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Volvo C70 New Owner Reports
So you have your new ride - congrats! Now... tell us your first impressions.
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Here are few new pictures:
I remember someone mentioned the spacing between the pedals were problematic. Not for me.
Sorry if you don't like my shoe...
Front of the car with my new front proximity sensors.
I realized I did not post picture of my car with the roof up.
Another one
And again
Now, my new Windblocker.
Another one
From the back
With the zippers to place objects on the back seats.
With the zipper openned.
Enjoy the pictures.
the material on the vertical and horizontal parts are the same. For the vertical part you need to have it as a see-through in order to be able to see behind the car with your interior mirror.
For the horizontal part, I can understand your remark.
The material is some kind of black meshed tissu.
The windblocker is can be folded twice, first to put the parts flat, then to decrease the size by two in order to have everything stacked in around 2 feet by 2 feet transportation bag provided by Volvo.
Manipulating the windblocker is like a "mecano" at first but rather simple. Installing it on the back seats cannot be more simple.
Overall, it is a must have it.
A C70 with real people.
Another one.
and from the side top up.
Today we had a funny "adventure".
We were top down and suddently we heared a big noise from the right back side, like if someone launched a stone on the car when we drove. Later we discovered on the back plastic cover a big piece of seabird [non-permissible content removed] mark (2 inches diameter)... This must be a really sick bird!
Driving top down can be dangerous...
I guess I've been very lucky, no bird bombs on the interior, but several on the exterior. Fortunately, with Zaino on Goldie, they were easily removed with a spray bottle of water.
See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.comSee more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com
Glad to see I am not the only one posting pictures anymore.
Seeing yours I realized the license plate dimension and format in France fits better than the one in USA for the front and back locations on the car.
I never try to stop the closing or opening process, but obviously you can do it, your picture of the roof folding process is really nice.
I believe the license plate space was probably for overseas owners because in the states, not all states have a front plate and they are all smaller than yours which fits the space provided very well.
I have only done the stopping of roof operation one time to take the picture and that was after asking dealer about it, and they said it was alright. I noticed that when the technician replaced the cover on mine that was stained, he had it stopped several times in order to replace cover and check on clearances with no ill effects.
Thanks for comments and Happy Motoring C70 style to all.
http://schedule.2wglobal.com/AppTracking/searchCargo.do?trackType=Auto
I could track it like 5 days (Sep 22), arrival at the dock (Sep 26) and loading on the ship and departing (Sep 27) Gothenburg.
Still my major complain will go to the bad positionning of the left door handle cavity which makes positionning your left arm difficult even with all the capabilities of the seat adjustments.
Yesterday it took me at least 5 minutes to put the roof down. Here is why:
I placed myself on a supermarket parking lot not to disturb anyone around. Then I pushed the roof down button and 25 second later the roof was into the trunk. That was the easy part.
Then I decided to place the windblocker. The car is still running in "iddle", I go toward the trunk (in order to take the windblocker) and try to open it, nothing, it is locked. I tryied 2 or 3 times, but it is really locked. I go back toward the driver seat and pushed the "open the trunk" button on the "start key remote", go back to the trunk and it is still locked. I did the process another time but nothing changed.
OK, now I had to stop the engine, remove the key and pushed the open the trunk button on the key remote. Now the trunk is open.
I pushed the yellow button to raise the roof inside the trunk, raise the plastic protection cover, took the bag with the windblocker inside.
I openned the bag, extract the windblocker from the inside, had the windblocker in one hand , the bag in the other hand. To assemble the windblocker, you need both hands. You cannot really place the bag in the back seats they will be covered soon, so you keep it between your legs... or like me left it on the ground...
Assembling the windblocker takes no more than 10 seconds with 2 hands! Even me can do it. Done.
