2004 Volvo Xc70, No Reserve on 2040-cars

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2020 Volvo XC90 Inscription Interior Driveway Test | A lesson in minimalist luxury

We tend to love Volvo interiors. They’re beautiful, simple, inviting and a relaxing place to spend time in. Designers needed to get it right, too, because Volvo has applied the same styling and design language to every vehicle in its lineup. WeÂ’re focusing on the flagship today: the 2020 Volvo XC90 T8 Inscription. Since our tester is the Inscription trim, that means itÂ’s the most luxurious version of the bunch (Momentum and R-Line are the two others). Some highlights include perforated Nappa leather seats, a “tailored dashboard,” Gray Ash Wood trim inlays and the Orrefors crystal shift knob.  Our car had the Charcoal interior scheme to play along nicely with the trim. The contrast between the light wood trim and gray stitching with the black leather is pleasing to the eye. Volvo uses a gratuitous but not overwhelming amount of piano black trim to bring some shine to the interior. ItÂ’s nice to see and touch on the buttons, but gets dirty quickly around the flat gear lever area where dust tends to collect. Much of the dash is left blank in a nod to minimalism. WeÂ’re left with a large nine-inch touchscreen oriented vertically in the center, just like every other Volvo on sale today. This is flanked by the center air vents. ThereÂ’s little to no styling going on with the vents, which seems like a missed opportunity. Regardless, we dig the layered and nicely-stitched dash that comes with the Inscription model. Also nestled into the dash is this crossoverÂ’s 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. ItÂ’s basic in its visuals, but plenty effective at conveying important car information. We like the more vibrant and customizable clusters from Mercedes-Benz and Audi a lot, but this one gets the job done and it isnÂ’t distracting in the least bit. Volvo has your back when it comes to comfort. Our tester has the Luxury Package, so itÂ’s equipped with massaging front seats, heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel. Additionally, Volvo finishes the headliner in Nubuck, and the grab handles and visors get leather. Unlike everybody else, Volvo allows you to choose between three levels of heat for the steering wheel. ItÂ’s noticeable to our hands, and is great when you want to add a little heat into your fingers without being scalded. As for the massage, itÂ’s backrest only. We wish it was back and bottom, but at least the programs available for your back are soothing.

Volvo XC90 Coasting Transmission Deep Dive | How, when and why of coasting

In our recent 2021 Volvo XC90 Recharge review, its turbocharged-supercharged-hybridized powertrain delivered impressive horsepower and fuel economy. But Volvo has one additional trick up its sleeve, propelling a car with power that's simpler, cheaper and all-natural: It's the power of momentum and gravity. I've always been halfway to a hypermiler. I'm not obsessive about it, but in city driving, I enjoy timing stoplight approaches to keep the wheels rolling and avoid the inertia of restarting from a stop. There's little point to needlessly racing and braking between red lights, wasting kinetic energy (and therefore fuel). So I tend to drive strategically instead, often catching up with the drivers who jackrabbit but get hung up at the lights. And, back when I owned a long line of vehicles with manual transmissions, I coasted. Coasting used to be slightly controversial. Some claimed it doesn't actually save gas, though my mileage calculations showed otherwise. Another school of thought insisted that removing engine braking from the equation, even momentarily, constitutes a dangerous loss of control. Of course, an experienced driver can slip a manual transmission back into gear in a flash when engine braking's actually needed. And one should always use some common sense and judgment about when and where to coast. I'm not talking about careening down a 15% grade into a school zone.  Anyway, those arguments became moot when automatic transmissions pretty much took over. (And no, never coast with a typical automatic transmission. Even if it weren't damaging to your type of automatic — but assume that it is — the risk of screwing up a nudge of the shifter from drive into neutral is too great.) XC90 Recharge 8 View 18 Photos But happily, some automakers in recent years have added a coasting feature to their automatics, with the aim of eking out more fuel efficiency. Volvo calls the feature on its Aisin eight-speed "Eco Coast." Some Mercedes, BMWs and others call it "sailing" or "gliding." The Hyundai Ioniq, Ford Mustang Mach-E and Polestar 2 are among EVs that allow you to cancel out all regeneration and freewheel downhill. And future cars such as the BMW iX are also being designed to do it. By building coasting into the clockworks, automakers have taken any traffic safety concerns out of the question, because the car will instantly switch you back into gear when needed.

Editors’ Picks July 2022 | Volvo XC60, 911 GT3 and a hot Hyundai

This latest rendition of Editors’ Picks sees us recognize some enthusiast-focused vehicles on both sides of the price spectrum and a luxury SUV. The 911 GT3 was an easy shoo-in, but the Hyundai Elantra N is what surprised us the most. WeÂ’re sad to see the Veloster N bow out after this year, but at least the N model in its place is a worthy one. In case you missed our previous Editors' Picks posts, hereÂ’s a quick refresher on whatÂ’s going on here. We rate all the new cars we drive with a 1-10 score. Cars that are exemplary in their respective segments get EditorsÂ’ Pick status. Those are the ones weÂ’d recommend to our friends, family and anybody whoÂ’s curious and asks the question. The list that youÂ’ll find below consists of every car we rated in July that earned an EditorsÂ’ Pick. 2022 Volvo XC60 2022 Volvo XC60 Recharge View 36 Photos Quick take: The Volvo XC60 is one of our favorite luxury crossovers, and the PHEV option is a killer setup. We dig the interior design, and the exterior is attractively Swedish, too. Score: 7.5 What it competes with: Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Genesis GV70, Jaguar F-Pace, BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class, Audi Q5, Lexus NX, Acura RDX, Volvo XC60, Lincoln Corsair, Infiniti QX50, Porsche Macan Pros: Great design, epic PHEV option, intriguing interior design options Cons: Tech can be cumbersome, big wheels lead to a stiff ride From the editors: Road Test Editor Zac Palmer — "When it comes to plug-in hybrids, there's no better compact crossover option than the XC60 Recharge. I really dig the extra-powerful electric motor and larger battery Volvo added this year. The interior wool option is my pick of the bunch, but I am a little disappointed that there aren't as many physical buttons throughout the interior as there were before." News Editor Joel Stocksdale — "Although it's got some age, the Volvo XC60 is still an excellent premium SUV. It's as handsome as ever with its clean, modern design inside and out, and feels genuinely luxurious. But what really sets the XC60 apart is its available plug-in hybrid powertrain. It's smooth and refined, and best of all, it's still great in electric mode.