Well, I'm even further down under than you are Micheal, in New Zealand. Over here a Volvo is a shopping basket for rich professionals wives.
Perhaps if you can afford it,you dont care what people think, besides you can afford to be stupid knowing your chances of getting killed are much lower than anyone elses.

I love that chart in "The Millionare next door" that compares cars by cost per pound. The Volvo comes in at just under $10 per pound, against mid range "cheap iron" at $4.50-5.00 per pound.

When I was a mechanic, I formed the impression that there was a disproportianate amount of BMW's getting smacked into things at high speed, compared to other cars. My quick informal research on Google reveals the following:
"Volvo drivers are stupid and drive too slow"
"BMW drivers are rude and drive too fast"

Just kidding.