Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

My write-off offer has come through from my insurers. Is it the done thing to challenge initially then accept? There are cars of a similar mileage but not age and it seems they have perhaps just stuck their finger in the air. I’d say they’re about £1k out but it’s hard to evidence because spec varies so much on the available models. I’m conscious that a lot of cars aren’t shifting from the forecourts and have been up for some time, so the offer might actually be fair market rate. But I’m naive and don’t haggle so I normally pay sticker price (sellers beware!). Perhaps I should this time round..

And on that note; how does one go about the haggle? What can you actually get off these days??

Plugin hybrids will run as a hybrid even when not charged (you'll get better mpg than on an ice car)

If you do charge it they'll become much more efficient though. We get great mpg on ours.

You most certainly can challenge their valuation, I have and won to the tone of nearly £2k. Go on to Autoloader and look for a similar car in mileage, year and condition. It helps to have pictures of your car, both interior and exterior. Limit your search to 100 miles and let them know that this would be your reasonable limit for replacement and it is unreasonable to quote one in the Shetlands. The assessor I spoke to was reasonable, hopefully yours will be so too. Don't get stroppy, just insist on a price in line with the cars currently on offer.

Solid advice. Thank you.

The within X miles is my main takeaway here. I don’t want to price upon an online only dealership model as sight unseen isn’t how I like to do things. Tbh I probably paid over the odds for the vehicle in question because it was a few miles away… but I like the comfort of being able to stage a sit in if things go awry!

"you can't park there mate"... Not sure how this happened as this is a slow corner in Bath.

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I've developed an unhealthy want for a first generation XC90 4.4 V8...

Drive one. It’ll pass.

absolutely love seeing this!

Oh really? Not good?

I'd describe the gen 1 Xc90 as erm, agricultural.

It'll make a nice noise, but won't go anywhere fast. They also handle like a boat. Which is fitting really, as that's where these engines actually ended up after Volvo stopped using them.

^ all of this.

And then the gearbox. It’s so, so, so slow. Even though I’ve told you this you’ll still be amazed at the time that elapses between throttle input and forward motion from a standstill. It makes every busy roundabout a terrible thrill.

An old X5 or even a Merc ML is a better thing.

Surely a Jeep SRT8 is the best option?

I'm a bit allergic to BMW and find the ML a bit hard to look at so maybe a GL is the move but the weirdness of the Volvo appeals to me as a luxe-barge...

@skinny Jeep just would be for me unless it was an older Cherokee...

Valuing brand above engineering and haptics is what the marketing execs want you to do. They’re laughing at you. Free yourself. Get an X5 with tinted windows and park it round the corner if you’re going anywhere anyone middle class might see and judge you.

Excellent safety for children in the boot. If you love your children you should do it.

Well I'm actually BMW allergic due to a hideous ownership experience but I must admit those early V8 E53s are aging nicely...

I'm not even sure why I'm considering something like this but I guess daily driving an EV has somehow equated to me justifying some obnoxiously big engined petrol thing as a weekend toy for surf trips and Cars & Coffee outings which is partially why the Volvo appealed so much being such an oddity...
I'd probably just go for a Land Cruiser Amazon if they existed with sensible mileage and pricing these days but they're all 300k km + and expensive (or even better, a Lexus LX450).

@hugo7 I've not got any yet but they're on the not too distant horizon so that would be a consideration alright...

If only you’d asked last week:

https://www.mathewsons.co.uk/auction/lot/lot-342---1992-nissan-patrol-diesel/?lot=11669&so=0&st=&sto=0&au=36&ef=&et=&ic=False&sd=0&mc=2&pp=48&pn=6&g=1

Patrols are under valued compared to Amazons. It doesn’t take much to make them look all kinds of utility awesome.

being such an oddity

Strange you say that. Round me they'd definitely be in the top 5 of non-lease black prestige cars:

RRS and E Class coupe prob in joint first.

Land Cruiser

Can anyone outside the UAE afford to run one of these?

Oh wow, that's absolutely wicked!

I wouldn't go for a diesel though unfortunately which is making my life more difficult...

Saw some gorgeous Land Cruiser Prados in HK a few weeks ago and really got me thinking about non-Amazon models!

V8s?

As for affording to run it though I don't plan to (I'm daily driving a Hyundai Kona EV at the moment, lol), it would be purely for an occasional weekend trip and Cars & Coffee runs...

Not seem one before

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Even though I’ve told you this you’ll still be amazed at the time that elapses between throttle input and forward motion from a standstill. It makes every busy roundabout a terrible thrill.

This trait has been replicated on the latest XC90s / other SPA platformed vehicles too - I presume those with Hybrid stuff are better (?). But 1-2 seconds delay and not knowing if the car will take off or not is my biggest bug with my wagon, it's frankly unsafe.

Pretty lucky no one was hurt given the time. Grim memories of the Milsom street crash just a stones throw from there where the guy put a group through the railings.

Mad that they haven’t fixed it in 20 years.

I drove an early one and it was dangerously hesitant, put your foot down for a gap, nothing, nothing, then just as you decide it’s not going and lift off it lurches forward into traffic where you’re now stranded having lifted off. Cue another panicky delay with foot to the floor before it will go again.