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CommodoreAmiga

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I'm usually on your side 'round here, Commodore. But you got this one wrong.

Maybe you haven't looked at one in 15+ years, but Volvo is absolutely a luxury brand now.

It's not Rolls/Bentley/Bugatti luxury, but it's absolutely Mercedes/Audi/BMW/Lexus/etc luxury.
I know a thing or two about Volvo. I've owned several... including right now. Here's the daily driver sitting my garage:

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cohall

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A "luxury" vehicle involves an entire dealership experience, for which Volvo is most assuredly NOT luxury. Go to a Volvo forum and you'll see plenty of gripes over that fact.
I think it clearly depends on your personal experience and dealership. Personally, I couldn't ask for a more luxurious experience. In and out in under an hour when I purchased the vehicle, with no hard-sell from the finance manager on stupid add-ons.

Never been back in, since all service is done via valet pickup/dropoff, even just regular maintenance. Some people may want some swanky service waiting lobby with on-call baristas, but for me, the ultimate luxury is never having to leave my home in the first place.
 
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Mysta

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I know a thing or two about Volvo. I've owned several... including right now. Here's the daily driver sitting my garage:

IMG_0873.jpeg
Doesn't look very new, but as someone who has been looking in detail at cars because someone I know told me to 'ride in a Mercedes to see why it's better than x' I started test riding basically every car, no youtube or reporting so no reason to have bias. First, there's a sum of a car, what features it has, build quality/materials, powertrain offering, it's service, comfort, price etc. A lot of that is what makes something good right, we're all aware.

Kia and Hyundai have certainly been making strides to close that luxury gap(of course youtubers love to point this out) but there's always something missing. That said, personally I think the margin on luxury to non luxury is closing a ton and why Tesla doing so much performance is really shaking things up(performance used to be a huge 'category' separating luxury brands, right?). But the simple fact that Volvo is 33k entry and up to near 100k(not counting halo cars, which also are a sort of luxury brand thing) AND well reviewed/bought for the price, I think it's luxury. I would say go to a Volvo dealership, test drive their best specced XC90 Recharge, and then go to Kia and test their best specced Telluride, then just see what you think. Especially in powertrain and suspension. I could list a few of the things I noticed but rather you see for yourself.

Also about going to forums, that's the worst supporting argument, any forum you go to will be riddled with people that have issues because no one is going to the forum to talk about their great commute.
 

CommodoreAmiga

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Doesn't look very new
2021 model year is not very new? Okay....

Kia and Hyundai have certainly been making strides to close that luxury gap(of course youtubers love to point this out) but there's always something missing.
It's the dealership experience that's missing. That's why Hyundai is now pulling Genesis from their Hyundai dealers and spending big-bucks to build new dealerships for the Genesis brand.

But the simple fact that Volvo is 33k entry and up to near 100k(not counting halo cars, which also are a sort of luxury brand thing) AND well reviewed/bought for the price, I think it's luxury.
Chevy has cars that are cheaper than that AND more expensive than that. Nobody calls Chevy "luxury". Price is a terrible argument for what is and is not "luxury".
 

CommodoreAmiga

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I think it clearly depends on your personal experience and dealership. Personally, I couldn't ask for a more luxurious experience. In and out in under an hour when I purchased the vehicle, with no hard-sell from the finance manager on stupid add-ons.
Sounds like you have a good dealer. Those exist. They just aren't typical for Volvo. I have four Volvo dealers within a reasonable distance that I'd be willing to travel for service. Some are better than others, but they're all well-below the experience I've had with Mercedes, Porsche, Lexus, and even Infiniti and Acura.

Never been back in, since all service is done via valet pickup/dropoff, even just regular maintenance. Some people may want some swanky service waiting lobby with on-call baristas, but for me, the ultimate luxury is never having to leave my home in the first place.
I don't want some minimum-wage porter joy-riding my car between my house and the dealership. I drop the car off for that reason. Volvo doesn't even have loaner cars in my area, so I either have to coordinate a pickup with a 3rd party or I'm stuck at the dealership. I don't need a "swanky" waiting room -- I'd rather just not have the car break, and if it does, put me in a comparable loaner... But that isn't an option in my area, because Volvo doesn't enforce any "luxury" quality standards.

I love the product (and have for 3 decades). All I'm saying is that Volvo, as a brand, is NOT luxury because they have failed to try to become luxury. If they wanted to, they could easily achieve it... But they do not care to do so.
 

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2021 model year is not very new? Okay....
Hmm the badge just looks different - could be perspective. Sorry

It's the dealership experience that's missing. That's why Hyundai is now pulling Genesis from their Hyundai dealers and spending big-bucks to build new dealerships for the Genesis brand.
I mean maybe you have a bad experience? Or maybe I had 2 good ones? Both I went to had a fantastic waiting room with free food/drinks at a 'cafe' similar to our local Lexus dealership.

