Bye bye S80 !

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Originally Posted by Georgeandkira

Hello, I just reread your maintenance list and selected some data.

You tallied ~46 miles/day over the first 3 years of your car's life.
That figure dropped to 23 miles/day during the vehicle's prime.
Its final 2 years were leisurely ones; traveling a mere 6.1 miles per day.
Those are always hard miles.

CONCLUSION: The car did its job like a trooper.
One family member retired from working or ceased using the car for work/school.
It eased into the sunset fetching the morning paper and groceries.
I'm running out and changing my PAS fluid.

Your grateful children have surprised you with the promise of a brand new S40.
They asked you to assemble your records so they can make the very best deal they can.

So, Dear Dad, what color do you want?

How's my detective work? Kira

Your detective work ? Um, eh, um lol no comment hahaha

The car (Maud btw ... that's her name) was a hard worker for the first five or six years. Change of job, closer to home and she enjoyed what I consider a gentle middle age (bang on with the mileage btw). Then another job change brought her a very leisurely end to her time with me.

See. Maud's only done 105,000 miles. Someone, somewhere might see her at auction and think she's OK for a few more years. Hope springs eternal.

I remember watching a cartoon when I was young, Susie the car. I cried so much when Susie went to the scrappy that I came out of the cinema with dye on my face, I'd been sobbing into my scarf lol.

But Susie didn't end up in the scrappy ! Watch the movie, only eight minutes, very endearing ! And let's hope Maud has a similar happy ending !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pxap-M_--k

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Oh btw. I was sorting out the new S40's insurance today, using GoCompare.

Best deal initially seemed to be Tesco Bank. But when you added in all the "extras" that other insurers count as standard, turns out they're not that competitive after all.

Co-op Car Insurance was next best. And being a Co-op Bank customer I was sorely tempted to go with them. But I'd asked for no marketing phone calls, texts or emails as part of the application and guess what ... Co-op Car Insurance has called me 6 times since yesterday to chase up the sale. So that's them bombed out.

Who am I going with ? The company which is extremely competitive but which isn't on GoCompare ... Volvo Car Insurance. Only niggle I had was that I wanted to pay monthly & their website doesn't do that, but a quick call to their customer service centre sorted that out.

Happy camper !

[Georgeandkira]

Hmmm…I guess that means I'm also wrong about your kids buying you a new car.

SHORT AUTO INSURANCE STORY: For years my local agent did nothing but change companies on me and raise rates. I had no accidents or violations.

I finally took notice that AAA (our biggest motoring/tow/RAC type thing) offered insurance. I asked for a quote and underscored my clean record. They got back to me quickly with the winning offer.

I went to the reconditioned mansion my soon-to-be-former insurer inhabited to cancel and expressed my dissatisfaction with the service.
"Why don't you write a letter explaining your dissatisfaction?", said one of the familiar ladies.

"Because the owner changes insurance providers on everyone. He's delivering a number of policies to these new-boys-on-the-block for quick profit or even kickbacks. He couldn't possibly care", I said.

After thinking of the demographics (detective work again) I continued by asking the lady if the company was now being run by the children of the founder; who's name was still on the outside wall. She said yes.

I said in a very quiet and sincere voice, "I'd bet the kids are irresponsible and that they either being taken in by the cheap, new underwriters or that they're party kids and the business is going up their noses (an unvarnished reference to cocaine)."

The lady gave me the look that assured me I had hit the nail on the head.

I'm glad I took my business elsewhere. I'm fuming that I didn't do it sooner. Kira

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Shamelessly bumping my own thread here after, what, 4 years and a bit. Thought I’d swing by with an update.

Well I’ve checked out my old S80 online, seems she struggled on under new ownership until June 2016 when her MOT ran out. No record of her after that, so I can only assume she finally met her maker.

The new car I bought in 2014, a Volvo S40 1.6 Diesel (stop/start type eco model) turned out to be one unmitigated disaster of a car. It’s spent weeks in the garage with never ending engine and exhaust issues, it’s broken down in Christmas week two years in a row now, requiring towed both times. All the injectors needed replaced first breakdown, alternator the second breakdown. The DPF needed replaced early, half a hundred other items too. A lemon of a car, I’d hoped to keep it a few years yet but have lost confidence in it altogether. And Volvo too, if I’m honest.

My first Volvo was a 240, then 440, then S40, S80 and finally the newer S40. And that’s where my own Volvo story now ends.

I take delivery of a new Mini Cooper end of this week, proverbial old boy in a young boy’s car now, kids forced that choice on me, hopefully get a few years out that then I retire and get my free bus pass.

Anyway cheers for reading hope you’re all well and enjoying life, thanks again for your help on here.