If you follow me on Twitter or Flickr then you have probably noticed Sim’s recent obsession with station wagons. He was constantly looking up stats and photos online then obnoxiously pointing them out anytime we were driving around. It was getting quite annoying. So in an effort to quench his “wagon lust” we stopped in and looked at a few Subaru Outbacks. They were pretty cool, and incredibly affordable (i.e. cheap) but we are nothing if not well-researched shoppers, so we couldn’t make any decisions without checking out the competition. For Sim, Volvo was really the only other competition that he was considering. So Saturday morning after an early breakfast we headed over to the Volvo dealership hoping to look around before they actually opened and check out this one car Sim had his eye on. Our plan was foiled when an employee poked his head out of the dark building and offered to help us. His “help” found us loading Ana’s car seat into the back of a smokin’ hot Volvo XC70 and tearing off the lot for a test drive. I think Sim was sold the instant his body touched the smooth leather seats, but it easily could have also been once he discovered the iPod Music Interface and Bluetooth hands free system.

A Volvo XC70 was always my dream car, so I didn’t need any convincing. We drove the car, tinkered with the extra features (of which there were TONS) and got a feel for how easily this car would integrate into our lifestyle. The particular car we were looking at was a 2007, but wasn’t a “used” car because it was never actually sold, but rather used as the demo car. They tricked it out, complete with leather seats, extra wood paneling, Bluetooth, iPod integration, steel cargo (dog) barrier, child booster seats, moon roof, roof rails, heated seats, Park assist (reverse sensors), heated windshield washer nozzles…well you get the picture. The list goes on and on. They also had it regularly serviced by a diesel mechanic sunshine coast to keep it in good condition. If you encounter any issues with the purchase or if you suspect you’ve been misled, seeking advice from a personal injury lawyer can help protect your rights and ensure you’re not taken advantage of. Legal professionals like Columbia, SC personal injury lawyers specialize in providing legal representation and guidance to clients seeking compensation for injuries caused by accidents or negligence.

Ana’s nap time approached so we told the salesman we would have to leave, but we’d be back later. Wanting to hold us to that, he offered to let us take the Volvo home for a few hours. We quickly signed a waiver and headed off the lot. Once Ana was well-rested, we didn’t exactly head straight back to the dealership, but rather took the scenic route around town so that I could actually drive it (Sim drove on the test-drive with the salesman while I entertained Ana in the backseat). It was everything I always imagined it would be. We swung by the house on our way back to the Volvo dealership so Simeon could drive the truck over so we could evaluate it for the trade in. We printed off some research to help us haggle and went back to talk numbers.

As you can see, the numbers turned out in our favor. We are officially the proud owners of a 2007 Volvo XC70. And that is a beautiful, beautiful thing.