Overview & Reviews

Swedish-born Volvo has long been a forerunner in safety research, and its vehicles have the crash test scores to prove it. These days, the brand has improved its offerings by crafting vehicles that also offer generous amounts of style and performance.

In Latin, the word "Volvo" means "I roll." Volvo cars have been rolling ever since 1927, when the first vehicle (nicknamed "Jakob") was produced in the city of Gothenburg. The company's founders, Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larsson, put an emphasis on safety, and that dictum still holds true today. The Jakob was joined by the six-cylinder PV651 in 1929, and by 1931, more than 10,000 Volvos had been produced.

Postwar, Volvo unveiled one of its biggest successes, the PV444. By the 1950s, Volvo had begun exporting cars to the U.S., and the PV444 — with its compact size and stylish looks — helped the manufacturer quickly make a name for itself in its new territory. The decade also saw Volvo building on its reputation for being a vanguard in the area of safety; it was the first manufacturer to make vehicles with a three-point safety belt.

The 1960s saw the launch of a new Volvo sports car, the P1800. The car's sculpted good looks helped earn it celebrity status when it was featured on the long-running TV series The Saint, with Roger Moore behind the wheel. Safety features grew more advanced during this decade and Volvo was again at the forefront of the action, offering features such as padded dashboards and energy-resistant crumple zones in front and rear.

Volvo distinguished itself as the exclusive home to a number of valuable new technologies during the 1970s. If you were looking for safety features such as childproof locks, collapsible steering columns and rear-facing child seats during this decade, you'd only find them in a Volvo.

Like BMWs and Saabs, Volvos became an American "yuppie" favorite during the 1980s. The company proved its technological know-how wasn't just limited to safety when it rolled out its first turbocharged car. By the end of the decade, Volvo had unveiled new models like the front-wheel-drive 480 hatchback (for Europe) and the Italian-designed 780 coupe.

In the early '90s, Volvo launched the 850. The car was Volvo's first front-wheel-drive executive car, and teamed performance with the company's trademark attention to safety. The decade also saw Volvo rolling out new models like the S40 and C70 — cars that updated the automaker's boxy image with a more rounded, sculpted aesthetic. The company became part of the Ford family when it was acquired by the automaker in 1998. Ford helped Volvo financially, while Volvo provided Ford with new safety technologies and car platforms. Due to Ford's financial troubles during the American recession, however, Ford sold Volvo to the Chinese automaker Geely in 2010.

It's unknown how Volvo's new owner will guide the brand long term, but chances are Volvo will continue to offer sedans, coupes and SUVs known for their combination of safety and driving excitement.

User Reviews:

• 

  Not Too Shabby - 2002 Volvo S80
  By GG - March 30 - 8:03 am

  Its comfortable, safe, plenty of cupholders, plenty of leg room, gorgeous interior. You cant really ask for much more as far as the interior goes. I love the heated seats in the winter. It handles nicely, and its pretty fast for what it is. Im not sure if Id go as far to say that its the best car Ive ever owned, but it is a beauty. Ive had some problems with the tail lights, when I shut the trunk theyll go out and I have to whack them a bit to get them back on. The winshield wiper fluid got disconnected, not sure why. I poured fluid in the resevoir and it just poured out onto the driveway. Car wont start if the gas gauge needle hits the red area.

• 

  2 Years W/ My XC90 2.5T AWD - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By Frank - March 27 - 4:23 pm

  I am just completing my 2nd year of ownership with my XC90. As others have mentioned it has spent some time in the shop and seems to be recalled every 6 months or so. The XC90 is a very safe SUV and has a vault like feel to it very similar to Mercedes Benz. My biggest issues are all the little things that go wrong with it. I am now replacing the chrome window trim on the driver’s side for the 3rd time. The design of this is so poor, it’s held to the window frame only with double stick tape. There is also a removable armrest/storage compartment that is starting to fall apart and Volvo is refusing to replace or repair it. A great service department is key to owning this vehicle.

