u/hbv_9

Hey everyone, wanted to share feedback from a road trip I just completed in my EV5.

Route: Ottawa → Fredericton → Moncton → Halifax → Cape Breton Island → Ottawa
Total distance: 4,160 km
Efficiency: 19.8 kWh/100km average

Charging Infrastructure
Zero issues overall. I charged to 80% each time and stopped roughly every 250 to 300 km, since I wasn’t charging fully and kept the minimum arrival buffer at 20%. Max charging speed hit 155 kW, averaging around 90 kW. Each stop took about 20 to 25 minutes, perfect for a quick coffee break. Cost varied by provider but averaged around $0.50/kWh.

Get the CCS adapter. I originally planned to rely on Tesla Superchargers, but the very first one I tried failed. Right next to it was an Electric Circuit charger that worked great, so I used that network for the rest of the trip and never bothered looking for Tesla Superchargers again.

Efficiency Notes
At a steady 110 to 120 km/h, efficiency sat around 22 to 24 kWh/100km. In traffic or under 100 km/h, it improved noticeably to 18 to 19 kWh/100km. Wind had a real impact on efficiency too.

Navigation
Tried ABRP and wasn’t impressed, found it inaccurate. Switched to Kia’s built in route planner and was pleasantly surprised. The UI looks like it’s from the early 2000s, but the planning itself was excellent. It correctly factored in vehicle efficiency for charging stop suggestions and I used it for the entire trip.

Comfort
Great comfort for a vehicle under 50k CAD. No exhaustion after long stretches. With just two of us and one bag, we reclined the back seats and turned it into a bed for resting. Heavy winds did push the vehicle around within the lane a bit, but only in strong gusts.

Overall: Would absolutely do it again. Just plan your charging stops in advance and you’re set.

Long-time Volvo guy here. I’ve had my 2022 XC60 for a while now and honestly the driving experience is genuinely great. Incredibly smooth ride, whisper quiet at highway speeds, and the cabin just feels planted and refined. But everything else is driving me nuts. The infotainment feels like it’s from a different era, and between the premium fuel requirement and general maintenance costs, I’m burning through around $130/week in gas alone. It’s getting hard to justify.
Did a test drive of the Model Y Standard (RWD) today in Ontario. Overall really positive. The acceleration is fun, the driving experience was solid, and I love the simplicity of the interior. But I did miss two things coming from the Volvo: the sound system quality and the high speed noise isolation. The XC60 is almost eerie how quiet it gets on the highway, and the Harman Kardon setup spoiled me.
My dilemma: I’d love the Premium trim for exactly those reasons (better audio, more sound dampening) but after EVAP it’s still $20k more than Standard. That’s really hard to justify for essentially a better stereo and quieter ride.
On the flip side, no more premium fuel, no more $130 gas weeks, and I’m done with dealers.
For those who made a similar switch from a luxury ICE car: did the Standard feel underwhelming long term on the highway noise front? And is the audio gap from Premium really that noticeable day to day?
Not sure if I should pull the trigger. Appreciate any thoughts.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​