2021 Volvo XC40 towing package is AWESOME!

[MJo]

I didn’t see it in anyone’s emails and just want to add, Volvo builds their cars with the ability to tow 1800 kg (just under 4000 lbs.). I have a 2004 XC-70 and they did it then and are still doing it. FYI. Enjoy !!!

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by MJo

I didn’t see it in anyone’s emails and just want to add, Volvo builds their cars with the ability to tow 1800 kg (just under 4000 lbs.). I have a 2004 XC-70 and they did it then and are still doing it. FYI. Enjoy !!!

Mary Jo, I read nothing but happy Volvo owners towing, unless they radically overload or misload their trailers! I bet yours is an AWD?

My FWD is happy to tow 3300 lbs (according to the manual) but is only allowed 165 lbs on the tongue... IN THE US. (Which, of course, would be dangerous to do!) Internationally, they are allowed much more, hauling big boats and horse trailers, etc.

I do know of people in the US who DO tow with more weight on the tongue... and they have no issues. The only problem would be if they would be covered in an accident.

No one can explain this limitation on the tongue in the US, and my Volvo forums have attempted to get Volvo Sweden in on the conversation. I suspect it has something to do with the truck manufacturing lobby in the US!

Here is my V70... loaded pretty seriously for a regatta at Pinecrest Lake, CA. I think the V70 was only allowed 135 lbs on the tongue. I sold this car last year and bought the XC60.

[AlanKilian]

Hey, we had a V70 and replaced it with an XC-40.

We also twred with a Honda CRV and that was fantastic also.

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by AlanKilian

Hey, we had a V70 and replaced it with an XC-40.

We also twred with a Honda CRV and that was fantastic also.

Alan, if I had been exposed to more info about the tow capacity of the XC-40, I might have gone in that direction! The 60 is just a *bit* big for me. And I think your CMA platform is stronger than my SPA platform... or maybe it's just different?

[John McMillin]

I'd be very interested in a followup report, since I'm considering the XC40 as a tow car. I'd be using a new Casita 17 SD, so much heavier than your Scamp 13. I'm very comfortable towing right up to the listed tow rating- for years I pulled a stripped-down, 2000-lb Scamp 16 in Colorado with two CUVs rated at 2,000 lbs, with no apparent problems or peril (well, the Forester was slow, but the Tiguan was ideal).

Did you consider the XC60? More wheelbase, but the same engine. More rear overhang, which I think is detrimental. How are you getting along with the touchscreen controls?

[Gavin]

We've been towing our 2020 Scamp 13' with bathroom (fully loaded weight, including full Fresh tank, at 1840 lbs as determined by a weigh in at a CAT Scale) with our 2020 Volvo XC40 T5 AWD for about 2 1/2 years. The car is phenomenal in terms of handling and performance. We average over 20 MPG towing (only a 4 cyl) and have been in some very extreme environments. We once ended up on an ATV trail and I think the Volvo XC40 saved us -- see my video: https://vimeo.com/699158299 We also pulled our Scamp high up on a ledge in the Alabama Hills (https://scampgrounds.com/alabama-hil...eme-adventure/). The car has just had routine maintenance and no issues. Fantastic ride quality. I didn't consider an XC60 or XC90 because I wanted something with a shorter wheel base for offroad capability and better fuel economy.
Hope this helps.
Gavin

[MJo]

Hi all !!! So glad someone besides me is excited about the Volvo’s towing ability. I asked Volvo and some don’t know that since 2000 all Volvo’s, that’s ALL Volvos have been built with towing capacity of 4000 Lbs. and hitch weight of 385 lbs, I didn’t know that in 2020 when I drove to MN with my 2004 Volvo XC-70 with 265,000+ miles on it to pick up my 2020 Scamp 13 and bring it back to MA. I just had loved my Volvo since I picked it up in Sweden in August of 2004 with one of my sons who had purchased it for me. I drive it all over with it’s Pirelli Scorpion Verde’s and it is a great car. It came with Pirelli Scorpions on it and I’ve kept them all these 18 years that I’ve had it. I noticed when I was at a dealers last year for my XC-70’s annual checkup, that Volvo is back to PIrelli’s, at least that’s what the XC-90 in the showroom had on it. So enjoy !!! I keep telling people, but no one believes me!!!! Another thing people don’t know, Volvos are built with a transmission cooler on them, so that’s another thing not to worry about. They’re built to do what you want them to do.

