RE: Volvo V60 Polestar: PH Fleeting
Tuesday 31st March 2015
The last time I wrote about the Volvo V60 Polestar I signed off by saying that I had reluctantly handed the keys over to a PH colleague, which was a clear sign that the car had got under my skin. As it turns out, the Polestar's charm didn't only have an effect on me; there has been a constant battle to get the keys back in my pocket.
The V60 visits Wales. James not drivingThis battle has effectively consisted of a giant game of car-logistics-chess, where anyone that gets hold of the keys does everything in their power to avoid relinquishing them. At all costs. This has also been accompanied with a near endless stream of positive comments about the car, albeit disguised as series of gloating text messages, tweets and emails.
Still not kerbed, whoever is driving!Aided with the app and an office full of colleagues who have recently fallen out with their neighbours, this morning I was triumphant and the keys are firmly back in my possession. A brief but joyous reunion has reasserted my thoughts about the car; it simply has a fundamental sense of 'rightness'. This intangible feel is as hard to describe as it is to convince a die-hard Audi fan that a Volvo V60 Polestar is a credible alternative to an S4 Avant. It seems to have just the right amount of everything it needs: performance, noise, composure, handling, comfort, equipment and rarity. Not to mention the app... That combination produces a genuinely special and interesting car, one I'm really looking forward to spending some more time in now that I've taken the precaution of locking my desk draw. I'm also planning a family weekend away in Wales over the Easter Bank Holiday which is surely the very thing a car like this is designed for, so I'll report back on how it goes.
Volvo V60 Polestar: PH Fleet
Month two and the fight for the Polestar key begins!
The V60 visits Wales. James not driving
But I had an ace up my sleeve. Little did my colleagues know that courtesy of the nice folks at Volvo's press office I'd been equipped with the 'Volvo On Call' app for my phone. Once linked to the car, the app allows you to see information on the car's status, as well as its location. It also allows you to make the lights flash and the horn sound at the touch of a button. In writing this I'm both confessing to a crime and explaining to my colleagues that the car doesn't in fact have a very annoying electrical glitch that causes the alarm to go off on their driveway. Every night. As I said, at all costs...
Still not kerbed, whoever is driving!
As a parting thought, it seems that it isn't just me that has struggled to explain what makes the V60 a great car. You can now pick up extremely low mileage examples at a significant saving over list price, this one is even in stealthy 'Black Sapphire Metallic' for full on Q-car effect. A viable alternative now, right?
Car: 2014 Volvo V60 Polestar
Run by: James
On fleet since: February 2015
Mileage: 10,422
List price new: £49,775 (and £49,775 as tested too!)
Last month at a glance: The rest of PH tries the V60 and the reports are glowing!
Previous updates:
Hot Swede welcomed to the PH Fleet...
[Pics: Ben Lowden]
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Discussion
Ex Boy Racer said:
Interesting app. Why doesn't every manufacturer simply build a disabler into the car's system along the same lines which would make the car theft proof?
Interesting - I guess that disabling a stolen car as it was travelling at 100mph on an A road may have consequences for more people than just the thieves; however I'm sure safeguards could be built in (for example only shutting down the engine when the car is at a complete stop).Cotic said:
Ex Boy Racer said:
Interesting app. Why doesn't every manufacturer simply build a disabler into the car's system along the same lines which would make the car theft proof?
Interesting - I guess that disabling a stolen car as it was travelling at 100mph on an A road may have consequences.Alas, it wasn't an option though - the app is disabled as soon as the car has been started.
As an aside, the app does notify you whenever the car is unlocked or if the windows are compromised / left down, so it certainly would give you early warning if someone had pinched it. So it genuinely is a handy app and the ability to remind yourself how much fuel it has left or how cold it is outside is great too!
JD
Axionknight said:
I want one of these, but was worried about the initial depreciation - but there's preregistered ones on the Autotrader for £41,000 or so now, £9,000 less than list. Why do they tempt me so?
Agreed, at such a bargain price that's a fantastic buy. I see a couple of these as demos as I work next to the Volvo dealer. I'd never get tired of that blue!jamespink said:
I struggle to se a £50 grand car here. I understand it goes really well and will doubtless be reliable but £50k guys...
