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:

• 

  Slow Gaz guzzler - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By Gatesbuster - August 4 - 10:00 am

  Good looking truck or turtle should I say even with the big engine T6. Performance are awful as well as gas mileage (14 mpg). This is my wifes car and choice and she traded in a bmw x5 with V8 which had better gas mileage (17.5 mpg)I still dont understand why she wanted to trade for this vehicle other than the 3rd seat, good looks and waspie north eastern trend

• 

  Sorry I bought it - 1996 Volvo 850
  By kbarry - July 27 - 2:00 am

  The 1996 850 has been a mechanical nightmare for me. Rear Main seals, alternator, A/C problems, blower motor, radiator fan, cooling leaks, engine mounts, ABS module failure, bad antenna, leaky sunroof, peeling paint. I bought this car due to Volvos legenday durability and high resale. Today, the car isnt worth squat on trade and needs about $2k worth of further reapirs to return it back to normal.

• 

  money pit - 1999 Volvo V70
  By tomcon - July 12 - 12:23 pm

  The only good thing I can say about this car is that Ive never had a breakdown and tow. Nevertheless its been an unending series of expensive repairs involving the cooling and electrical system, including an ABS rebuild, throttle body failure, oxygen sensor replacement, and the replacement of too many to count switches and bulbs. There is no such thing as a simple oil and filter change; always some aggravating expensive repair. I feel like Im rebuilding this car as I go along, and Ive taken good care of it. Now were into college years and I cant afford to replace it. Only 94000 miles and the worst car purchase in over 40 years of ownership. Shame on volvo for peddling this junk.

• 

  great at first NOW IM GETTING RID OF IT! - 2010 Volvo XC90
  By Penny Johnson - July 10 - 9:06 am

  We got it we loved it. we ordered it through the military program and got it fully loaded. 2 days after we got it it went to the shop, BLIS was not working properly. when we got it back the mirror was not on all the way and had to go back. our DVD player broke 3 months later and brought it in. we went to pick it up and they told us it had a recall and it couldnt be taken off the lot. I was mad bc we were going on vacation for the next two weeks and had to take our expedition. we went to pick it up and they LOST our headphones! AND it was dirty inside! i asked them if they would clean it and they said we had to pay for it! i will be trading this 6 MONTH OLD CAR

• 

  Buying Trouble - 2001 Volvo V70
  By Mr. & Mrs. K - July 5 - 9:50 pm

  With a family, household and business to run, we encounter enough trouble and stress without having to pay a premium car price for more. Please save yourself time, money and mental health and buy some other car. Weve had two software updates covered by the recall (I say covered by the recall in that we did not have to pay for the software update, but no one reimbursed us for time, trouble, babysitters, etc). Weve spent $1000 on the abs module and more in just the 2.5 years weve owned the car. Were going today to trade it in on something else. Ive had cars that cost half the price of the Volvo that ran much better and provided much fewer headaches.

• 

  False Advertising - 1996 Volvo 850
  By No Volvo for You - July 4 - 2:00 am

  I bought a Volvo because of what I believed they had a reputation for producing safe, trouble-free, cars that would last many years. After 6+ years, Ive had to spend over $13,000 on repairs to the car -- whats kept me going is the thought that nothing else could happen....well Ive been wrong every time. Im going to get through this winter, sell it or give it away and will steer clear of Volvo (horrendous service and warranty replacement policies BTW) as I suggest you or anyone considering a Volvo do as well.

• 

  Good for family with only 1 child - 2015 Volvo XC60
  By Talia - July 3 - 1:26 am

  I purchased a 2016 XC60 this past December since I had a brand new baby and felt we needed a SUV for safety. The SUV is overall very safe im sure but the accessibility of the backseat is ridiculous. I cannot tell you how many times ive hit my head trying to maneuver my sons car seat into the middle seat. The only way you can easily get a car seat in the backseat is if you move either the driver seat or the passenger seat forward almost completely. My husband is 61" so if he is driving you may as well count the driver side of the car out in terms of being able to put a baby into the back. For the amount of money we paid for the vehicle i assumed the backseat would be comfortable which it is not for an adult. I am only 54" and am incredibly uncomfortable when i sit in the backseat with my son, to the point where you have to sit sideways because your legs have practically no room. I feel this is a HUGE design flaw on Volvos part! If you only have 1 child and dont count on having any more then this is the car for you. However if you plan on having more kids good luck to them being comfortable in the back seat! I cannot wait until it is time to buy a new vehicle which is unfortunate because I heard such great things about Volvos but probably will never buy another one again!

• 

  Disappointment - 1999 Volvo S80
  By alex - July 1 - 10:56 pm

  Poor reliability, expensive electronics failures some plastic parts dont stand UV, therefore disintegrate, had to replace sway bars, rubber washers under the McPherson, dashbord not user frienfly, on and on and on.

• 

  Volvo is Swedish for Unreliable Money-Pit - 2003 Volvo XC90
  By rogerb41 - June 29 - 10:06 pm

  Be careful of what you wish for. We liked the design of the Volvo XC90, but after we bought it..... Lets see: 30k miles, the ENTIRE front end had to be replaced (after about 4 shots by the dealer to fix it). At 80k miles, Transmission failed. Wow! $5,000 for a transmission!! Around 110k miles, the CD changer and radio stopped working. Would come on and go off randomly; sometimes staying on after the car was turned off. The roof liner on both sides of the windhshield came off. The At 113k miles, Transmission failed AGAIN! Said Good-bye this morning to the Money-pit. Will never own another Volvo (my wifes 2002 S40 was the same story)

• 

  2000 S80 T6 - 2000 Volvo S80
  By REBARLEE - June 29 - 9:56 pm

  Purchased new - all available options- first few years ok- This is my 6th and last ever Volvo. Dealers now charge $100 for diagnostics. Fit and finish crappy-Check engine light on constantly even though we always had dealer maintain. Now transmission shot- strut too many times to mentions- Throttle body always an issue. Electronics are a joke- expensive and unreliable- Do your self a favor and do not buy any post 1987 Volvo- Since Ford took over went from being a great to a crappy car