Volvo V40 Cross Country

[RayandCarole]

Evening all 

due to Caroles continuing infirmity it seems we will need to sell on the much loved BMW Z4 coupe as she can no longer get in. Looking at possibly a Volvo V 40 cross country, planning on having a look tomorrow to see if easy for Carole to get in and out, anybody out there any experience or comments would be much appreciated

Ray

[Baitrunner]

Not yet Ray, but we are looking at the xc60 tomorrow along with a few others  

Looking to replace the freelander and seeing if anything can match it for what we want it for. 

[BroadScot]

Hi Ray,

I spent 10 days checking out SUVs and MPVs before I opted for the Renault Scenic. It has the lowest sill to enter. However, if I could have afforded the Rav4 Toyota, that would now be my car. A lot of the SUV & MPVs are high silled, unfortunately.

I have a friend/customer with rhumatroid arthritis and that is what she drives.  Hope this helps.

Happy motor hunting !

Iain

[Brian J.]

I have moderate mobility problems and after a lot of humming and haaing I opted for the Volvo xc60.

What a great car.  Very comfortable with just one little niggle - it is quite a wide sill, so I tend to rub my trousers on the sill when getting out. No problem when the car is clean and dry, but can mark when dirty or wet.

[JennyMorgan]

Brian, perhaps a kilt would be the answer? 

[BroadScot]

1 minute ago, JennyMorgan said:

Brian, perhaps a kilt would be the answer? 

Not really JM, The dress kilt socks are very expensive!  Dinny want to soil them.

Iain

[BroadScot]

5 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Brian, perhaps a kilt would be the answer? 

 

http://www.thescotlandkiltcompany.co.uk/kilt-socksIain

[JennyMorgan]

Re high cills, we have a Dacia Sandero with which we are over the moon, excellent, logical motor. However it does have a relatively high cill. Like Brian I now have moderate mobility problems but I find that if I sit backwards rather than side-wards onto the seat, and do so with a bit of bounce, I gain a lift to my legs and can time a turn so my feet easily lift over the cill. Hard to explain but basically a change of technique has solved my problem.

[JennyMorgan]

10 minutes ago, BroadScot said:

Not really JM, The dress kilt socks are very expensive!  Dinny want to soil them.

Iain

Wellie socks from Lathams are cheap enough and look good too!

[RayandCarole]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions, will give the kilts and jock sock a body swerve I think. Will check out the V40 if that not suitable will try some of the other suggestions.

Ray

[ChrisB]

Nissan in the form of Crayford and Abbs is very convenient for you as I think you said your base is Holt. They have three high riders the X Trail, Qashqai and Juke. Can thoughly recommed C&As service.

Toyota have a very exciting new car coming out the C-HR 

Seat have the new Ateca

And the New Audi Q2 looks great as well.

 

[BroadScot]

I had my heart set on a Qashqui, till I tried to get the old legs over the sill. I admit never tried Volvo as the local garage aint local

I took the Ford C Max for a test drive, but found the seats, still as hard as when my mate had one. Not good for the back , sadly.

Iain

[grendel]

Having owned a standard V40 I have to say they dont feel quite as roomy as my V70 does, given the choice I would go for a bigger Volvo, but can understand the considerations of fuel consumption etc. the most economic volvo I owned was a V40 with the mitsubishi lean burn engine, with consumption heading over 50mpg on a good run.

[BroadScot]

Apart from the body shell, I was under the impression all Volvos were built with many other makes of car parts! One I remember had the Triumph 2000 engine in it!

Iain

[ChrisB]

For years I drove German and was a VW Mercedes devotee. But like others here we now need a high rider.

My other problem is a very arthritis prone left knee (Rugby injury induced) and with regular cross town trips taking my wife to the NNUH I have to have an automatic.

But the Germans have gone so far down the Diesel route that unless I buy something about 240bhp I can't get a petrol auto in a high rider.

Living in NE Norfolk I average about 18 miles a day at a very low average speed. I go months without being on a fast road so a DPF is a no no. Hopefully this rush of new Three cylinder petrols will address this problem fo me. 

