Creaking interior plastics

[FMIB]

I've had mine less than 2 months, around 900 miles, so I will try to be constructive on your gripes. The only difference is I have the Ultra, rather than Plus

MPG. - Now having owned the car, yes the mpg is poor and very noticeable on cold starts and short trips, more so around town. On longer motorway trips I can achieve around 41mpg keeping at or below 70mph, where a mix of motorway and A/B roads get around 38mpg. What I notice, is that it can take at least 5-10 miles before the consumption breaks the 30 mpg and 20/30 miles or more to get to the upper 30's. If mpg was critical, dont buy a 2lit car, I suggest a Honda Jazz, eHEV, easy to get mid 50's most of the time and occasionally high 80's to 100mpg, with almost as much internal space as the XC40

Creaking door plastics. - I have no issue here, its under warranty, take it back, show them and ask the to address the issue.

Cruise control (which IS rubbish). - If it is non adaptive, it is what it is and you should have checked before the purchase on what you were buying. I have had several top end BMW's in the past few years which also came with a bog standard cruise control, the adaptive only available in an expensive options add on. If adaptive(with pilot assist) was important, you should have purchased an Ultra or an alternative car in your price range where it might be a standard fit. A high price of any car does not guarantee it comes with a full adaptive cruise control.

Rock hard seat base - Not found this to be an issue, I did find the microfibre seats a bit softer than the leather, but I do find the seats a touch on the small side and careful adjustment of the seat is necessary for comfort, especially the pull out front section of the seat base.
This might explain:
Seat suppliers to OEMs distinguish between "showroom comfort" and the lack of discomfort goal for extended driving. Soft padding can be impressive in the showroom or for brief trips, but the research shows that occupants of soft seats tend to fidget around more over longer trips as sinking more into the padding compresses capillaries and creates muscle aches due to ischemia. The fidgeting is not very effective, as the soft pads re-expand to "chase" your body surface, continuing to reduce blood flow. Firmer seats provide more of a "rebound surface" such that slight changes in body position do allow capillary circulation to become more effective. Firmer seats have been shown to be able to reduce discomfort more effectively over longer trips and the industry is moving toward including software that imperceptibly moves seat adjustment back and forth (fore/aft, angle, recline) to enhance blood flow before aching sets in. If you never take extended trips (2 hours+), a softer seat may be a preference, but it will likely reverse if you do go longer.

Road noise (which might be tyre noise) - mine is pretty quiet, just a bit of road noise, maybe the Ultra has a bit more sound insulation, which I doubt, but the Plus does come with Continental tyres I believe, which if you check https://www.tyrereviews.com you will see that they really are a poor tyre and there are many complaints on the internet for this particular model of tyre. The Ultra comes with Pirelli P-Zero tyres and are not adding significantly to road noise. If in doubt, a higher volume on the hifi usually works.

The car does rock from side to side when traversing bumps far more than any car has done previously - The XC40 is not a car, its a SUV and almost all SUV's I have owned or driven do have some side to side rocking, more evident on certain roads and is the result of increased torsional stiffness of an SUV to reduce body roll due to the higher centre of gravity. Having come from a very fast, sporty SUV, I can tell you the the XC40 is a dream in comparison and barely noticeable in comparison.

The tailgate "kick" to open it works, but just like every car I have owned that has this feature, its never been 100% effective as the "kick" has to be exactly in the right place and often means dancing around on one foot, finally giving up and pressing the button or key.

Software update - having owned it for such a short time, I never noticed that anything was now missing, ETA is on the info screen , I never needed that info in the drivers display. There is a new google interface coming sometime in 2025, which might be a game changer for the infotainment system, since its received some positive initial reviews on the facelift XC90

The lack of proper petrol cap - thank god I dont have a petrol cap to have to unscrew and screw back every time I fill up. just push the petrol pump in the hole, take it out, job done.

