[225]

Well after 23 months the V90 has gone. Took a punt not driving one beforehand and went on lease price and that it looked good and was well equipped.
Subsequently spent 23 months shouting at the gearbox as it had software written by a 6 year old. Was dangerous at first and then just plain hateful after an update.
Might have been better with a petrol but with a 4 pot derv it was awful.
Power was OK for a 4pot derv at 235bhp but better once added a tuning box.

Overall head over ruled heart getting rid of the 340 for it and won't be repeated again.

Nice car, just not one I should have got..

[Broncho]

Originally Posted by 225

Well after 23 months the V90 has gone. Took a punt not driving one beforehand and went on lease price and that it looked good and was well equipped.
Subsequently spent 23 months shouting at the gearbox as it had software written by a 6 year old. Was dangerous at first and then just plain hateful after an update.
Might have been better with a petrol but with a 4 pot derv it was awful.
Power was OK for a 4pot derv at 235bhp but better once added a tuning box.

Overall head over ruled heart getting rid of the 340 for it and won't be repeated again.

Nice car, just not one I should have got..

Did the same with the Audi, fucking hateful piece of shite.

The relief is amazing isn’t it?

[JustChris]

Nice work 225! What's on the menu now?

[TouringPleb]

It's strange, we had a XC90 with same engine and gearbox and didn't have any problems with it. I remember it got a software update for it once but not because we complained.

[isleaiw1]

Originally Posted by 225

Well after 23 months the V90 has gone. Took a punt not driving one beforehand and went on lease price and that it looked good and was well equipped.
Subsequently spent 23 months shouting at the gearbox as it had software written by a 6 year old. Was dangerous at first and then just plain hateful after an update.
Might have been better with a petrol but with a 4 pot derv it was awful.
Power was OK for a 4pot derv at 235bhp but better once added a tuning box.

Overall head over ruled heart getting rid of the 340 for it and won't be repeated again.

Nice car, just not one I should have got..

They need to be polestar tuned, not for the small increase in power but because they sort the gearbox out

[225]

Originally Posted by Broncho

Did the same with the Audi, fucking hateful piece of shite.

The relief is amazing isn’t it?

It is! Had no emotional connection with it so bar not having a car of my own so to speak dont miss it.

JustChris M340 touring looks like the way forward, have spoken to the broker I use and he's keeping an eye out for deals. Obviously will be a few weeks or months before we know the lay of the land but may be able to pickup a dealer order or stock car for a good price hopefully. Need the BMW apr to be more sensible though.

Mind you a 330e touring would be eminently more sensible for the journeys and millage I do but I know I'd always have buyers remorce. Especially at cold start time!

Not in any hurry now so gives a bit more time for a deposit.

[225]

Originally Posted by isleaiw1

They need to be polestar tuned, not for the small increase in power but because they sort the gearbox out

Yes I did look into that but no way am I paying hundreds just to sort out a gearbox map and 10 odd bhp!

[isleaiw1]

Originally Posted by 225

Yes I did look into that but no way am I paying hundreds just to sort out a gearbox map and 10 odd bhp!

Instead you will spend tens of thousands on a new car.....

A few of my friends are serial Volvo drivers and they just budget for the polestar upgrade from day 1.

[JustChris]

Originally Posted by 225

It is! Had no emotional connection with it so bar not having a car of my own so to speak dont miss it.

JustChris M340 touring looks like the way forward, have spoken to the broker I use and he's keeping an eye out for deals. Obviously will be a few weeks or months before we know the lay of the land but may be able to pickup a dealer order or stock car for a good price hopefully. Need the BMW apr to be more sensible though.

Mind you a 330e touring would be eminently more sensible for the journeys and millage I do but I know I'd always have buyers remorce. Especially at cold start time!

Not in any hurry now so gives a bit more time for a deposit.

