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I Just got a used XC90 T6 in and have been messing around with it.. One HECK of a car!
I also saw the bumper tests.. IMO, I don;t see that being a big deal. Mom drives an S80 T6, which I recall did poorly on some silly bumper test. When she got hit by a stupid teenager doing 40, she came out fine though. TO me that is FAR more important and why I am glad she's in a Volvo
I log on to this site to see information about the xc90 more specifically from current owners. There seems to be a lot of trashing of the vehicle from people who aren't owners. I am an owner of a T6 with 3rd row and bi xenon headlights and heated seats and .... lots more. I picked up my vehicle in the beginning of Feb. and have put on about 2000 miles. The car/suv rides smooth, the cabin is quiet , acceleration is very good, it seems to really want to go when you push it up to 80 mph.(I have to keep reminding myself that I am too old to drive a little fast once in a while)I wish I could be allowed to drive it somewhere to test its potential. I guess the autobahn is where the company thinks this vehicle should do well on, from what I can tell so far. A great quality car.
I'm planning to attend the Obstacle/moose course XC90 Drive event at belmont racetrack in the new york area on 4/6. It suppose to allow u to experience all the safety feature of the car by going thru this obstacle course. I believe u can test drive the car but a professional driver will be in the car when doing the obstacle course. It's the East Coast turn since this event has already been done in the west Coast late last/early this year.
While I appreciate all the wisdom on bumpers I've learnt over the past week I would also very much appreciate an answer to my original question:
"A question to you happy US XC90 owners: Do the D-pillar extensions of the rear lights have any function, or are they purely a cosmetic addition? There are yet very few XC90's on the road over here in Europe, but from what I've seen (and indeed also from the XC90's visible at the dealers) that part of the rear light cluster seems to be a "dummy" which surprises me, as the signal effect to the rear would improve considerably if also that part of the cluster were active. Could any of you "alighten" me on this subject?"
Hello to all. I'm new to the group today, although I have been reading and loving it for some time now. I ordered my ruby red/graphite 2.5 with premium and climate back in November and took delivery on March 7. While it only has 650 miles on it, I love it. Its nice to get some heads up on things/problems that may be heading my way.
Is it just a downright stupid idea, for a driver in the SF Bay Area, to put different tires on his SUV (or AWD wagon - XC90) for the winter months than he uses the other 9 months fo the year? Maybe use a tire that gives better mileage and "every day" performance from March-November, but put some deeper tread tires on for December-February to improve performance in snow country. I know this used to be common in other parts of the world, but I've been out here so long that I don't even know if it's done any more.
The lights are dummies - the red plastic above them that extends to the roofline is. It's purely cosmetic which is fine for any vehicle with a CHMBL. I'd hardly say it's a sign that Ford has killed Volvo! If you'd like an idea of what that would look like take a look at the remnants of Saab after GM (which is moving operations and platforms to Opel.)
Have been reading these messages and been on the waiting list since November. My '03 T6 w/premium pkg, metallic black/black interior is finally due next week. Question: can the reverse warning system be dealer installed? Also, have been reading here about poor FM reception. Any aftermarket antenna boosters out there that do any good? Thanks.
That indeed seems strange! They're dummies over here too, but I thought that had something to do with Euro regulations, that are sometimes weird.
Two current cars with very similar taillight configurations come to mind: The Citroën C% station wagon and the Mercedes Vaneo minivan. Both of these use the "extensions" for the brake light function - and in addition to the CHMSL you note when these babies slow down.
A strip of LED's in the XC90's "extensions" would do wonders.....
Well, must be the bean counters @ FoMoCo that had the last say :-(
Cheers, and thanks for your responses anyway, Birger
The large LED brake lights and CHMBL are MORE THAN sufficient in the current XC90 setup. I see no reason to tart up the lights in the rear ala the mid-90s Dustbuster minivans (e.g., Pontiac Transport, etc.). Extending the lights to the top on the sides would definitely give the XC90 a minivan (or Volvo wagon) flavor that I don't think anybody wants?
Why are you guys so surprised they're dummies, and why blame it on Ford? The V70 wagons (and predessors) have had dummies extending up the sides to the roof for like 10 years, haven't they?
Just thought I'd report that I've seen an improvement in my mileage the last few tanks of gas (3000 miles). I'm now getting 16 around town (that's without any highway driving). I haven't been on the highway for a few weeks, so I can't report highway mileage.
