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:

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  Fix The Turbo - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By Speechdr - March 29 - 10:00 am

  I like our new volvo but 11 MPG and a constant loud turbo noise should not occur on a vehicle with a $48,000 MSRP. Until the turbo noise is fixed, be prepared to feel like you are driving in a wind tunnel.

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  DONT BUY S40 - 2002 Volvo S40
  By JUMUNJI - March 15 - 10:00 am

  PROBLEMS FROM DAY 1. I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING WITH THIS CAR. BRAKES, LIGHTBULBS, TIRES, SUSPENSION, AIR CONDITIONER, MOTOR MOUNTS, FRONT END SHAKES AND VIBRATES REALLY BAD, ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON ALL THE TIME WITH THE BRAKE LIGHT. THE MECHANICS AT THE DEALERSHIP ARE NOT UP TO SPEED.

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  What Volvo is not telling you about this car. - 2003 Volvo XC90
  By marigold1 - February 24 - 6:09 pm

  I would stay far away from buying another Volvo after everything my family has been through with our 2003 XC90. The engines are not built to work with the transmissions. We have replaced the transmission every 30,000 miles. It has now become a safety issue. It has broken down on me too many times to count. I have dumped almost $12,000 into it. Go look at the service center at your local Volvo dealership. The lot is full of cars needing repairs. We have replaced the transmission 3 times, radiator, shocks, struts, axles, arm bushings...even down to the door handles. Do not make the same mistake we did. It is not a reliable car and I consider it a safety risk to drive.

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  My fourth Volvo - 2000 Volvo V70
  By Marc - February 11 - 11:53 pm

  ...and my last; hello Toyota!. This car is a disaster, I had a lot of problems from the start: rear axle fell off, blew 3 injectors, catalytic converter, one headlight does not work anymore, driver door cracks, weak air conditioner even after a $2,500 repair, also quite a few false alerts from the check engine light coming on for various defective sensors, and a host of other annoying issues. The Volvo dealers have always this attitude that they are doing you a favor to attend to your car. Also forget about getting an appointment less than a week ahead. The dealer in Hyannis took 3 days to replace one injector (no courtesy car)..

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  Former Volvo Fan - 1998 Volvo V70
  By justsayno - February 8 - 2:00 am

  Purchased used V70 GLT Wagon with 60k miles and I have had nothing but problems. Car even came with all service records. Great to drive, very comfortable and lots of space. BUT car was in the shop FIVE times over an eight month period and I have paid almost $7k in repairs. I am in the process of selling. Volvo (sorry.....Ford) needs to make a more reilable car.

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  The worst car I ever purchased - 2002 Volvo V40
  By MICHELE - February 6 - 10:00 am

  Every time you turn around there is another problem. My car has been serviced monthly for a variety of problems from AC malfunctioning, to the check engine light, and I am on my forth set of headlights! ENOUGH SAID!

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  Piece of junk - 2004 Volvo S60
  By DZwink - February 5 - 11:43 pm

  We bought our Volvo when we decided to start a family due to the safety reputation. My sister had owned three, one of which saved her life in a wreck, and had also managed to put 300,000 miles on one without incident. Ours is now about to go in the shop for the third time in two months. It has had three parts in the fuel system fail so far with Volvo comping me on one due to my less than pleased opinion of the car so far. Ive never had this many problems with a car before. I wont be buying another one. Makes me wish I had bought the Infiniti or Volkswagen I was looking at instead of this.

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  I wish Id kept my C30 - 2013 Volvo S60
  By raindances - February 2 - 12:57 pm

  Well, where do I start. Lets do the good stuff: I love the interior, it is comfortable. The freeway ride quality is great. It is fairly quiet on good road surfaces. Now the bad stuff: Had an a/c problem with a pressure relief valve. Took 4 visits to resolve even though it is a known issue. Had a bad fuel pump, causing hard starting from cold. Took 4 visits to resolve even though it is a known issue. Have a steering wobble at speeds around 40mph. This is "normal" according to Volvo. Engine surges and is jerky in any gear and at any speed. This is "normal" according to Volvo. Transmission experiences a delay engaging first gear when pulling away from a stop. This results in a jerk.

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  Not Worth the $$$$ - 1999 Volvo S80
  By KMT - February 1 - 10:00 am

  After way too many problems (literally, too many to list) I traded in my S80 T6 for a Passat. After getting over the intial shock of trade in value - $30,000 less than sticker price (the car was loaded to the hilt and had 56,000 miles, I knew that I didnt have a choice. With my warranty up and still having massive problems, I had to get rid of it. My new Passat has everything that the Volvo had except the Nav system and horsepower and the best part - it cost me half the price! I love my new car!

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  Ouch! - 1996 Volvo 850
  By mkirkland - January 19 - 2:00 am

  I am a single mom with a three year old and know nothing about cars but sure am learning with this one! I have spent so much money on repairs I am told are normal. It is nickle and diming me to death. Love it for the safety and all, but come on - $600 here, $800 there. Im going broke. Its cool looking but I think Ill go to something with lower repair costs.