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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  A Luxurious piece of Garbage - 1999 Volvo S70
  By obsessedwithcarz - January 5 - 2:00 am

  Basic Sedan with climate control leather alloys and automatic. Stay away from Volvos. If you care about safety get a loaded used Ford Taurus one years old with low mileage for 12 grand. if you keep cars for years get an extended warranty! I am in debt from buying a volvo and had to dump it before it killed me. Everything broke between 40 and 50K miles. get a factory extended warranty or something similar my warranty only paid for after market parts which screwed me big time. not to mention some things werent covered. horrible resale value! im getting a focus and buying pillows at Walmart for side airbags.

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  Buy a Lexus!!!!! - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By jimi286 - January 5 - 2:00 am

  I traded in my 03 t5 for an 04 t6. I wanted to upgrade. Well the steering was much smoother, xenons fantastic, stereo was a good upgrade too. Never had a problem w/ t5. T6 has a miss or should I say rumble in trans, dealer unable to correct. The navigation is a JOKE. A total and complete waste of $1900. The fuel economy is totally atrocious. Ride is extremely comfortable both around town and on the highway. Too much wind noise at high speeds though. Im trading it this week for a lexus. Now there is a navigation system.

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  Edmunds is wrong -- this is way better than an SUV - 2013 Volvo XC70
  By gregrasa - January 3 - 1:35 pm

  Weve had our XC70 a year-plus. Had a V70 before it. We love it! Car has understated luxury. Feels like its build like a frickin tank, as Im sure it is. Turbo engine does well. Not what youd call nimble for around-town driving, but fantastic seats and big-car driving dynamics make it an awesome road-trip car. Excellent stereo. Car looks classy, inside and out. We owned an SUV in the past -- and hated it. Hated the high, tippy feel, tight squeeze in parking spaces, bad mileage. The Volvo solved all that. We recently bought a 2014 Highlander for 7-seater carpool purposes, and while its nice enough its not as all-around great as the Volvo. Toyotas only advantage: 2 more seats.

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  fantastic car searching for its soul - 2004 Volvo S80
  By milano-michigan - December 31 - 10:00 am

  This is a remarkable car. Outsatnding MPG on the highway (29 @ 80 miles per hour), above 20 in town...very comfortable (a little bit "spartan", though) easy to drive, cruises very nicely, does everything right....it just does not have the "solid" feeling, nor sporty feeling of a BMW or Mercedez. It always gives you the impression the "power is not going to be there...but it is.

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  The new standard - 2008 Volvo S80
  By Isam - December 31 - 8:10 am

  I have owned this car since 6/2008. What a pleasure to drive! I have adjustable suspension option and the car handles very well even on the comfort setting. I do not know how a BMW can beat that but I can tell you that the advanced setting will glue the car to the road. The ventilated seats are something very dear to my heart. The inside beige color is very elegant. I have an option that lets you change the degree of stiffness of steering. So you get Lexus soft and BMW stiff if you want. I have about 12,000 miles on it without a single problem so far. The xenon lights that move at night give the impression that this is a more expensive car. I truly believe that all Volvos now are the best

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  mpg - 2018 Volvo XC90
  By ed frangenberg - December 30 - 1:50 pm

  gas milage is only at 20 on the road driving speed limit, far from the 27 advertised.

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  2-Year Update: After Two, No More - 2008 Volvo S80
  By dgreer - December 29 - 8:33 am

  This updates comments from 2 years ago, as the lease nears expiration. After 30K miles the suspension creaks and pops just as my 2000 model.Replacement parts by dealer never fixed the problem, Its built in by design flaw. Gas mileage has improved to 21mpg, mixed;and 27hwy.But my 04 Jag XJ8 is better:22/30, and much more fun to drive. Engine and transmission have been great, but small problems mount up, including warped brake rotors at 28K. Maintenance is relatively expensive, but is included on 2009-10 leases. Overall, a nice car; but at in this class,over $40K, I wont lease another, and would not want to purchase for the long term.

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  Fun to drive and look at - 2008 Volvo XC90
  By Stevepei - December 27 - 1:00 pm

  I was going to buy a Lexus RX350 but told the salesman that I had another appointment at the Volvo dealership that morning. I would most probably come back to close the deal with him after the appointment. After a test drive of Volvo XC90, I changed my mind right away. The car felt smooth, sturdy, and macho, having an excellent road grip at highway curves. I have driven the car for almost 5 months since then and never had a problem with its workmanship. Believe it or not, it is also a head turner on highway. One major complaint I have about the car is gas mileage, so far I have 14.8 m/g. Another complaint is its slow acceleration, but I have learned to live with that.

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  Better Coffee in the Service Department - 2000 Volvo V40
  By mhl - December 23 - 2:00 am

  Headlights burn out annually. Rear wheel alignment was needed to stop tire burn. Original equipment tire model not stocked locally, had to special order from TX, twice (replaced all 4 at 19,000 mi). Turbo exhaust seal started leaking at 25,000. Leather steering wheel melted and had to be replaced. Steering wheel squeak required replacement of steering rack. Low hum vibration when stopped in gear (suspect motor mount?). Brake service frequent, but this is to be expected with Volvos. All this sounds bad, however dealer and factory have been generally great in standing behind their product.

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  My First Luxury Vehicle - 2007 Volvo XC90
  By master_pate - December 17 - 2:44 pm

  This was my first SUV, and first luxury vehicle in general. I bought it because of the look and safety features, and those have not let me down. This is one SUV I would keep forever except for the fact that I typically only get 14 MPG. I do almost exclusive city driving however.