esrosedotblog

NEW CAR

I have not reported this to the blog but John totaled his Sebring convertible the day before we moved. More than a week ago.

He walked away without a real bruise or scratch but the Sebring is, well, totaled.

We await the settlement with the insurance company.

They try to do the right thing. It is AAA. It takes some time. They do local comps and look at the car's actual maintenance records and so on. So they know it is not a junker pre-crash.

We have been looking for a replacement.

I will not bore with the details but suffice to say that we had pretty much centered on a Ford Escape or similar until John went to the Ford dealership here and wasted 3/4 an hour with what a friend calls "Fifties selling". Bullshit.

We had some interest in the Subaru Forester so he stopped at that dealer which is joint with a Volvo agency. It is a small place. Three salesmen on a Saturday.

In the process of a very nice involvement with a sales guy, John ended up looking at a Volvo XC70. This is a wagon. Not an SUV.

The car is used. A turnover from leasing. Mint condition. 29000 miles.

Full warranties available. The right price.

We went over together to look at it. I have a "rule" about not buying a used car but this broke the vows. I also remember Volvo as a sort of dull cousin of our beloved SAABs which were so badly treated by GM. Most of the SAAB guys went to Volvo.

Anyway, the car drive great. It is a space age deal. All buttons and gauges and shit. A little intimidating.

But we are probably going to buy it.

I drove. Booker and John sat in back. It is one of the few cars or SUVs that have a good flat back for the dog and also has a three way split so John could sit next to the pup and both could have a lot of room.

It seems like the right thing.

Unless we get buyers remorse overnight we will go tomorrow and put some money down on it to hold it for the AAA insurance check. That will get us started.

Labels: Volvo