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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  S60 - 2004 Volvo S60
  By Stuliny - October 9 - 10:00 am

  Great car, easy to drive and even the 2.4 has some pep to it. Quiet ride and ROOMY and a pretty decent stock stereo (which was a nice surprise) nice alternative to the other sport sedans out there....bmw overpriced and audi just too small of a cabin

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  One of the best in the luxury SUV market - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By GLXwagon4mo - October 9 - 10:00 am

  The luxury SUV market is getting crowded, but this one is definitely worth considering! This SUV has the typical European feel when driving - It has gives enough road feedback and feels firmly planted. It has some body roll around corners, but much less compared to other competitors (except the BMW and Infiniti). It also has the utility that many other midsize luxo SUVs lack. The safety features set the std for this market - Boron roof, Roll Stability control, pretensioners for all seven seats, list goes on.

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  Volvo V70 -- the "alternative" SUV - 2005 Volvo V70
  By Tony - October 9 - 7:16 am

  This is my second V70. The first was a V70XC (Cross Country). The V70R, also an AWD vehicle, offers the best of all worlds. First it handles better than a car with its adjustable, computer- controlled chassis. It gets great gas mileage -- imagine a 5-cylinder engine (cheap to drive) that will crank out 300 horses when you want to have fun. Finally imagine the traction and versatility of an SUV in a luxury car that is loaded with safety features. As long as Volvo remains Volvo and doesnt morph into a Ford Country Squire, Ill be behind the wheel of a V70 indefinitely. Did I mention 300hp on an AWD wagon?

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  A Nice Upscale Vehicle - 2002 Volvo S60
  By Sunny Blue Skies - October 8 - 1:50 am

  I bought my 2002 S60 in 2004. The car already had 75,000 miles on it from being a corporate lease vehicle. I was a bit leery at first to pay a higher price for such high miles. So far, I have had the small things wrong. Repair is fairly comparable if you get it done at a non-dealer repair shop. Sad to say the repair shop I took mine to for most of my ownership, ruined my oil drain plug opening, and now I am faced with an $800 repair for a new pan as the hole can not be repaired. Also the fuel door hinge broke and now I have to place the door on the trunk at fill up, but that part is only 10 bucks and I will repair myself. Overall its an ok car, hopefully Volvo has improved any issues.

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  Great Alternative Sports Sedan! - 2005 Volvo S40
  By Dylan - October 6 - 8:00 pm

  For the past year I have been pulling my hairs out trying to determine what my next car would be. I am a car enthusiast so naturally I have a lot of favorites pulling at my heartstrings which made choosing a vehicle to replace my dependable 2005 Civic would be very difficult! I laid out the criteria I wanted: powerful engine, AWD drivetrain, compact, reliable daily driver. Sure there are some great cars that meet these like the Subaru WRX, Mitsubishi EVO, or entry-level Audis, but the truth is I wanted to own something more unique because I like to stand out. The aforementioned competitors are a lot more common are starting to feel oversaturated in the world of car culture. Not many AWD compact sedans exist, so naturally the Volvo S40 appeared to be my only option. I went for it on a whim and ended up with a beautiful 2010 R-Design with the ever-exciting T5 engine of course! So far, I am not really disappointed. The car does everything I wanted it too and even a bit more. Im not 100% satisfied with the way it looks as it is a dated (2004, 08 refresh) design. I dont understand why Volvo dramatically updated the C30 and C70 styling but left the S40 kind of bland for its last 3 years... However, it is still a nice looking vehicle with cute yet aggressive proportions. Interior looks amazing though! A lot of people harken it to IKEA as a joke, but they arent too far off. The interior is sleek, modern, and beautifully simple. The materials are wonderfully rich and well put together. It feels like youre in a much more expensive car with all the great driver amenities and the excellent climate control and booming stereo system. Trunk space is a little small compared to my last car (especially the opening) but it is sufficient for hauling most things. I will say the rear seats can be kind of cramped with the front seats extended backward. The car is awesome to drive. Not quite as fast as a WRX or EVO, but has potential to run with them with a few easy modifications. The T5 engine is noisy, but in the good sort of way that it gurgles in the low RPMs to remind you how sporty it wants to be. The S40 AWD handles really good and flat and so far has proven to have some great traction on slick surfaces. The brakes feel a little bit grabby and fade under hard braking, but do the job. The seats work well to keep you comfortable, even though the cars great handling comes at a cost of being very stiff and it likes to jar itself over small bumps in the road. Overall a very impressive car so far! I have not had any issues except for the oil cooler which the previous owner damaged on a curb. It was only a $120 fix locally and I am no longer dripping oil from it.

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  We love our XC 90 - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By petermw - October 5 - 11:33 pm

  We received our XC 90 in Sweden and drove it 3200 miles in Europe and had it shipped to our Oregon home from London. Our family of 7 enjoyed all the comforts of the car as we drove along the highways. In spite of the high fuel costs in Europe and now in the US, we feel that it is an economical car to drive. It is easy to drive, we love the warning system when we are parking and have the car in reverse. Our local dealer is a pleasure to work with, as well.

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  2004 S60 2.5T - 2004 Volvo S60
  By germayne Holland - October 3 - 5:53 pm

  I just bought this car and it currently has 206,000 highway miles, which I figured out but running a car fax and whoever the owner(s) were prior to me, took very good care of the car. So far I absolutely love my car. When I purchased it, the only thing I had to do is change the spark plugs (NGK Iridium), front sway bar links/stabilizer & the drivers side outter tie rod, with a wheel alignment afterwards. I repeat do not go to the Volvo dealer to service this car. If you have a regular licensed mechanic, that knows Volvos, thats sufficient. I purchased my parts online and then took the car to my mechanic just for the labor. I use mid to premium grade gas, it runs better with the turbo.

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  The T6.... The Best Choice! - 1999 Volvo S80
  By Ray_Travis - October 2 - 2:00 am

  Ive read some reviews here from people complaining. I cant understand it! I drive a lot and I now have about 78,000 miles on my T6. If I remember correctly I only had a recall done way back after I bought it. Ive done regular maintenance (very low cost) but I just dont remember having any repairs performed. I cant speak for anyone else, but I would have to say this car is extremely reliable. The only complaint I can find (and really not that bad) is the range on the transmitters. Theyre really not too bad but I owned a Lexus and it had a little better range. Overall, in the $50,000 range theres no other car even close. Very Satisfied!

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  Peppy Car Heavy On Safety - 2001 Volvo S40
  By RandyK - October 2 - 2:00 am

  I really enjoy the S40; it was quite peppy with excellent breaking for my driving style. I was especially impressed with the parking breaks grip on steep hills; no pressure against the transmission. I have had several of the problems others had: check engine light, brake/tire wear and headlight blowout. The check engine light was a recall upgrade, the headlight bad luck. The tires/breaks were understandable. Performance rated tires higher than H wear on all cars at 12-15K. Cheaper tires will last to 45K. Swift breaking usually means fast wear. Ill pay the extra for safety, as luxury cars in general are not cheap to upkeep.

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  Disappointed in Volvo - 2004 Volvo S40
  By Mich91020 - October 1 - 3:53 pm

  Went through not one, but two lemons. Multiple issues related to technical problems (car just froze) and cheaply made parts (engine bracket broke, yes while driving) and a number of unknowns (why is my engine light always on??)