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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  good safe car - 2001 Volvo V70
  By blackie - January 6 - 3:36 am

  We have owned Volvo 240s since 1991 when I decided Honda Civics were not safe enough. My reasoning came from the junk yard. I would look at the cars there and ask did the occupants become seriously injured or possibly killed? When I looked at Volvos, the answer was no. Along comes 2008, we decide to modernize, we buy a new Nissan Versa sedan, side airbags, front airbags, the works. My wife was rear ended while she was 15mph, the other driver 50mph, both the other drivers Nissan Sentra and my wifess car totaled by the insurance companies. both parties injured moderately. Versa did ok but if she had been in the V70 I believe she would have been injured little, if at all. Volvo for life!

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  So many problems! - 2005 Volvo S40
  By problem s40!!! - January 3 - 11:56 am

  I checked out a variety of cars in this category, and eventually settled on the s40. i loved the design, and heard such promising things about volvos, that i thought i was making the right decision. however, i have had problems with this car since day one. it has been back to the dealership 6 times in the year and a half that ive owned it. the first problem occurred when the car was less than 2 weeks old. the steering column had to be replaced. since then it has been back 5 times for starter control unit problems! volvo has not been particularly helpful either. i wish that i kept my 98 honda civic, which had absolutely no problems!

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  Volvo V70 T5 - 2001 Volvo V70
  By - January 3 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive wagon with more space than many SUV. First year after redesign has reliability issues, mainly electrical nature.

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  Fun Safety Box - 1998 Volvo V70
  By mtnbiker - January 3 - 2:00 am

  I recently added a new ECU unit to the car with a sportier exhaust system from IPD so now the car flies for a Volvo. Instead of the stock 190 hp, Im running with around 230. The car hasnt been the most reliable with the little things such as bulbs, and squeeks here and there, but the overall quality is fabulous. Just find a good mechanic that you trust and keep the car serviced and it will run well in all conditions. The all-wheel drive system is very good in the snow, especially when starting in 2nd gear (winter mode). The only AWD system that I feel is better is from Audi.

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  Volvo you broke my heart (and my bank) - 2000 Volvo S80
  By thomas - January 1 - 5:20 pm

  This was the third Volvo I have owned, have had nothing but great experiences in the past. Love the look and drive of this car, have had all maintenance performed on time at the dealership. This dealerships service dept. is ranked #1 in the country, now i know why, you see the folks there so much they get to be family. Have spent over $7,000 on repairs since I have owned the car, expensive replacements like the srs control unit, the abs control unit, the fire box (?), not to mention the usual wear and tear items. A car of this supposed quality that has been maintained exactly as recommended with the number of miles i have put on it should not have these types of problems - never again Volvo.

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  My XC90 V-8 - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By guy - December 24 - 4:56 pm

  v8 has great performance. super acceleration. 21 mpg hwy. small fuel tank limits driving range. Minor but irritating electronic glitches that dealer cant duplicate or repair. Why no compass? Brake and accelerator pedals too close together.

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  Volvo S60R, 2006 - 2006 Volvo S60
  By Sheldon Rabin - December 21 - 6:50 am

  This S60R has had chronic suspension and alignment problems such that all 4 tires were cupped after 6000 miles. Of the 4 tires, the right-rear tire has the worst cupping. Attempts by the dealer to fix problem were not initially pursued and are now reluctantly pursued. Ongoing

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  Reliable - 2004 Volvo S80
  By Charles - December 21 - 1:16 am

  After three years of completely trouble free experience Im pleasantly surprised by this car. More reliable than my previous Mercedes, it does everything well.

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  A most unreliable great car - 2001 Volvo S60
  By Chuck P. Sacarmento - December 20 - 11:36 pm

  Stay far away from this great car! Its reliability and Volvo support stinks! This was our 2nd Volvo and our last! Suspension components that break every two years, oil leaks, constant bulb failures, gas door, trunk lock, and a failed transmission! The transmission was a known problem early in life of car that reduced its life. Volvo created a feature that resulted in premature trans failure. This is well documented. If your trans fails out of warranty, which it will, Volvo and the dealer will say tough.

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  T6 Poor Reliability, Too Many Problems - Avoid All VOLVOS - 2005 Volvo S80
  By roversocal - December 20 - 8:49 am

  In a sentence: do not buy Volvo or any model S80. PERIOD! Poured about $3500 in repairs into the car over 2 years only to have problems with transmission shifting and random CELs. I know cars. Heres what was done: new struts, serpentine belt, fuel filter, MAF, coil packs. Then a transmission service urgent light came on at 78k miles with long upshift. Paid for software update and drain/fill..no change. Volvo Santa Ana was garbage and always overcharged/misdiagnosed. You can get an old Civic/Corolla with better reliability. The car literally sat because we thought it was unsafe and would walk instead.