Three days of ownership, a few decent test drives done, and I've adapted to Sophie's controls and handling. The biggest part of the learning process is now over. Fiona had plenty of verve and power, but Sophie has considerably more. She looks similar to Fiona, but is a very different kettle of fish. That's partly down to the design advances made between 2010 and 2016; but Sophie's better steering, brakes, road-holding, power delivery and instrumentation make a big impact too. Sophie is definitely more satisfying to drive. A car for the open road.
Volvo XC60s, even in R-Design form, are family cars and not in any way proper sports cars. Which is perhaps just as well. You need a very high level of skill and road sense, and super-fast reactions, to drive such cars safely. I don't kid myself that at seventy-one I have what it takes. So I'm not going to take Sophie to her limits. I'll still drive briskly, but I want to explore the better fuel consumption I ought to get from Sophie's engine, and I don't want any further speeding points on my licence. Ever.
Although not of course pristine, Sophie shows few signs of past ownership. Fewer than I'd expect a seven year old car to have. What goes on? Why has such an eminently drivable car been used so little? I had another look at the Service Manual for clues as to her past history, and made an analysis. These were the notes I made, now in the Introduction to the Car Diary I'll be keeping henceforth, to chronicle what happens during my ownership:
As for Sophie's history, I now had her Service Handbook, which told me this:
She'd had her 'Pre-delivery Service' at 5 miles on 2016 0416 (16th April 2016), the service handbook being stamped by 'Volvo Cars UK Ltd c/o Paragon Fleet Solutions, 125 Heyford Park, Upper Heyford, Bicester OX25 5HA'. Heyford Park was a vast car storage facility on the old Upper Heyford Airfield. Imported cars would be parked there to await collection by dealerships.
'Service No 1' was at 13,701 miles on 2017 0523, stamped by 'Doves Volvo Horsham, Guildford Road, Broadbridge Heath, Horsham RH12 3PW'. So 13,696 miles covered in her first 13 months. Annualised, 12,642 miles.
'Service No 2' was at 23,186 miles on 2018 0518, stamped by Hildenborough Volvo, 140 Tonbridge Road, Hildenborough, Tonbridge, Kent TN11 9HJ. So 9,490 miles covered in her next 12 months. Annualised, 9,490 miles.
'Service No 3' was at 32,848 miles on 2019 0410, stamped by 'Doves Volvo Horsham, Guildford Road, Broadbridge Heath, Horsham RH12 3PW'. So 9,662 miles covered in her next 11 months. Annualised, 10,540 miles.
'Service No 4' was at 42,257 miles on 2020 0603, stamped by 'Volvo Cars Tonbridge, Vale Rise, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1TB'. So 9,409 miles covered in her next 14 months. Annualised, 8,064 miles.
'Service No 5' was at 43,919 miles on 2021 0527, stamped by 'Volvo Cars Tonbridge, Vale Rise, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1TB'. So 1,662 miles covered in her next 12 months. Annualised, 1,662 miles - the effect of Covid-19 lockdowns, and working at home.
'Service No 6' was at 52,221 miles on 2022 1027, stamped by 'Volvo Cars Tonbridge, Vale Rise, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1TB'. So 8,302 miles covered in her next 17 months. Annualised, 5,830 miles.
'Service No 7' was at 58,513 miles on 2023 1024, stamped by 'Caffyns Volvo, 46 Lottbridge Drove, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6PJ'. So 6,292 miles covered in her next 12 months. Annualised, 6,292 miles.
Assuming only one previous owner, it looks as if he or she lived in the Horsham area, but worked in the Tonbridge area.
An interesting mileage record. For the first three years it was entirely 'average', if 10,000 or so is taken to be the normal mileage for an ordinary motorist. Then Covid-19 struck, and the mileage dropped down to very little. The owner clearly worked at home. But as Covid receded, the mileage was slow to build up again, suggesting that the owner was still working at home a lot. In fact Sophie covered only 13,814 miles in the 41 months between June 2020 and October 2023 - an average of just 4,043 miles per annum. Low mileage indeed! Which implies that I had bought a lightly-used car that ought to be in exceptionally good heart.
My friends and next-door neighbours Jackie and Kevin saw Sophie first on 2023 1029; my friends Jo and Clive next day on 2023 1030. Jo texted afterwards 'Sophie is lovely, you did well sweetie' and 'She's a beauty and will take the worry out of driving when you pull your caravan. Good call'. Awww.
I'm very much given to keeping diaries in much the same vein for my home, caravan, phone and laptop, as well as my car. It's a useful way of recording impressions, incidents, intentions, signs of trouble that will need action, and what was done by way of a fix.
Sophie wasn't driven to death in her earlier life, and once Covid arrived she had only light use. I will have the benefit of that. Mind you, Sophie is in for a mild shock. She hasn't had to work very hard yet. Now she will be doing double the mileage, and some regular towing as well. But I'm sure she'll cope. And I'll be a kind mistress, believe me.
