TBD - What next (after a Volvo XC40) | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum (2024)

Fri 21 Jun 2024 09:34

• New in 2020/2021/2022
• Compact/Medium SUV style
• Examples on the market under £20K, (less than 50K miles on them)
• Electric heated drivers seats with memory positions.
• Heated steering wheel
• Available as MHEV / PHEV and with a real world MPG >40
• Front and rear parking sensors with camera view (inc 360 birds eye view)
• Auto dimming headlights, rain sensing wipers
• Blind spot indicators (usually in the door mirrors)
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Pilot Assist (hands free steering for short periods, car keeps in lane)
• Remote climate conditioning (warm up before getting in)
• Multi mode drive train including snow mode

From my research, there's not much around (e.g. Mazda CX30 does not have Pilot Assist, Climate Conditioning or memory positions for drivers seat) and we might be best to keep the XC40 at end of lease (~£24K balloon payment), what do other forum members think?

Thanks

Edited by guygamps on 21/06/2024 at 11:58

Fri 21 Jun 2024 12:51

Before you do anything else; how much does an equivalent XC40 retail for? Just to get an idea of whether the balloon payment is high or low.

I don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of every car specification, but would probably start with Kia (Sportage and Sorrento) and Hyundai (Tucson and Santa Fe) as they tend to load cars with kit at higher spec levels. Lexus would be worth investigating too.

Sun 23 Jun 2024 18:30

We have a top of a range Volvo XC40, its Plug in Hybrid and absolutely loaded with extras (built for a dealer demonstrator and bought by us in 2021). Beginning to think what we might replace it with when the PCP ends. We are paying eye watering monthly payment albeit for a fabulous car, but job changes since 2021 and approaching retirement lead me to ask ... (before handing over a large balloon payment to Volvo for a 4 year old car), what else is out there that we could get for less money.

Having been spoilt rotten with all the features this car has, there are a few we would NOT want to do without, some I would not even consider very high end, yet don't seem to appear as often as you would think, others are high end.

So what other cars have these features (the ones we would not want to lose)

• New in 2020/2021/2022
• Compact/Medium SUV style
• Examples on the market under £20K, (less than 50K miles on them)
• Electric heated drivers seats with memory positions.
• Heated steering wheel
• Available as MHEV / PHEV and with a real world MPG >40
• Front and rear parking sensors with camera view (inc 360 birds eye view)
• Auto dimming headlights, rain sensing wipers
• Blind spot indicators (usually in the door mirrors)
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Pilot Assist (hands free steering for short periods, car keeps in lane)
• Remote climate conditioning (warm up before getting in)
• Multi mode drive train including snow mode

From my research, there's not much around (e.g. Mazda CX30 does not have Pilot Assist, Climate Conditioning or memory positions for drivers seat) and we might be best to keep the XC40 at end of lease (~£24K balloon payment), what do other forum members think?

Thanks

You like your Volvo. You like a lot of the premium features the car has. Presume you like the premium feel of the car. You know how it has been driven. You know its service history. I'm assuming it's been reliable and in excellent condition.

If you're looking at another premium car of similar size/ type/ age and condition from approved used dealer stock, it will be a similar cost as it would be to buy the Volvo.

I know some of the cars you're looking at on Auto Trader will be cheaper, but they're probably a bit ropey. The decent stock will be more.

Also, you don't know if another used car has been giving its previous owner grief, and they've traded it in to get shot of the problems. If you buy it, they're then your problems.

Personally, as you like the Volvo so much, I would keep it. Better the devil you know!