To Sharon or other XC90 owners with little ones...I have a question regarding carseats (Britax in particular). I'm looking to receive my 2.5T next month - and need a good convertible car seat to ship around our little emperor. I am leaning toward the Roundabout.
Now that you've had the car for a short time, have you had any problems with the Roundabout in the XC90? I've looked at the previous posts (including yours - #979) and wonder if you have had any "new" experience.
Have you fit the seats rf? Can you get the Britax into the 3rd row (although I know it is not "officially" endorsed)? Do you tend to keep the Britax in the mid position in row 2 or in one of the lateral positions? Any other convertibles you'd suggest? Thanks for any tips!
Apparently, this thing is pretty hot in Europe as well. I was at the Geneva Autoshow a couple of weeks ago, and it was attracting more people than any other Volvos. Although it is quite a bit larger than what most Europeans are used to, I have seen quite a few on the road already. Then again, I see Land Cruisers and Tahoes as well.
I was hoping to see the new Pacifica or the SRX to compare (interior dimensions) them, but the show did not present those.
Boy, I had to do some scrolling to see what I had said ;-)
I've done that trip with kindergarteners several times now. The Britax booster still fits the best out of the bunch that I have.
My guys have outgrown carseats (my youngest is 6), so I don't have the Roundabout. I have a Britax booster seat. So, I can't tell you how the Roundabout will fit. Have you taken it to the dealer and tried to install it?
I use the Britax booster in either the middle or the side position. Seems to work well in either one. Yes, I can get it in the 3rd row.
There were a lot of concerns about big carseats fitting before these vehicles started getting delivered, but that hasn't turned out to be such a big issue. Check the following posts regarding my experiences with the Britax roundabout:
Go to messages 960, 963, and 1223.
I've also put in an evenflow rear-facing infant seat in the third row successfully. I havn't tried the roundabouts back there, but I think they'd fit forward facing only. Of course you'd have to find something solid to wrap the tether strap around since there's no ISO fix back there.
I just returned from a marketing event Volvo put on for the xc 90 - - I highly recommend it to anyone contemplating the car or wanting to put it through paces. It was in a huge horse race park parking lot just north of Philly, and included, in addition to the usual pitchman,munchies,etc. a splashy live demo of the laminated window option (a smash and grab type approach on ordinary safety glass vs. the laminated glass), uneven ramps and gravel pit to show the 4-wheel drive and good clearance. Most fun, were the courses set up to take T5 and T6 each through paces. Finally they demo'd ( a test driver this time with us riding, rather than driving by our self) the anti-rollover feature by huge swerves at 42 mph.
One other thing they did do was actualy have the MDX, Lexus and mercedes SUVs present.
Bottom line is, you could easily do the things you'd not likely try in a dealer test drive. My wife and I have ordered a European delivery XC 90 to pick up this August, so this was just icing. But anyway, the experience sure convinced me!
The show is in a couple other cities over the next few weeks - I highly recommend it! I think the show is going to be in the NYC area next week (Belmont?) and then Denver and Phoenix. Check with your dealer or at volvodrive.com
I can't tell you how excited I am about this. (I placed a C$2000 deposit down last May.) I'm getting delivery a month earlier than when I ordered in late January.
The dealer has been prepping the vehicle for the past three days. I'll be getting aftermarket tint and clearmask (3M Scotchcal) done this coming week.
I attended this morning. Dismal weather, fun event. The "moose" course was particularly interesting. You don't realize until you see and drive it how severe the manuevers are. I don't think you could pull the stunt off in most SUVs (especially an Explorer or Discovery), unless you were damn good at vehicle control (which leaves out 99% of drivers in the US probably).
Was also surprised at how nimble both models were on a tight course, and in the slalom portion. Didn't feel truckish at all.
Next stop is Belmont Park. If you go, try the early session on Sunday. Much lighter attendance, and no lines at all.
After waiting for more than 6 months (our original vehicle went down with the Tricolor), we finally took delivery of our XC90 yesterday. Overall, we are very pleased with the vehicle -- handles well, surprisingly good low-end torque without much turbo lag (T6), 3rd row seats are easy to operate, etc.
