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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  First Time Luxury - 2007 Volvo V50
  By First Timer - January 12 - 12:43 am

  The Volvo V50 is my first time venturing into the high end car lines and it hasnt disappointed. The car is neat looking and has thus far performed very well. Didnt even notice the speed when we were cruising the 476 Blue Route at 75 mph. The ride is quiet and the feel is quite snug in this little wagon. We just became grandparents, and we wanted to be safe carting our new charge around. I think we made the right move.

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  Not what I expected - 2007 Volvo XC90
  By Sue - January 11 - 8:50 am

  The interior is a little tight with small amount of shoulder room. Same for cargo area, deep but not wide. Standard audio system really poor. Has no bass sound and cannot be upgraded without a huge expense. Recommend you dont even consider buying it without the AWD.

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  great features, poor reliability - 2000 Volvo V70
  By azxcr Paul - January 9 - 10:00 am

  Well, we are happy with the design and capacity, but it has been a major mechanical headache! Look closely at Volvos used car reputation before you buy one and definitely get all the maintenance records. We have had engine problems (two pcv valves, gasket oil leak, numerous errorneous check engine lites), disc brake replacement (rear), electric lock issues (master actuator replaced 2x), steering noises (lube, lube, lube), and 2 minor recalls. After much complaining, Volvo offered to take the vehicle back off lease IF we bought another NEW Volvo at dealer cost. No way!

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  Whod a thought a Volvo - 2002 Volvo C70
  By Raymond Wylie - January 9 - 10:00 am

  I told my wife to look for her dream convertible, thinking she would go for a BMW. I was out of town and she called and said she found a beautiful white C70. This is the most beautiful car, in my opinion, on the market. I cant say enough about the comfort, handling, power and top down fun. Just a few bugs. Battery went completely dead while in the garage after a few months. The radio/CD failed and had to be replaced. The tires are low profile- high performance and tend to start cupping. Rotate often and have an alignment performed often. Service is first class. Never had a problem.

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  My thoughts on Volvos V50 - 2006 Volvo V50
  By Mike R. - January 8 - 7:56 am

  We really like this car. Its small enough to get around town, yet large enough to haul most anything we want. The folks at Volvo know what comfort is and this car is no exception. It has style, and the interior is quite comfortable. Plenty of leg room and head room.

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  Uneven Likeability - 2001 Volvo V70
  By sbe79 - January 7 - 9:20 am

  I have V70 T5 model. It has 147K on it. I have to say that I really, really like the car. I just dont enjoy the difficulties that come along with it. It drives, mostly, great. I like the way it handles. It may be a station wagon, but its still an interesting car. The leather interior is miles better than Volvo was using in the 90s. However, the transmission had to be rebuilt before I even got it off the used dealership lot. One year later, it struggles to go from 1st to 2nd gear in the morning. The drivers side control panel on the door works infrequently (so most of the time, my window wont go down and I cant lock the doors remotely). Mechanic cant find the issue.

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  Volvo XC90 - Wow - 2007 Volvo XC90
  By K Engvold - January 5 - 6:30 pm

  The part of my long commute that I simply love is the time I have to bond with my XC90. The power she has is awesome; the V8 is an absolute pleasure and provides the power that makes the XC90 actually feel like a sport car. The handling is so deceiving you forget you are driving an SUV. I have also witnessed Volvo being very attuned to improving this XC90 model over the years and I could not resist giving up my S80 for this XC90 as I have kept my eyes on the XC90 for the last 5 years. The fuel mileage is acceptable at around 20 mpg with a Tornado fuel saver installed.

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  Some problems, but overall very nice - 2003 Volvo XC70
  By Tedmom - January 2 - 10:00 am

  We just went in for our 7500 mile check up and are overall very pleased with the car. It is very comfortable to drive and there is excellent front passenger leg room. We had a brake problem early on that was fixed under warranty. The most annoying thing about the car is an ear deafening acoustics problem that occurs with just the sunroof open on the highway or when only one of the side windows is open. Another problem is the glare on the front window from the taupe dashboard which makes it difficult to see without the reflection of the dash in full sun.

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  Love this car - 2004 Volvo C70
  By augthedog - January 2 - 10:00 am

  This is a sweet driving machine. Handles curves with ease and acceleration is awsom for this engine. Seats are comfortable for long trips and what an awsome stereo. Top takes a little long to retract but works flawless. First time in a long time I felt good making a new car purchase.

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  One software issue after another - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By William - December 31 - 1:56 pm

  I have this car for almost a year and I been back to the dealership 6 times for various software issues ranging from annoying (the sensus navigation and infotainment system freezing and rebooting) to inconvenient (locks not working, moonroof not working) to dangerous (entire dashboard blanking out including speedometer and tachometer and auto-breaking going off without any other vehicles around). The car itself is beautiful and very comfortable, but the software is quirky. Volvo is constantly releasing software upgrades addressing these issues and other bugs, but you need to bring the car back to the dealership. Expected much better reliability for the price.