Chevy has cars that are cheaper than that AND more expensive than that. Nobody calls Chevy "luxury". Price is a terrible argument for what is and is not "luxury".
I was saying the average price is more aligned to luxury(again earlier I said maybe entry luxury) - I wasn't trying to say cheap either, I was saying 33k being their cheapest is pretty high compared to Ford, Chevy, Kia, Hyundai, Toyota, etc. Telluride starts at 33k and is a 'competitor' to the xc90, which starts at 50k. And looks like they sell roughly the same numbers in US, so seems at least some logic that people paying average 20k, probably more though with all packages, for xc90 would have a reason, and like I alluded to earlier, I still think the luxury gap is way more pricey than it's worth, kinda just a 'i paid more' thing, but that's irrelevant in the context if every other luxury is the same way.

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Sounds like you have a good dealer. Those exist. They just aren't typical for Volvo. I have four Volvo dealers within a reasonable distance that I'd be willing to travel for service. Some are better than others, but they're all well-below the experience I've had with Mercedes, Porsche, Lexus, and even Infiniti and Acura.
That stinks. Consistency is key to brand loyalty.
 
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That stinks. Consistency is key to brand loyalty.
Yeah, that sucks, and our Audi/Mercedes are pretty nice so can't say anything bad about them but I have read about bad experiences but I take those with a grain of salt, as I mentioned hard to judge when people on forums talk about stuff, as you only hear one side and usually people post the negatives there.
 

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That stinks. Consistency is key to brand loyalty.
Exactly my point.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Volvo. It's not my first (by a long shot) and my wife and I would absolutely consider another, in the future. A BEV XC60 or XC90 would be extremely tempting.

I just don't think they're a luxury brand. They're Premium, in my mind. Understated styling, elegant interior, extremely comfortable... Just not luxury.
 

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A "luxury" vehicle involves an entire dealership experience, for which Volvo is most assuredly NOT luxury.
This is... A somewhat ridiculous view.

A "luxury car" is defined by the car

Buying a premium luxury car used from a 3rd party and never setting foot in their dealership doesn't make the car not a luxury car.

*THAT SAID*, we've loved 100% of every experience at our Volvo dealership. Always had our brand new loaner ready to go for us during any regular service. When our service got a late start on a Friday once, they made sure to get us the convertible for the weekend. Always been polite, courteous, honest, punctual, drinks and snacks, etc.

Go to a Volvo forum and you'll see plenty of gripes over that fact.
Funny thing about the traditional franchised dealership model... YMMV.

I have BMW and Mercedes owning family who had repeat, TERRIBLE experiences with their dealers.

Doesn't make their cars *not* a luxury car.

You seem to be describing what might be coined as a luxury BRAND.

I would agree Volvo is not a luxury brand.

Porsche, Bentley, Rolls, Buggati, Aston Martin, maybe a few others... These all tend to tightly curate the luxury experience at all times that CommodoreAmiga demands.

Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Lexus, Infiniti, Land Rover, Jaguar, etc are not luxury brands. But they still sell luxury cars, just like Volvo.
 
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CommodoreAmiga

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Lots of words you wrote just to come to the same conclusion as me.
You stated that Volvo is not:

A "luxury" vehicle
I'm steadfastly stating it is, but also conceding with Volvo not being a luxury brand.
With "lots of words" to provide examples of a meaningful difference.
 

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You stated that Volvo is not:



I'm steadfastly stating it is, but also conceding with Volvo not being a luxury brand.
With "lots of words" to provide examples of a meaningful difference.
I guess "meaningful" is subjective then.

You can't have "luxury" vehicle (single unit) from a non-luxury brand, imo.

My opinion is the majority on this topic, afaik. Hyundai tried to buck that trend and failed. Now they're investing beaucoup bucks to build separate dealerships because the customers hated the Hyundai dealer experience, and the Hyundai dealer owners didn't want to make changes to accommodate.
 

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I guess "meaningful" is subjective then.
As is "luxury", apparently

You can't have "luxury" vehicle (single unit) from a non-luxury brand, imo.
You can build a single, ad-hoc "luxury vehicle" at home in your garage, to be serviced and driven only by you. It would never be branded.

My opinion is the majority on this topic, afaik.
I, too, wish I could just declare myself as the correct expert on any point and get others to drop it. ?
 

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As is "luxury", apparently



You can build a single, ad-hoc "luxury vehicle" at home in your garage, to be serviced and driven only by you. It would never be branded.



I, too, wish I could just declare myself as the correct expert on any point and get others to drop it. ?
Well, I am going to drop it... Because I think you're being pedantic on this topic. and further discussion with you is not productive.
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