esrosedotblog

There is not much to say about the new 2014 Volvo XC70 I bought yesterday.

A picture would be worth a thousand words. See below.

If you saw the old XC70, you would see the new one except for a modification in the grill, small, which they always do so the cognizant can cognizate.

And the panel is all digital, variable, big and hi tech. You can get, if you want, the digital version of the old dial, just flick the switch. Or big numbers. And all.

It is the first thing that Bob the salesman has to show me and it seems cruel not to allow him the demo he so thoroughly has practiced or the boyish enthusiasm with which he conducts the tour.

I didn't even get into the car.

We went in and made a deal. It took the usual fucking two hours. Find the car in Escondido or somewhere, talk a little about how it will be not perfectly match my specs, I had to by a seat warmer and a remote ignition. One for the seriously cold climate we have here in the winter and the other so that I don't have to get into a HOT car. Shit.

But it is always thus. Just get them and believe that we will appreciate a warm ass when it hits 32 on those few days it does and the bit of air blowing in our faces as we open the car.

Otherwise it is the front wheel drive (cheaper) and beige interior and same same same.

We wanted a light color. The desired crystal white which has sparkles in it comes only in the top top of the line package. So I am getting what he told me was Champagne but the writeup says Seashell. It is a beige, light, that shines and turns silver as you walk up to the car. It is very flashy in its way and the humble desire we had to let people know subtly that we had a new car is out the window. This one shouts "look at me". "new new new". And it is just gorgeous. Not tan, not silver. Light because we don't want a heat absorber in the desert. Why people have black or dark blue cars like the one he showed me, also dirt flashers, is beyond me.

Here it is, I think it is lighter than this. I know it is. And you can't see what happens when you walk up to it in the sunlight as it gets different shades and shines in your face. My god it is pretty.

I pick it up Monday. Another two hours of back and forth.

Gladly the Volvos do not dicker or mess with you. It is all blue book less damage on the trade in (we had some damage, I thought serious, but not at 1500 and did pretty well). Then the sticker, less a "sale" two thousand off why we are getting it now, an extended warranty so we are covered for anything for 8 years and 100,00 miles which we have no chance of hitting. I hope.

I am a little excited. I told John on the phone in Bologna yesterday. He was very tired from the travel over to Munich and through the Alps on the train so he was very amenable to almost anything. I should have tried slipping a few more things in. But I had already told him of my unilateral decision to get the house cleaned bi-weekly which he is a bit cool to. He said fine even if it was an extravagance. You should see the house. Clean, clean, clean.

The simple fact is that I am tired of cleaning and we do not come close to my standards for a clean house and these new people (a family team, two men and two women I think married to each other but maybe not) exceed my standards by quite a bit. I just need to put some things back where they "belong" like my medicine chest stuff but actually even that has more spare room and a better display.

Labels: housekeeping, Volvo