I buy three-year-old Volvos from dealerships (and they make more money on the used car sale than they do on the new car sale). So to attack me on that basis is truly personal and unfair. You know and I know it makes little financial sense to buy a car new, especially from Volvo, and as I'm self employed with two kids in college, I need to be somewhat intelligent about where I put my money.

The facts (the sales figures, so far) show the results of incompetent marketing and design strategy that's compounding error upon error...this is a company without a coherent brand strategy. (It's not about engineering or superficial short-term marketing considerations. And by brand, I don't mean a logo and features packaging; I'm talking about something much deeper - the value proposition as understood and experienced by the customer.)

I fervently wish Volvo would get itself out of this spin because I would like to love my next car as much as I have all of my Volvos (especially my current one)....and I wish it could be a Volvo. Not a Mazda.

I didn't read most of your letter because it looked to be a lot of shouting, not characteristic of your typically thoughtful contributions to this forum. This isn't about wanting what the Volvo was. It's about wanting a better car than Ford and Mazda are going to dictate, something that makes less of a mockery of of a brand that deserves far better ownership. But with Bill Ford and his Mazda minions leading the way, it will be the bland leading the blind.


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David \\ (98 S70 T5SE Black, misc mods (mostly lighting), red calipers) (92 940GLE)