I'm in the market for a nice AWD sedan and I took a new 2017 S60 T5 Inscription for a 24hour test home.

Is it normal for it to act like this ? :
Over 40MPH or so, at par throttle (under 1/2 gas/pedal) when accelerating, it feels like it is still in the longest gear locked up fully and accelerating pretty slowly. Even up a small but long incline. I have to give it more than 50% throttle to have it kick down and accelerate, then wait for the boost to build unless I floor it.

On the highway home with traffic doing around 50MPH, this was horribly annoying. Kind of what my old V8 corvette was doing back in the day locking up in top gear, but that was a v8 and it could actually accelerate in that gear. This little 4cyl can not build enough boost up to accelerate enough IMO unless it kicks down.

This is solved when I put it into 'S' mode, but I don't want to drive the car in 'S' mode all day every day as the gas mileage is quite worse with it.

Is this how all the new ones act? Maybe an issue with the programming of the 8-speed tranny?

I wonder if the 2014 or 2015 models with the 6speeds and the 5cyl turbo engines would be better. I drive a lot on the highway so this would ruin the 'fun-ness' of the car for me, which is sad, because I can get a lease right now form volvo at a bargain and love the large room inside and the features..

Thanks upfront.