B&W Name Change Theory

I see Bose and Volvo on the same level. Terribly overrated, and bought by people who believe the advertising, without knowing much about the subject.

Volvo's safety "advances" are typically Mercedes patents that Mercedes chooses not to enforce. Beside that, most Japanese cars surpass Volvo's in most areas.

I remember an Audi ad from long ago, with a nondescript car making lots of noise and all kinds of things happening when it hit something. Then comes the Audi that smoothly just goes around the same object.

Look at Volvo resale value - even Bose's is better - there's a message there.

So - I don't want a Volvo with or without Bose, or Bose with or without Volvo.

One final note - all those super-smart people who buy Volvo's and put all the college decals in the back window to impress someone. The fact that they can't see out the back window anymore - doesn't that send anothert message?

I could not car less.... Hell even I think Lexus has a Mark levinson system, but at about a 5000 dollar premium or something! I would assume thats with a nice navigation system, DVD, LCD etc... Well I would hope, but yeah car audio who cares? You could put your own custom setup in a car these days for about 1000 bucks and get better sound than most stock systems anyway if you really want.

Snofun3

Sounds like somebody at a Volvo dealership pissed you off.

My first Volvo was purchased in 1986 when my son was born. Poor design, bad design or whatever your opinion, he was safer riding around in that 740 wagon than the Honda Civic wagon that I sold to move into it.

Mercedes better? Yea, probably and maybe you can justify one but I can't.

When it was time for this purchase I had watched Honda go from about $3500.00 to nearly 10K as I prospected for the fifth one in a long line.

The Volvo was maybe 13K, and had an UNLIMITED bumper to bumper warranty, 5 full years covering EVERYTHING down to trim and paint. It had real leather interior, turbo option, dropped forged wheels, discs all four corners, electric sunroof and got great gas mileage.

This was pre-Ford and it was a damn nice car with no attitude from the company that was really more famous for having an image as the Swedish VW with their sturdy 240.

Honda was getting pretty full of themselves by that time. Money paid in advance and wait for a month or two and "maybe" the dealership would get stock and telephone you to come in. Frankly that sends a much bigger message than decals in the back window.

And no, mine had only one sticker, the parking pass required to enter the lot at Dallas Museum of Art. But I guess that's tacky too isn't it?

I would have been much cooler if I owned a Lexus with a gold package and 20" rims, right?

20" rims and 20" woofers. Keepin' it real, fo' shizzle...

From a 740 to a Civic and the 740's safer. This is surprising? The Honda price went up. Look at pictures of Honda's over that period and see if maybe there's some justification, like size, equipment, etc.

The new Accord is the size of a 5 series -and starts at $20k. Seems like a reasonable value that will have people lined up again - somehow this equates to Honda's taking advantage?

What I said was many of "innovations" Volvo has been so adept at taking credit for are are Mercedes unenforced patents. You can find them in Civics today too. Subaru's have 5 star crash ratings etc.

Many of the Japanese cars have safety ratings better than Volvo. Check Consumer Reports listings for repair and value retention. I guess you know something others who do objective analysis don't.

What's tacky is Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Rutgers, Brown, Columbia etc filling a back window so you can't see out (as I mentioned). See, there's an irony - these people are screaming out to everyone how smart they are, but they can't see out of the back window because they're advertising it. Maybe I wasn't clear?

I don't understand your Lexus dig, but assume there's a point. Lexus also make fine auto's, no? Maybe they do such mods. in your neighborghood, but not in mine, thanks anyway.

Cool and Volvo is like good sound and Bose was my point. Many of the things they're touted for are either non existant, ot ancient history.

You should buy one. They need the business. Others apparently have caught on.