Carpets - never looked at them but not as luxurious as some cars I've owned, but that was never a deal breaker. I knew what I was buying. The mats are just mats, a bit of extra protection and a set of all weather mats at a reasonable cost addresses any issue here. Bear in mind, some cars dont come with mats and have to be purchased as an extra. The pedals are quite low set in the footwell, so I can see that an incorrect mat or too thick a mat could be a safety issue

Yes its a £40k car, but a few years ago it would have been a £30k car, prices of all cars have increased by ridicules amounts over the past 2 or 3 years and cost cutting has been a norm. Take a look at the new BMW X3 for cost cutting measures, with increased purchase prices and excessive add on costs.

I doubt there is anything here to be able to reject the car on, but it is new, it is under warranty, take it back to get the things you are unhappy with that can be fixed, fixed, as for the other complaints, these are all things a buyer is expected to check and be satisfied with what they are buying(read the spec and see it has everything that's important) before parting with their cash.

[STmichael]

I've had mine less than 2 months, around 900 miles, so I will try to be constructive on your gripes. The only difference is I have the Ultra, rather than Plus

MPG. - Now having owned the car, yes the mpg is poor and very noticeable on cold starts and short trips, more so around town. On longer motorway trips I can achieve around 41mpg keeping at or below 70mph, where a mix of motorway and A/B roads get around 38mpg. What I notice, is that it can take at least 5-10 miles before the consumption breaks the 30 mpg and 20/30 miles or more to get to the upper 30's. If mpg was critical, dont buy a 2lit car, I suggest a Honda Jazz, eHEV, easy to get mid 50's most of the time and occasionally high 80's to 100mpg, with almost as much internal space as the XC40

Creaking door plastics. - I have no issue here, its under warranty, take it back, show them and ask the to address the issue.

Cruise control (which IS rubbish). - If it is non adaptive, it is what it is and you should have checked before the purchase on what you were buying. I have had several top end BMW's in the past few years which also came with a bog standard cruise control, the adaptive only available in an expensive options add on. If adaptive(with pilot assist) was important, you should have purchased an Ultra or an alternative car in your price range where it might be a standard fit. A high price of any car does not guarantee it comes with a full adaptive cruise control.

Rock hard seat base - Not found this to be an issue, I did find the microfibre seats a bit softer than the leather, but I do find the seats a touch on the small side and careful adjustment of the seat is necessary for comfort, especially the pull out front section of the seat base.
This might explain:
Seat suppliers to OEMs distinguish between "showroom comfort" and the lack of discomfort goal for extended driving. Soft padding can be impressive in the showroom or for brief trips, but the research shows that occupants of soft seats tend to fidget around more over longer trips as sinking more into the padding compresses capillaries and creates muscle aches due to ischemia. The fidgeting is not very effective, as the soft pads re-expand to "chase" your body surface, continuing to reduce blood flow. Firmer seats provide more of a "rebound surface" such that slight changes in body position do allow capillary circulation to become more effective. Firmer seats have been shown to be able to reduce discomfort more effectively over longer trips and the industry is moving toward including software that imperceptibly moves seat adjustment back and forth (fore/aft, angle, recline) to enhance blood flow before aching sets in. If you never take extended trips (2 hours+), a softer seat may be a preference, but it will likely reverse if you do go longer.

Road noise (which might be tyre noise) - mine is pretty quiet, just a bit of road noise, maybe the Ultra has a bit more sound insulation, which I doubt, but the Plus does come with Continental tyres I believe, which if you check https://www.tyrereviews.com you will see that they really are a poor tyre and there are many complaints on the internet for this particular model of tyre. The Ultra comes with Pirelli P-Zero tyres and are not adding significantly to road noise. If in doubt, a higher volume on the hifi usually works.

The car does rock from side to side when traversing bumps far more than any car has done previously - The XC40 is not a car, its a SUV and almost all SUV's I have owned or driven do have some side to side rocking, more evident on certain roads and is the result of increased torsional stiffness of an SUV to reduce body roll due to the higher centre of gravity. Having come from a very fast, sporty SUV, I can tell you the the XC40 is a dream in comparison and barely noticeable in comparison.

The tailgate "kick" to open it works, but just like every car I have owned that has this feature, its never been 100% effective as the "kick" has to be exactly in the right place and often means dancing around on one foot, finally giving up and pressing the button or key.

