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:

• 

  Nickle and dime, dollar and credit card - 1998 Volvo V70
  By stickboy - December 6 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car in 02 as an off lease certified pre owned. So far in the year in a half that we have owned (regular maintenance performed)it, we have had the turn signals fail (hazard button module replaced), thermostat failure(replaced part and radiator flushed and filled), power window module in the driver side door failure ($125 to replace the entire module), dripping oil periodically from the turbo area (dealer says they cant do anything about it-weep hole for the unit?), motor failure for the climate control system($300 repair and no hvac usage until its fixed.), hard starting (leaking fuel injector $142ea. and must replace all 5 says the dealer).

• 

  I want an Accord - 1998 Volvo S70
  By ownerofevilcar - December 6 - 10:00 am

  I bought the car and had equity @ purchase, after 2 1/2 years the cars value has tanked now Im seriously upside-down and stuck. Major electrical problems. Constantly replacing light-bulbs (the stereo is a pain to replace). It kills tires and breaks, theres a break-shake at 60 they cant fix, nor can they fix the alignment. A/C has been fixed 3 times and is broke again. Gas mileage is ok, around 26 hwy. Im on my second antenna motor. Glue seeping out of all of the doors, panels are "puckered". Leather seats are wearing poorly. Buttons have finger nail marks, coating just comes off in chunks. Nit- picky things are expensive and annoying.

• 

  Ist Volvo - 2005 Volvo S40
  By Cope200 - November 30 - 10:00 am

  Had two problems less than 250 miles. Air bag light came on and Climate Control actuator made noise. Dealer was prompt and courteous in fixing both problems. Really enjoy driving the car. Very secure to the road.

• 

  Good Car - 2005 Volvo S60
  By Ron - November 28 - 10:50 am

  Car is great, I love the Acnatera interior. I have had it for approx 5K miles so far. Only problems are the dealer cant seem to figure out how to adjust the Xenon headlamps and the wheels scuff real easily. Already have 2 severely damaged ones. The problem seems to be the tire has no shoulder to protect the wheel, even in a drive thru carwash. I wish I could contact someone at Volvo in the "R Division" to talk about the car but cant seem to find anyone. DCXs SRT division has great chat rooms. Guess Volvo is too small??? or I am not good on the tube.

• 

  2.5T - 2007 Volvo V70
  By RRB - November 19 - 1:16 pm

  Provides more usable space than most small SUVs while possessing better road manners and comfort. However, after having driven Saabs for many years, I found the large turning radius of this vehicle to be almost truck-like by comparison.

• 

  The most awesome SUV - 2006 Volvo XC90
  By Jan-Michael - November 18 - 11:00 am

  The Volvo XC90 V8 is a suv with a very good performance, and to drive it almost feels like a volvo V70 or a similar car. The brakes are really effective, and the seats are really comfortable, but a sunroof would be perfect above the third-row seats. The XC90 has a huge cargoarea if you fold down the third-row seats, its the same size as in the Excursion, or even bigger. The XC90 is the best SUV Ive ever driven. It has awesome performance, good cargoarea, Superb Audio-system, awesome quality, quickneasy removeable tow- hook. The materials in the car is very well chosen, everything feels "well done", nothing feels cheap or plastic.

• 

  Frequent Breakdown - 2004 Volvo V70
  By Less than happy - November 16 - 10:00 am

  I previously owned the 2001 V70 T5, I loved the feel and performance but as the car approached the end of warranty period, break-downs became more and more frequent. So I thought I would give Volvo a second chance. I got a 2004. I have less than 1000 miles on my 2004 and it is in the shop with a major problem. Unless you have a butler that can spend his time driving back and forth to get maintenance, I would choose another manufacturer.

• 

  Great!... but not THAT Great! - 2007 Volvo V50
  By ralf - November 15 - 5:00 pm

  Ive driven for over 2 years, lease is up in a few months. The negatives are always easier so... Visibility: Ironically, the safety features detract from visibility. I removed the huge rear seat head supports in order to see the small rear window. The front columns are so thick they create a blind spot. Eats up power steering fluid (typical European?)- Have to replenish in less than 1 year. Wind Noise as stated elsewhere. I avoid bumps. It DOES NOT ride like a Town Car. Maybe its the stock Contis? Theyre terrible in the snow. Pros: Adequate acceleration, I dont need 0- 60 in 5 secs. Very responsive handling, just dont run out of the expensive PS fluid. Great Looks.

• 

  An Expensive Ride - 2009 Volvo S60
  By gorj - November 12 - 4:58 pm

  I am a Volvo owner since 1967. Being a mechanic, I have performed most of the non-warranty work on the Volvo myself. My experience has been that most Volvo dealers are way too expensive for both parts and labor. Sometimes they tend to find issues with your Volvo that never existed before you took it in. They also often do not repair what you asked them to repair. Recently I ordered a new key and remote for my 2009 Volvo, which was missing one of the two when I purchased it. The key and remote were about $300. The Volvo dealer wanted another $295 to program it. I am outraged that for just a key and a remote I will be out almost $600. This may be my last Volvo!!

• 

  New owner XC90 T6 Momentum mostly love it - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By KMR - November 7 - 3:42 pm

  Mostly love the car, owned it for about 3 weeks now. Pro - Safety systems, looks, comfort, sufficient power. Cons - lack of console storage space, small cupholders, not enough USB ports, interior noise when driving, B&W audio system not as good as advertised, touch screen is distracting if you need to change settings while driving.