It’s practical and sensible, the Volvo. And it is the car the average Swede picks if he or she gets to choose. Not a Ferrari, not a Porsche but a Volvo—more specifically a Volvo station wagon.
One thousand Swedes were asked by Sifo (an opinion and social research company), commissioned by Postkodlotteriet, what they dream of. Topping the list? A new car. Far down on the same list comes the luxury alternative of owning a boat. 15 percent of the people surveyed wanted a new car, and most of them wanted that Volvo; actually the Volvo was tied with a BMW (21 percent of the people who wanted a new car wanted either a Volvo or a BMW), after which the choice was an Audi. Porsche, Ferrari or Lamborghini? Only 10 percent dreamed of owning cars like those.
29 percent wanted a station wagon, whereas only 16 percent preferred a sportier model, followed by a city jeep, and 9 percent wanted a convertible.
The differences between what men and women want in a car is clear only when it comes to the more luxurious models. Few women dream of owning an Aston Martin, a Ferrari or a Lamborghini—which are the cars Swedish men want. When it comes to BMW, Audi and Volvo, men and women are in agreement, but more women than men prefer to have a Jaguar parked in their garage.