5 Very Real Reasons, Starting With Care By Volvo, That This May Be the Right Car For You
Scotty Reiss
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Imagine, a relationship that is designed to end well!
Volvo wants you to be part of the family, to take care of you and keep you a happy Volvo driver for years.
That’s a lofty goal.
So, the brand has started to think about the Volvo experience from your point of view: How do you want to own and drive a car? What makes you feel most confident about owning a car? What stresses you the most? And how can Volvo eliminate the barriers and set up the wins so you never want to stray from the family?
Because simply being gorgeous and fun to drive isn’t enough; here are 5 things Volvo does for its customers that might just sway you for life.
The Volvo XC90 cabin with center row captains chairs could be the perfect choice for your family. ?Scotty Reiss
Care By Volvo Car Subscription Service
No, you don’t get a new Volvo delivered to your driveway each month (but at some point in the future you might!). What you do get is a stress-free, easy-peasy way to drive a brand new car. Your subscription is a 24 month contract that covers everything except gas: insurance, maintenance, tires, road side assistance, you name it, it’s covered. Best of all, you can be completely impulsive: Just download the app, fill out the forms and within minutes you’re approved and your new Volvo is on the way.
Of course there are caveats: you have to qualify for Volvo’s insurance program; depending on where you live it might take several weeks for your car to be delivered. Only certainly trim levels are included so you may not get much choice in the details of your car. And if you decide you want to drive a different model you can make the switch at the 12 month mark.
Pricing for Care By Volvo ranges from $700 to $800 a month depending on model and includes a model from the most of the Swedish brand’s line up: XC90 7 passenger SUV, XC60 5 passenger SUV, XC40 compact SUV, the S60 sedan and the V60 Cross Country wagon. Care By Volvo contracts allow for 15,000 miles per year (a third more than the standard 10,000 miles per year that a Volvo lease allows) and include insurance, which on average is about $200-$250 a month. Overall, the monthly cost for the XC90 under this plan is about $100 less than a lease and that doesn’t take into account scheduled maintenance.
And if you decide you want to own the Volvo you got through Care By Volvo? You can buy it. The post-subscription price is stated up front in the contract. And if you decide to buy, there are more advantages.
Related: We took a test drive in the XC90 SUV and this is what we thought
A side view of the Volvo XC90. The white wheels stayed cleaner than I expected they would–a pleasant surprise. Photo: Scotty Reiss
“Pay Once” Lifetime Parts Warranty
You know the conundrum: Your car breaks down and everyone says to be sure to have that alternator replaced with authentic part made by the manufacturer. The corner mechanic quotes you a waaaaay lower price than the dealer and swears the part is authentic, so you go for it and are very happy. Until your car breaks down again with exactly the same problem.
Keeping you happy and confident (and safe!) in your ownership is Volvo’s goal, so the company is now standing behind the integrity of all its parts. If you have the repair done at a Volvo dealer, the part is guaranteed for the life of the car. The dealer and Volvo will have records, so even if you sell your Volvo to your cousin’s son’s aunt, it’s covered.
Related: I visited Volvo’s US assembly plant and learned how to build a car. And it was fun!
Even Vintage Volvos, like this 244, qualify for Tow for Life coverage. ?Volvo
Tow For Life
This one we love. We have friends who are vintage Volvo geeks. From 1970’s wagons to boxy sedans to souped up SUVs, they love their Volvos. And now, if they, or any other Volvo, suffers a breakdown, Volvo will tow it for free to the nearest dealership where it can be repaired (that lifetime parts warranty will come in handy!). If you decide not to have the repair made, it’s a $50 fee for the tow. This makes Volvo a great choice for anyone, especially your shade-tree mechanic teen who wants to learn to work on his car and may need towing more than the average person.
Accident Advisor
Is there any time in your life that you’re more ruffled and unsure what to do than right after an accident? You’re shaken, you’re assessing a situation you are not familiar with and if there are injuries, things move fast. And if you don’t do everything right, it could cost you.
Volvo now offers free and instant assistance: When a Volvo is in an accident the company is notified (notification is instant in 2015.5 and newer models; owners of older models can access Accident Advisor by calling customer service); after checking in to see that everyone is OK and assisting with alerting emergency responders, a representative will send a link to your Volvo smart phone app that walks you through what to do, provides a check list of everything you need to take care of, and will guide you through documenting the accident, submitting an insurance claim and finding repair services. Taking just a little of the stress out of one of the worst things that can happen on the road.
Related: Volvo is serious about autonomous driving. Here’s what that means.
Key by Amazon
The company announced this service a couple of years ago but we love it so much: Your Amazon purchases can be delivered to your car by linking your Key by Amazon app to your Volvo On Call app. That means your packages don’t sit on your porch all day and you don’t have to wait util you get home to rip into your luscious new StitchFix collection.
Isn’t the world of subscriptions a lovely one?
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