[John McMillin]

I took my wife to a dealer to try on the three XCs, 40, 60 and 90. She was very impressed with them all. We agreed that the XC90 seemed like a bus, several feet longer than we needed or wanted to handle in a city. We would consider either an XC40 or 60, though. Scanning the specs, I see no real advantage with the larger XC60. It has the same size tires and brakes, and the same powertrain. The low gearing is actually a bit lower on the XC40. Some might say that the XC60's six additional inches of wheelbase provide more stability, but both have the same stability controls. Some might want the XC60's 300-400 lbs of additional weight, but that's just more total weight that the engine has to pull up every hill.

The XC 40 gets a little better mileage and is a couple thousand cheaper. Its headlights scored better in the IIHS testing than the XC60's, so I think it's our top pick so far. Our old tow car, a 2013 Tiguan, had adaptive, steerable headlights, and the difference on dark rural roads was eye-opening, truly transformative. Curiously, this feature virtually disappeared from vehicles until a recent loosening of regulations.

My reservations concern the dash tablet that controls everything, HVAC, sound, etc. It's a concept I've been resisting, and some owners find it slow and troublesome. At least it has a button to turn off the bright distractions, which I will surely do. Also, the automated safety software is always enabled to do what it pleases with the steering and brakes, so I worry about false positive alarms. Any further stories to tell, OP?

[AlanKilian]

Originally Posted by John McMillin

... the automated safety software is always enabled to do what it pleases with the steering and brakes, so I worry about false positive alarms.

You should practice disabling these features when you need to.

It's one swipe and one click so they've made it VERY easy to disable them individually.

I don't remember if they stay disabled over an engine stop/start cycle because I WANT them enabled by default and I'll disable them when I need to.

I've needed to disable the lane-keeping one time in the rain when we wanted to drive off the lane to the right-side to give us a larger gap from the oncoming traffic in the other lane. The car thought we should drive IN the lane and wanted to be helpy. Understandable.

I've also disabled the cross traffic system once in a parking lot in Boston where no one lets you back out of your spot unless you just jam yourself into the parking lot traffic and the car just would NOT let me do that without disabling this system. Understandable, but, we're in Boston, so....

Other than that, Apple Carplay seems to work well with Waze and Pandora when using a USB cable. I haven't figured out how to get my phone to play music to the car using Bluetooth, and I don't really care because I use the cable.

OH! Practice and learn how to tell the car to do things using the voice controls. Poking around trying to set temperatures, fan speeds and vent settings using the center console is a recipe for an accident. The voice controls work well once you learn the lingo.

HEY, the thing tows our 1977 13' Scamp perfectly.

[John McMillin]

Given the aging demographics of the RV community, most of the advice you hear comes from lessons learned decades ago- before cars turned into SUVs and gained weight, power and electronic safety aids. I wouldn't think twice about towing a small Scamp with your car. It should have power to spare, and it's not as small as it looks.

My previous towing experience involved a Forester and a 2000-lb Scamp 16. That combination was slow, but slow can equal safety. The most essential factor in towing safely, I believe, is avoiding attitudes of overconfidence. Then we moved up to a 2013 Tiguan. Though it had the same 2,000-lb tow rating as the Subaru, it was far more powerful and capable. Which makes me take tow ratings with a grain of salt. Why is an Audi Q5, with a body similar to the Tiguan and a little more HP from its 2.0T engine, approved for 4,400 lbs, more than twice as much? I suspect it has a lot to do with each car's marketing strategy and its position in the model lineup.