I tried to place the windblocker but "no way Jack", remember I just put the roof down and by default all the windows are up. This means you cannot place the windblocker. No problem, I pushed the all the windows down button on the left door button panel. Nothing, of course, because the key is into my pocket (I had to take it out of the dashboard to open the trunk). OK the key is back into the dashboard, the "all the windows down" button is now working, the windows went down, the windblocker is in place.
I took the windblocker bag and put it back inside the trunk, pushed the yellow button to lower the roof inside the trunk, nothing happenned. OK, I forgot the lower the plastic cover first. I did it, pushed the yellow button, the roof went down, closed the trunk.
And now I am ready for my cruise trip along the beach.
I need to read again the user manual to see why the trunk was not opening. I now, I chose to have all the doors (including the trunk probably) locking automatically after few seconds inside the car. It remains me than rather trying to push the "open the trunk button" on the key, I should have try to pushed the button "open the doors" on the upper part of the doors. But when something goes wrong... My first reaction was the key.
Again nothing dramatic, it is just a question of learning how to use your new baby.
In fact what I like, when you know that you will not need the back seats is to just leave the windblocker in place even when the roof is put back up. From the front seats , you still have access to the back seats to place objects or clothes below the windblocker horizontal plane. In order not to change anything for the view via the back mirror , I place the vertical plane of the windblocker, flat. It is very easy, convenient, and the windblocker is in place ready to be used immediatly.
That is it for now.
I will post more once I get a little more time behind the wheel.
Just a side question though...does anyone think the Celestial Blue is more of a phemonen color? I like it a lot, but I'm afraid it wouldn't really suit my dad.
You say you don't know if the color would suit your Dad,I don't know his age, but as stated before, I am a 74 year old male owner and it suits me fine as to color. I picked it above the Silver one on floor at same time. No regrets.
The blue is a little darker than a 1958 Corvette I had and I was glad to almost match that color in this car. I had the extra hard top on the vette, but had to leave it at home when I went topless. This car solved that problem.
You wrote about Nav system also. I use the Magellan Roadmate in mine and it does great and doesn't distract from looks. Hope this helps ease your mind on color.
Needless to say, it would be nice for Volvo to work on their color choices now that the styles have improved considerably over the past few years.
I think the answer to the trunk issue is if you only push the door unlock button once it stays locked with the passenger door. I'll bet that if you hit the door lock button up the trunk would then be unlocked.
I initially thought there was a problem with my key because I assumed that when you pressed the trunk button the trunk would open. It's actualy unlocking the trunk so that it can be opened.
I went with the Celestial blue with calcite cream interior. I figured if this was the color they were going to advertise, it probably hold up well when clean or dirty, day or night, etc. I also wondered if it was not masculine enough, but I really like it now. It basically looks good all the time. I think black cars look classy, and have owned quite a few, but they really look rough with a little dust on them. So, I'm guessing that color will be good.
As for the navigation system, we also have a Lexus with nav and they are different. The Lexus has voice activated for setting a destination and/or changing the audio. But, you have to be at a complete stop to make a change to destination manually. The Volvo works basically the same for manual setting, but can be programmed while moving and the controls are on the steering wheel. The screen is a pop up/down on the dash and is easier to see than the Lexus and most others I have seen. Only suggestion for Volvo would have been the voice activation for pre-set destinations.
pluses -
smooth ride
looks great, flint gray and off black leather
smoking dyno audio sound system
minuses
seats comfortable but a step down from my s80
reasonable acceleration - not great (again my s80 kicked [non-permissible content removed])
pain in the butt to get to the back seat - guess I will figure this out.
small outside mirrors
uncomfortable left arm position - mentioned previously by others.
That's all for now. How many of you bought the extended warranty or tire insurance package... that's my next decision.
I'm assuming not much can be done if the oil drains out (Stanwick) and the brake dust and left arm rest are what they are.
But - how do I test for "the barking" A/C?
Besides the normal stuff - e.g windows/doors/ top operating properly, are there special things that I and others should be on the lookout for during pick up? Thks in advance.
