buying car tires

Slowly, slowly, easy, easy, don't let up on the gas, steady pressure on the gas, please.'' The off-road driving instructor keeps talking in a low voice, as the car lurches forward through the sludge and over the logs and finally, is free and clear of the shallow mud bog. ``Gooooood. Nice.''
A Land Rover driving school? Training for the Camel Trophy? No, climbing a dirt path up a Vermont mountain.
In a station wagon.
Manchester, Vermont, is home to hikers, mountain bikers, fly-fishermen, some damn fine maple syrup and tons and tons of sport/utility vehicles. Vermont has more than its share of Volvos, too, which made it a fitting place for the company to introduce its latest sport/ute alternative, the sport/ute-station wagon hybrid called the V70 Cross Country.
As you could probably guess, the new Cross Country, in dealerships now with a $35,000 sticker price ($37,000 with leather and a sunroof), is based on the recently introduced V70 (AW, May 1), a car we called ``a practical, safe, family-friendly wagon that secures the hearts of the faithful.'' To the V70 the Cross Country adds all-wheel drive, more ground clearance (8.2 inches total, or 7.6 with two people and fuel), bigger wheels and tires, and some body modifications meant to make the 4x4 look more muscular than the standard V70. buying car tires The new V70s, by the way, look pretty good. Compared to the previous V70, the new cars are less edgy, have smoother body panels and more curves--they're downright swoopy for a Volvo. The reality is, the Cross Country's cladding takes away from the V70's clean lines.
Anyway, the 2001 Cross Country replaces the one introduced in 1997, which accounted for 45 percent of total V70 sales in the United States. Volvo's 2.4- liter, 197-hp, light-pressure-turbo five-cylinder engine (with 210 lb-ft of torque) powers the new wagon. It is basically a carry~over engine, though modifications include a new management system designed to adjust the air-fuel mix faster and more precisely, and new, smaller pistons. The engine is coupled to Volvo's five-speed automatic transmission.
Like the engine, the 2001 Cross Country's all-wheel-drive system is a carryover with some modifications to save weight. buying car tires The system drives the front wheels until wheelspin is detected, when power is sent to the rear axle. The unit is flexible enough that 100 percent of the power can be sent to either the front or rear wheels. The 2001 system is about 12 pounds lighter than the 2000, say Volvo officials, largely due to a new aluminum housing.
The Cross Country's chassis is the same as the V70's, basically a shortened version of the Volvo S80 sedan. It uses MacPherson struts in front and a multilink rear.
Since this car is a Volvo, safety is a priority, and as you'd expect there are air-bags all over the place. The wagon uses the company's new dual-stage front airbags that, depending on the force of the impact, either inflate fully, 70 percent, or not at all. There are side airbags in the front, and the front seats have whiplash protection (it allows the seatback to ``give'' about an inch and a half when the car is bump- ed from the rear). buying car tires Antilock brakes are standard.
On-road performance in the Cross Country is comparable to the front-wheel-drive V70, which means it's a good long-distance cruiser. The car will cruise comfortably for hours on end, shrugging off expansion joints with ease. Two things we'd wish for, drivingwise: a tad more steering weight and slight-ly stiffer springs--the ride is a touch too soft for our liking.
The interior is similar to the S80's and identical to the V70's. The front bucket seats are quite comfortable (though there was a lone voice on staff who didn't like them). The driver and front passenger will find plenty of room, but adults relegated to the rear might be a little cramped. Kids won't have a problem, though.