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Deleted User 2786

Post by Deleted User 2786 »

Hi - intro post from a long time Volvo driver, returning to the fold.

Our first car was a used A-reg Volvo 240. We loved that car. After 238,000 miles it became a money pit and we took it to the breakers. Our second Volvo was a used Volvo 460 (like a 440, except with a 'trunk' rather than a hatch). My first company car was a 2007 Volvo S40 and my wife is currently driving a 2009 S40. As the needs of our family changed, we used my company car scheme to blow through a couple of Citroen C4 Grand Picassos and, for the last 3 years, I've been driving a 5+2 seater Skoda Kodiaq Edition.

To be candid: the Kodiaq exceeded all expectations. I am sorry to see it go. For the last 3 summers, we've used it to drive from our home in Edinburgh, across Europe, to destinations like Rome, Florence, Munich, Prague, etc: over high alpine passes and down switchbacks, through forest tracks, cruising at 120mph on German autobahns, everyone comfy, Loads of toys, CarPlay included in trim level, auto gears, sports mode, loads of room, loads of luggage space, bikes on the roof (not at 120mph...). And it's been a great day-to-day workhorse from a school run, shopping, DIY trips, business cruiser perspective.

The decision to move away from Skoda is mostly economic: I figured I was paying ~£300pcm in car benefit tax and ~£250 of fuel every month so we looked at hybrids. The only hybrid SUV of a similar size in my price bracket was a Mitsubishi Outlander but... when you take a look at the numbers... it's a ~2.4 ton car coupled to a 2.4 litre petrol engine which kicks in after it's (small) electric range is exhausted, and we do long road trips (see above). The nearest thing Skoda had was a hybrid Superb at ~same price as the XC40 but the fleet company had it as £100 more pcm in rental :? I had initially discounted the XC40 as 'too small' but, after crunching the brochure numbers it adds up really well. I am a bit nervous about the smaller space - we use it in the Kodiaq - but I reckon I can overcome that with roofbars. I have some I can move across from the Kodiaq but I'll need some new clips as the roofbars on the XC40 look flush with the roof.

So: super stoked at the prospect of driving a Volvo again and have put in an order for a Volvo XC40 hybrid Inscription about the middle of February. It was penciled for delivery in June but, naturally, the global pandemic has resulted in the delivery date being pushed out to somewhere around the heat death of the universe.

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