If Texas had an official State vehicle, it would probably be the Chevy Suburban - which I'd smile each time it got bombed by the State Bird - The Mockingbird. Everything is big in Texas, including what most people drive here....

I've slowly become aware of this thing about Volvos and New England. I was grinning to myself to hear a friend from NH wanting one. What really got me interested was reading Get Fuzzy. It's about an advertising exec in a Boston apartment with a very good-natured hound but a Siamese with a major attitude.

In one strip, Bucky Katt sarcastically suggests a promotional for The Green Mountain State: "Vermont: Where even the Rednecks drive Volvos". (sounds like the Volvo is the anti-pickup truck...)

In another strip, Rob, is in the market for a new car and says he's going to get a Volvo station wagon because women think safety is "sexy". Bucky Katt then says he couldn't be any more of a dork if he was holding a Dungeon Master's guide in his hand. Rob's response is something along the lines of, "Which one? Those new ones are suuuuweet. My Charisma is like 18 double zero." Bucky's response, "I stand corrected."

61.5mpg lifetime - 82mpg in recent months

Best Run >
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"fanatic" is what the lazy call the dedicated

everyone knows that the 1st edition, 1st print DM Guide is the sweetest... Oh! and there are no 00 in the latest edition (sigh).

And you're right I think this is Volvo country... But the Prius is getting very popular around Cambridge. It's the 22k car you can drive around in and get more attention then 50k Volvo XC90's :-)....

I have to wonder how many Volvo drivers realize that they are actually driving a Ford? Same with Saab drivers and GM.

In my experience, Vermont is Subaru country. We go up there at least twice a year and they're *everywhere*. It makes sense, since they all have full-time AWD.

I eat volvos everyday on my way to work and spit them out at the curb. Talk about a breed of drivers that should be eliminated from driving. haha.

Do you care to elaborate?

61.5mpg lifetime - 82mpg in recent months

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"fanatic" is what the lazy call the dedicated

<exaggeration mode on>
Anytime there is a huge convoy of cars I can predict with almost 100% certainty that the cause of all this traffic is some volvo driver on a Sunday drive in the middle of the week.

Or the fact that most volvo owners always swear by their car for saving their lives when in fact if they were better drivers they would have avoided the whole accident in the first place. haha.

But for the most part it's the fact that most volvo owner's drive slower than the speed limit which is something that I can't stand. Hence my comments.

<exaggeration mode off>

What I've heard is Volvo drivers tend to be:

• high-brow
• highly educated, intellectual
• arts patrons
• listen to NPR (per Rush Limbaugh )

I worked with someone that seemed to fit that profile, perhaps to an unfavorable degree. While I need to pay more attention to Ps-andQs, making sure my socks match.....she seemed to be too obsessed with such things.

Again, they seem to be at polar opposites of pickup truck drivers.

61.5mpg lifetime - 82mpg in recent months

Best Run >
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"fanatic" is what the lazy call the dedicated

livvie, I guess you are going to hate FEHs

Check this out

Rikker: It's the BORG!!!

61.5mpg lifetime - 82mpg in recent months

Best Run >
www.cleanmpg.com

"fanatic" is what the lazy call the dedicated

It's all fun and games you know. I just have to shake my head every time it occurs and it occurs with some frequency. Maybe I just remember the Volvo cases and dismiss the rest.

The funny thing is that my parents owned a volvo while living in Europe and it was only when I came here to the U.S. that I noticed this different volvo driver... the type of driver that would plan their routes so that they wouldn't have to take a left.

As for Volvo helping Ford to hybrid technology... I don't buy it. The article suggest that Ford copied the Toyota's version, to the point that the technologies were identical. Ford swapped patent for patent to get around this. Reverse engineering isn't IMO considered original. Therefore in my book, volvo did nothing.