We've only had our 1999 XC for a couple months...it's the one and only Volvo I've ever owned or driven...so I have no frame-of-reference as to how the mechanicals should feel, sound, behave, etc. It has 59k miles.

I see comments of the forum about transmission problems, bevel gear problems, and a host of other items.

Anyway, our 99 XC seems pretty much OK except that the transmission seems to be shifting "not smoothly" from 3rd to 4th and 4th to 3rd.

It kind of "clunks" from one gear to the other...it's pretty mild, but still, it doesn't seem right to me. The trans feels like it's "dropping" from one gear to other instead of smoothly shifting.

Is this the first sign of the transmission going? Or is this the way all V70's shift from 3rd to 4th and 4th to 3rd?

I also feel like the car has a few too many subtle mechanical vibrations and very subtle grinding sensations, both at low speeds and highway speeds...I can't put my finger on it, but it just doesn't feel right most of the time...it's almost more like a "humming" sensation that comes and goes at various rates (again, this may be normal for a Volvo, but I have no way of knowing)...these subtle vibrations/grindings may or may not be related to what the trans is doing.

Should I go buy a 30k-mile, $1100 extended warranty?

Thanks...