Monkey_boy said:
.. and people moan about the Audi RS3 being too expensive at £39k base price 
...
There's delivery mileage cars available for £41,000 now..... As for the RS3, spec it up to the same level as this comes as standard and the cost would climb scary high, these are fully loaded.... Axionknight said:
I want one of these, but was worried about the initial depreciation - but there's preregistered ones on the Autotrader for £41,000 or so now, £9,000 less than list. Why do they tempt me so?
Why would this worry you there are pre registered M3/4 for sale that have lost over 10k so I wouldn't worry to muchZX10R NIN said:
Why would this worry you there are pre registered M3/4 for sale that have lost over 10k so I wouldn't worry to much
Because the idea of a car s
tting atleast nine grand of it's value in three months scares me a bit, if it was worth 300k then fair cop, but it isn't.Anyway, could just PCP one - if the new list prices are taken into account on the pre registered ones then it wouldn't be my problem..... Good job I'm out of the country this weekend or I'd be at the local Volvo dealer for some figures
Axionknight said:
ZX10R NIN said:
Why would this worry you there are pre registered M3/4 for sale that have lost over 10k so I wouldn't worry to much
Because the idea of a car stting atleast nine grand of it's value in three months scares me a bit, if it was worth 300k then fair cop, but it isn't.Anyway, could just PCP one - if the new list prices are taken into account on the pre registered ones then it wouldn't be my problem..... Good job I'm out of the country this weekend or I'd be at the local Volvo dealer for some figures
Bought ours with intention of keeping it long term so initial depreciation not an issue. Try not to think too much about the sticker price as certainly mixing it with the serious brands.
Had the dealer tweak the suspension to the track recommendation last week. Certainly felt more pointy. Wife noticed the stiffer front end's impact on ride so now dialled back a couple of stops but still loving it. It's a keeper so mine won't be showing up in the classifieds for ages. Only downsides are fuel consumption (it's heavy) and the fact that the Ohlins aren't very accessible.
Had the dealer tweak the suspension to the track recommendation last week. Certainly felt more pointy. Wife noticed the stiffer front end's impact on ride so now dialled back a couple of stops but still loving it. It's a keeper so mine won't be showing up in the classifieds for ages. Only downsides are fuel consumption (it's heavy) and the fact that the Ohlins aren't very accessible.
BJM1 said:
Bought ours with intention of keeping it long term so initial depreciation not an issue. Try not to think too much about the sticker price as certainly mixing it with the serious brands.
Had the dealer tweak the suspension to the track recommendation last week. Certainly felt more pointy. Wife noticed the stiffer front end's impact on ride so now dialled back a couple of stops but still loving it. It's a keeper so mine won't be showing up in the classifieds for ages. Only downsides are fuel consumption (it's heavy) and the fact that the Ohlins aren't very accessible.
Can we have a readers thread please?! I really want one of these, just can't finance it Had the dealer tweak the suspension to the track recommendation last week. Certainly felt more pointy. Wife noticed the stiffer front end's impact on ride so now dialled back a couple of stops but still loving it. It's a keeper so mine won't be showing up in the classifieds for ages. Only downsides are fuel consumption (it's heavy) and the fact that the Ohlins aren't very accessible.
BJM1 said:
Bought ours with intention of keeping it long term so initial depreciation not an issue. Try not to think too much about the sticker price as certainly mixing it with the serious brands.
Had the dealer tweak the suspension to the track recommendation last week. Certainly felt more pointy. Wife noticed the stiffer front end's impact on ride so now dialled back a couple of stops but still loving it. It's a keeper so mine won't be showing up in the classifieds for ages. Only downsides are fuel consumption (it's heavy) and the fact that the Ohlins aren't very accessible.
Hows the MPG?Had the dealer tweak the suspension to the track recommendation last week. Certainly felt more pointy. Wife noticed the stiffer front end's impact on ride so now dialled back a couple of stops but still loving it. It's a keeper so mine won't be showing up in the classifieds for ages. Only downsides are fuel consumption (it's heavy) and the fact that the Ohlins aren't very accessible.
More importantly, is it blue?
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