Hi all I'm still about, even though my fl2 went around 15 months ago, and it's replacement went two weeks ago this Sunday I'm keeping an eye on all your views on the ds, , I've gone back up to a bigger car again , couldn't run to paying screen prices for a new ds plus didn't want to wait for the new engine, think I posted before what I ordered back in December , any way picked up our new volvo xc60 on the first of march. Had a great relationship with the sales guy, kept me fully informed all the way through build time, got a good price for my audi, handover day came two weeks early and it was the first time I had the new reg on the first day of the month, we sat down and had a chat with a Danish pastry and coffee with me waiting for them to bring our car round for viewing , only to be told it's over there in the show room waiting for me to unveil it, it stood there all sheeted up and a big plaque card beside with my name on it , thought that was a nice touch and a first for me , anyway the car is something else so smooth and very quite , the 181 bhp engine is great and is already averaging 40mpg on a new and tight engine having only now done 400 miles , compared to our freelander that did 29mpg for ages, the 8 speed auto is very slick , I thought the audi gearbox we had would take some beating but this is a match for it, the seats are soooooo comfortable we have the rdesign and it has the more sporting trim and the seats are more hugging if you get my drift , the boot is massive and the rear seats fold dead flat and with out having to take out or move the head rest's they flick into place via a switch , the standard sound system is also good with a nice tone to it and streams music very well , picks up the iphone way before you even get your seat belt on, the only down side I've found is bad lighting for the boot , as the light is in the boot lid not much cop when the boot is six foot up in the air , the build quality is very impressive and the plastics feel nice , I've seen and heard you guys and the motor press mention the not so nice plastics in the new ds which is a shame , for such a nice car, sorry to go on but I'd thought I'd give you guys something different to read this evening to make a change , I'd never ever ever thought I would be driving a volvo but have to say ATM I'm glad I had a look at something different .
Here she is.

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Hi Hicksy, good to hear from you. That is a nice car and I like the sleek design of the Volvo, there's a burgundy one not far from me.

Couple of questions about it, is it permanent 4WD or selectable?

Does it come with all weather/season M+S rated tyres as standard like the FL2 or summer tyres? LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

Hi and thanks, no this one is only a front wheel drive, ATM you can not get awd with this engine, not until later this year, and today they have announced the my16's will have 9 more bhp plus be available in both 2 and 4 wheel drive, the tyres are just normal summer tyres I guess, what helped me decided on one of these is a friend has one and has been through a snowy winter with it and has got on really well and his is 2 wheel drive, they have a system in the auto box were you can select third gear and it changes the engine and gearing to pull away under control, other reasons for going two wheel drive was cost and road tax, if this was a manual this would only be £30 but as it's an auto it's still only £110 lot less the the landy. 

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Well you can get winter tyres for reasonable money if you wanted some and it will fare better than 4WD on summer tyres. Might be worth checking out prices around autumn time to satisfy curiosity. The difference they made to my ST was unreal.

I like white in certain cars and the Volvo looks well but I think it would do my head in trying to keep it clean  LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

Admins;
One thread for the s t bin  Another member of the failed FL2 clutch/DMF club, twice.

No

I like it and agree about the seats, no one comes close to Volvo with comfort for the seats.

If it hasn't broken down yet then you're doing better than LR

Hope the Ovolov is a good one for you Hicksy. I have had four Volvos and they were all good vehicles- survived a big crash in one without a scratch- they designed in safety features well before most other manufacturers. Although its a tidy design I don't care for the styling of your new beastie however and think your ex - white Freely2 - is much better looking -it is unmistakably a Land Rover.
The competition in the SUV market is going to get very intense in the years to come - the new XC90 and the coming Skoda SUV are going to savage LR sales sadly - the DS looks to me to be a very feeble effort in comparison and the proposed all new Disco 4 replacement looks as if it will come from the same JLR design team whose only answer to body styling is to squash the roof and cover the thing with bling. Considering that Volvo could easily have gone the way of Saab they really have done well to be coming up with such imaginative new models - I wish LR could recruit some equally talented designers.

By the looks of things volvo are just about a new era like lr, with some exciting times coming with new models, the media have been going mad over the new xc90 even read an article in a mag last week claiming in many ways it's better than the range rover, now I'm not gonna say volvo is better or worst, it's very very early days for me , two weeks old today. People who claim lr is the best 4x4 by miles is probably right even I do but just wonder how many actually need 4x4 , we don't and so when we were looking at going back to SUV type car we wanted space, higher seating position and most of all comfort , I'm not a fan of any of the jap cars although there are all good in there own ways, I didn't believe volvos own hipe that the xc60 is the best selling car in Europe not until the boys from top gear confirmed this in there mag, so it can't be to bad of a car and the more there are the more you here about bad ones , just like the fl2, here's hoping for a good three years, 

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