July feels like forever ago when these came out but October is here now and I've dedicated my dining table to B&BW for my Halloween decorations!
Excited to see some of your favorite candles and how you have them set up for the season. Share away!
I won't cherry pick strengths and weaknesses across the roster in comparison to DH but what do you think is the rationale behind how mid this character's tuning is?
I understand the incredible advantage of two frame-one abilities but those are balanced very reasonably:
Can can hurt you if used to escape and it's stale throughout the fight
Clay Pigeon has an incredibly punishable end lag and has to be used with consideration
It seems you have to put in like 120% to get 90% results and sure there's a discussion of skill since the ceiling is quite high on this character (and what I love and find to be fun) it's just a little tilting when you have almost any other character with supercharged tilts and meanwhile you're trying 2..3.. sometime 4 times to get that kill and it's only a matter of time for your opponent to send you out.
I know this topic has been brought up a few times throughout the years but as meta changes and people explore more of the less-popular characters opinions and perspectives change.
Would love to hear your thoughts.
My take: playing the character pretty extensively I feel like it needs just one or two abilities adjusted. Up air is decent but it could be a better finisher. Maybe somewhere between where it's at and Byleth. And DH's lousy spike should be rewarded handsomely if you're taking the risk off stage given DH's recovery.
Or just a kill grab where you bury the player at higher percentages (I.e. Banjo) - he is a dog after all.
Hey all 👋 within the door frame of my EX30 the weather stripping isn't snug (or is too snug) to where when driving on rough roads (not potholes, just old rough roads) causes a pretty consistent buzzing. Here's what I've found:
After a circular on ramp it is almost always present. My assumption is the car flexes as do the doors.
If I gently press against or pull the door it stops the buzzing. This tells me it's the weather strip or some seal that isn't perfect with the vibration causing buzzing
It happens on 3 of the 4 doors
I had a loaner also a '26 EX30 and it had the same exact issue
I'm going to try some silicone lubricant on the weather strips around the door and frame and see if that helps. If not I'll need to go through the daunting service department because cars know when you're taking them in and they hide these problems 😅
Anyone else experiencing something similar?
Main Street Bakery is my number one. Let's keep it real nothing else holds a candle. However some of these other scents are really trying to take the throne!
Brown Butter Cinnamon Roll...ROLLED in and said not only am I tasty and delightful but I have a party trick. I love how it melts a different color!
What's your current favorite gourmand scent? 🤩
To me it smells like what those soda-shaped gummies taste like, I'm really loving this! And while the lid is no Spooky Popcorn, it does have a cool texture to it and I'll definitely be keeping it and reusing it for other candles.
I don't know how you define "fun" but to me this is a fun scent that's sweet and refreshing. Definitely recommend!
I've been living under a rock. So I picked up this candle warmer a couple of days ago and I love the warmth it adds (the glow) but also no open flame and no smokey smell, I love it so much. My fav. candle (Main Street Bakery) is also on display, my house literally smells like a bakery. It's the little things in life y'all 🥲
Interior: A
I think the interior is absolute perfection in terms of design. I really do like the minimalist choices down to the omission of switches. I would only ask for simply a physical volume knob as a centerpiece. You see this in the EX60 and it is done correctly. I think my Polestar 2 seats were more sporty which I liked whereas the EX30's seats are a little more marshmallowy and accommodating which is ultimately better for longer drives. Where I've found most impressive about the EX30's interior is the space. I don't know if it's perception of space of the empty space between driver and passenger, or if the car dimensionally is wider but this vehicle absolutely feels larger and more spacious than the PS2 and I'm almost certain it's a smaller vehicle overall. Well done Volvo! Oh, I should note after 3 months of ownership I don't particularly care for the faux seating material. It has fine texture which makes cleaning paw prints particularly difficult. It also feels a little too rubbery. BMW/Mini does the fake leather really nicely so it's possible.
Exterior: B-
I happen to think it's a really sharp design and I think its overall small dimensions almost even lend to a 'sporty-ish' look. I think the amount of plastic cladding around the vehicle is excessive, particularly how it is implemented in tiers in the rear. But this is fairly common in EV's as the painted area higher up gives the illusion of a slimmer profile and some of the rear design of the cladding is likely for aero purposes. Still, it's a bit too much in proportion. Headlights look bada**. Also I have a US spec EX30 and I would say my biggest disappointment is a very frivolous one, in fact it's one I see many of you prefer for comfort and range but the wheel design of these 19's are my least favorite part of this vehicle. I just dislike it so much and I will die on this hill. I would have liked the option, that's all.
Performance: A+
It goes and stops really really really well.
Handling: C+
I'm not a race car enthusiast and so my grade on this isn't because the EX30 isn't a track ready champion. In real world driving I think it lacks the kind of agility I typically look for. It's just those rare instances where you have to make a sudden maneuver, sharp turn and go, or react to another vehicle - that you realize the power doesn't match the handling, and it's quite far off. I just wish everything was just a little 'tighter' - especially the steering.
Range: A-
I don't know how an "A-" will resonate with you, but for me given the price and advertised range I have been incredibly incredibly impressed. Which is funny because I always found the Polestar 2 to be mostly unimpressive with it's '270' advertised range or whatever it was. I commute from Sacramento to South San Francisco on occasion and on 100% charge I come home with about 23-25% battery in the EX30 whereas the Polestar 2 would bring me home with 8-10%. The EX30 loses a little bit of points because for 26 they didn't add the NACS port and so I can see this as a con a few years down the line in terms of maybe resale or whatever. Right now it's not an issue at all, especially with a charger at home. Yeah in the range department the EX30 works hard. Maybe it's those modest but ugly 19' wheels and tires that I hate so much that are the ones working so hard here. I should be a little more grateful.
Quality: A+
Time will tell on this but first impression it's such a well put together vehicle. My driver window does descend faster than my passenger window and I still don't know if this is a defect or a deliberate design choice. And I hear buzzing (sounds like a fly stuck in a window) from the front passenger and rear passenger door after an onramp. I think the frame of the vehicle flexes a bit and the rubber trimming doesn't sit perfectly against the metal causing the vibrations and I can reproduce it 100% just haven't taken it in. My OCD is pretty peaceful when it knows it has control and power over an issue. But overall the EX30 feels premium - I don't know what luxury is anymore these days under $100,000.
I guess I can add the sound system in here. It's both REALLY good and REALLY bad. I've never experienced this in a car. Do the audio settings change when you roll the window down any amount? It looses oomph and I can't tell if it's the system doing this intentionally or if the windows bounce audio and even slightly opening the windows messes with the acoustics. If you're an audiophile there are settings in there you can adjust and maybe get it right. For the enthusiast, I think you'll mostly enjoy it as I do but sometimes and some songs just sound off. This could be a me-thing maybe I need to dig into the settings more.
Wish List & Final Thoughts:
With the EX30 discontinued in the US, for me anyway, this really is a wishful list but I think overall I would have loved a 'Polestar' edition of the EX30. For what I like in a vehicle, it would have taken all of the best elements of the EX30 and dialed up the driving dynamics just a bit. Options are always good. It's a shame economics played such a part in this car's journey in the US.
But overall I really think as-is the EX30 doesn't disappoint, in fact in impresses. It's very comfortable, spacious given its dimensions, very performant in a straight line and enough of the premium goods to remind you it's a product of a "luxury" brand. And as a Pixel user, Android Automotive is a major highlight and it continues to get better with features and reliability - hopefully that digital key is next on the list!
Slight OCD question — but it seems my driver window operates faster than the other windows. Curious if this was by design for convenience or something to keep an eye on in the future.