"Frosted" (frostedbuns)
04/15/2014 at 12:22 • Filed to: None
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"Frosted" (frostedbuns)
04/15/2014 at 12:22 • Filed to: None | 1
| 16 |
Rant ahead lookout!
Have an Audi RS6 for your time.
I liked Volvo, I really did. They were the quirky European car maker to me. But they're not the best cars ever. They all get roughly the same 20 MPGs and are all FWD or AWD with front wheel bias. They all understeer well before the limit. They all weigh a lot. While they look nice, they aren't AS NICE as some of their competitors. And then there's the cult like enthusiast crowds. I have never been part of an enthusiast group that was so frustrating. The seats in non-R models have NO bolstering so you just slide all over the place and the R seats aren't as nice as the seats in an M3. My car and experience owning it for the past month or two has been building me up until now where I can safely say I would never own another Volvo. I know I'll take a lot of flak for this as their newer cars are very nice and oppo seems to love these cars but I just can't deal with the badge snob "enthusiasts" and the general boredom that comes from driving one.
For Sweden
> Frosted
04/15/2014 at 12:25 |
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Me thinks Volvo isn't building their cars for drivers like you.
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Frosted
> For Sweden
04/15/2014 at 12:26 |
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It's a nice, comfortable cruiser but that's about it.
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For Sweden
> Frosted
04/15/2014 at 12:27 |
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It's almost as if that's exactly what it was designed to be.
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Frosted
> For Sweden
04/15/2014 at 12:31 |
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But then all of that R stuff is just a silly gimmick.
When I was buying my XC, it seemed to fit my needs, plenty of cargo space and enough seats for myself and a few friends, plus AWD for the winter months and plenty of power. But it's just so dull to drive. I've been in a P2R and it was the same way, going fast just doesn't FEEL fast in one and that's disappointing.
EL_ULY
> Frosted
04/15/2014 at 12:31 |
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That was the main focus of the Drive-E initiative. They will offer best in class economy and performance.
It's not about which car is the "best". They each will offer something different for the customer. The customer will then decide what things are more important to them. Volvo will offer best economy and performance as standard, safety, and their unique design throughout.
Each brand has their thing and none is better than the other
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For Sweden
> Frosted
04/15/2014 at 12:32 |
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Then buy something else.
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Frosted
> EL_ULY
04/15/2014 at 12:35 |
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I say best because that's what the crowds on such forums as Volvospeed and Swedespeed like to throw around, that nothing could be better and Volvo is the pinnacle of automotive greatness. The Drive-E stuff is very interesting and I'd love to have a go in a car with it. I'd bump heads with you on the unique design though, the v60 and E63 have pretty similar front ends and a 2000s Civic and new s60 have similar rearends. Not twins but cousins maybe.
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Frosted
> For Sweden
04/15/2014 at 12:36 |
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I've been planning to for a bit now. Honestly, I wish Saab was still around (or being sold still at least) as their cars always seemed quirkier and a bit sportier, if a little less reliable.
Nothing
> Frosted
04/15/2014 at 12:38 |
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Volvos, despite attempts to make them so by enthusiasts, are still entry level luxury vehicles. Some have sporting pretenses, but are not sports vehicles. My XC was a comfy cruiser. I thought the seats were great when the car was used for its intended purposes, which is mainly just driving it from A to B.
I'd rock another Volvo, and briefly debated trading in my Tundra on a V60. The towing capacity of the Tundra won out (for now). If I could find a nice low mileage V70 (non XC) locally, I'd most likely get one. Love the current V70 (before it went bye bye).
Cult like enthusiasts crowds? That sounds like the enthusiast loyalists of any make/model.
Twism
> Frosted
04/15/2014 at 12:46 |
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Every ''enthusiast'' community refer to their car as ''the best thing since oxygen'': Volvo, Audi, VW, Mercedes, Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Honda... everyone.
Except maybe Toyota.
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EL_ULY
> Frosted
04/15/2014 at 12:46 |
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Aaaaaaand that's why I'm not a car enthusiast. Those forums make us chuckle :] It's seeing cars in a bigger picture and having a unique mindset throughout every single vehicle every made. Nothing is bad, nothing is good.
As for design, welp, with all the pedestrian safety, overall safety, cost in minor accidents, efficiency, and many other aspects, design is getting to be really uniform. I can't imagine the stress on designers and what's on their plate.
BrtStlnd
> Frosted
04/15/2014 at 12:50 |
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"My large, AWD family car isn't very fun to drive and doesn't handle like a sports car"
- The Onion, 4/16/14, probably
Forgetful
> Frosted
04/15/2014 at 12:53 |
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There is no one brand that is perfect, and anyone beholden to a badge is doing themselves a great disservice as an automotive enthusiast.
When I was shopping I started with Phaetons, then M5s, there was a nice V70R in there, a couple of glances at the Mustangs, a peruse through the Mercs, an overnight test drive of a Focus ST and finally the FR-S I bought on the spot.
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Frosted
> EL_ULY
04/15/2014 at 12:54 |
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I supposed avoiding forums in the future would be ideal, though they can be a good source of information.
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EL_ULY
> Frosted
04/15/2014 at 12:57 |
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they are :]
Garrett Davis
> Frosted
04/15/2014 at 13:10 |
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Soooooo it's actually the Volvo enthusiast community that left the bad taste in your mouth, not Volvo?
I mean, come on, man. You're complaining about seat bolstering in a FWD/AWD family sedan/wagon that's meant for upper middle class housewives to cart their kids around in. And comparing an R to an M3 is really a stretch. I think Volvo fanboys just clouded your vision here because they irrationally want to see these cars as something they're not. Don't get me wrong, there are fast Volvos, but that is not at all their priority. Volvo spends their dollars on safety, features, and practicality. Performance is definitely there, but its more of an afterthought.
Go to any auto enthusiast forum, and you'll notice all the same things being said about their pet brand or model. It doesn't matter how slow and shitty their cars are, there will be 16 year old bragging about how their stock CRX was seriously pulling on a Viper on the freeway one time. There is badge snobbery for ever make, and if there is one place those people are going to gather, it's on a forum specific to their pet brand. Results will always be skewed when entering their domain.