2010 Volvo XC60: Mode Man

avion -

I checked out the Sonata pic -- you're right. Perhaps Mode Man is back!

Regards,
Albert

i have a volvo with "mode man"- i personally think that volvo has the easiest auto climate controls. overall, i think that volvo controls are exceptionally easy to use, but they do have a very steep learning curve. for example, the s60, s80, and v70/xc70 until 2005 had this unusual knob to control presets instead of the usual 1-6 buttons. that, combined with the unusual markings for other controls, causes everyone who goes in my car confused, but i find it easier than the standard setup. similarly, the controls for the information center in the gauges, the nav system, and the climate controls all make a ton of sense once you simply know what they do and where they are

Volvo has been using "mode man" for a while. I think it's a neat idea. It only takes a minute to figure out and you can create any combination of airflow that you want, unlike most dials.

Every time I see a picture of this vehicles interior I'm reminded of a certain word but never could actually deliver the word. Today I know what it is. The word is "Ikea".

uhhhhhggg.... The fit's control looks really ugly from that shot. Looks like it has some sort of lump growing on one side. Gross.

If I were to go for one of these, you think the panel color can be changed? The light colored wood reminds me too much of this cheap cheap veneer bookshelf I had in college and looks like I can just peel it right off. Maybe cherry or oak, or even glossy mahogany would be nice.

I think mode man is pretty simple to understand. Just looking at the pic I know exactly how to use the system. Press button marked Auto and the turn temp knob to the temp I want. I don't understand why someone would want to constantly adjust the system manually. The only time I override the auto settings in my car is to use the defrosters. Even then the computer assists me by automatically switching to fresh air and engaging the AC compressor. If defrost is turned on at startup it will also automatically run the fan on maximum speed to quickly clear the windshield. All of this with the press of one button.

Maybe not all systems are the same. The systems in Honda/Acura vehicles are very well programmed. The set temperature is accurately maintained and the system is very quite during operation even on the highest fan speed. In my Acura with Navi it also can compensate for the sun shining on one side of the car. By getting information from the GPS it knows the car's location in relation to the sun and uses the dual zone feature to compensate for those times the sun is beaming through the driver's window but the passenger side is shady or vice versa. Auto Climate Controls rule.

The pictogram is far easier to assess at a quick glance than knobs with several tiny symbols in largely arbitrary order. Volvo controls may be different (though they've used the "Mode Man" pictogram for over a decade, so any auto journalist should be familiar with it), but they're generally consistently designed for minimum time with eyes off the road and hands off the wheel.

BTW, with the possible exception of the frequent business travelers/Hertz aficionados in the audience it's not useful to report from the perspective of someone who drives a different car home every night rather than from the perspective of someone who lives with the same car on a daily basis. Perhaps Edmunds should switch to signing out cars to staffers weekly.

I'll echo other comments by saying I have no need to constantly fiddle with my HVAC controls. I set the temp, it does the job perfectly.