However, on our way home from the dealership we noticed that the CD player makes an annoying clicking noise ALL THE TIME. The sound occurs anytime there is a CD playing or even when listening to the radio. The sound is clearly audible over the stereo playing at a normal level and has quickly become the aural equivalent of the "chinese water torture." The only way to get the sound to stop is to remove all CDs from the changer. This problem is not the same as described in earlier posts re: a grinding sound when changing disks. The clicking sound is fairly rapid, making me think that it is a problem with the platter or drive that spins the disks.
i_yellow: I went over your previous posts and they were very helpful. It sounds like the 2nd row is no problem for the Roundabouts. In the 3rd row, is it the tether anchor at the top of the car seat that is missing? As well, have you placed the Roundabout rearfacing in the mid seat - and slid forward? Thanks.
gmark: is this the 3M clear coat for the front of the hood? Can I ask how you are paying for the product plus install? Your accessories post (#1417) was very helpful. I'm getting my 2.5T in a few weeks and we're "discussing" the accessories pricing. Thanks.
hedlun88: Our T6 with all the trimmings (w/ the 6-disc CD player) does not make any annoying noise you described. But, we only have 2 CDs in the changer right now, and haven't gotten around to putting in 6 CDs yet.
Just did the 60-day check. Everything looks fine according to the service person. Re-calibrated the side mirrors so everything works fine again. Asked about whether there's a service bulletin for the fix on the parking brake that people have been talking about here, and the service person could not locate such bulletin.
Gas mileage: We only have 700 miles on the car, almost exclusively on the local roads for quick trips. We are getting 12-13 miles per gallon. Note that we live on a hill so our MPG is probably on the very low end of what most others are getting.
WARNING on scratches: We have a 135-lb Newfoundland who rides with us to almost everywhere. She climbs into the car through the rear door (using a dog ramp) , and noticed that the inside plastic panel of the bottom section of the rear door is scratched up nicely. So, be warned when you are hulling heavy items like luggage that can scratch your rear door panel.
hedlund88, We had our 6-disc CD changer jam and they had to replace it. I'm still waiting to get my 5 CD's trapped inside to be sent back (they don't let local technicians open the CD player). I was wondering if you have any burned CD's with labels on them in there? If so, get them out and see if the clicking goes away. I doubt this is the problem since you stated it clicks ALL the time (unless all the CD's in there are labeled). If you do have to bring it in, expect about 1-1.5 weeks for the new stereo and watch out for installation damage. These stereos are harder to install than in previous Volvos. They dented the panel surrounding the shifter and installed the new unit misaligned. What a headache going in three times for the stereo and then waiting 1-month+ for the CD to be returned (still waiting)!
zecko, In the third row, there are no tether anchors on the seat back, so you have to use that adaptor strap that came with the Britax to "lasso" something solid for anchoring the tether. I haven't tried this yet. As for rear-facing, I have only done this in the side positions. If you do it in the middle, I doubt you can slide that seat forward very much before the tether starts angling back (probably not safe).
My son turned one this week, so I just turned his seat forward-facing like his older sister's. This makes seating in general more flexible (I can finally push back the front passenger seat). One other piece of advice for anyone interested: try the Mighty Tite. Its a little blue and yellow ratcheting belt tightener that makes it easier to install seats firmly. My '98 S70 had childseat locking seatbelt buckles that took care of this issue, but the XC90's pretensioner system always leaves a little bit of slack that can make the carseat slightly loose. The two side middle row seats can be slid forward slightly after installing a carseat to take up this slack, but the middle second row position seatbelt moves forward WITH the seat, so the Mighty Tite is most useful there. I hope this info helps. Enjoy!
Thanks again for the info. We don't have many Britax dealers above the 49th, so I'll have to think about buying the Roundabout without having the XC90 available to fit. Your experience with the seat and car is reassuring!
I have a T6 on order for delivery in mid-May and a three-year old who was using a Roundabout. I just purchased the Britax Marathon (accomodates a child to 60 pounds, Roundabout is only 40). The Marathon is LATCH compatible, whereas the Roundabout is not. If LATCH is an important feature for you, I would consider upgrading the car seat to take advantage of LATCH available in the XC90.
The Britax Roundabout is now available with LATCH.
Doesn't the XC90 not have LATCH positions for the center of the second row? Still, if there's only one child, it's ultimately safer to (properly) belt-install a seat into the middle than to LATCH or belt-install a seat into one of the outboard positions.
