PJ810
04-02-2009, 12:03 AM
Yesterday a client of mine asked me to look at a car she's considering buying off her neighbours. It turns out to be nearly identical to mine, just less than half the mileage on it. I found this an interesting exercise for myself also. I let my client drive my car as well for the purpose of comparison, as I know mine is as good as a 2001 model with 257K kms on it can be, with new front shocks, a lot of suspension work done, etc.
First thing we noted was that the 114K version had far less power and an entirely different engine note. It lacked the 5cyl rumble and had an annoying hissing noise instead. I was astonished how different that engine sounded, and I'm keen to drive a newer XC70 to compare.
The current owners of the 114K car know nothing about cars, and although it's had the transmission software upgrades done, no flush has taken place. Regardless, shift smoothness felt ok and identical to mine.
There was some knocking in the suspension of the 114K car that is absent in mine. Probably just bushes.
Overall my car felt a bit more together, brisker and smoother!
I asked my client if both cars were for sale for the same price, which she would be inclined to buy. There was no hesitation on her part saying she preferred mine despite the hideous amount of kms on the odometer!
But of course mine isn't for sale. :D
First thing we noted was that the 114K version had far less power and an entirely different engine note. It lacked the 5cyl rumble and had an annoying hissing noise instead. I was astonished how different that engine sounded, and I'm keen to drive a newer XC70 to compare.
The current owners of the 114K car know nothing about cars, and although it's had the transmission software upgrades done, no flush has taken place. Regardless, shift smoothness felt ok and identical to mine.
There was some knocking in the suspension of the 114K car that is absent in mine. Probably just bushes.
Overall my car felt a bit more together, brisker and smoother!
I asked my client if both cars were for sale for the same price, which she would be inclined to buy. There was no hesitation on her part saying she preferred mine despite the hideous amount of kms on the odometer!
But of course mine isn't for sale. :D