Software update - having owned it for such a short time, I never noticed that anything was now missing, ETA is on the info screen , I never needed that info in the drivers display. There is a new google interface coming sometime in 2025, which might be a game changer for the infotainment system, since its received some positive initial reviews on the facelift XC90

The lack of proper petrol cap - thank god I dont have a petrol cap to have to unscrew and screw back every time I fill up. just push the petrol pump in the hole, take it out, job done.

Carpets - never looked at them but not as luxurious as some cars I've owned, but that was never a deal breaker. I knew what I was buying. The mats are just mats, a bit of extra protection and a set of all weather mats at a reasonable cost addresses any issue here. Bear in mind, some cars dont come with mats and have to be purchased as an extra. The pedals are quite low set in the footwell, so I can see that an incorrect mat or too thick a mat could be a safety issue

Yes its a £40k car, but a few years ago it would have been a £30k car, prices of all cars have increased by ridicules amounts over the past 2 or 3 years and cost cutting has been a norm. Take a look at the new BMW X3 for cost cutting measures, with increased purchase prices and excessive add on costs.

I doubt there is anything here to be able to reject the car on, but it is new, it is under warranty, take it back to get the things you are unhappy with that can be fixed, fixed, as for the other complaints, these are all things a buyer is expected to check and be satisfied with what they are buying(read the spec and see it has everything that's important) before parting with their cash.

Well said. If he had done his research and took a proper test drive a majority of these ‘issues’ would have been apparent!

[Jaycee750]

I've had mine less than 2 months, around 900 miles, so I will try to be constructive on your gripes. The only difference is I have the Ultra, rather than Plus

MPG. - Now having owned the car, yes the mpg is poor and very noticeable on cold starts and short trips, more so around town. On longer motorway trips I can achieve around 41mpg keeping at or below 70mph, where a mix of motorway and A/B roads get around 38mpg. What I notice, is that it can take at least 5-10 miles before the consumption breaks the 30 mpg and 20/30 miles or more to get to the upper 30's. If mpg was critical, dont buy a 2lit car, I suggest a Honda Jazz, eHEV, easy to get mid 50's most of the time and occasionally high 80's to 100mpg, with almost as much internal space as the XC40

Creaking door plastics. - I have no issue here, its under warranty, take it back, show them and ask the to address the issue.

Cruise control (which IS rubbish). - If it is non adaptive, it is what it is and you should have checked before the purchase on what you were buying. I have had several top end BMW's in the past few years which also came with a bog standard cruise control, the adaptive only available in an expensive options add on. If adaptive(with pilot assist) was important, you should have purchased an Ultra or an alternative car in your price range where it might be a standard fit. A high price of any car does not guarantee it comes with a full adaptive cruise control.

Rock hard seat base - Not found this to be an issue, I did find the microfibre seats a bit softer than the leather, but I do find the seats a touch on the small side and careful adjustment of the seat is necessary for comfort, especially the pull out front section of the seat base.
This might explain:
Seat suppliers to OEMs distinguish between "showroom comfort" and the lack of discomfort goal for extended driving. Soft padding can be impressive in the showroom or for brief trips, but the research shows that occupants of soft seats tend to fidget around more over longer trips as sinking more into the padding compresses capillaries and creates muscle aches due to ischemia. The fidgeting is not very effective, as the soft pads re-expand to "chase" your body surface, continuing to reduce blood flow. Firmer seats provide more of a "rebound surface" such that slight changes in body position do allow capillary circulation to become more effective. Firmer seats have been shown to be able to reduce discomfort more effectively over longer trips and the industry is moving toward including software that imperceptibly moves seat adjustment back and forth (fore/aft, angle, recline) to enhance blood flow before aching sets in. If you never take extended trips (2 hours+), a softer seat may be a preference, but it will likely reverse if you do go longer.

Road noise (which might be tyre noise) - mine is pretty quiet, just a bit of road noise, maybe the Ultra has a bit more sound insulation, which I doubt, but the Plus does come with Continental tyres I believe, which if you check https://www.tyrereviews.com you will see that they really are a poor tyre and there are many complaints on the internet for this particular model of tyre. The Ultra comes with Pirelli P-Zero tyres and are not adding significantly to road noise. If in doubt, a higher volume on the hifi usually works.

