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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  Not an Audi - 2004 Volvo XC70
  By WT - September 22 - 11:16 pm

  My previous car was an Audi 200 quattro avant and on paper this car is very close. In reality it not even a contest. It does nothing as well as the almost 15 year older car. Big delay from start, bad handling, lighter modern brakes - yuk! The controls are cheap and all work backwards. And then there is the seat which always wants to move away from the last driver when you get in. They even blew the armrests. Blows light bulbs for some strange reason. Gas mileage OK though. Going back to a real european car and getting rid of this Ford!

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  Dont do it! - 2000 Volvo V70
  By Bashstpaul - August 16 - 3:06 am

  Save yourself the trouble. This car isnt worth it. Last year alone (2007) I had over $7,000 in repair bills on this car. Total repairs have cost me over $18,000. Electrical, ABS Module, Brakes, Tranny, etc. etc. etc. Rear hatch panel keeps coming loose. Now the rear hatch wont lock. Keep thinking theres nothing left to go wrong. This dog keeps showing me how laughable that attitude is. Cant go 3 months without a shop visit. The absolute worst car Ive ever owned.

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  Lemon - 2002 Volvo S60
  By Lemon! - August 11 - 10:23 pm

  Purchased what appeared to be a good condition used S60 - DIM module replaced, new boots, plugs, alignment, balancing, lower control rods all replaced within 6 wks time. Still cant make hard right turn without jerking motion from car. First and Last foreign car. Waste of money.

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  My Last Volvo - Disapointing - 2008 Volvo XC70
  By jeffmay27 - June 25 - 12:23 am

  I have owned three Volvos in the last 10 years, always leased them for 4 years and got another one. This was my second XC70. This 2008 XC70 has been horrible, the day I got it one of the radiators sprung a leak and I Was forced to get it serviced on a Satruday. the sales rep did nto include an owners manual or the Volvo hotline. Since then the floating panel had to be replaced, the windows do nto go up and down properly. I took the car in at 82,000Km to get last warranty work done (I was late by 2K) and was told the rules - has to be under 80,000KM. I guess a 10 year history with a Company does not warrant any reverse loyalty. MY last Volvo - I will be glad when my lease is up Jul12.

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  Volvo 2001 V70 T5ASR - 2001 Volvo V70
  By rpd544 - June 18 - 2:00 am

  Dont buy this car! This car had an oil leak at the same spot three times during the first month of me owning it. When you first buy the car, it is fast! Its like a rocket! But after 12,000 miles, the car doesnt accelerate worth anything! The brakes needed to be replaced at 18,000 miles. The tires needed replacing at 20,000. The interior rattles like crazy. And there is a knocking sound whenever you make a left turn (which the dealership says is a "Normal Event.") The fuel pump is noisy! Buy a Toyota Sienna and youll be much happier with it!

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  S80 Reliability - 2004 Volvo S80
  By 2004 2.9 S80 - May 14 - 1:03 am

  At 79,000 miles this car is on its third transmission. The front struts have broken through nornal driving. It has had two leaks of transmission fluid. The second leak required the radiator to be removed to replace a hose. The interior design makes it very difficult to see traffic behind you. This is our third (and last) Volvo. Repairs this year alone came to over $4000.

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  Never Again - 2003 Volvo XC90
  By phred3717 - April 5 - 3:43 pm

  I will never buy another Volvo. This car cost me countless hours and huge sums of money to keep running. I had an extended waranty to begin with but then the real problems began. Brake pads annually, main engine seals, tierod ends, transmission. Broke down on family trips even after being serviced faithfully by dealer! Last straw - the turbos blew on a road trip 1,000 Km from home with family and friends onboard. Got $100 for it and was happy to see the end of it. Fool me once shame on you Volvo - wont happen again.

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  Close to a lemon - 2003 Volvo S40
  By Consultant - March 19 - 10:00 am

  Car has been in repair an average of once per month since we got it. The gas gauge still doesnt work although Volvo made several attempts to recalibrate. Have blown two headlights and the list goes on. Cant wait to get rid of this piece of junk. My first ever car was a Volvo and this will be my last Volvo.

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  Hit or miss with Volvo - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By cnirenblatt - March 13 - 8:16 am

  For a $40,000 plus vehicle, Im really looking at getting a Lexus next go around. I cant believe all the bells and whistles that dont come with this car at this price. Sure its safe. I get about 17.5 mpg, but already the seat adjustment on the drivers side has become unattached, the power windows are whacky sometimes by going down when I want them to go up and frankly Im just disappointed in the service department here in Charleston, S.C. When I took a look at the Lexus RX330, I couldnt believe all the ammenities you can get with the same emphasis on safety for a lot less money. Im now looking at trading in the XC90 for a Lexus either GX or RX model. I think Volvo should do better.

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  Nice Car But Dont Count on it to get you There - 2017 Volvo XC90
  By Doug Funston - January 29 - 7:51 am

  Mine is a virtually fully loaded T8 Inscription. It looks, rides and performs (when it works) beautifully. However, mine has been wrought with electrical/computer problems from the get/go. It routinely spits out warning lights on various systems from ESC, engine, 12 volt system. It has been in for repair (i.e not routine mtce) in one year more than my 2006 Mazda has been in its lifetime. I am in my 60s and have owned many vehicles and this one has generated more warning lights in its short life than ALL my other vehicles combined. Half the time software update is used by the dealer as the solution to my problems. They almost never know what the update is supposed to solve. My navigation system broke down on a cross country trip and required the dealer to reboot it. Even my Tom Tom can be rebooted manually by me. Finally replaced the module for the electric motor that drives the rear wheels claiming it was dragging down my 12 volt system and causing all these spurious computer generated warning lights. The car worked fine for a couple of months and then one day it was completely dead (12 Volt) wouldnt even unlock the car. Dealer claimed my less one year old 12 volt battery was faulty. It was replaced. So today 3 months later a new warning light "12 volt system service required" has illuminated. My issues electrically/computer are clearly still unresolved. I cannot recommend this vehicle for its poor reliability.