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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  Best damn car report - 2004 Volvo S40
  By Mitja - July 10 - 10:00 am

  Fast sleek and sexy. She handles and keeps up with the rest of them. An investment worth taking. Would never buy another car brand again.

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  No one talks about tall people - 2015 Volvo S60
  By ajbcohen - July 5 - 3:20 pm

  I love my S60, and Im about to lease another one. One review comment I have not seen anywhere is that the car is great for tall drivers! I am 64". The front seats are very adjustable and provide a lot of head/leg space, and the telescoping steering wheel range is better than in all other cars I tested in its class. Many reviews mention that there is limited leg room in the 2nd row. What are people expecting? This is a mid-size sport sedan. When you have people in the back, you have to adjust your seat and drive in a less-than-optimal position. Get real. Overall - I highly recommend this car for multiple reasons (running out of allowable space here).

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  The Best Volvo Has To Offer - 2004 Volvo S60
  By R_Colavito - July 4 - 10:00 am

  The car is a joy to drive in all types of conditions. The AWD makes the car feel as if its glued to the road. The low pressure turbo is very responvise in an extremely wide range of driving situations. The S60 is large enough to handle the "sedan" type tasks yet sporty enough to run with the best. Being one of the safest cars on the road the S60 provides one with a "feel safe" senation promted by the sturdy construction. All in all a real 10!!

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  Pretty Good - 2002 Volvo S60
  By BBC23 - July 2 - 6:23 pm

  Bought it from my brother with 31,000 miles on it to commute to college. Coming from driving a Mercedes C- class, the S60 feels solid and is very comfortable to drive. Very driver oriented console and its quite roomy for its class. Little annoyances such as transmission slips and rough idling, but both were fixed under warranty with no problem since. Run it on premium and added K&N filter, and it gives decent performance with good fuel economy. Suggest that you stay on top of the maintenance, or youre going to pay a lot down the road.

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  Excellent - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By arek - July 1 - 4:33 pm

  great driving on first row. Second row center seat is not comfortable, design only for kids seat. Location cruse control button on steering wheel is very bad.

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  Great car for your money!!! - 2000 Volvo S80
  By IanRomines - June 30 - 6:16 am

  I guess with all cars you get bad ones and good ones. Mine was a good one I cant believe I can drive a luxury Vehicle for less than $8000. I have never sat in a seat so comfortable in this Volvo. You have so much power it feels like you can do anything. It surprises me that cars were this stylish in the mid 2000s its like nothing else on the road. I love my Volvo and will keep it for a very long time.

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  S40 T5 - 2005 Volvo S40
  By S40 T5 - June 29 - 3:33 pm

  Awesome car! The turbocharged engine is very powerful and will easily break the front tires loose. I have the sport package w/ dynamic sport suspension and it makes for a great handling car with little body lean. Geartronic automatic transmission is very smooth and fun manual control, it will actually allow you to take off in first, second, or third gear! This car feels very solid and the steering has nice weight and feel. Excellent build quality, everything feels solid and of high quality and nothing creaks, squeaks or rattles. This is a great, fun to drive car.

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  Love my XC90! - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By Love my car!! - June 29 - 1:36 am

  I purchased my Volvo XC90 2.5T in August of 2003, in Sweden. We took advantage of the European Delivery package being offered and had a delightful stay in Sweden, courtesy of Volvos two round trip tickets to Europe, plus hotel acccommodations. We drove around Scandinavia and then returned to the factory, where the car was shipped free of charge. I am getting up to 21 MPG on highway, and average about 18 MPG around town. Service has been excellent and we have had virtually no negative experiences with this car. Its worth every penny. We have also really taken advantage of our third row of seats, a real buying point for us, as I refused to consider a minivan, but wanted additional room.

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  Worth The Wait - GO VOLVO - 2003 Volvo XC90
  By HOT SUV - June 26 - 10:00 am

  What an awesome SUV. After the first one I ordered sank on the boat in December, I was lucky enough to secure a similar vehicle from my local dealer. The interior is beautiful, the T5 engine is plenty, and the ride quality is terrific and quiet. BMW X% was $6000 more and had 1/2 the equipment and lousy base stereo with single CD. The BMW has a choppy ride as well. Very trucklike, unlike the XC90. Great job Volvo...

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  Very happy even years later - 2004 Volvo S80
  By BWS2010 - June 22 - 7:30 pm

  Its unfortunate that these other owners have had a lot of problems. I have had very little problems. My cig lighter will blow every once in a while, but its when Im running 2 chargers at the same time so I just keep extra 20 AMP fuses in the car. The drink holders are no the best designs, but overall I have had no serious problems.