I picked up my new xc90 on 3/26. The next day my wife took the car on the highway and it vibrated like the wheels were going to fall off. I called the dealership and they s aid the emergency brake probably stuck. We returned it that day and they said it was repaired. On Monday 3/31 the same thing happened in addition the brakes were squealing. We returned it again and now apparently there is a problem with the specifications for the emergency brake. I was told by the manager of the sales department the Federal Government required Volvo to change the design and now there are problems. I was told parts were ordered and was asked to bear with them. I did not expect to have my car in service prior to my deposit check clearing the bank.
I have asked the dealership to sell me the warranty for cost. I was quoted 1795 as a discounted price. Does anyone know if this is discounted. Also I was told there was a 200 deduct able. Which sounds high.
Doesn't the XC90 not have LATCH positions for the center of the second row?
AFAIK, the XC90 only has LATCH anchors on the outboard positions.
The Britax Roundabout is now available with LATCH.
Speaking of the Roundabout and LATCH, how come Britax hasn't released a retrofit LATCH kit for non-LATCH-equipped Roundabouts? I checked out the LATCH belts on the Roundabouts and they look like the retrofit kits being sold by Cosco. Would this retrofit kit be OK to use?
Speaking of the Roundabout and LATCH, how come Britax hasn't released a retrofit LATCH kit for non-LATCH-equipped Roundabouts?
Funny thing is that Britax had announced they were coming out with one, and never did. Unfortunately, Britax always seems really bad at coming through with new models. They will pre-announce a model more than a year before you can actually find it in a store, and then you have to really scrounge for it! They make great seats, though.
BTW, this seems to be an appropriate time to bring up that the latest Consumer Reports has some eye-opening results. It turns out that 7 of the seats they tested proved somewhat safer with the belts than using LATCH. The other seats were equal regardless of belt or LATCH.
Of course, it could be that their testing methodology somehow favors the belt-mounted seats. And one of the points of LATCH is that most belt-installed seats are installed incorrectly.
I went to my dealer last weekend and was told that the 2004 prices were 2% over the 2003 prices. I have seen different in this forum (4%). Am I getting smoke screened or is it that nobody really knows yet what the increase will be yet?
Also, I specifically asked the salesman if the 2nd row center seat had LATCH and was told it did. crikey in #1467 says it does not. Does anyone have difinitive proof of one way or the other - such as a link to a volvo web site that specifies this?
I am about 1 week from putting a down payment on an XC90 2.5T with a big selling point being that the center seat supports LATCH and that it can be moved up close to the front row (with versitility package of course). At least this is what is selling my wife on it as we are expecting our first child.
adrake5 wrote:Also, I specifically asked the salesman if the 2nd row center seat had LATCH and was told it did. crikey in #1467 says it does not. Does anyone have difinitive proof of one way or the other - such as a link to a volvo web site that specifies this?
I picked-up my T6 on Monday and the salesman went through the vehicle with us and specifically showed us the LATCH tether points on the second row outboard seats. The center seat has the built-in booster.
Here is the stuff from the owners manual:
ISOFIX fasteners and seat guides ISOFIX fasteners are installed in the second row of seats in the outboard positions. One set of ISOFIX guides is also provided. Consult your Volvo retailer for more information on child safety accessories.
When installing child seats in the second row of seats (in seven-seat models), we recommend that the seats in this row be moved to their rearmost position.
Integrated child booster cushion (option) Volvo's own integrated booster cushion has been specially designed to help safeguard a child seated in the rear seat. When using an integrated booster cushion, the child must be secured with the vehicle's three-point seat belt. This child seat is designed for use only by children who weigh between 33 and 80 lb (15 and 36 kg) and whose height is between 38 and 54 in (97 and 137 cm).
The child should be properly seated on the booster cushion. The hip section of the three-point seat belt must fit snugly across the child's hips, not across the stomach. The shoulder section of the three-point seat belt should be positioned across the chest and shoulder (see illustration). The shoulder belt must never be placed behind the child's back or under the arm.
You can safely top-tether in the center seat. The third row has neither ISOFIX/LATCH nor tether anchors because they do not recommend child seats there at all.
This info is from the manual too:
Child restraint anchorages Volvo vehicles are equipped with child restraint top tether anchorages in the rear seats (second row of seats in seven-seat models). Refer to the child seat manufacturer's instructions for information on securing the child seat.
