Urban Dictionary entry for “Volvo Driver”:
Someone who is so bad at driving that they want a car that is perceived overly safe. They drive slowly in the fast lane, they cut into traffic causing other drivers to swerve and brake violently to avoid a collision.
A particularly vile incarnation are those young urban failures that cruise along reading the paper, playing with the radio or yakking incessantly on their cell phones.
Oblivious Volvo drivers often wave cheerily at the frustrated honks of others as they park, change lanes or slam on brakes for no apparent reason.
The connotation that if it’s a Volvo, it’s gonna get in your way and negatively impact your safety is so strong that the company is actively working to dispel the stigma associated with their cars.
The counter-argument:
Volvo drivers are people who value quality and safety over ostentation. They are often liberal, well educated, and upper middle class. Although the cars are pricey to buy and maintain, Volvo drivers see them as works of art–well-made machinery that protects their passengers, other drivers, and even pedestrians from the hazards of the road. Volvo drivers appreciate the cars’ understated comfort and the manufacturer’s concern for the environment.
Even so, Volvo drivers have become easy targets for disparagement among those who think that a car that isn’t flashy isn’t worth owning or who envy the financial means of those who can afford them. Phrases like “tree-hugging, latte-sipping, Volvo-driving liberal elitists” seek to belittle people who care about their safety, their environment, and the value of Scandinavian engineering.
An important point is that Volvos are not yuppie cars. Yuppies like flashier, head-turning cars that announce their owners’ wealth. Volvos are preppy cars, generally favored by suburban WASPs, although the S40 is popular with younger, urban drivers. Like their drivers, Volvos are conservative and understated. If the cars are well cared for, they can last forever, so Tripp can drive Daddy’s 10-year-old Volvo off to college.
After Mummy dropped Tim off at boarding school, she took the Volvo to the garage in Roland Park for its 100,000-mile checkup.
