XC60 D3 or D5 ~ SE Lux Premium?

[isleaiw]

Originally Posted by MikeAP

The thing is..... why should I have to drop anything, just to accommodate their answers? After all, if I were purchasing the vehicle under any other arrangement I could have the Premium pack for £1,500. It all seems a little strange to me.
Motability rang Volvo UK head office and it is they who are stopping the Premium pack add-on. It is they who say if I want anything from the Premium pack I must purchase all the items individually or none at all. I need to look into this further as it simply does not make any sense.

Anyway, all this bad feelings is taking my eyes off the main topic ~ the D3 or the D5.
I've been bed ridden this past couple of weeks so as soon as I can get up I intend to nip down again to my local dealer here in Chesterfield who have a D3 then go on up to Sheffield who have a D5. A couple of test drives by my wife on a rainy day should do it hopefully (yes, I forgot to mention... because of my disability my Wife does all the driving, so I also have to take her considerations into play as well).

Thanks again Guys.... Everything you have said has been noted and understood.

Good luck from a fellow Chesterfield Volvophile.

Personally I'd not worry too much if someone offered me an XC 60 for 4.5k and 220 a month - and i'd go for the lower power and higher spec, but if the better half is driving maybe she should make the choice??

Ian

PS I'll look out for whatever you get - there are not that many XC60s in "tarn" yet....

[MikeAP]

Originally Posted by isleaiw

Good luck from a fellow Chesterfield Volvophile.

Personally I'd not worry too much if someone offered me an XC 60 for 4.5k and 220 a month - and i'd go for the lower power and higher spec, but if the better half is driving maybe she should make the choice??

Ian

PS I'll look out for whatever you get - there are not that many XC60s in "tarn" yet....

Ahh.. always nice to meet a fellow 'tarney'.

Ian, do you mind me asking which dealer you went to?
Always good to know other buyers impressions... and yes, 'she who must be obeyed at all times' has quite a big part in what I choose. Basically, I can pick the mechanics but she chooses both colour, design, Interior, Extra's, Etc. Etc.... ohh.. that's a few items more than the word 'Both'!

..and thanks for the heads-up on the lack of XV60's here by the 'Crooked-Spire'

[isleaiw]

Originally Posted by MikeAP

Ahh.. always nice to meet a fellow 'tarney'.

Ian, do you mind me asking which dealer you went to?
Always good to know other buyers impressions... and yes, 'she who must be obeyed at all times' has quite a big part in what I choose. Basically, I can pick the mechanics but she chooses both colour, design, Interior, Extra's, Etc. Etc.... ohh.. that's a few items more than the word 'Both'!

..and thanks for the heads-up on the lack of XV60's here by the 'Crooked-Spire'

In the old days, we had 850 estate and S40 from Hinchliffe's (which was where Volvo are now) and then more recently they have been bought and serviced outside dealer network as my brother is an After Sales Manager at a dealer nr Crystal Peaks that specialises in decent quality secondhand stuff.

I did have an Alfa from Autoworld that they serviced - I wasnt a fan of the multi franchise service centre but I understand that the Volvo dealer has its own service bays now? I did have the misfortune to use the dealer who closed down and will not use them for any brand ever again. That was the Jeep franchise though - which had been brilliant when a Speeds.

I think the local dealers with local ownership are the ones to use - they have a vested interest in looking after you!

Your split of responsibilities sounds like it was in our house - nowadays I just go and pick something second hand and she has to lump the colour etc!

[MikeAP]

Thanks Ian... It's what I found at Autoworld what did not really impress me... The general lazyness of everything, but then, before I got my present Honda CR-V from Gordon Lambs I used to deal with the excellent VW dealer Gilders (formerly Barrington's).
That is a great Dealer ~ Clean, well dressed, non-pushy Sales Staff, housed in an excellent very large, spacious and clean showroom where you can look through the glass at the Service Centre and note it's totally spotless. You could eat your food off those service bay floors.

... and it was always nice to have an unlimited supply of Coffee in a proper Cup & Saucer.

Autoworld is miles in comparison and it puts you on edge. I just hope when I next go there they stop calling me 'Mate'!

[Chaddie]

A few years ago you could get bigger engine cars with higher spec on Motability but the deposit was £10k+. But most people on Motability want a lower deposit and the insurance costs most bigger engine cars were dropped.

You have to remember that Insurance is only part of the cost, there is also the servicing, maintenance and the big one deprecation (the car has to be resold), so Motability have to calculate how much the car will cost over the 3 yrs.

It wasn't long ago that a 16yr old who had just past there test could of ordered a new BMW 535 and it would of been insured and serviced by Motability if they had the deposit. So now they try to offer a good selection of car, but they can't afford to offer every car.

I use to buy my cars VAT free, keep them on average 6-12month and buy another, therefore no Servicing / Maintanance Costs or Road Tax and I got 1yrs RAC with a new car. The only extra I had to pay over Motability was Insurance....Done right it's better than Motability you just need the funds to buy your first car this way, since you can't have a car loan (only a personal loan).