Okay - allied to the 'barking dog' I recall the 'asthmatic bird', then there were some problems with the heater blowing cold when set to hot and, of course, the question of 'rings' appearing on the rear shelf.
You may like to pick up some of the originals on these - from the 'Volvo C70 Convertible 2006 +' thread, items # 949 (rings and their cure) 899 and 902 for problems with locks and windows not operating correctly and 903 and 904 for the barking dog and heater blowing cold.
I also recall Lemenn re-creating the latter effect and posting, but I've not come across it yet.
Good luck with your baby - look forward to seeing some pics when you collect.
So for those of you still waiting - don't be concerned. After 6 months I think the car is great - and the longer I have it, the more I like it. Having said that as soon as we have a diesel D5 manual available in the UK I'll be trading up. But only because here in Highland Scotland we pay US$7.14 per US gallon (GBP1.00/litre) for gasoline. Ouch!
Happy waiting.
Now for some advice to Yankee3 - A previous post quite accurately pointed out that before you know it you'll be purchasing vehicles for you own family. Granted this is just based on my experience - but I think you'll have an easier time buying a car like this BEFORE you marry. Just some friendly advice - joint decision making often leads to compromises and these type of vehicles aren't a compromise. Obviously there are alot of married people buying this car, but I'ld bet there are 10 times more not buying it to maintain peace in the family.
It is not easy to describe it without picture, but I don't have one for this topic.
Basically I found that it is possible to incline the plastic cover inside the trunk to have a bigger opening to access the stuff inside when the roof is down.
Until now I was just rising the plastic cover vertically and it gives you only 1 or 2 inches more, which is not much.
When the roof is down, thatthe yellow button is pushed, the plastic cover can be rised to access the objets in the trunks. Vertically it does not bring much , but if you incline it it opens much better.
If not clear I will post pictures another day.
I had my VIN on Thursday and the dealer screen showed that it was in the factory in the morning, then by mid afternoon the status had moved to FC (Factory Complete) then on Friday they (the dealer) e-mailed to say that it was "being shipped even as we speak".
The only help that gives you is that they don't seem to keep 'Factory Complete' cars for very long!
Mine is now scheduled for delivery to me w/c December 18th, however, I have asked that it be kept until January to register the vehicle as of 2007.
Oh, it's going to be hellish having the car so close and not using it for those few days (although I have been promised that I can have the car at home for Xmas - but cannot take it on the road. Hmmm, Xmas dinner in my C70? Roof down of course!)
Best wishes for your delivery.
I have my C70 for more then 2 months now and I would like to report my experiences with the car.
I have driven more then 6500 km now and , overall, I like it very, very much. The car looks great in either coupe- or convertible-mode. It looks much better in real then on pictures. You can tell that it is related to the S40/V50 family, but because it’s width, it looks much more “muscular”. Especially the rear, with it’s round tail- and brake-lights, is just beautiful. My car is “Magic Blue”-colored with the “Calcite Cream”-leather, which I think (of course) is a beautiful combination. I have ordered a couple of other options: automatic gearbox, “High Performance” audio (with MP3 CD player and AUX input), 17”-“Sadira” wheels, Xenon headlights and heated front seats.
Yes, I know, a lot of these options are standard in the USA, but over here (in the Netherlands), we have to pay for them (lucky you).
My car arrived late september. Over here the fall begins and that means: decreasing temperatures and rain. So, there were only a couple of days with sun. But when the sun shined, I immediately took the car for a drive with the roof down. Man, what a great feeling. With the roof down and the sun in your face, you forget about the rest (whatever that might be). Of course, there are a lot of convertibles (even for less money) that give you the same experience. But there are only a few that are also a real 4 seater. This is my only car so I use it almost every day. That’s why I want a proper 4-seater with a normal boot.
