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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  volvo xc90 - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By youngdiane - July 21 - 2:00 am

  Mostly love this car..however, acceleration transition after stop signs and around corners after stop signs is not smooth... only other complaints or constructive criticism is seeing side traffic .. blind spot difficult to see w/doors and also, reflection of top of dash board into window is significant. however....... LOVE the ride and the way it handles. Nice interior/exterior.. great sound system. handles well otherwise..

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  LUXURY WITH POWER - 2000 Volvo S80
  By mrsly - July 20 - 10:00 am

  A great car. Accelerates on the fly...Quite, awesome sound system...Very comfortable on long trips.....A great overall value.

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  Cant go wrong - 2004 Volvo XC70
  By Blake - July 19 - 5:26 am

  Easily the best car Volvo builds, and thats saying a lot. When it comes to value for the dollar, the "Cross Country" cant be beat. There are certainly more expensive and less expensive options out there, but factoring the whole package, its easy to see why this is such a popular car among middle-class and more affluent buyers. And there is no snobbery that goes with it, like some of those Bavarian makes. You cant go wrong choosing a Volvo "Cross Country".

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  Couldnt be happier - 2005 Volvo S40
  By Thors Owner - July 18 - 8:20 am

  We named our Swedish beauty Thor, and we honestly couldnt be happier with the performance, sexiness, drive, reliability, and overall feel of the car. On the freeway, cruise control is the only way to go if you want to avoid getting a speeding ticket. The car just itches to go fast. Fuel economy could be better, but what do you expect with such a powerful engine? Three years of driving this car and we are still deeply in love.

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  What a great car! - 2006 Volvo S80
  By stan - July 17 - 12:56 pm

  I loved the interior design and features, like heated seats, separate right-left heating controls, etc., but I really fell in love when I drove the car. Acceleration is excellent; reminds me of a Chevy 350-4 barrel v-8 I once had. Road feel, suspension and braking are outstanding. Owning this car makes me feel like I just want to hit the road and throw it around a road course. It makes driving fun again.

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  Goodbye Old Paint - 2002 Volvo V40
  By Victor the Volvo - July 15 - 11:10 pm

  I just traded in Old Vic aged 98,000 miles. I have read other reviews and found them unappreciative. First, you need never be ashamed to pull up in a Volvo, no matter where, no matter how small. Second, although maintenance wasnt cheap, it was great at my local Volvo Dealer - Coast of Sarasota - very professional and thorough. Third, this car was gas-efficient and capable of carrying a number of dogs, cargo, and other assorted living/inert objects with grace. Fourth, it was comfortable. You sank into the seats, not on top of them. A million organized cubbyholes for all your junk are provided. Its a nice, sane, well- planned ride. Great visibility. I hope you enjoy it.

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  MY S60R - 2004 Volvo S60
  By icemansal - July 15 - 2:00 am

  The car has an excellent all around performance. Best of of, it is AWD, which in NJ when it snows means I do not have to park it and take another car. Even with the 18 inch high performance tires, it still grips in the snow. The car is an excellent value.

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  S40 Best Value - 2004 Volvo S40
  By bigwillie - July 15 - 2:00 am

  I had the opportunity to drive my S40 from Atlanta to San Antonio. This was a pleasurable round-trip, road noise was at a minimum, CD-radio system was reliable, braking was excellent, and the adjustable seats were key to a comfortable ride. My purchase experience in a fully loaded S40 was well below invoice price at around $22k. This is an excellent value for the dollar. As a previous BMW 325i driver this car compares favorably.

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  All Good Thus Far - 2010 Volvo XC60
  By NeoVolvoLoyalist - July 12 - 8:40 pm

  My wife and I have had this vehicle for about a month now, and we have been thoroughly satisfied. I have been a VW fanatic since birth, and this is my first car (I bought a Ford Truck about 4 years ago) purchase outside of VW in my life. I was immediately impressed with the handling of the car for such a large vehicle. Additionally, we have been impressed with the sheer volume of the vehicle as we moved up from a VW Jetta. I am also very impressed with the maintenance plan of 60000 miles. Overall this is perhaps one of the best purchases Ive ever made. I would highly recommend it, its at least worth a look.

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  Great car needs better tires - 2008 Volvo XC90
  By scatback - July 11 - 6:46 am

  20,000 trouble free miles in the V-8, average 19.7 mpg in mixed driving. Love the premium leather, the drive train, the ride and quality and the looks. But Volvo shouldnt build a all wheel drive car with the 19" Pirelli Scorpians. They are useless, not to say dangerous, in even light snow, got real noisy after 15,000 miles and were ready for scrap after 20k. Ive replaced the with Conti HDCs, which are stock on Mercedes. My only other complaint is the turning radius that resembles a super tanker (supposedly to accommodate the width of the V-8); we call ours the "Queen Mary".