I am about to pick up my new T6 and asked about what the lease plans were. I had been thinking of purchasing but wanting to know what my options were.
My dealer said for MSRP of $44k w/o tax, 48 month lease, 12K miles per year and money factor of .00253 (approx. 6.5%) , res. fact. of 55%, and no money down was $618/month (w/o tax). I told him that he had to be wrong because 48 * $618 = $30K vs. the residual that I essentially bought (45% * $44K) of $20K. I explained to him that 4 years of 6.5% * $20K = $5K ($1,300/year) not the $10K he was quoting ($30K - $20K). I told him that his plan was computing to a 21% interest rate not 6.5%.
Needless to say, I am purchasing and financing at 4.5%. I asked if there was some hidden fee that the leasing bank was charging because his numbers were wrong. It is easy to figure out the third variable (monthly payment, principal amount and interest rate) if you know 2 of them. Does anyone know what is going on here? Am I missing something?
I don't see where your numbers are wrong but I'm not an expert on leasing. However, I am VERY surprised to see a 4 year residual value of 55%. That's very good for a lease. I read some ALG numbers and Volvo articles months ago saying Volvo was shooting for very high residuals with the XC90 but I didn't expect them to be this high. 55% after 4 years will be very good indeed if the market supports it (which it may if the prices continue to climb to become more in line with higher end competition instead of the lower end as they are now.)
Comments
I also saw the bumper tests.. IMO, I don;t see that being a big deal. Mom drives an S80 T6, which I recall did poorly on some silly bumper test. When she got hit by a stupid teenager doing 40, she came out fine though. TO me that is FAR more important and why I am glad she's in a Volvo
Bill
No I dont sell new Volvos...
Figured I'd start slumming around here to get a feel for the brand.
Welcome back to full time car stuff, btw.
Steve, Host
XC90 Drive event at belmont racetrack in the new york area on 4/6. It suppose to allow u to experience all the safety feature of the car by going thru this obstacle course. I believe u can test drive the car but a professional driver will be in the car when doing the obstacle course. It's the East Coast turn since this event has already been done in the west Coast late last/early this year.
While I appreciate all the wisdom on bumpers I've learnt over the past week I would also very much appreciate an answer to my original question:
"A question to you happy US XC90 owners: Do the D-pillar extensions of the rear lights have any function, or are they purely a cosmetic addition? There are yet very few XC90's on the road over here in Europe, but from what I've seen (and indeed also from the XC90's visible at the dealers) that part of the rear light cluster seems to be a "dummy" which surprises me, as the signal effect to the rear would improve considerably if also that part of the cluster were active. Could any of you "alighten" me on this subject?"
TIA!
Cheers,
Birger
Volvo says they did that to tie the style of the XC90 to the regular wagons.
ugh, and I hoped the merger wouldn't kill that car company
Thanks.
-rollie
Two current cars with very similar taillight configurations come to mind: The Citroën C% station wagon and the Mercedes Vaneo minivan. Both of these use the "extensions" for the brake light function - and in addition to the CHMSL you note when these babies slow down.
A strip of LED's in the XC90's "extensions" would do wonders.....
Well, must be the bean counters @ FoMoCo that had the last say :-(
Cheers, and thanks for your responses anyway,
Birger
I wonder if this could be done as an aftermarket project with the high intensity LEDs. Hmmm...
Thanks.
-rollie
Sharon
as Emily Litella used to say, "never mind"
Now that you've had the car for a short time, have you had any problems with the Roundabout in the XC90? I've looked at the previous posts (including yours - #979) and wonder if you have had any "new" experience.
Have you fit the seats rf? Can you get the Britax into the 3rd row (although I know it is not "officially" endorsed)? Do you tend to keep the Britax in the mid position in row 2 or in one of the lateral positions? Any other convertibles you'd suggest? Thanks for any tips!
I was hoping to see the new Pacifica or the SRX to compare (interior dimensions) them, but the show did not present those.
I've done that trip with kindergarteners several times now. The Britax booster still fits the best out of the bunch that I have.
My guys have outgrown carseats (my youngest is 6), so I don't have the Roundabout. I have a Britax booster seat. So, I can't tell you how the Roundabout will fit. Have you taken it to the dealer and tried to install it?
I use the Britax booster in either the middle or the side position. Seems to work well in either one. Yes, I can get it in the 3rd row.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help.