The car does rock from side to side when traversing bumps far more than any car has done previously - The XC40 is not a car, its a SUV and almost all SUV's I have owned or driven do have some side to side rocking, more evident on certain roads and is the result of increased torsional stiffness of an SUV to reduce body roll due to the higher centre of gravity. Having come from a very fast, sporty SUV, I can tell you the the XC40 is a dream in comparison and barely noticeable in comparison.

The tailgate "kick" to open it works, but just like every car I have owned that has this feature, its never been 100% effective as the "kick" has to be exactly in the right place and often means dancing around on one foot, finally giving up and pressing the button or key.

Software update - having owned it for such a short time, I never noticed that anything was now missing, ETA is on the info screen , I never needed that info in the drivers display. There is a new google interface coming sometime in 2025, which might be a game changer for the infotainment system, since its received some positive initial reviews on the facelift XC90

The lack of proper petrol cap - thank god I dont have a petrol cap to have to unscrew and screw back every time I fill up. just push the petrol pump in the hole, take it out, job done.

Carpets - never looked at them but not as luxurious as some cars I've owned, but that was never a deal breaker. I knew what I was buying. The mats are just mats, a bit of extra protection and a set of all weather mats at a reasonable cost addresses any issue here. Bear in mind, some cars dont come with mats and have to be purchased as an extra. The pedals are quite low set in the footwell, so I can see that an incorrect mat or too thick a mat could be a safety issue

Yes its a £40k car, but a few years ago it would have been a £30k car, prices of all cars have increased by ridicules amounts over the past 2 or 3 years and cost cutting has been a norm. Take a look at the new BMW X3 for cost cutting measures, with increased purchase prices and excessive add on costs.

I doubt there is anything here to be able to reject the car on, but it is new, it is under warranty, take it back to get the things you are unhappy with that can be fixed, fixed, as for the other complaints, these are all things a buyer is expected to check and be satisfied with what they are buying(read the spec and see it has everything that's important) before parting with their cash.

Well said. If he had done his research and took a proper test drive a majority of these ‘issues’ would have been apparent!

The majority of issues shouldn't be there, mammoth test drive or not. My last two SUVs were better in all these respects - a VW Tiguan and an Audi Q3.

[STmichael]

I’m not saying they should not but I lot of your moaning is about the car that a test drive and research would have highlighted and are not actual faults with the car.

[Jaycee750]

You'd have to have the car on test drive for a week to pick up on all of this stuff.

[STmichael]

No you would not. I had 2 test drives before buying my car so I knew how the cruise control worked, the road noise off the tyres etc.
I feel sorry that you have issues like creaking plastics which should not be there but some of your problems are not problems and are part of the makeup of the car which due to lack of research on your behalf you are now finding.

[Jaycee750]

No you would not. I had 2 test drives before buying my car so I knew how the cruise control worked, the road noise off the tyres etc.
I feel sorry that you have issues like creaking plastics which should not be there but some of your problems are not problems and are part of the makeup of the car which due to lack of research on your behalf you are now finding.

I've never tested a car's cruise control before purchase and I'd be very surprised if anyone does. I quickly got over not having ACC and my main beef is that it doesn't keep to the set speed. It's absolutely rubbish! I set CC when going through average speed check areas or down roads with multiple speed cameras and yet I cannot rely upon the CC to keep to the set speed. It often goes 3 and sometimes even 4mph over the limit I have set which is frankly useless.

Regarding the MPG, again I am used to it now. It is however a joke that Volvo claim 41mpg yet I get late 20 to very early 30s in my usage pattern.

The seat base is overly firm and I don't understand how anyone can disagree with that but hey-ho. I didn't pick up on it after a 15 min test drive but I certainly pick up on it now.

As for the tyre noise the car I test drove did not display any. It was the top trim level and maybe had different tyres? We didn't go on any ring roads or motorways so the tyre noise didn't present itself.

My main concern now is the creaking plastic door trim.

[FMIB]

Creaking plastic is unacceptable and should be sorted under warranty, it would annoy me as well. If the cruise control is not working correctly, take it back for possible recalibration under warranty.
As for the other issues, with respect I don't see these as significant.
Take the carpets for example, having looked, it appears to be the same carpet that was fitted in 2017 when first launched, how to complain?

