Our Volvo EX30 Is an Absolute Tech Nightmare
Posted by Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 90 comments
Ironic that I'll complain about this stuff given my flair. but even my P2 isn't quite this bad. What I want to know is if/when we will reach critical mass and the general public's pendulum will actually start to swing the other way.
Because it hasn't happened yet. And outside of this sub and Autopian, nobody seems to care much. What I want is a luxury push for buttons; maybe they'll be "ultra tactile" with "premium actuation."
Until then, cars will keep looking like paying on an iPad at a pop-up Asian fusion place with shitty $18 cocktails.
PandaApprehensive131@reddit
I agree that the iPad like main touch screen in new Volvos and Polestar SUV's isn't my favorite aesthetic and am sad to see this in the new EX60 EV forthcoming from Volvo. I'm hoping they get the message for the US market in time to make the 2027 EX40 EV an iPadless conveyance.
PandaApprehensive131@reddit
Edmunds has lost all respectability in my opinion. It's latest Best EV's Reddit ad is backwards af. They seem to have forgotten how bad Tesla's build quality is and the fact that they are death traps for rear seat passengers.
DM725@reddit
At the risk of being dog piled, I actually like ours 25 Twin Motor Plus (and it got better with the latest update from last week 1.8). At MSRP it's nuts but for my out of pocket/lease payments + residual it's a pretty sweet run around/commuter for under $35k USD.
It should have came with a HUD and the ability to defeat lane keep assist and have that persist (it's pretty sketchy) but other than that my gripes are minimal.
dangparker@reddit
Ditto to this. Just picked up a '26 Twin Ultra. Couldn't be happier. I actually find the Google interface intuitive and easy to use.
Test drove a Kia EV6 and my lord! Buttons everywhere and had no idea how to find things! 1000 buttons are not always the answer...
DM725@reddit
As the weather has gotten warmer my newest gripe is trying to roll down the rear windows. The sensitivity on tapping "Rear" is wonky and in direct sunlight you can't even tell if it's illuminated. It's easier to reach around behind the arm rest and just use the buttons designed for the back seat.
Aromatic_Fail_1722@reddit
Can confirm. Had a press EX30 last year which I took on a work visit to Munich, an 8 hour drive. Absolute nightmare, not just the lack of buttons and everything hidden deep inside the menu, but the suicidal drive assist as well. Not to mention: the ridiculous safety shit. Closed your eyes? Bing bong. Driving 2kmh above the speed limit? Bing bong. Looked at the screen for 2 seconds? Bing bong. I wouldn't drive this POS if I got it for free.
dangparker@reddit
Just rented a Mercedes SUV in London last week. Same bing-bong at the speed limit and when glancing over at the screen.
I think it's a law over on that side of the pond
doktormane@reddit
The problem is that the annoying driver safety/assistance feature that keep beeping are mandated by EU law. You can sometimes turn them off but they turn themselves back on when you restart the car. I rented a T-Roc and had the same experience with the "safety features". I was driving on the motorway but the car would occasionally think the speed limit was 50 and would start beeping.
DM725@reddit
The lane keep assist is insanely aggressive and wants to kill you. I can definitely agree with that. They need to let owners turn it off and save the setting in regions where it's not mandatory to be on by default.
halo364@reddit
"That invariably triggers the overly sensitive driver monitor camera. It sits atop the steering column, watching your face to make sure you're looking at the road. And boy, is it ever strict, throwing an alert at the slightest glance away from the road. When you need to fiddle with the touchscreen, you'll get an alert. Even glancing at my watch got an alert. Most absurd, when holding a long turn on a curvy road, the system alerts you to watch the road because the camera is blocked by the steering wheel. I mean, come on."
This might be the worst "driver safety" feature I've ever heard of. Like what in the absolute fuck were they thinking?
FastMenu424@reddit
reading that, i wondered if they had tested it at all.
SophistXIII@reddit
It's actually really simple.
Vote with your wallet. Don't buy this crap.
Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir@reddit (OP)
I bought used ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
terran1212@reddit
What’s been up with your polestar?
Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir@reddit (OP)
It's mostly fine, sometimes the infotainment takes like 15 seconds to turn on
epicepee@reddit
How much range do you get in practice?
Have you ever tried to fit a bike in the trunk?
(I've been eyeing these used...)
Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir@reddit (OP)
Around 220 miles, but MUCH less in the cold snap we had in VA. I don't have a charger at home, so if my partner didn't have an HEV, I would've stayed with ICE. Haven't tried fitting a bike in the trunk, but it certainly seems doable.
terran1212@reddit
Thanks. I’m considering getting one as my next ev
Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir@reddit (OP)
I knew the downsides, but for $19.9K and 400 horsepower AWD, i couldn't say no
terran1212@reddit
Your downsides don’t seem so bad in comparison to
some_guy_on_drugs@reddit
if it helps, I have a launch edition and the infotainment hasn't given me any trouble. I still get the backup camera unavailable on occasion.
agod2486@reddit
P2 gang! I did the same and have been enjoying it for what it is.
Averageinternetdoge@reddit
The thing is, does anyone make a nice comfy sound-insulated car without all the unnecessary luxury tech?
Like, I'm sure you could buy a dacia sandero but I have a feeling that it's going to be as comfy and silent as 90ies ford escort.
skepticaljesus@reddit
What constitutes luxury tech?
Averageinternetdoge@reddit
All the ipad-nonsense, internet, entertainment etc.
Personally I think circa 2005 cars were "complete". They had traction control, stabilization, abs, heated windows etc which actually are useful in a car and pretty much failproof too. After that car makers have been just fiddling and creating unnecessary complexity with their soft touch door closing systems and self-driving assistants.
astrograph@reddit
Really love how the xc60 looks like but..
Prestigious_Clue_891@reddit
It's so sad that Volvo, a byword for functional aesthethics, has embraced Chinese "let's put everything on a screen" design philosophy.
Jaiden051@reddit
Didn't Volvo put everything on a screen in 2014 when the 2nd gen XC90 came out?
Prestigious_Clue_891@reddit
Yes, and Geely bought Volvo in 2010.
Jaiden051@reddit
And weren't Chinese cars in 2014 pretty normal, with button everywhere? I don't like the all screen thing and agree that Chinese car culture has influenced all manufacturers but Volvo going screen only is a Swedish thing.
V8-Turbo-Hybrid@reddit
Yes, it was, but it’s changing when Tesla builds cars in there. They think Tesla style is a way.
Impressive-Potato@reddit
They are going back to buttons and switches as well as real door handles.
molrobocop@reddit
I wonder if China has evolved past mega-grille cars yet.
Kornaros@reddit
Nope
Ecobay25@reddit
Damn it was 2014 wasn't it? Serious question does any manufacturer have a slower redesign cycle?
plastic-superhero@reddit
Ah yes, as pioneered by the great Chinese manufacturer Tesla
Head_Crash@reddit
...and Tesla just copied Apple.
crozone@reddit
Mmm Apple the famous car manufacturer
sri_peeta@reddit
Are you seriously griping that Apple did not put a physical keypad to the iphone?
borisdidnothingwrong@reddit
I miss phones like the Motorola Droid 2 that had a full keyboard.
I can use swype typing pretty well, but ducking autocorrect causes me to spend more time editing than typing sometimes, which wasn't an issue with my physical keyboard.
FiveAlarmDogParty@reddit
There is a company now selling MagSafe battery packs that attach to the back of your iPhone for added battery that also double as a classic slide down keyboard with actual buttons. I’ve debated buying it myself for the lolz but it’s still pre release. I think it’s called the click power keys or something
Grouchy-Spend-8909@reddit
Tbf IPhone's keyboard and especially autocorrect are pretty bad. Even more so if you switch between languages often, it just gets confused.