Deals will be epic in 1/2/3 monrhs

[isleaiw1]

Originally Posted by JustChris

Deals will be epic in 1/2/3 monrhs

Opening on May 11th or 18th depending on which rag you read or who you know...

stock cars will be good deals. After that, I reckon it will be about getting what margin they can where they can.... Volume bonuses will be dead in the water this year now. Recession looming and fewer buyers so dont give your profit away if you dont have to....

Might not be true everywhere but one very well known chain will certainly be adopting that approach

so get in on a stock car whilst you can!

[JustChris]

Originally Posted by isleaiw1

Opening on May 11th or 18th depending on which rag you read or who you know...

stock cars will be good deals. After that, I reckon it will be about getting what margin they can where they can.... Volume bonuses will be dead in the water this year now. Recession looming and fewer buyers so dont give your profit away if you dont have to....

Might not be true everywhere but one very well known chain will certainly be adopting that approach

Yep stock car fire sale

[225]

Originally Posted by isleaiw1

Instead you will spend tens of thousands on a new car.....

A few of my friends are serial Volvo drivers and they just budget for the polestar upgrade from day 1.

Even if the gearbox was faultless not the car for me. Too big, too slow(for a petrolhead) and rattly 4pot.
If it had a 6pot and decent gearbox would have been completely different but it did save me a few quid.

[isleaiw1]

Originally Posted by 225

Even if the gearbox was faultless not the car for me. Too big, too slow(for a petrolhead) and rattly 4pot.
If it had a 6pot and decent gearbox would have been completely different but it did save me a few quid.

The T5 V60 is a much better option, unless you really need a massive hearse...

Saving money is overrated sometimes, but equally a car is just a car and cash for the future is so much more important.

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

Originally Posted by isleaiw1

Opening on May 11th or 18th depending on which rag you read or who you know...

stock cars will be good deals. After that, I reckon it will be about getting what margin they can where they can.... Volume bonuses will be dead in the water this year now. Recession looming and fewer buyers so dont give your profit away if you dont have to....

Might not be true everywhere but one very well known chain will certainly be adopting that approach

so get in on a stock car whilst you can!

Don’t count on it even with your insider info.

It’s one thing deciding on a strategy and another following through on it.
Unless everyone else does the same, they’ll have no choice but to match them or sell nothing. You can’t outwit basic supply and demand.

As a business we’ve already decided what we’re doing. Going low while everyone tries high for a while. Get the volume in where we can. And everyone after a few months will have to follow suit.

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

Originally Posted by isleaiw1

The T5 V60 is a much better option, unless you really need a massive hearse...

Saving money is overrated sometimes, but equally a car is just a car and cash for the future is so much more important.

Drove one for a couple of days, hated it, felt very ordinary. Gearbox was totally unrefined, but not the only factor contributing to the boredom. Wouldn’t try one again.

[isleaiw1]

Originally Posted by Goneinsixtyseconds

Don’t count on it even with your insider info.

It’s one thing deciding on a strategy and another following through on it.
Unless everyone else does the same, they’ll have no choice but to match them or sell nothing. You can’t outwit basic supply and demand.

As a business we’ve already decided what we’re doing. Going low while everyone tries high for a while. Get the volume in where we can. And everyone after a few months will have to follow suit.

Thanks for the business insight. And a strategy by definition is a long term approach not something to be dumped after a week or a month.

I suspect your industry - buying long term contracts that you then try and find added value sales opportunities - is very different to a one off transaction with a car sale.

But yes, it might not work. But they are going to try it and they are resourcing for SIGNIFICANTLY lower volumes across the board... that's a fact, and they have a big BMW dealer group.

How it plays out is anybodies guess, you might find that lowballing scares people that you are trying to buy contracts and then ramp up prices so you may win nothing....

[isleaiw1]

Originally Posted by Goneinsixtyseconds

Drove one for a couple of days, hated it, felt very ordinary. Gearbox was totally unrefined, but not the only factor contributing to the boredom. Wouldn’t try one again.

A bit like an X3 then, that bored you.

