicle does not come equipped with 100% of the available Volvo safety options out of the box. Especially when vehicles half the price come with them standard or as reasonably priced options.
Pleased overall with the purchase, very disappointed that Volvo missed the boat on the safety aspect. They should not offer any Volvo vehicles that do not have their full suite of safety options as base.
At the end of the day the T8-R gets a basic 7/10. Would I buy another one? No. Unless they get rid of the person running the spec side of things.
Volvo=Safe=Fun=Style=Elegant=Value=Smart=Buy
Exterior:
Bursting Blue with 22" rims - really like the look, paint is flawless, rims are outstanding and set off the whole vehicle. A very elegant package. Did a full dealer tint which is also a great add. 9/10
Interior:
Find it overall a little dark. The seat inserts s/be an offset color to brighten things up. Specifically, the seats are top of class for comfort. All interior materials are excellent and the infotainment is outstanding. All touch points/knobs are quality. Ours has the base sound system and it is fine. Would have opted for the upgraded version but it was N/A. HVAC is excellent, no complaints. Road sound insulation is great. Zero rattles or other nuisances. Sunroof package is great and works as it should, no leaks btw. Hauled 7 tallish folks to a wedding recently. Nobody was cramped. 8/10
Driving:
I previously had the V-8 90 Sport. Really liked it. I find the steering in the new T8-R even better, While on paper the V8 I had would not match the new T8 engine the latter seems lacking in grunt in comparison. That said it does feel lighter on its feet and is responsive and enjoyable to drive. The ride IMO is somewhere in between an AUDI and a BMW. Also easy to manoeuver in tightish spaces and if you hammer it on the open road it is up to the task. Great cruiser. To put it simply, it is a joy to hang out with. 8/10
Value:
With the Ontario government hybrid rebate this is a no brainer. Already received our first cheque...nice. Starting January 1st charging the vehicle will also be free @ home. Basically chop $12K from the MSRP for our 2016 and compare what you would rather drive for $58K net. Good luck. An Acura? 10/10
The Hybrid Aspect:
This is my Wife's daily driver. Her commute is 26 KM's one way. She gets there daily on battery. There is no "range anxiety" as there is a full tank of gas of course. It would be great if she could recharge upon arrival but no dice yet. Overall it is a great bonus to have a hybrid in the garage. I am looking for a new DD myself and would only consider a hybrid. We are sold on the concept. Note we did not go for a dedicated circuit charger, we plug OEM charger into 110V at 9 p.m. nightly. Takes 4-5 hours. 8/10
Overall:
I really don't like how Volvo mishmashes the safety options into various packages. I understand that they need to maximize profits however they stand for safety. A one stop package that bundles all safety options without the superfluous adds would be very welcome indeed. The interior needs more panache. I think it is a great lease on a 42 month basis as I did. Good value. Had early problems on the electrical side vis a vis "updates" but it settled down quickly. No problems since then. My outlook was to buy a very safe vehicle with some fun factor for my family.
An OP on the Board asked me if I would reverse the deal. Not really. But I remain dissatisfied that the vehicle does not come equipped with 100% of the available Volvo safety options out of the box. Especially when vehicles half the price come with them standard or as reasonably priced options.
Pleased overall with the purchase, very disappointed that Volvo missed the boat on the safety aspect. They should not offer any Volvo vehicles that do not have their full suite of safety options as base.
At the end of the day the T8-R gets a basic 7/10. Would I buy another one? No. Unless they get rid of the person running the spec side of things.
Volvo=Safe=Fun=Style=Elegant=Value=Smart=Buy