Sweaty-Use-6860@reddit
How is stating that Tesla has similar design language to Apple a gripe about keyboard placement?
hoopercuber@reddit
what’s similar about their design language though
Sweaty-Use-6860@reddit
Literally their entire UI
hoopercuber@reddit
their UI looking similar is different than the user experience which is what this whole comment thread is talking about when referring to putting all the controls on the screen
Sweaty-Use-6860@reddit
Point to me in THIS thread where anybody is talking about user experience, and is NOT talking about the inspiration of a concept
hoopercuber@reddit
i’m talking about this comment thread. the original comment is about how it’s bad design to put everything in the screen which is fundamentally user experience
Sweaty-Use-6860@reddit
Yes the original comment is there, respond to that and not the people talking about the design’s inspiration. You literally responded to me, when I was asking a question about the previous guy’s response, with an unrelated question.
hoopercuber@reddit
that’s my bad. i assumed you were on the side of tesla copying apple although you do confirm that teslas UI is inspired by apple which i don’t agree with
xrelaht@reddit
Ah, yes: the infamous Apple car.
penutk@reddit
Have you seen Johnny Ive's interior car design for ferrari? It's amazing. He also pretty much said we made the iPhone touchscreen to solve a phone problem. But that doesn't translate to cars, you need buttons.
electromage@reddit
Is that surprising from a Chinese company?
tsar73@reddit
It’s been this bad since at least the current XC90.
InvasionOfScipio@reddit
The Chinese Zeekr version of this car actually has a drivers dash. Volvo are the idiots that removed it.
Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir@reddit (OP)
What's the model name?
Trades46@reddit
Zeekr X.
jdmb0y@reddit
Yes all bad decision China. China bad!!1
V8-Turbo-Hybrid@reddit
Good news is that their govt able to control their customers and automakers bad tastes, they’re going to ban electric door handle.
Head_Crash@reddit
You mean Steve Jobs' let's put everything on a screen design philosophy.
Low-Umpire236@reddit
I don’t understand why they have to reinvent controls rather than making electronic ones similar to mechanical conventions we are familiar with.
WyrdHarper@reddit
Yeah, some of the things highlighted in the article are bizarre (like only having two window buttons, but having a third switch that toggles between front and back windows. Surely 3 vs 4 switches cannot be that much of a cost savings), or not having a parking brake button and tapping the brake to turn off the parking brake (which seems unintuitive to me).
Also quite a few places where buttons would make more sense because (as highlighted in this article) driver attention systems ding at you for interacting with the touch screen. In my C30, everything I need to control on my daily drive is controlled by 4 knobs spaced far apart, such that the driver can easily select the one needed without taking their eyes off the road.
freakinidiotatwork@reddit
Window motors are a relatively large power draw. The lights would dim on my NB Miata when I used both window switches. My guess is that moving all 4 windows would pop a fuse or pull too much power from a system on the same circuit so they lock you out from that.
ConfusedTapeworm@reddit
I question the sanity of whoever thought of that. That is one idea that should not even have been proposed.
I am actually okay with that one, after having driven a few different cars that have that same functionality. I have found that it is actually possible to live just fine without ever touching the parking brake button. The car automatically engages it when you put it in P, and it automatically disengages it when you put it in D and put on your seatbelt and press on the gas. Works pretty well in my opinion. Pretty easy to get used to too.
Head_Crash@reddit
It's cheaper to make. That's why.
doktormane@reddit
And you can lock features behind monthly subscriptions. They're already doing it with heated seats but they could also do it with AC. Standard AC is free but if you want actual climate control you have to pay a subscription.
some_guy_on_drugs@reddit
does the xc40recharge suffer from these failures as well. I was really looking into one but I haven't heard anything about the driver safety monitor issues the 30 seems to be hated for.
costafilh0@reddit
They took what should be a simpler machine, and made it even more complex than ICE cars.
dvorakenthusiast@reddit
Which is saying something, considering that up until 2022 the PHEV was a turbosupercharged 2L FWD married to an all-electric rear end to create a frankenAWD.
s3cf_@reddit
volvo.....😏
soiboughtafarm@reddit
Regarding your flair, the P2 is actually kinda the sweet spot. Sure its missing HVAC buttons but otherwise it actually has mostly conventional controls. If we ever get the processor upgrade here in the states it should fix most of the glitches and it would be close to perfect. If Polestar/Volvo kept that philosophy it would be so much better.