Ask for advice about tow vehicles, and 9 out of 10 will say, "Get a truck." America is chock full of underemployed trucks, so that's convenient advice for many. But I recall that the original intent of FG trailers was to be towable with everyday family vehicles, mainly cars. The safety issue gets mixed up with questions of durability, and both are hard to evaluate. My worst towing experience was a blown engine caused by a radiator fan that exploded on a mountain grade. What lesson should I take from that? I imagine that same supplier's fan might be present in any other vehicle, even a truck "Built Ford tough." As for the safety issue, despite the hand-wringing presented here, I've yet to hear of a single on-the-road accident that caused serious injury or damage on this forum.

Tell me, what made you choose the XC 40 over the XC 60? I'm leaning that way myself. At 10 inches shorter, it would be easier to handle in the city, and it has the same tire and brake size as its bigger brother.

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by John McMillin

...Which makes me take tow ratings with a grain of salt. Why is an Audi Q5, with a body similar to the Tiguan and a little more HP from its 2.0T engine, approved for 4,400 lbs, more than twice as much? I suspect it has a lot to do with each car's marketing strategy and its position in the model lineup.

It may also have something to do with the Audi's "platform." Although the XC40 is a "smaller" vehicle, its tow capacity and hitch weight is higher than the XC60 because it is built on the new CMA platform (since 2019).

As far as marketing strategy, we won't find a diesel XC60 in the US with a manual shift. These have a much higher tow capacity, and I suspect that threatens the US truck industry.

[John McMillin]

Originally Posted by EllPea in CA

It may also have something to do with the Audi's "platform." Although the XC40 is a "smaller" vehicle, its tow capacity and hitch weight is higher than the XC60 because it is built on the new CMA platform (since 2019).

As far as marketing strategy, we won't find a diesel XC60 in the US with a manual shift. These have a much higher tow capacity, and I suspect that threatens the US truck industry.

Where did you find this? Edmunds and other sources I've seen peg both XC40 and 60 tow ratings at 3500 pounds and the stock hitch at 350 pounds of tongue weight. (Those stats are somewhat contradictory, since 350 pounds is the bare 10% minimum of tongue required for that weight of trailer.)

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by John McMillin

Where did you find this? Edmunds and other sources I've seen peg both XC40 and 60 tow ratings at 3500 pounds and the stock hitch at 350 pounds of tongue weight. (Those stats are somewhat contradictory, since 350 pounds is the bare 10% minimum of tongue required for that weight of trailer.)

All I can tell you is that according to my owner's manual (2017 XC60 Inscription T5), I can tow a 3,300 lb trailer with brakes on a 2" ball, but it can only have 165 lbs on the hitch. Which is very contradictory on its face, because that load will be completely out of balance. Obviously I was completely flummoxed when I discovered this, having planned to upgrade to a larger trailer. As it is, I'm sticking with my LB13.5 and watching tongue weight carefully.

Acquaintances on the XC60 group have queried Volvo International and have not received a satisfactory answer.

[John McMillin]

Originally Posted by EllPea in CA

All I can tell you is that according to my owner's manual (2017 XC60 Inscription T5), I can tow a 3,300 lb trailer with brakes on a 2" ball, but it can only have 165 lbs on the hitch. Which is very contradictory on its face, because that load will be completely out of balance. Obviously I was completely flummoxed when I discovered this, having planned to upgrade to a larger trailer. As it is, I'm sticking with my LB13.5 and watching tongue weight carefully.

Acquaintances on the XC60 group have queried Volvo International and have not received a satisfactory answer.

