Much has been said about the seat heaters in our 2010 Volvo XC60 T6-- specifically that they don't get very hot-- but what hasn't been mentioned is this car's memory feature. Say it's cold at night and you've got the seat heaters on, well, chances are good that in the morning it's also going to be cold and you'll want the seat heaters on. Most cars require you to, gasp, re-push that button to get your butt warm again. But not our Volvo, it remembers what you like and how not-exactly-hot-but-still-warm-enough you like your seats. It's a nice feature and the best thing I've found short of a rigid toggle switch.
Mike Magrath, Associate Editor, Inside Line
s0seng02 says:
07:41 PM, 07/26/10
"Most cars require you to, gasp, re-push that button to get your butt warm again." - not quite true. In my 2005 Infiniti G35x, seat heaters remain on to warm up your butt the next morning. They are classic toggle switches which you have to manually switch off if your buns are on burning.
brn says:
07:48 PM, 07/26/10
You should have to press the button every time. This is just silly.
However, I'm delighted to see again how Volvo let's you select any combination of heating/cooling zones (head, body, feet). Come on every one else, can't you learn this one thing from Volvo??
wrinklebump says:
08:03 PM, 07/26/10
This is something I probably wouldn't even notice until my knee bumped into a knob or something
diondi says:
09:57 PM, 07/26/10
The GTI - when coded using the VAG-COM to activate standard features in Europe - does have the same feature as well.
ed124c says:
07:20 AM, 07/27/10
My '05 Outback has "wheels" that have four levels of heat and will stay on until you rotate them off, and. if you leave them on when you shut off the engine, they resume heating automatically when you restart.
As an aside, I am a bit disappointed that Subaru switched to toggles, which have only a low and high setting. Oh well, at least in 2011 they reinstated folding side mirrors.
jriz says:
09:11 AM, 07/27/10
Well, it's great until you unwittingly get into the car after Donna and you start wondering why it feels like your ass is on fire.
thehankhill says:
11:59 AM, 07/27/10
^^Yowza!!
jeepsrt says:
01:08 PM, 07/27/10
I remember when my Dad lived in Phoenix back in '90-'91 it was about 120 degrees and I put his seat heater on in his Merkur XR4Ti, we got a good laugh out of it when he finally noticed. Personally I would rather have the seat heater shut off when you shut off the car.
allthingshonda says:
06:30 PM, 07/27/10
My Acura and Honda also use old school toggle switches they stay on until you turn them off. Sometimes I guess old is better than new.