Volvo vs. Mercedes: A Complete Brand Comparison
Leaving a dealership in a brand new luxury car is one of the most satisfying feelings life has to offer. Everyone has pictured themselves in that scenario, often behind a Mercedes steering wheel—but what about a Volvo? Whenever the discussion of “what’s the best luxury car brand” starts, our usual suspects—including Mercedes—come to mind first, while Volvo is only an afterthought. But can Volvo match up to Mercedes, or might it even be better? Comparing Volvo vs. Mercedes, might there be a few surprises? Read on to find out.
The History of Volvo and Mercedes
Both auto manufacturers have incredible histories that give their brands the prestige and the power in the names today known as Volvo and Mercedes. Let’s see how each brand earned the respect that they demand today.
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The History of Volvo
Not a single vehicle could tackle Sweden’s cold weather until two great friends, Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson, came to the idea of starting a Swedish car brand. In mid-1925 they began planning and designing the ten prototypes that would be tested in 1926. A year later, on April 14th, 1927, Volvo ÖV 4 (dubbed “Jakob”) rolled off of the production line with a 1.9L inline 4-cylinder engine, and Volvo was born.
From the beginning, the focus of Volvo was on safety, people, and quality, and that hasn’t changed, even after all this time. Over the years, Volvo gave the world features such as the three-point seatbelt for which they waived the patent so every automaker could use them. They also came up with child booster cushions and lambda sond, which is better known as an oxygen sensor.
Volvo always kept things simple and uncomplicated, yet they were always a very unique and creative brand.
The History of Mercedes
Karl Benz, a name that transcends the automotive world, patented the Benz Patent-Motorwagen in January 1886, which was regarded as the first internal combustion engine practical automobile. The vehicle was then in 1901 marketed by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG). More importantly, Emil Jellinek, who worked with DMG, registered the trademark after his daughter, Mercedes Jellinek. The man was a master of his craft who promoted Daimler vehicles to very high-status people.
About 25 years passed by, and in 1926 Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler merged into Daimler-Benz, creating the first Mercedes Benz brand vehicle. However, Daimler-Benz put their focus on world war II, creating machinery for the war, but they did bring their focus back to automobiles, and in 1958, brought their business to America. In America, more and more Daimler-Benz dealerships were converted into Mercedes Benz dealerships, while Mercedes themselves continued growing, innovating, and improving into the brand we all know today.
If we were to write about the history of Mercedes Benz, we would end up with a lengthy book, so here’s a short documentary where you can learn more about Mercedes and its history.
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Volvo and Mercedes Brands Today
Volvo and Mercedes have mostly stayed true to their roots, but what does that mean for you? If you were looking for a luxury car, which one would you choose? Comparing the Mercedes brand vs. Volvo brand, which would better represent you?
Mercedes vs. Volvo: Luxury
As soon as you look inside of one of the most luxurious sedans today, the Mercedes Benz S-Class, it just screams “luxury.” It feels like you’re inside of a modern 70s classic car with a comfortable, roomy interior, incredible features, and an infotainment system that’s ahead of its time. The only drawbacks are some of the features of the infotainment system that have fallen prey to German over-engineering.
The Volvo XC90, which is considered to be one of the most luxurious SUVs, doesn’t stand out as much. It’s true to the Volvo brand, simple, unique, and high-end. As you’d expect from a Volvo, there are a bunch of safety and tech features, and there’s plenty of space for you, your passengers, and your cargo.
As we can see, both are very luxurious, but they offer different types of luxury, so in comparing Mercedes vs. Volvo in terms of luxury, it really comes down to personal preference.
Mercedes vs. Volvo: Design
Mercedes Benz vehicles simply stand out no matter where they are. Mercedes has mastered the design aspect of cars, and their vehicles’ lines flow together beautifully. The aggressive sporty cars in their lineup have just enough curves, while their luxury cars have just a few aggressive lines to let you know that there’s a powerful motor under the hood. And, of course, the Mercedes logo is just a cherry on top.
Volvo is once again simple, straightforward, and yet unique. People don’t notice a Volvo and think to themselves, “look at that Volvo, it’s beautiful,” but they definitely think: “What a beautiful car. I wonder what brand it is?”
With the two being very similar, but very different at the same time, it once again comes down to personal preference—but if you take a harder look at Volvo’s designs, you’ll probably notice they’re more beautiful than they get credit for.
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Mercedes vs. Volvo: Power
Mercedes and Volvo wouldn’t be as respected today if they didn’t have multiple monster engines in their history.
The “Kompressor 55”, the “M275 AMG” from Mercedes or the B5254T4 inline-5 as well as the T6 engine known as B6304T from Volvo are just examples of simply unfathomable pieces of engineering history.
But that’s not what makes these brands so respectable; it’s the fact that no matter which Volvo or which Mercedes you buy, you can expect it to come with a beast right under the hood.
These two brands even have similar approaches to power, and powerplants, so which one should you choose? The Mercedes brand vs. the Volvo brand?
Mercedes vs. Volvo: The Final Verdict
If you’re deciding between a Mercedes and a Volvo, you’re definitely on the right track. Both brands demand respect, so it really comes down to how you’d want to be seen coming out of your car. Mercedes’ flashiness and a staple of German engineering, or Volvo’s subtle power and beauty? Volvo vs. Mercedes: which one are you choosing?
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