10 European Cars Americans Absolutely Love

Photo by Daniel Gasienica

10. Volvo S80

Volvo is an incredibly popular car in America, which has devotees that span the generations, and each generation can tell you which Volvo model they loved more than any other car.

Their eyes light up as they tell of their beloved Volvo. Their voice volume increases as they tell of a particular model which they learned to drive in, gave their girlfriend the engagement ring in or drove their family across the country in for vacation.

The S80 model was created outside the usual Volvo box in 1998, and appealed to a new kind of Volvo owner desiring a sleeker, gas-saving vehicle that didn’t compromise safety or dependability. The S80 met all those criteria. It was elegant and professional looking. You could drive it across the country with the kids and dog but why would you do that? It was too pretty. Long-time Volvo owners may have looked with suspicion when it debuted but it soon became as popular as the Volvos that preceded it. Within the last decade, the S80 was driven by CEOs and homemakers who swear it’s the best vehicle they have ever driven.