• 

  The SUV I Love to Hate - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By JLS - March 23 - 8:16 pm

  Ive owned my XC90 just over a year. Been in the shop over 6 times for warranty items ranging from the air intake on the engine to the air vents breaking. Most frustrating is that the same parts keep breaking. The air intake has been repaired 3 times and the vents 2. Ive also been frustrated with trim parts falling off and the third row seat breaking. Ive owned Volvos for years and have had little to know problems other than routine maintenance. This Volvo is the vehicle I love to hate. Love the ride and creature features, hate the reliability and build quality.

• 

  What About the Breaks? - 2011 Volvo C30
  By jbreach - March 23 - 2:00 am

  Great looks and peppy engine but what about the breaks. Brought it back to dealership twice wondering why oh why doesnt this car have a firm break pedal. Why must I travel halfway down before breaks engage and when they do why does it feel so choppy? Is this a Volvo trademark because if it is I sure dont want or need it. This one very important aspect has left me lukewarm on this car and wondering if I made a $25k mistake which I will now regret until I trade it in.

• 

  A Volvo that turns heads?? - 2011 Volvo XC90
  By rocco - March 23 - 2:00 am

  Ive just owned the XC90 R-Design for a bit over a week, so I can not speak to its durability or reliability, but I can say that this is one of the best looking, most comfortable, spacious, versatile and well designed SUVs/crossovers on the market. I looked at EVERYTHING in the segment before deciding on the Volvo for offering what is, in my opinion, the most attractive package at a price that cant be touched by BMW, MB, Lexus, Acura. I am a loyal BMW owner and have been extremely pleasantly surprised by Volvos offering. While the XC90 is an aging design, the R-Design breathes new life into it.

• 

  No idea of the troubles... - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By C.TAYLOR - March 22 - 9:40 am

  Ive bought my 04 XC90 believing the car was reliable. Later to find out the first month I had it the transmission light appear. the transmission had to be replaced a long with the radiator and later the radio had to be replace as well next the driver side window track had to be replaced then the doors would open while driving on its own while locked. A few months later the steering wheel became loose, it cost me ninty dollars to have it tighten. The transmission I can some what understand because it was made by GM. I thought I bought a car without an American part. Unfortunately not so. This will haunt me for the life of this car. The brakes and tires well its a heavy car big deal!

• 

  whats up with the tires? - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By carpool mom - March 19 - 2:00 am

  in spite of very careful rotation etc I am on my third set of michelins at 24,000 miles

• 

  owner - 2006 Volvo XC90
  By Sandra Nicholson - March 16 - 11:56 pm

  This vehicle is everything I expected. It handles great, has a luxury interior and a updated exterior design. The only complaint that I have is that the vehicle accelerates a bit slower that I would prefer. This is due to the weight of the vehicle. The weight of the vehicle is what offers safety. To sum it up, I would rather be safe thant accelerate quickly.

• 

  Pre Retirement Toy - 2013 Volvo C70
  By Charles - March 12 - 1:28 am

  We wanted a "Adult" convertible with enough trunk space for a weekend trip. We also wanted to be able to enter and exit with reasonable ease. There is nearly zero wind buffeting with the top down. We drove it home from the dealer at highway speeds for over two hours. Truly amazing, and comfortable. This model has the premium sound system and it is great. I opted to have the Polestar software upgrade done. It adds +25 hp and 40 lbs of torque and No real change in the fuel economy, and its keeps the full Volvo warranty.

• 

  Beautiful Vehicle - 2012 Volvo S60
  By piplanih - March 10 - 8:40 pm

  Bought my first Volvo couple of weeks back. The exterior really wowed me initially when I saw this car at the Minneapolis Auto Show during the Fall of 2011. In my mind, the looks are only half a step behind the Audi A7 (which costs 2x the volvo) and better than BMW or MB. The interior is clean, solid and classy. Controls are well situated and I really like the standard connectivity. As advertised, the seats are really good and supportive! Last, the car drives very well. Very smooth power delivery. And quick too. Using the manual mode shifter, I was in 6th gear at 2500 rpm!