The frontseats are comfortable, can be adjusted in many ways, but a little bit wider would be nice. I’m 6’2” and I have more then enough headroom in the frontseat. Leg- and shoulderroom are Ok, but smaller people might have problems with the high doors: they cannot rest their arms on top of the door. About the backseats: I can sit “behind myself”. The legroom is sufficient and the headroom is just enough for people of my length. The shoulderroom is a little bit tight because (I assume) of the roofmechanism which is mounted behind the sidepanels.
What I don’t like about the interior is the middle tunnel plus armrest. It looks like everyone forgot about this part during the design-phase and suddenly, just before producing the car, they saw what was missing and took one from the S40/V50. Why didn’t they made it like the ones inside the V70/new S80? Please, change that!!
With the roof closed and the divider up, the boot is big enough for my purposes. Some people complain that the boot is small when the roof is down. Ok, that’s true. But if you really need that much space, just close the roof.
I have opted for the spare wheel instead of the repair kit. The wheel is packed in a bag and placed in the extra space in the bootfloor.
Ok, what about the carhandling. Well, this is my first convertible, so I don’t know much about the average carhandling of a convertible, but I think this one handles Ok. I have driven a lot of coupe’s prior to this car and I don’t notice much difference between them. But then again, I didn’t take this car to it’s limits yet.
Ok, you feel that you’re driving a convertible when you drive over a brickroad, even when the roof is closed. It’s just not as rigid as a “normal” car. But I guess that’s normal for most (or maybe all) convertibles. I like the silence when the roof is closed: the engine is very quiet and ,when driving, the wind doesn’t make much noise. I really like the automatic gearbox. It shifts super-smooth and suites the car very well (low rev's!!).
Like I said, overall I’m very pleased with this car.
But, there were also a couple of problems. Most of them regarding the roof.
After a couple of weeks the roof started to make rattling and cracking noises. Especially when driving over brickroads. Next problem: Sometimes the boot lid wouldn’t close completely after storing the roof in the boot. And the last problem (regarding the roof): the roof made some marks on a sidepanel near the backseat headrest (discussed in one of the other forums).
For the roofproblems, the car had to go back to the importer where they have special trained personnel. The car was gone for a week (In the meantime the dealer lend me a V50). After the car returned the problems were over. They re-adjusted the roofmechanism and replaced the sidepanel (They tried to repair it, but the results weren’t good enough). They also told me that the noises come from the roof-rubbers which should be lubricated with silicon spray as soon as they appear again.
They also adjusted the window at the drivers side, which was moving too slow when activated.
And they did some software updates (“barking dog” problem).
And, of course, al these improvements/repairs were free of charge.
There are lots of discussions about this car being a good convertible or a bad coupe. IMO this car is a beautiful convertible which also has the LOOKS of a beautiful coupe.
I think that a convertible never can perform better than a coupe because it is more heavy and less rigid.
So, if you really have the “need for speed”, look further. But, if you want a comfortable ride with lots of fun in a car that looks great and that can be a coupe and a convertible as well, then this is the right car (Do I sound like a salesman now?).
I’m not pleased that my car had problems regarding the roof after just a couple of thousand km’s, but the dealer and importer did their very best to make the burden as light as possible and they solved the problems. And I can’t wait for the spring to come
I hope that you can use this report if you are planning to buy this (kind of) car.
I see you drove your C70 6500 kms in 2 months. congratulation!
I got mine October the 10th and my chassis number is 12591. What is yours?
I am asking this because you seems to have some of the problems described by the recall and I am now almost sure mine must also been affected.
