New Owner of

[mschenk]

I am a new owner of a 2010 XC70. I have logged about 2800 miles, and I find it just amazing. I previously owned a 1999 V70 which I also purchased new. The V70 was a great car for the 11 years that I owned it, with okay performance, very good fuel mileage, very comfortable, and very reliable. In 11 years, I had one incident with the ignition key but it was repaired easily.
Enough of the V70. Having been a Volvo owner, the XC70 has a very familiar feel. The extra power, 235 horsepower is a nice addition, but the poor fuel mileage is not. I live in New York and with our recent blizzard, I got a chance to see what it can do in the snow. Just amazing. This vehicle is so sure footed in the snow. It is a pleasure to drive. I like the idea of being able to put the car in motion by using the shift lever to start out in second or third gear to avoid high torque to the wheels. The overall level of comfort is very good and the ease of use is also good. Tilting mirrors are a great aid when parallel parking here in the City.
I am not so sure I would have purchased this car had I known there was no temperature gauge. I also have an issue with no transmission dipstick. What are they thinking? Replacing the oil filter looks like a real treat, also. The oil filter is a cartridge type located at the top of the engine.
Aside from these disappointments, I am prepared for a long affair with this fine automobile.

[twhite6868]

Due to a bad accident, and the totalling of my Nissan Pathfinder, I just bought a new XC70 too!

I have never owned a Volvo before, but I am impressed! Very comfy and lots of power (T6)

I hope I have this vehicle for at least as long as I had the last one. (7 yrs, 99,000 miles)

[JRL]

PLEASE do not use the "W" button
Learn how to drive in the snow and ice.
Using it regularly will not extend the life of your transmssion one bit

[Lotus99]

PLEASE do not use the "W" button
Learn how to drive in the snow and ice.
Using it regularly will not extend the life of your transmssion one bit

Am I the only one who has no clue what you're talking about?

[XCovlov70]

Am I the only one who has no clue what you're talking about?

No, here is someone else.

It's also nice to now see that this 'Topic' in now in the correct place as previously I was expecting to see a 'Cross Country Drive Report' with pictures for cruising around New York!

[Puffdaddy]

Hello, I've just traded my Xterra 4WD for a XC 70.

Curious as to why no temp gauge or transmission fluid level.

I'm assuming the differential fluid is also fed from the ATF ?

I haven't picked it up from the dealer yet.

By the way, the dealer wanted me to purchase an OEM aftermarket
warranty for 3 years. It costs over 4K including taxes up here.

Would I really make use of it ? that is a lot of money for a
warranty I may not use in 3 years. My XC 70 has just over 55K km
on it and is just turned 3 years old.

[cattlecar]

No temp gauge is a puzzle.
No trans dipstick is becoming the norm.
Newer gearboxes using some of the special long life ATF formulations do this to stop wrong fluid being added. Many of the transmissions got the wrong fluids added and too much fluid added.
The fluid level checking is done via a drain screw in center of drain plug. The drain plug has a tube that is the height of correct fluid level when warm. If you remove the screw fluid above the proper level runs out.
Way too often people checking fluid can't resist filling it to the top when they don't understand the temp conditions associated with the markings and the foaming of fluid when it is high enough to be in the way of rotating parts can and does damage many gearboxes.

[rovermark]

No temperature gauge is becoming the norm, except for more expensive cars. While interesting to see how your car is operating (and if it has reached it's optimal temperature in winter), there is debate as to how useful it is.

I've heard that if your car is overheating, however many degrees, is irrelevant at the end of the day. A lamp would give just the same information - your car is overheating; stop the vehicle and get help.

Actually, I would find an oil-pressure gauge more useful than a temperature gauge.

[Dbone]

No temperature gauge is becoming the norm, except for more expensive cars. While interesting to see how your car is operating (and if it has reached it's optimal temperature in winter), there is debate as to how useful it is.

I've heard that if your car is overheating, however many degrees, is irrelevant at the end of the day. A lamp would give just the same information - your car is overheating; stop the vehicle and get help.

Actually, I would find an oil-pressure gauge more useful than a temperature gauge.

LOL...My mother-in-law just bought a small toyota and it has a temperature gauge. And every other small cheap car my wife and I looked around at for her had one too...not sure where you get this idea that only more expensive cars have one...

In any case, not really sure what the big deal is anyway that the volvo doesn't have one. My understanding is that it will start beeping and display on the screen if the engine is gonna overheat so that you have time to pull over....

This is all you really need...Some people with or without a gauge will still be stupid enough to keep on driving and blow up their engine anyway so no biggy...LOL

[Lotus99]

Actually, anyone who's had experience with a turbo car will tell you not to really push it until your oil temps start creeping up a bit. I'd love to have mine to know when that roughly happens. It's not just about letting you know when the car's overheating IMO. The manual even tells you if you've been driving hard, to drive easy the last few minutes to let things cool down. In my turbo BMW, I monitor the oil temp during and after spirited driving.

Is there another high end car you can think of that doesn't have one? I've yet to come across one.