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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  Glad it wasnt my first Volvo!!!!!!!!! - 2003 Volvo S80
  By Jim Morton - May 9 - 10:00 am

  In the first year with under 10,000 miles the steering has locked once, the transmission has been replaced, bulbs have blOWN out and the vehicle is EXTREMELY noisey

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  2001 9 months old - 2002 Volvo S40
  By volvo_owner - May 7 - 4:03 pm

  This car stands out on its own. I was looking for a sporty 4 dr. sedan for under $28,000, and this was definitely the only one worth buying.

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  Solid Quality Vehicle - 2010 Volvo XC60
  By tekbis - May 6 - 6:23 pm

  First time Volvo owner and got our new XC60 T6 (loaded but no tech pckg - no dynaudio, LDW, CA, DAC & Nav)last wk & so far no issues & loving it. Read most reviews complaining abt gas mileage & while its not best in class it has a lot of features better than competition & after moving from a minivan theres not a lot of difference is gas mileage anyway. We narrowed choice to XC60 or Audi Q5 and both were excellent CUVs. The diff was XC60 had best value vs Q5 for same price & the XC60 drove more like a car than Q5 which felt like our minivan (a bit truck-like). Also, Volvos safety features w/c outmatched Audi in every aspect. Q5 looked bland while XC60 looked very sexy and elegant.

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  Blast to drive...but... - 2013 Volvo S60
  By mark361 - May 6 - 3:05 pm

  A thrill to drive. Salesman said it can out-perform a police cruiser and I believe it.

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  Volvo C70 - 2007 Volvo C70
  By ADM - May 6 - 3:46 am

  This is my second Volvo C70. I really enjoy the hardtop and the Dynaudio system. I have had to bring the car back to the dealer numerous times for the same two issues. The front windows were not going all the way up when the doors closed. It took five tries before they fixed this issue. The other issue is the full spare tire. Every time I hit a bump of any type in the road the tires rattles around in the trunk. Volvo has looked at this issue at least 5 times and still cant figure out a way to stop it. They are looking into a foam base for it to sit on. They believe it might be a recall issue down the road.

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  Ready for new - 2000 Volvo S70
  By Bill - May 6 - 12:36 am

  Great auto! Reliable and great gas mileage (25/30). Great exterior due to being kept in garage. All repair/inspection records available. Im ready to buy a 2007 Volvo.

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  Never buy Volvo again - 2004 Volvo V70
  By Horrible - May 5 - 10:06 pm

  This car has had twice as many problems in three years than all of the other cars I have owned combined. Sticky valve,tires rubbing (which Volvo says is normal),squels in rain,brakes squel,transmission hesitation, numerous software fixes..... Volvo service is horrible. You have to prove over and over to them that there is a problem but they just dont want to do warranty work. The turning radius is just slightly better than an air craft carrier. The horsepower numbers for the automatic are not even close to advertised. I regret ever taking a chance on this vehicle and I will never buy Volvo again.

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  quality of plastic parts is very poor - 2000 Volvo S80
  By rosarockville - May 5 - 3:40 pm

  Agreed with other review that after 5 yrs the parts started falling apart. The repair labor charge is awfully high. Even one $50 plastic parts would need 6 to 8 hours labor to replace it. The dealer claimed that those parts are very difficult to reach. I like my volvo car but the repairing charges definitively will make me re-consider for having Volvo for my next car. Now, every time, I can not have my car back from the shop without paying $1300 - $2300. They just told me the oil trap needs to be replaced which got replaced 2 yrs ago, and it costs a little more than $1000.

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  Great daily driver for the enthusiast - 2004 Volvo S60
  By gpolitis - May 5 - 10:00 am

  Have really enjoyed the experience of owning this vehicle. Excellent power, no torque steer, AWD stability when pushed in corners, great sound system, etc. The overall "experience" has been excellent. Ive put a lot more miles on this car than I expected.

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  Mechanical nightmare - 1999 Volvo S70
  By aekrmk - May 5 - 10:00 am

  Do not buy a Volvo! It is a racket on getting repair if warranty is up. No places do repair b/c of the cost for them to get software, therefore usually there is only 1 dealer in town that can do repairs and the take advantage of that. My S70 has so many electrical problems it is a joke and what is worse is the cost to fix. Really do your homework before you buy a volvo. I have owned many cars and it is by far the most unrealiable car I have ever had. good luck