Hello!

I've got a 2008 XC70, that is going to need a battery soon.

In looking at replacements through AutoZone, I'm seeing that some batteries are not rated for cars with "premium sound".

Not sure if my XC70 has the premium sound (I know that it does NOT have XM) or not.

But I was wondering...does it make a difference, and if so, how?

Thanks,

Steve

If your car is a rolling boom box, you will need a bigger battery and alternator.

Volvo 'premium' is not a boom box
--
Keeping it running is better than buying new

The reserve capacity of a battery is what makes the difference.
Do you have or have you looked up the window sticker of your vehicle?
This will tell you if you have a premium sound system or heavier duty charging system.


I've only owned earlier V70's and all had lead acid batteries in either the H6 or H8 sizes. My '99 had a group 48 battery which is essentially an H6.

I don't know what Volvo put into the 2008+ vehicles. A quick look at the RA catalog showed 150 & 180 amp alternators but batteries came in just the H6/G48 sizes (essentially the same size), all of the same capacity.

Be aware that some people -and shops- are smitten with AGM batteries. If your vehicle came with a lead acid battery I'd stick with that. AGM batteries have a different charging profile where damage can be done to them as they approach full charge.

Many NEW batteries are actually rebuilt.

Their batteries may not perform well enough to power some of the out of this world sound systems that kids put in their care.

At the Swedish Car Day at the Lars Anderson Transportation Museum I saw wiring in some of the kids SAABs where the wires were as big as one of my fingers!

Many replacement batteries with guarantees based on time are actually like rentals - if it fails at the center of the time limit, you get half of the purchase price off another battery.