According to this dealer's website, the 2017 saw an unexplained big dip in towing capacity, which was restored the following year. This graph suggests that a smaller hitch ball was available this year, and that cut the weights in half! If so, that's an easy five-minute fix to replace it with a 2" ball. The factory hitch does look rather dainty to me, and it's just rated Class ll. My towing shop tells me that Class lll hitches are available for all model years of the XC60 and 40. Check etrailer.com.

https://www.grubbsvolvocars.com/volv...g-capacity.htm

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by John McMillin

According to this dealer's website, the 2017 saw an unexplained big dip in towing capacity, which was restored the following year. The factory hitch does look rather dainty to me, and it's just rated Class ll. My towing shop tells me that Class lll hitches are available for all model years of the XC60 and 40. Check etrailer.com.

I had the factory hitch installed with all of the accompanying software. The hitch itself is rated for 3500 pounds. My independent Volvo guy installed it, and said that thing would "tow the moon."

Thanks for that link... that's a detail I've never seen and it makes no sense. If I'd had the sense to find a 2016, I could really "tow the moon." I wish Volvo would come clean with an explanation!

[John McMillin]

Originally Posted by EllPea in CA

I had the factory hitch installed with all of the accompanying software. The hitch itself is rated for 3500 pounds. My independent Volvo guy installed it, and said that thing would "tow the moon."

Then if yours has the 2" ball, there's no apparent reason why it wouldn't have the full rating of other model years.

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by John McMillin

Then if yours has the 2" ball, there's no apparent reason why it wouldn't have the full rating of other model years.

EXACTLY. Color me mystified and frustrated, and suffering bigger Bigfoot envy.

[AlanKilian]

Originally Posted by John McMillin

Tell me, what made you choose the XC 40 over the XC 60?

I chose the XC-40 because it's on the new CMA platform which is supposedly the way Volvo is going into the future with its SUV-sized vehicles.

Also, when I researched vehicles, I thought the XC-60 had a lower tow capacity than the XC-40 did, but now that I look again, I see they are rated the same, so I don't know what changed to increase the towing capacity of the XC-60.

I also like that the XC-40 is 10 inches shorter than the XC-60 so parking is a breeze in cramped Cambridge.

Better mileage also was a boost.

Price was the final factor.

[John McMillin]

That's an outfit in Toronto that specializes in outfitting cars and SUVs to pull travel trailers, up to and including Airstreams. They work to match specific hitches to cars, suggesting modifications when necessary, and the fellow I spoke with were very generous with free advice, including:

-"The color of the tow car is more significant than the tow rating." Those ratings are purely market-driven, he said. Towing even my 16 Scamp Deluxe at 3,000 pounds would be easy for a Volvo XC, he said.

- A WDH should be used, and is safe for a unibody vehicle. The Europeans outlawed WDH years ago to keep US trailers out of their home market, so the manufacturers advise against them worldwide.

- "A Scamp is very areodynamic, that's the most important thing. Towing it is child's play."

Overall, it was a big relief to speak with Can-Am. Their knowledgeable, can-do attitude is the opposite of the FUDdites who offer fear, uncertainty and doubt about towing with anything but a jumbo pickup. "Some people just want a truck, and their trailer justifies that. So they say everybody should do the same," he said.

[John McMillin]

Nobody's suggesting trying to tow some absurd combination of car and trailer chosen without care. Can-Am has a long list of factors they consider with any combination. How is the hitch attached to the vehicle. What is the ratio of wheelbase to rear overhang, measured at the hitch ball (very important, they say). How aerodynamic is the trailer? No single number sums up all that information.

Searching for a new tow vehicle, I see oddities galore in tow ratings.
- A Mazda CX5 is rated for just 2,000lbs, but add a turbo and it joins the 3,500-pound category. That's a big increase that's obviously not safety related.
- Only one model of the many Rav 4 variations is rated for 3,500 lbs, with the same engine as the others. Why?
- The Subaru Ascent is rated at 5,000 lbs with a NA engine and a CVT. Really?
- The Audi Q5 and BMW X3 are rated for 4,400 lbs. That's well above the 3,500 rating of the Volvo XC60 and the Mercedes GLC 300, though they're the same size, power, and engine and transmission type.

Does that make any sense to you? Me neither. I find no reason any of these cars would be safer towing than the others.