Sharon
Go to messages 960, 963, and 1223.
I've also put in an evenflow rear-facing infant seat in the third row successfully. I havn't tried the roundabouts back there, but I think they'd fit forward facing only. Of course you'd have to find something solid to wrap the tether strap around since there's no ISO fix back there.
One other thing they did do was actualy have the MDX, Lexus and mercedes SUVs present.
Bottom line is, you could easily do the things you'd not likely try in a dealer test drive. My wife and I have ordered a European delivery XC 90 to pick up this August, so this was just icing. But anyway, the experience sure convinced me!
The show is in a couple other cities over the next few weeks - I highly recommend it! I think the show is going to be in the NYC area next week (Belmont?) and then Denver and Phoenix. Check with your dealer or at volvodrive.com
The dealer has been prepping the vehicle for the past three days. I'll be getting aftermarket tint and clearmask (3M Scotchcal) done this coming week.
Was also surprised at how nimble both models were on a tight course, and in the slalom portion. Didn't feel truckish at all.
Next stop is Belmont Park. If you go, try the early session on Sunday. Much lighter attendance, and no lines at all.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
However, on our way home from the dealership we noticed that the CD player makes an annoying clicking noise ALL THE TIME. The sound occurs anytime there is a CD playing or even when listening to the radio. The sound is clearly audible over the stereo playing at a normal level and has quickly become the aural equivalent of the "chinese water torture." The only way to get the sound to stop is to remove all CDs from the changer. This problem is not the same as described in earlier posts re: a grinding sound when changing disks. The clicking sound is fairly rapid, making me think that it is a problem with the platter or drive that spins the disks.
Has anyone else experienced a similar problem?
i_yellow: I went over your previous posts and they were very helpful. It sounds like the 2nd row is no problem for the Roundabouts. In the 3rd row, is it the tether anchor at the top of the car seat that is missing? As well, have you placed the Roundabout rearfacing in the mid seat - and slid forward? Thanks.
Just did the 60-day check. Everything looks fine according to the service person. Re-calibrated the side mirrors so everything works fine again. Asked about whether there's a service bulletin for the fix on the parking brake that people have been talking about here, and the service person could not locate such bulletin.
Gas mileage: We only have 700 miles on the car, almost exclusively on the local roads for quick trips. We are getting 12-13 miles per gallon. Note that we live on a hill so our MPG is probably on the very low end of what most others are getting.
WARNING on scratches: We have a 135-lb Newfoundland who rides with us to almost everywhere. She climbs into the car through the rear door (using a dog ramp) , and noticed that the inside plastic panel of the bottom section of the rear door is scratched up nicely. So, be warned when you are hulling heavy items like luggage that can scratch your rear door panel.
We had our 6-disc CD changer jam and they had to replace it. I'm still waiting to get my 5 CD's trapped inside to be sent back (they don't let local technicians open the CD player). I was wondering if you have any burned CD's with labels on them in there? If so, get them out and see if the clicking goes away. I doubt this is the problem since you stated it clicks ALL the time (unless all the CD's in there are labeled). If you do have to bring it in, expect about 1-1.5 weeks for the new stereo and watch out for installation damage. These stereos are harder to install than in previous Volvos. They dented the panel surrounding the shifter and installed the new unit misaligned. What a headache going in three times for the stereo and then waiting 1-month+ for the CD to be returned (still waiting)!
zecko,
In the third row, there are no tether anchors on the seat back, so you have to use that adaptor strap that came with the Britax to "lasso" something solid for anchoring the tether. I haven't tried this yet. As for rear-facing, I have only done this in the side positions. If you do it in the middle, I doubt you can slide that seat forward very much before the tether starts angling back (probably not safe).
My son turned one this week, so I just turned his seat forward-facing like his older sister's. This makes seating in general more flexible (I can finally push back the front passenger seat). One other piece of advice for anyone interested: try the Mighty Tite. Its a little blue and yellow ratcheting belt tightener that makes it easier to install seats firmly. My '98 S70 had childseat locking seatbelt buckles that took care of this issue, but the XC90's pretensioner system always leaves a little bit of slack that can make the carseat slightly loose. The two side middle row seats can be slid forward slightly after installing a carseat to take up this slack, but the middle second row position seatbelt moves forward WITH the seat, so the Mighty Tite is most useful there. I hope this info helps. Enjoy!
