So I’m not new to the Volvo family, having owned a CPO 2011 S60 T6 for the past uh, 11 years. Love it, esp some of the things I can’t have in my upcoming 2025:
- Wood trim
- Beechwood leather!
- A metallic red paint!
So I started this thread to discuss the finer details of Core models, as there’s precious little out there – all youtubers review the Ultimate and many are the Black Edition these days. Well here in Canada, you can get EV rebates on all models except the Polestar Engineered, but the Core is a true value at $55k minus $7k rebate in my province.
So I’m hoping this thread helps others in my boat.
– Leatherette. I think I won’t hate it, it felt pretty good for fake leather, and certainly many steps above BMW leatherette (so rough) and Toyota SenTec (or whatever they call it…it’s vinyl ok??)
– Base audio. People rave about the B&W but in my price category, if I’m not an audiophile, how decent is it? For reference, I think the base stereo in my 2011 T6 is a really good base stereo (non-branded).
– 18” wheels. I’ve literally never seen the wheels that come on Cores in real life. The B5 Cores at dealerships are not the same.
– Tires. Do the 18” also have the Pirelli P Zero All Seasons? I’ll note years ago I had P Zero All Season Pluses, so if this OEM version is not “Plus”, then it’s a 10 yr old design! No wonder the tire reviews are pretty average…
– 235/45/18 seems pretty meh for a 4500 lb car with 455hp. I did a bunch of research, seems that 245/45/18 are only 0.3” diameter larger so I’m going to put those on (CrossClimate 2) so I don’t have to buy extra wheels right now. 235/45/18 is the same size as base Tesla Model 3.
– The center console I think from my research will be the same as the Plus and Ultimate because there’s only one design for Recharges…it has no upper sliding door, and padding on the left side (leading to a differently shaped arm rest lid).
– The online configurator is not clear but it seems to come with the same remote key fob as the Plus? They are tricky and try to imply in the configurator that the Core has a lesser key. I’m hoping for 4 doors of Proxi remote, right?
– The non folding rear headrests – does that get in the way of folding the rear seats? Inquiring minds want to know!
– Is there much difference between “mid-level interior illumination” and “high level”? The configurator isn’t clear.
– The Core is a pretty well equipped base model, with the active bending LED headlights, memory power driver seat, pano roof, etc.