[MikeAP]

Thanks Chaddie for the comment.

I totally agree in what you say here.... My last couple of Motability 4x4's have been increasing all the time at a phenomenal rate but all of a sudden it looks to be dropping again.
My present Honda which is an CR-V Ex with Advanced Safety Pack just over two years back cost me an advance of £7,200.
That same vehicle in October 2010 was £10,800... BUT move on three months to the present Motability price list and it's clawed back down to £7,309.

[isleaiw]

Originally Posted by MikeAP

Thanks Ian... It's what I found at Autoworld what did not really impress me... The general lazyness of everything, but then, before I got my present Honda CR-V from Gordon Lambs I used to deal with the excellent VW dealer Gilders (formerly Barrington's).
That is a great Dealer ~ Clean, well dressed, non-pushy Sales Staff, housed in an excellent very large, spacious and clean showroom where you can look through the glass at the Service Centre and note it's totally spotless. You could eat your food off those service bay floors.

... and it was always nice to have an unlimited supply of Coffee in a proper Cup & Saucer.

Autoworld is miles in comparison and it puts you on edge. I just hope when I next go there they stop calling me 'Mate'!

Agreed - had a VW Golf from Barringtons in 2002 and couldnt fault them. Also had a couple that have been to Lamb's - including a very troublesome Grand Espace and they bent over backwards to look after me with that. Almost bought a Discovery from them just on the back of the service i got from them.

I'm really not bothered what they call me though - as long as they do what they have said that they will by when they say they will. i did have a few BMs when Bridgegate were in town - they are no longer an option as I wont use the current dealer. A shame as the better half wants a Mini!

Ian

[Chaddie]

Originally Posted by MikeAP

Thanks Chaddie for the comment.

I totally agree in what you say here.... My last couple of Motability 4x4's have been increasing all the time at a phenomenal rate but all of a sudden it looks to be dropping again.
My present Honda which is an CR-V Ex with Advanced Safety Pack just over two years back cost me an advance of £7,200.
That same vehicle in October 2010 was £10,800... BUT move on three months to the present Motability price list and it's clawed back down to £7,309.

Remember if you're paying close on £8000 of your mobility allowance and about the same in deposit, that's £15k-£16k that you won't see again and have nothing to show for it, then you do it again. So in 6yrs you've spent over the cost of a new car with nothing still to show for it, if you buy it you have a car which is worth something.

Motability is great if you want a car with zero or very little deposit, but when you're spending thousand in deposit, you really need to start doing the maths and see if buying outright is cheaper in the long run (working on keeping the car for 3yrs, 5yrs or longer)

[isleaiw]

Originally Posted by Chaddie

Remember if you're paying close on £8000 of your mobility allowance and about the same in deposit, that's £15k-£16k that you won't see again and have nothing to show for it, then you do it again. So in 6yrs you've spent over the cost of a new car with nothing still to show for it, if you buy it you have a car which is worth something.

Motability is great if you want a car with zero or very little deposit, but when you're spending thousand in deposit, you really need to start doing the maths and see if buying outright is cheaper in the long run (working on keeping the car for 3yrs, 5yrs or longer)

Unfortunately when you put down a deposit and buy yourself then in 3 years you have pretty much nothing to show for it! Even if it is worth 50% after 3 years (and if you do any sort of mileage it wont be!) then on a 25k car you have lost at least £12500 in depreciation - add to that insurance, servicing, tyres and other repairs and renewals as well as RFL and you are going to be around the £15k to 16k cost - and you are taking the risks, not Motability.....

[Chaddie]

Originally Posted by isleaiw

Unfortunately when you put down a deposit and buy yourself then in 3 years you have pretty much nothing to show for it! Even if it is worth 50% after 3 years (and if you do any sort of mileage it wont be!) then on a 25k car you have lost at least £12500 in depreciation - add to that insurance, servicing, tyres and other repairs and renewals as well as RFL and you are going to be around the £15k to 16k cost - and you are taking the risks, not Motability.....

That's why I said you need to do the maths, for me who does below average mileage and get all the servicing / maintenance VAT free, No Road Tax, Full No Claims for Insurance and can get RAC cover via a cheap'ish deal from my Bank Account, I feel buying it, keeping it and running it for 5 or 6 yrs is cheaper then using Motability.

But if you do higher mileage or have high insurance costs then Motability my be a better option, I've had 3 car via Motability the last I bought after the 3 yrs and run it for another 3 yrs, then I switch to Volvo and the VAT exemption way. Motability was right for me at that time, I was young 19yrs old so little in savings and high insurance costs, now I'm older I have savings, lower insurance and I do fewer mileage, I feel Motability isn't right / cheapest way for me anymore.

All I'm saying is look at all the options (including doing the maths) and decide which is best for you and this period of time.