Below are information regarding how to decode your VIN number
Volvo 2006 Version Identification Number (VIN) Decoding
EXPLANATORY KEY FOR VEHICLE INDENTIFICATION NUMBER (VIN)
Volvo VIN Code1 2006 Model Year - United States & Canada
Example: YV1 M S 38 2 6 5 2 049843
Pos 1-3 Manufacturer Code:
YV1 Volvo Passenger Car [not XC70 and XC90]
YV4 Volvo Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) [XC70 and XC90]
Pos 4 Vehicle Series:
C = XC90
M = S40, V50, All-New C70
R = S60
S = V70, XC70
T = S80
Pos 5 Body Style:
C = All-New C70
H = S40 AWD, S60 AWD, S80 AWD
J = V50 AWD
M = XC90 5-Seater AWD
N = XC90 5-Seater FWD
S = S40 FWD, S60 FWD, S80 FWD
W = V50 FWD, V70 FWD
Y = XC90 7-Seater FWD
Z = XC70 AWD, XC90 7-Seater AWD
Pos 6-7 Engine Version:
38 = B5244S4 S40/V50 2.4i FWD - Automatic in all States except CA, NY, MA, VT, ME, RI, NH / Manual in all States
39 = B5244S7 S40/V50 2.4i FWD - Automatic only in the States of CA, NY, MA, VT, ME, RI, NH and Contiguous States
52 = B5254T4 S60/V70 R AWD - Automatic / Manual
54 = B5244T5 S60 T5 FWD - Automatic / Manual
59 = B5254T2 S80/S60/XC90 2.5T FWD/AWD, V70 2.5T FWD, XC70 AWD - Automatic Only
61 = B5244S S60/V70 2.4 FWD - Automatic in all States except CA, NY, MA, VT, ME, RI, NH / Manual in all States
64 = B5244S6 S60/V70 2.4 FWD - Automatic only in the States of CA, NY, MA, VT, ME, RI, NH and Contiguous States
68 = B5254T3 S40/V50 T5 FWD/AWD - Automatic/Manual, All-New C70 - Automatic Only
85 = B8444S XC90 V8 AWD - Automatic Only
Pos 8 Emissions:
0 = SULEV+ (Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle) / Engine Codes 39 and 64
2 = ULEV2 (Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle) / Engine Codes 38, 59, 61, 68, 85
7 = LEV2 (Low Emissions Vehicle) / Engine Codes 52, 54
Pos. 9 Check Digit:
0 - 9 and X
Pos 10 Model Year Code:
6 = 2006 year models
Pos 11 Factory Code:
1 Torslanda Plant Sweden (S80, V70, XC70, XC90)
2 Gent Plant Belgium (S60, V70, S40, V50)
J Uddevalla Plant Sweden (All New C70)
Pos. 12-17 Serial (Chassis) Number:
6 digit number
1 Note: Volvo Cars of North America, LLC Vehicle Identification Code (VIN) Decoder, 2006 Model Year. All engine versions are 50 state vehicles except for engine versions 39 and 64, (Partial Zero Emission Vehicles.)
All-New C70 is a late model year introduction
So far, my R163 calls for just the rain shield, but that could be because when it was only six weeks old it had the siren problem when I locked the doors with remote, the siren started and went on for about 40 minutes. I took it to dealer about 60 miles away and when they checked the codes, it showed that the ignition switch was bad. Replaced that and the the code showed that siren also had to be replaced.(kept getting message to have alarm checked) They ordered the siren and when installed, the codes were clear.
Other small problems were the circles on back cover. (Replaced the cover and taped bumpers)Then technician installed software from his computer to cure barking dog syndrome.(Success in doing this). The panel in right back seat next to passenger with compartment door had a catch broken on door, so they replaced the whole arm rest and compartment section.
I still enjoy it now and have had no new experiences. When an all new model car comes out, you are bound to have some problems. I really think it is a great car and gets looks wherever you go. I have had no problem with my Calcite cream upholstery getting dirty. I go over it about every week and get little or no dirt off on a white cloth.
Happy motoring to you.
My car's VIN is: YV1MC38597J013248 and I've picked up mine on september ,29th.
Humm, not good for me.
Your chassis number being higher than mine it means I could have some of the problems you have.
I did not have your roof problems.
I do have the plastic cover problem.
I have not noticed any roof noises.
I have not noticed the window problem.
I should need the software upgrade.
Next week end I think I need to see what the dealership has to say about all of these...
During the mean time, I still love my C70.