The phantom break thing is irritating, but it's probably due to the emergency braking system, which saves lives in its own way. Does the Volvo have a similar system?
Yes, I believe they were one of the first companies to have that feature. It was on my previous XC60 too, which was my primary car. I never experienced one case of phantom breaking on the highway, while I don’t drive a lot I believe 4-5 years of driving XC60’s has given me a good feel for their system.