I am not a Volvo diehard fan, I've had 2 before, an earlier V70 2.5T and a 2022 XC90 B5, neither were class leading and both fell short in the suspension sophistication department compared to German alternatives at that time.
My XC40 choice was a last second decision, having visited the dealer to look at the XC60. In my very short test drive, I could immediately tell it drove better than my pervious Volvo's particularly in the suspension and steering. It actually drove really well, took me a bit by surprise to be honest given previous experience. It was only a tiny bit less practical than the XC60, but over £10k cheaper and having got my tape measure out I decided that the load area was a bit tight, but sufficient for me.
I checked the various trim levels, what each had as standard and what if anything could be added. I knew that a 360 camera, HK hifi and pixel headlights were a must for me, hence the Ultra choice. Having studied endless video reviews and forums, identifying issues, faults etc, even to what tyres it came with, I came to a quick decision and placed the order.

My negative thoughts, were the limited space in the footwell, could I get the perfect for me driving position that I had in my current car and rather uninspiring brakes. The new Google infotainment system, whilst having a buggy history and missing some things from the previous Sensus system, seemed to work ok. So I purchased eyes wide open.

I looked at getting a Tiguan 2.0, but I never went further when I was told its a 7 month delivery timeframe and the interior quality/design(interior and exterior) was hardly inspiring, but each to their own. However, if I spec a 2.0 Tiguan to as similar a spec to my Ultra as possible, its lists at £56k, some way over the £43k I paid for the Ultra. The 2.0 Q3 also comes out to around £50k

If the Audi Q3 and Tiguan are so much better, why buy the XC40 after your test drive?

You only live once, if not happy, trade it in for something that does, no point driving a car you are not satisfied with.

[Jaycee750]

Creaking plastic is unacceptable and should be sorted under warranty would annoy me as well. If the cruise control is not working correctly, take it back for possible recalibration under warranty.
As for the other issues, with respect I don't see these as significant.
Take the carpets for example, having looked, it appears to be the same carpet that was fitted in 2017 when first launched, how to complain?

I am not a Volvo diehard fan, I've had 2 before, an earlier V70 2.5T and a 2022 XC90 B5, neither were class leading and both fell short in the suspension sophistication department compared to German alternatives at that time.
My XC40 choice was a last second decision, having visited the dealer to look at the XC60. In my very short test drive, I could immediately tell it drove better than my pervious Volvo's particularly in the suspension and steering. It actually drove really well, took me a bit by surprise to be honest given previous experience. It was only a tiny bit less practical than the XC60, but over £10k cheaper and having got my tape measure out I decided that the load area was a bit tight, but sufficient for me.
I checked the various trim levels, what each had as standard and what if anything could be added. I knew that a 360 camera, HK hifi and pixel headlights were a must for me, hence the Ultra choice. Having studied endless video reviews and forums, identifying issues, faults etc, even to what tyres it came with, I came to a quick decision and placed the order.

My negative thoughts, were the limited space in the footwell, could I get the perfect for me driving position that I had in my current car and rather uninspiring brakes. The new Google infotainment system, whilst having a buggy history and missing some things from the previous Sensus system, seemed to work ok. So I purchased eyes wide open.

I looked at getting a Tiguan 2.0, but I never went further when I was told its a 7 month delivery timeframe and the interior quality/design(interior and exterior) was hardly inspiring, but each to their own. However, if I spec a 2.0 Tiguan to as similar a spec to my Ultra as possible, its lists at £56k, some way over the £43k I paid for the Ultra. The 2.0 Q3 also comes out to around £50k

If the Audi Q3 and Tiguan are so much better, why buy the XC40 after your test drive?

You only live once, if not happy, trade it in for something that does, no point driving a car you are not satisfied with.

Thanks for taking the time to respond. I agree with you in general. I don't hate the XC40, it looks great, is powerful and has a classy vibe to it. I do miss the ACC from my previous two VAG cars though, the mpg is lousy and the creaking plastics are annoying. I shall definitely mention the latter. I'm not sure if the CC can be recalibrated but I'lll certainly ask.