Like what?
Volvo have failed in every market they have tried to enter --- until recently (and that's arguable). Volvos are famous for their safety, but the S70 and S80 debut was when Volvo kind of forgot their purpose and started making ho-hum sedans without much advantage in terms of safety when compared to other cars in their segment. I don't care about any company's reputation from 2 or 3 decades ago. They failed at nearly everything with the exception of the C30, which is essentially a market nobody else was in except Audi and Alfa.
In the early-to-mid 2000s, they smartened up, began designing awesome interiors with a signature design language of their own, and began to make better cars overall. However, this started when they made the Ford- and Mazda-influenced S40, which also resulted in excellent Ford and Mazda equivalents that were cheaper.
Even my parents' 1999 S70 T5 SE, which is pretty much a top-end sports model of the S70, didn't have a sporty demeanor OR the Volvo charm. It was just a sports sedan that was too small and not sporty enough for the segment it was trying to be a part of (BMW 3 and Audi A4), and yet not small or cheap enough to be in a smaller segment. They tried to remedy this by releasing the S60, but it was just as non-competitive. The suspension was soft when you consider the marketing aims ("sports sedan"???) from Volvo, and yet it was horrible at suppressing road noise from semi-rough paved road. Then there were inconveniences such as the extremely poor turning radius, which Volvos are still known for today!!!
Now, the Hyundai Sonata my parents got has a slightly softer suspension and much less responsive handling, but it was also approx $12,000 cheaper and didn't market itself as a sporty turbo. Also, they're 55 and 62 years old.
The suspension is softer, but the ride is so comfortable that it doesn't matter. The Sonata is big enough to be useful, but not too big to be difficult to drive. The interior isn't as modern as today's Volvo, but it's better than the old S70's and is well laid out, luxurious, and yet utilitarian in a Accord/Camry/Family Sedan kind of way. Oh, and I'd take a fully spec'ed Hyundai i30 over any Volvo sedan, and nearly every Volvo other than the X60 and C30 (one of my favourite cars
).