Thomas_633_Mk2@reddit
I do know someone actively saving for an EX30, probably lightly used. But the only reasons they're interested are:
every cheaper EV in this size has a piss interior (MG, BYD) or a rear end designed by top engineers to take up as much space as possible while offering zero practicality (GWM)
the 23-25s come in bright yellow
it's about the smallest thing that can fit any reasonable number of potential G R A N D C H I L D R E N (good job Volvo, it actually is pretty practical)
cat_prophecy@reddit
The EX30 has definitely tempered my views in Volvo.
I'd like my next car to be electric. The rest of their electric lineup is too expensive, and the EX30 is...well...yeah.
I liked the C40. But the range was pathetic.
ThatsnotaVol-VO@reddit
We are about to get a 2024 CPO Polestar 2 long range single motor for like half its original MSRP. 320 miles of range and I’ve heard it can actually exceed that in daily use, plus 300 hp in RWD. Basically the best electric “Volvo” you could get right now IMO.
bwoah_gimmethedrink@reddit
Volvo has been treating their customers as beta testers for a while now. I would understand one problematic launch with the EX90, not when it's several models.
Senior-Damage-5145@reddit
Oh well, looking hopefully the BMW iX3 does better. I’m cautiously optimistic.
Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir@reddit (OP)
It's not a good looking car though
Wizard-In-Disguise@reddit
"Your car's got actual switches? The luxury!"
pcgz1wa@reddit
Wow- Brazil taking notes from Bollywood!
FledglingNonCon@reddit
I experienced the automotive equivalent of the blue screen of death in the EX30 I rented for a week in Europe in 2024. There wasn't even an off button to restart the car. I had to get out and walk half a block away with the key for it to actually shut down so I could restart it.
Software defined vehicles are still the future, because of all the cost and operational advantages they provide, but the growing pains as companies figure their shit out are going to be quite rough.
CashKeyboard@reddit
Carmakers really are a special bunch when it comes to software. We have highly dependable software all around us in systems which oftentimes are even more complex than a car. It works, for decades. It really is beyond me how it seems to be near impossible for legacy automakers to create software that just works. I mean computers are deterministic by nature, making them non deterministic by having them spazz out frequently requires effort.
elleeott@reddit
I have the xc60, and it's a great car aside from the stupid screen and the terrible software. It's buggy, and crashes frequently.
CashKeyboard@reddit
If your car crashes frequently you really need to pay more attention to the road I'm afraid.
mgobla@reddit
They only do it bc people buy it. If people dont't buy it they will stop.
alien_farmer1@reddit
Geely era Volvo is the most trash of all times. EX30 have shitty user interface. New Volvos are basically cars with IPad. It is sad to see how Volvo drastically become worse about interior design.
What makes me sad about it that, people somehow still buy this shit ass design. And it is not cheap. Funny how much they cut the cost via tablet screen( even removed the dashboard) yet car price is still at premium and people are buying it. You pay 10x to get 1x. Even the budget brands have hundred times better interior design.
V8-Turbo-Hybrid@reddit
Yea, I would rather see Volvo death just like Saab.
Free_Range_Gamer@reddit
Please click this article and scroll down to read the car wash story. That bit was funny (while also providing the point of how far gone these cars are now).
dinkygoat@reddit
I've been a long time Volvo fan and was kinda looking forward to my next car maybe being a Volvo/Polestar EV. We know that since Volvo killed the glorious white block and introduced the Drive-E garbage, they haven't had a single reliable engine in the last decade - so surely their EVs (even if the tech is Chinese....China is good at EVs) would have finally been what makes for a reliable Volvo ownership experience. Especially with Google handling most of the software - Android is pretty good these days, it's not 2007 anymore.
But if it's not this, it's that, and Volvo's EVs have been just as cursed (so far). This also makes me press X to Doubt on all other Geely platform mates - be it Geely branded, Zeekr, Smart...
julientje@reddit
Our neighbours down the street returned their ex30 after having one issue after the other. Car spent more time in the garage than on the street.
rkartzinel@reddit
What a mess.