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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  Company S60 - 2006 Volvo S60
  By Tom - August 28 - 10:36 pm

  My company provided me the S60. If it were my money, I would not buy one. It is fine on highways with blistering acceleration and comfortable seats. The S60 is not good on curves and in corners -- its weight and vague steering adversely influence the handling. After 9500 miles, the only problem I have had is a loose passenger side door seal, fixed at the 7500 mile oil change service.

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  Nice Car - 1998 Volvo V70
  By Ryan - August 28 - 7:23 pm

  This was my first car, and I still own and like it a lot. So far, the only repair I had done was the front left brake caliper. A seal went bad allowing water to get to the inside causing rust so it didnt release all the way when I let off the brake. Labor is whats most expensive. You can find cheaper refurbished parts from Volvo, which is what I did. Its a heavier car, so it goes through tires faster than others. Fuel economy is okay, it seems to do better with premium. The body and appearance is fantastic. It still looks new 11 years later. Id like to get larger factory Volvo wheels, as the 15" wheels it came with look oddly small compared to the larger body.

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  Great car for the value - 2008 Volvo S40
  By topgeardreams - August 28 - 8:54 am

  Recently picked up my 08 S40 T5 AWD. Compared to competition the value is great; higher rate of depreciation means this is a good used car to pick up (if youre planning on keeping it for a while). You would have to pay much more for similar Legacy GT or Audi A4. Handling is better than most sedans, but not as tight as an A4 in the steering or suspension. Good enough for spirited driving. While climbing mtn passes turbo seems to make more than ample power on my way to Tahoe. Acceleration isnt great either at low or midrange. (Tranny on auto keeps revs low, so using the tiptronic helps) On snow and ice the Haldex type awd system performs almost invisibly. Overall a very good buy. 24mpg avg

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  Great car for the value - 2008 Volvo S40
  By topgeardreams - August 28 - 4:09 am

  Recently picked up my 08 S40 T5 AWD. Compared to competition the value is great; higher rate of depreciation means this is a good used car to pick up (if youre planning on keeping it for a while). You would have to pay much more for similar Legacy GT or Audi A4. Handling is better than most sedans, but not as tight as an A4 in the steering or suspension. Good enough for spirited driving. While climbing mtn passes turbo seems to make more than ample power on my way to Tahoe. Acceleration isnt great either at low or midrange. (Tranny on auto keeps revs low, so using the tiptronic helps) On snow and ice the Haldex type awd system performs almost invisibly. Overall a very good buy. 24mpg avg

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  Its better than a truck! - 2003 Volvo V70
  By Lumbering along - August 28 - 2:00 am

  Volvo V70 2.4 T Black with Black Drives a bit better than a truck and easier to park. Its an attractive car that really shines when you have people and things to move. Its huge! I guess you dont buy a VOLVO for fun and this new model proves it. I have about 1,000k on it and if it turns out to be reliable ill be happy about my decision to purchase a VOLVO. Its still better than a truck!

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  V40: What a nice surprise!!! - 2003 Volvo V40
  By Solo - August 28 - 2:00 am

  I chose it over the VW Jetta and Passat wagons based on price and performance, V40s are absolutely a better value in Puerto Rico because VWs are overpriced. The exterior design is simple, but refined and tasteful. Interior design looks and feels expensive and well- finished. Excellent very supportive front seats. There is limited space on the rear seat, but it is roomy and comfortable enough for children and average adults. Acceleration and braking are more than adequate for daily commuting and will even allow some fun on twisty roads and long stretches. It cost only $26k, but every friends and aquaintances guess has been from $38k to $50k.

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  2002 XC70 at 5,000 miles - 2003 Volvo XC70
  By powerpa - August 28 - 2:00 am

  Pretty nice car, underpowered, could use a 3L six with the turbo/intercooler. HP in 2002 was 197hp or so, about 207 or so in 2003. Not enough for a 3800lb AWD car. HP should be 225 and up. Highway handling at speed can be a little bit sloppy, but acceptable. Car is essentially 95% FWD and then AWD (sort of) when you need it. Tends to drift left a lot in the fast lane - Volvo says its because of road crown. I dont buy it. Comfortable highway cruiser for long trips on cruise- control (as long as you dont drive in the fast lane - pulls left).

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  High Tech on Wheels but Keep Eyes on Road - 2017 Volvo XC90
  By Bookman - August 25 - 11:22 pm

  This car drives great and is as comfortable as my living room but the tablet-like controls are a challenge. It requires eyes off road to scroll through the dozens of options; the driver mode default selection does not work, it always starts in Comfort even if you choose Eco or Dynamic (I saw this complaint in a review from 2016 model) and in order to switch between the modes you have to find the roller ball by the gear shift and turn it just right; should have a button or voice command to switch cause when youre getting on a highway and need Dynamic the last thing you want to do is fish for it. Finally learned that you can control climate with voice commands so thats really cool and helpful b/c again eyes off road to change fan setting or temp. A few times I turned fan up at start and it didnt catch, wondering what thats about. Totally dont understand the auto climate feature. And the navigation is terrible. My former XC70s nav was amazing but this one asks for Street Number, Street and City in one command and then cant understand what you say and gives a crazy place back. Should ask for each one individually like the XC70 did. I am hoping all the technical stuff in the car lasts and no glitches develop with software. Positives include the driving assist that helps keep me in the lane-very effective, and the media system offers lots of options like favorites, etc. which is fun. So far the car is a total joy to drive and ride in and it looks great.

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  So far..so great! - 2007 Volvo V50
  By RJBME - August 24 - 9:53 am

  Have had this car a month & have been able to do commuting and a 1500 mi road trip with it. Great car that isnt more than what you need (SUV) or too little (5-dr hatch). The p/t is fantastic: smooth, powerful & quick and the 6-spd manual makes the car all that much more fun to drive. The seats & options (ours is loaded) make the car a dream to drive. I highly recommend the NAV system as it performed flawlessly on our trip. The gas milage is coming in a bit lower (~24.3 combo according to computer) that I had hoped for in a 5cyl+manual but its better than an SUV considering the V50 has AWD+ 218 hp/236 ft-lbs & all functionality w/ lots of cargo space. Best car Ive owned thus far.

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  Tired of Beng in The Repair Shop - 2002 Volvo S40
  By NotThrilled - August 23 - 11:10 pm

  Supposed to be fun, right? The car squeaked for a week. Dealership couldnt find problem. They replaced the brakes, struts, steering column and still couldnt find it. It was discovered that it was a loose bolt, thats all. The A/C needed replaced 2xs Still warm air. The door handle keeps breaking. The driver seat tips forward when you brake and back when you step on the gas (Not so safe, eh?) Dealership has looked at it FIVE times and says nothng is wrong. Ive never owned any other car that had a driver seat with a spirit like that. Resale is terrible on this car. Tired of being asked by the Dealership, Will you give us a 10 for service? Just fix the car finally. Then maybe a "10"