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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  GREAT USED LUXURY CAR FOR LOW LOW PRICE - 1998 Volvo S70
  By d.slvstri - October 2 - 8:20 am

  My 98 GLT turbo has been very good to me so far, i purchased it two weeks ago and drove it day 1 from VA to NY and day 5 from NY back to VA with no problems at all, the driver seat wasnt so comfy towards my center back on the long drive but overall ok, it has the typical warning lights on dash (ABS/TRAC) but i learned to live with them and got used to not having the luxury of working ABS/TRAC features since my previous Ford Focus didnt even have those options. Very good acceleration once turbo kicks in, i dont know what the top speed is on this car despite the 140 speedo but i had no problem getting to 127 mph fairly quickly. Gorgeous blk ext with blk leather int. only paid $1400 usd

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  Refined "Wagon" - 2010 Volvo XC70
  By Marc L - September 29 - 7:56 pm

  Since our 1998 V70, some things have changed: Quiet, smooth ride, on-demand power. And some things havent: Best seats in the business, solid planted handling, and large cargo capacity. This wagon really does it all in a refined attractive package. The only Achilles heel is middling fuel economy. But thats a price worth paying for this fantastic "wagon."

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  Solid security, bad seats, headrests - 2000 Volvo V70
  By Viola - September 28 - 2:00 am

  Okay, so I opted for the most incredibly safe car for my family. Miami has the worst drivers so there was no option in my mind. On the other hand,I must put up with that ridiculously redesigned solid headrest that juts my head and neck forward. I have had to build up the seat with pillows and supports just to NOT go the the physical therapist! The sound system is minimal but I can hum a happy tune whenever I am thankful after viewing or being in an accident.

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  Respectible ride - 2008 Volvo XC70
  By Effigy3 - September 26 - 11:03 pm

  My previous 7 vehicles were VWs so changing to Volvo was a leap. I had an S40 T5 AWD for 6 months before "surprise" 2nd child arrived. Traded for the XC70 for the added room. The ride on this car is excellent for its class. It feels more like a luxury sedan and less like an SUV. Compared to my previous Passats it feels much roomier which is great for our family of 4. The built-in DVD players are a big hit! (DVD+R work just fine.) Its exactly the kind of solid, thoughtful, classy vehcile that I would expect from a Volvo. I average 18 mpg under mixed driving conditions (22 mpg higway) using a responsible "kids in the car" driving style and 89 octane gas.

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  Traction problem - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By Longford - September 24 - 10:10 pm

  Has been getting stuck everywhere! Recent snow has highlighted problem. Great satisfaction of Land-Rover driving rescuer. Has been to dealer before, who said 4 wheel drive was working normally. NO IT ISNT! Will go to an independent if Volvo cant sort it. Suggestions are a damper in the software, or a gearbox fault. Been very satisfied with overall package, but wife now wants a 4x4 that does not humiliate on a little bit of snow, or wet grass.(Hello Land Rover!!)

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  My First Volvo - 2005 Volvo S40
  By judy - September 23 - 12:40 pm

  This is my first Volvo and I came to it from a Mazda Miata. I do miss the performance of the Miata, my Volvo seems a tad sluggish at times, but overall a good car. My (older) parents are able to get in and out of the car easily and the three of us can be comfortable enough. I dont have any regrets, but the Miata was more fun.

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  Buyer Beware - 2007 Volvo XC90
  By prb - September 21 - 3:43 am

  We purchased this 2007 SUV in Oct 06, 1300 miles later, and 200 miles from home the water pump went out. Volvo cannot get a part for three (3) weeks. We were left stranded with little or no support from Volvo. Customer service is as worthless as the warranty. Although, I rated the vehicle well, I would never, ever purchase another, simply due to the poor support from Volvo. In all fairness selling dealer did more than they had to and has tried to assist where they could. Vehicle remains 200 miles from my residence awaiting a water pump.

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  Not just your average sophisticated look - 2006 Volvo S60
  By Satisfied Dad - September 19 - 7:20 am

  I considered the S60R for over a year before I purchased. In fact, until I saw it in Grey I had decided to buy another brand. I AM SO HAPPY I DIDNT. The car is unique to look at , you hardly see R on the road and anyone whos knows performance sedans is aware of what it can do head to head. My neighbor ended up ordering the new 300 Lexus with the 307hp motor. My car came in a week earlier then his, the look on his face said "I wish I had considered the R". Its hot to look at, performance is awesome, I get around 22 to 23 mpg mostly suburban driving and have racked up 7,000 miles already

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  T5 Fun - 2001 Volvo V70
  By strat1 - September 17 - 10:00 am

  Its been great owning this car. Weve loved its versatilty, solid feel, performance and comfort. Its been very reliable, perfect to this point. We drove the BMW 528 befor buying this and noticed that the it felt better than our 960 sedan, however, when we drove the T5 it felt as good and was a heck of alot faster for $9,00 grand less but that included $1,000 loyalty bonus at the time.

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  Keep a 2nd car (Japanese) as a backup - 1999 Volvo S80
  By Abhi - September 14 - 10:36 am

  My S80 was/is a fun car to drive. Hands down its one of the better vehicles to drive and responds well to tight turns, sudden accelerations, etc. However, it has been very unreliable. Ive spent a small fortune trying to keep this car alive and it has only 87k miles on it. Small niggles like oil leaks cost upwards of $500 to fix. The upper engine mount has broken thrice in 4 years. The emmissions error message kept coming on till I replaced the abs module. And now Ive a transmission error message which has been diagnosed as an electrical issue in the comntrol module but it cant be repaired and the whole transmission needs to be replaced ($5k).. Ouch ! Save the money and buy a Lexus or Acura