Main dealers are also in short supply without going into Norwich just Nissan and Ford now that Stalham is no longer a Peugeot main dealer and Vauxhall in Holt.

I will probably now stick to Nissan as I can get it serviced inMundesley, they collect the car from the village where I live, leave me a Micra or Note and bring mine back when done. Can't better that service.

[JennyMorgan]

One oft forgotten issue with big & even bigger cars is parking. Surely finding a space can be a nightmare! We've been Punto people for years and the slight increase in size to a Dacia has been problem enough without up-sizing to an agricultural sized beast! 

[BroadScot]

27 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

One oft forgotten issue with big & even bigger cars is parking. Surely finding a space can be a nightmare! We've been Punto people for years and the slight increase in size to a Dacia has been problem enough without up-sizing to an agricultural sized beast! 

Thankfully JM I have a Blue Badge, so parking these bigger wider cars, usually is not a problem, when it comes to parking.. 

I too use to drive Puntos, sadly now too low to get in and out of.

Iain

[Brian J.]

The xc 60 with the heated seats works wonders for my back.  Did a run up to the Peak District a couple of weeks ago and returned 52 mpg. The geartronic 8 speed auto box is so smooth that you don't notice it changing. By the way, the performance is better than my old Mini Cooper S with 0 - 60 figure of under 8 seconds so I have the best of both worlds, comfort and economy, and speed.

That blue badge does come in handy!!

 

 

[grendel]

The smaller Volvos had renault petrol engines, the deisels I think were peugeot, as mentioned above they went to mitsubishi for their lean burn engine, its only once you get to the bigger Volvos you get the good old 5 cylinder Volvo lumps, I used to reckon on getting 200,000 miles out of a smaller volvo, but the bigger ones I have had  - well one was still running well at 265,000 miles, I only got rid of it because it needed more spent in parts than the one I found to replace it cost.

with the V40, avoid the 2 litre turbo, unless you enjoy being frightened when you put your foot down, its scarily quick.

[RayandCarole]

Well tried out the V40 and she found it much easier to get in and out of than her suzuki, also tried Nissan Juke and Qashqai but the height made it difficult to get in and out like the suzi, so looks like a V40 it will be, V70 and XC90 were too big

Ray & Carole

[ranworthbreeze]

50 minutes ago, Tangara said:

Well tried out the V40 and she found it much easier to get in and out of than her suzuki, also tried Nissan Juke and Qashqai but the height made it difficult to get in and out like the suzi, so looks like a V40 it will be, V70 and XC90 were too big

Ray & Carole

Hi Ray,

You tried a Nissan Juke, I thought you had style, at least once inside you could not see the outside

Regards

Alan

[grendel]

Well I am quite tall, so the V70 suited me better. 

Grendel

[BroadAmbition]

I never shopped around as any sort of 4wd was just a pipe dream but I wanted one for the shooting thing, I had to beg lifts and was always a passenger, that is until a rather nice Grand Cherokee Jeep CRD came my way, it had a few problems / issues which I put right mysen of course.  MrsG was livid saying it was a total extravagance buying a large 4wd - she was right I spose, but at the price it came at I couldn't turn it down.  It has the merc 2:7Ltr turbo diesel and it's a great car, not new by any means, but all the toys. MrsG now expects it as a given if we are going out anywhere that we go in the Jeep, I have no say in the matter of course.  She won't drive it but enjoys being in it.  Funny old thing I never hear of the rollocking I got when I bought it!   To date, considering the circumstance that the Jeep 'Found Me' it is turning our to be one of the best vehicles we have had

Griff

[RayandCarole]

Yes Alan the Juke in my eyes is pug ugly, thank goodness was no good for Carole, looking at a just under 2 year old V40 next week, will miss the BMW though but no good it just festering in the drive, needs must

Ray

[BroadScot]

Agreed the Duke is no beauty, but the younger brigade appear to like its American styling inside. I felt claustraphobic in it in the showroom.

Iain