Wouldnt do if we all liked the same things would it. For alot of people a Volvo is ideal - and why its sales were up 29% in first half of 2019 versus same period in 2018.

I've had as many Volvo's as BMWs. When I decide I dont want something ridiculous and just want a car to get me around in my advancing years a Volvo could be on the list.

[Broncho]

Originally Posted by isleaiw1

A bit like an X3 then, that bored you.

Wouldnt do if we all liked the same things would it. For alot of people a Volvo is ideal - and why its sales were up 29% in first half of 2019 versus same period in 2018.

I've had as many Volvo's as BMWs. When I decide I dont want something ridiculous and just want a car to get me around in my advancing years a Volvo could be on the list.

The XC models in the right spec are very good looking cars, all of them imo.

My wife's cousin has a 2018 XC90 and it is a fantastic looking car but as others have said the gearbox is just awful and I'd go as far to say it's worse than my Audi was and that's saying something.

Funny though how non car enthusiasts have no idea, Neil thinks it's awesome!

We are a rare breed these days.

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

Originally Posted by isleaiw1

A bit like an X3 then, that bored you.

Wouldnt do if we all liked the same things would it. For alot of people a Volvo is ideal - and why its sales were up 29% in first half of 2019 versus same period in 2018.

I've had as many Volvo's as BMWs. When I decide I dont want something ridiculous and just want a car to get me around in my advancing years a Volvo could be on the list.

My point was aimed at the OP, with you suggesting a different Volvo might be better suited to him. I felt was unlikely from my experience of driving it. In my opinion it had the same faults he talked about with his car. Dull driving experience, and the T5 engine wasn’t very special at all.

It wasn’t aimed at every person in the world who might well like them as you say, especially if they haven’t had cars like a 340i. But that isn’t the OP.

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

Originally Posted by Broncho

The XC models in the right spec are very good looking cars, all of them imo.

My wife's cousin has a 2018 XC90 and it is a fantastic looking car but as others have said the gearbox is just awful and I'd go as far to say it's worse than my Audi was and that's saying something.

Funny though how non car enthusiasts have no idea, Neil thinks it's awesome!

We are a rare breed these days.

I drove the similarly powered 3 litre Q7 and D5 XC90 and it was no contest, in drive and comfort. And I was dead set on the XC90 before as I love the looks and I was only driving the Q7 to appease the wife.

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

Originally Posted by isleaiw1

Thanks for the business insight. And a strategy by definition is a long term approach not something to be dumped after a week or a month.

I suspect your industry - buying long term contracts that you then try and find added value sales opportunities - is very different to a one off transaction with a car sale.

But yes, it might not work. But they are going to try it and they are resourcing for SIGNIFICANTLY lower volumes across the board... that's a fact, and they have a big BMW dealer group.

How it plays out is anybodies guess, you might find that lowballing scares people that you are trying to buy contracts and then ramp up prices so you may win nothing....

You can have your opinion and I’m entitled to mine. Every year in Q1 dealerships and manufacturers target higher margins and declare that as their strategy and hope that this is the year they make more profit.

And every year this breaks very quickly as they all start to compete for sales. You’re entitled to your opinion that lower volumes will mean higher margins. And I’m entitled to mine that that those market forces will mean higher competition and drive prices down. I simply don’t believe that everyone will stand their ground together, markets just don’t generally work that way.

And thanks for the insight on our strategy, we’re still winning large contracts through this crisis by being proactive whilst our competitors are operating in survival mode and waiting for normal to return.

[TodmordenLad]

Congrats, that must be a relief
It amazes me that Volvo are putting out cars these days which are so good in so many ways but ruined by their auto boxes. Real pity. A mate has the latest V60, which is a lovely looking estate. He finds the auto box utterly exasperating.
I ran two 2nd gen V70s in succession way back and they remain one of my favourite cars. Both had 5 cyl 2.4/2.5L diesel engines, which were excellent. The auto boxes weren't great but they certainly weren't awful. Great family haulers with the best seats I've ever experienced.