Post by philip42h on Apr 13, 2024 11:41:55 GMT
I took a Volvo EX30 for a test drive last week and ended up disappointed ...
I've absolutely no need to change the RAV4 for at least another five years but I don't need a car quite as big and I do want to go EV once it is practical (and affordable) to do so - so I am watching the market.
Volvo's EX30 claims to be a 'small' car but at just shy of two tonnes it's heavier than the RAV4. It's about 15" shorter and 6" lower than the RAV but otherwise there's really not that much in it. It's very similar in size to the C-HR so, in short, just about the perfect size for my current needs. And it's still just about tall enough to make access easy.
I still need AWD. The EX30 in twin motor form has a range between 160 and 325 miles depending on conditions and mode of use. In practical terms, for me that means between 180 and 220 miles which is good enough for 99% of my day trips as a retired individual - it wouldn't have worked for me when I was still working. And if we want to go on a longer touring holiday we still have a C-HR hybrid with a longer range than the drivers! Oh, and the twin motor form boasts 0-62 mph in 3.6 seconds which is just bonkers.
So, on paper it was looking very interesting. Let's not talk about the price but I currently have a decent amount of value in the RAV4 ...
The next step was to have a look at one in the metal and while I was there it made sense to have a test drive. The salesman was a salesman and the test drive experience a disappointment but that's the way of the world these days - they used to just hand over the keys and let us have a play for an hour or so.
Superficially the car is everything I had hoped it would be. It's got a silly squared-off steering wheel which would become one of those "interesting quirks" once you've got used to it. The steering is too light for my taste (compared with the RAV) but I believe that it is adjustable and even if not I'm sure I could have got used to that too. The acceleration is pleasantly progressive - so it is perfectly quick enough without be silly.
They've followed the Tesla design model and put pretty much all the functionality onto a large touch screen mounted in the centre - there are next to no physical buttons and no dashboard screen to view through the steering wheel. I really don't like touchscreen controls - these strike me as more dangerous than using your mobile 'phone while driving. But the real issue is the positioning of the screen itself and the size of the text (apart from the speed). I wear varifocals when driving - these work well since when looking ahead I can read road signs and number plates, and when glancing down I can read what is presented on a RAV4 dash. Glancing across to the central screen I couldn't read anything bar the speed with my glasses on - it's just fine if I take my glasses off (as it is in the RAV too).
Which, all in all, makes the EX30 a 'no go' for me - which is a shame because it would be very interesting if I were actually able to drive it!
I've absolutely no need to change the RAV4 for at least another five years but I don't need a car quite as big and I do want to go EV once it is practical (and affordable) to do so - so I am watching the market.
Volvo's EX30 claims to be a 'small' car but at just shy of two tonnes it's heavier than the RAV4. It's about 15" shorter and 6" lower than the RAV but otherwise there's really not that much in it. It's very similar in size to the C-HR so, in short, just about the perfect size for my current needs. And it's still just about tall enough to make access easy.
I still need AWD. The EX30 in twin motor form has a range between 160 and 325 miles depending on conditions and mode of use. In practical terms, for me that means between 180 and 220 miles which is good enough for 99% of my day trips as a retired individual - it wouldn't have worked for me when I was still working. And if we want to go on a longer touring holiday we still have a C-HR hybrid with a longer range than the drivers! Oh, and the twin motor form boasts 0-62 mph in 3.6 seconds which is just bonkers.
So, on paper it was looking very interesting. Let's not talk about the price but I currently have a decent amount of value in the RAV4 ...
The next step was to have a look at one in the metal and while I was there it made sense to have a test drive. The salesman was a salesman and the test drive experience a disappointment but that's the way of the world these days - they used to just hand over the keys and let us have a play for an hour or so.
Superficially the car is everything I had hoped it would be. It's got a silly squared-off steering wheel which would become one of those "interesting quirks" once you've got used to it. The steering is too light for my taste (compared with the RAV) but I believe that it is adjustable and even if not I'm sure I could have got used to that too. The acceleration is pleasantly progressive - so it is perfectly quick enough without be silly.
They've followed the Tesla design model and put pretty much all the functionality onto a large touch screen mounted in the centre - there are next to no physical buttons and no dashboard screen to view through the steering wheel. I really don't like touchscreen controls - these strike me as more dangerous than using your mobile 'phone while driving. But the real issue is the positioning of the screen itself and the size of the text (apart from the speed). I wear varifocals when driving - these work well since when looking ahead I can read road signs and number plates, and when glancing down I can read what is presented on a RAV4 dash. Glancing across to the central screen I couldn't read anything bar the speed with my glasses on - it's just fine if I take my glasses off (as it is in the RAV too).
Which, all in all, makes the EX30 a 'no go' for me - which is a shame because it would be very interesting if I were actually able to drive it!