The bank gets their money, no matter what.
http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/new/reviews/full/index.cfm/id/- - - - - 23090.htm
Sandy
Doesn't the XC90 not have LATCH positions for the center of the second row? Still, if there's only one child, it's ultimately safer to (properly) belt-install a seat into the middle than to LATCH or belt-install a seat into one of the outboard positions.
Anyone? Volvomax?
Thx.
I have asked the dealership to sell me the warranty for cost. I was quoted 1795 as a discounted price. Does anyone know if this is discounted. Also I was told there was a 200 deduct able. Which sounds high.
Is anyone else having this problem?
AFAIK, the XC90 only has LATCH anchors on the outboard positions.
The Britax Roundabout is now available with LATCH.
Speaking of the Roundabout and LATCH, how come Britax hasn't released a retrofit LATCH kit for non-LATCH-equipped Roundabouts? I checked out the LATCH belts on the Roundabouts and they look like the retrofit kits being sold by Cosco. Would this retrofit kit be OK to use?
Funny thing is that Britax had announced they were coming out with one, and never did. Unfortunately, Britax always seems really bad at coming through with new models. They will pre-announce a model more than a year before you can actually find it in a store, and then you have to really scrounge for it! They make great seats, though.
BTW, this seems to be an appropriate time to bring up that the latest Consumer Reports has some eye-opening results. It turns out that 7 of the seats they tested proved somewhat safer with the belts than using LATCH. The other seats were equal regardless of belt or LATCH.
Of course, it could be that their testing methodology somehow favors the belt-mounted seats. And one of the points of LATCH is that most belt-installed seats are installed incorrectly.
Also, I specifically asked the salesman if the 2nd row center seat had LATCH and was told it did. crikey in #1467 says it does not. Does anyone have difinitive proof of one way or the other - such as a link to a volvo web site that specifies this?
I am about 1 week from putting a down payment on an XC90 2.5T with a big selling point being that the center seat supports LATCH and that it can be moved up close to the front row (with versitility package of course). At least this is what is selling my wife on it as we are expecting our first child.
I picked-up my T6 on Monday and the salesman went through the vehicle with us and specifically showed us the LATCH tether points on the second row outboard seats. The center seat has the built-in booster.
Here is the stuff from the owners manual:
ISOFIX fasteners and seat guides
ISOFIX fasteners are installed in the second row of seats in the outboard positions. One set of ISOFIX guides is also provided. Consult your Volvo retailer for more information on child safety accessories.
When installing child seats in the second row of seats (in seven-seat models), we recommend that the seats in this row be moved to their rearmost position.
Integrated child booster cushion (option)
Volvo's own integrated booster cushion has been specially designed to help safeguard a child seated in the rear seat. When using an integrated booster cushion, the child must be secured with the vehicle's three-point seat belt. This child seat is designed for use only by children who weigh between 33 and 80 lb (15 and 36 kg) and whose height is between 38 and 54 in (97 and 137 cm).
The child should be properly seated on the booster cushion. The hip section of the three-point seat belt must fit snugly across the child's hips, not across the stomach. The shoulder section of the three-point seat belt should be positioned across the chest and shoulder (see illustration). The shoulder belt must never be placed behind the child's back or under the arm.
This info is from the manual too:
Child restraint anchorages
Volvo vehicles are equipped with child restraint top tether anchorages in the rear seats (second row of seats in seven-seat models). Refer to the child seat manufacturer's instructions for information on securing the child seat.
My dealer said for MSRP of $44k w/o tax, 48 month lease, 12K miles per year and money factor of .00253 (approx. 6.5%) , res. fact. of 55%, and no money down was $618/month (w/o tax). I told him that he had to be wrong because 48 * $618 = $30K vs. the residual that I essentially bought (45% * $44K) of $20K. I explained to him that 4 years of 6.5% * $20K = $5K ($1,300/year) not the $10K he was quoting ($30K - $20K). I told him that his plan was computing to a 21% interest rate not 6.5%.
Needless to say, I am purchasing and financing at 4.5%. I asked if there was some hidden fee that the leasing bank was charging because his numbers were wrong. It is easy to figure out the third variable (monthly payment, principal amount and interest rate) if you know 2 of them. Does anyone know what is going on here? Am I missing something?
Thanks.
-rollie