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 solid, conservative ride. - 2002 Volvo S40
  By PCAL - May 17 - 2:00 am

  This is a really good, safe, conservative car. Emphasis is on safety features, not much offered in the way of luxury gadgets. If you are looking for an entry level volvo, its not a bad start. If you want fun toys, youll be disappointed. But then again, compared to the more gadgety offerings in the same price range (say VW for instance) one should consider reliability issues. So far I have not encountered a single problem with my solid, if a bit stodgy S40.

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  Solid but not flashy look or performance - 1999 Volvo S80
  By Die Hard - May 17 - 2:00 am

  Solid car and reliable if not uninspiring. Surprising strong at higher rpms, surprising sluggish at lower rpms. Looks are modest, interior design nice, comfortable. Traction control lacking, particularly given its fwd. Brakes are excellent. Fold down rear seat great for cargo. One light out in the center console...never replaced...$80 price quote...always lights out on our Volvos V70s, XC, and S80.

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  Gremlins? - 2002 Volvo S60
  By CEM - May 15 - 1:33 am

  First 2 yrs of ownership was plagued with several gremlin issues. Electronics primarily due to faulty computer chips, which had the car not been under warranty, I would have been very upset about cost. Bulbs also, burn out very quickly. Was advised by service Volvo uses a GM bulb. Seems a bit silly, especially in modles with daytime running lights. Now, at 3 yrs the car has been trouble free (fingers crossed). Good dealership, ready to work with you on issues and after friendly persuasion, have extended no charge on little fixes.

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  Love it to death! - 2009 Volvo C70
  By majajh - May 14 - 11:00 am

  We absolutely love this car. Wonderful to ride in this thing.

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  Very nice w/ drawbacks - 2000 Volvo S80
  By John - May 7 - 10:20 pm

  I bought mine used at 70,000 miles and have put over 40,000 on it in just over one year. The ride is excellent, the interior is extremely comfortable, and it looks grrrreat! I have had the throttle control valve replaced for about $1,000, after dumping $600 on same problem and cleaning of the injectors. You will know when the throttle control valve gets dirty when the idle RPMs go up and down and the computer automatically shuts off the cruise while going down the highway because the RPMs are not steady enough. If yours gets dirty DO NOT bother having it cleaned once to avoid the cost of replacement. Replacement can be delayed but not avoided. Just get it replaced and save some $$.

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  My S-60 - 2004 Volvo S60
  By LesLutz - May 6 - 10:00 am

  Excellent Car that I highly recommend.

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  Fun when it lasted - 1998 Volvo V70
  By volvoding - May 6 - 10:00 am

  Great car to start with but growing list of repairs is a dissapointment. Our first and maybe last volvo. Replaced turbo seals, front and rear rotars, brake pads every 10k, tires at 30k CV joint (not sold as an individual unit, thus costing $1,000) and the most amazing thing, put the same sized new tires but different manufacturer that created instant wear on the transmission almost resulting in a $3000 repair job. Watch out for AWD and turbos. Honestly this sounds like a design flaw that volvo places on the consumer and tire companies.

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  Endures - 1999 Volvo V70
  By myounder - May 6 - 10:00 am

  Bought used and so far, we are pleased. The build quality and performance in the winter months is superb. Our base model though, is no rocket and can get bogged down in city driving. The gearing seems to be set for fast highway driving, which is fine by me.

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  Fast with restricted visibility - 2001 Volvo S80
  By Jim - May 4 - 12:10 pm

  This car is a very well built veicle and is very comfortable on long trips. The ride is very smooth and with twin turbos, the accelerator can quickly and smoothly bring you to the attention of the traffic police without the driver realizing it. Tire noise is noticeable with the high performance radial tires. Standard sound system is very good with great sound quality.

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  i love my volvo... so far - 2000 Volvo S80
  By Ratna - April 30 - 11:30 pm

  I see all the negative reviews on the volvo. i recently just purchased my volvo with 136000 miles. my volvo is in great shape. my leather seats are in great condition, no tears, rips, my radio, heated memory seats, sunroof and all features still work. im not sure if the previous owner of this car just took really good care of it or what but so far i love this car. i have since i drove it the first time. i would never have even looked at a volvo in the past, but so far my experience has been wonderful. we will see in a year if i have any major issues.