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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  Jury is still out - 2008 Volvo XC90
  By Jury is still out - June 28 - 7:06 am

  The wife and I have been driving the XC90 V8 for a little over a year now. The drive is exceptional and the power is second to none. This vehicle drives like a fine tuned sports car and grips the road like velcro. The vehicle is a real head turner going down the road and at traffic lights. Dynaudio is the best. Navigation is OK, but could be a little better with response times. I have missed a turn or two when driving. I am a bit surprised that some of the interior plastic decor parts (pieces that cover some of the metal have fallen off and the middle console is loosey goosey when you go to store something away. We are leasing and will be turning the vehicle in at the end of 2009

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  First and last Volvo - 2001 Volvo S60
  By Got a lemon - June 23 - 2:00 am

  first child was on the way went for the safety factor-solid feel on the road- this replaced a BMW 325-drove 12 years with 240,000 miles-Volvo has had more major issues in first 32K miles than the BMW ever did-first winter car would not start below 30 degrees (it gets cold in Sweden,right?)-new ignition system, transmission slipping-like driving a manual and pushed in the clutch while stepping on the gas-new transmission-door open warning light kept coming on-latch sensor bad-Low Coolant warning-bad radiator-this car will be with us until the warranty expires.

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  volvo xc90 - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By ada6 - June 23 - 2:00 am

  Solid, safe,useful, gas-hungry. Needs better rear view.

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  Volvo XC 90 T6 Still Loving It - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By TAK - June 20 - 9:36 am

  We bought this car new. This has been my favorite car to drive. We bought it because it had all the safety features that we wanted which were ahead of its time, its nice size, and its towing capacity. Despite the practical reasons for buying this car, it is fun! The power is incredible. It has phenomenal acceleration even at high speeds on the highway. It is usually no contest, even against other sport sedans. I have had this car for five years and 80,000 miles. It is the only car that I have loved for more than a couple years, and it is just as fun as the day we bought it.

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  First Car, But not the last Volvo! - 1996 Volvo 850
  By swedish_love - June 13 - 6:14 pm

  I purchased my 96 850 in 2009, as my first car, with 112k miles on it. Other than a few select electrical & accessory issues (radio, sunroof, bulbs), and irksome mechanical issues (ac compressor failure) this car has been a complete joy to own. Without a doubt the most comfortable car Ive had the pleasure of driving. Smooth, quiet and the exhaust note is quite soothing. Engine reliability has been flawless. I cant say enough great things about this car, just make sure to keep a few extra bucks socked away for maintenance.

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  Overall Nice - 1997 Volvo 960
  By Nick - June 9 - 9:23 am

  This is my first Volvo. The ride quality and engine performance are very good for a family sedan. I have not had many problems with the engine (after 165,000 miles). The sunroof and interior are rather cheap. The sunroof continuously breaks and leaks, and the interior chips. The brakes have to be replaced about as often as Nascar does theirs. Overall a solid vehicle though, just some minor tweaks.

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  Very good in most but not areas - 2002 Volvo S60
  By gls747@aol.com - May 29 - 10:00 am

  The S60 AWD is absolutely great in some areas. Interior is the most comfortable front cabin space I have ever been in. The dash, sound system, general feel is outstanding. The engine is very fast, smooth and quiet. It provides a very safe feeling in snow and hard rain. Relilabilty not an issue so far. The handling is bit of a disappointment. This car makes pretensions of being a sports sedan, but is very loose and goosey over rough roads, wind, etc. Loud thumps from median stips reverberate. That said, it still handles well on lane changes or around corners. A set of high performance tires has stiffened the ride considerably.

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  A Great Car, mostly - 2005 Volvo S40
  By JohnnyVolvo - May 27 - 8:16 pm

  I like this car. I like the interior, the exterior, the fit and finish, etc. etc. etc. If I had it to do all over again, I would still look very closely at this car. The fuel economy is bad though. No way around it, my car gets lousy gas milage. Advertised mileage is 22 City and 31 Hwy. I get 21 and some change on the highway. I really dont drive in the city enough to make any claim to what I would get there, but 21 on the highway? Nope....not acceptable mileage.

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  S80 2.0T unique to Europe and Asia - 2005 Volvo S80
  By MAURICE WILLIAMS - May 27 - 1:30 pm

  This is my third Volvo having previously owned a 850GLT and an S70. In comparison the S80 2.0T is underpowered at 190 hp. Its slow off the mark but once on the highway its brilliant and comfortable all the way up to 180km/h after which it gets choppy. This would not have been the case with the S70 or 850GLT which has superior power to weight ratio and better handling. I recently went to BSR Sweden and reformatted the OBD. And now it runs at 225 hp which makes it a whole lot more economical to run in town and performs like stink in excess of 230 kmh. I had to shod on a set of 18" rims with 235/40 series tyers to keep the car on the road. Overall this car vs my Merc Coupe is good.

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  XC90 + Extended Warranty = Happy Driver - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By SafeDriver - May 21 - 3:50 am

  I really like my XC90. While it has had some minor issues, overall it has been a pleasure to own. After driving this vehicle in LA, i got rear ended badly (the Lexus was totaled that hit me) and my XC90 was a tank. I cant say enough good things about his vehicle.