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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  Good solid car. - 2006 Volvo XC70
  By donco6 - June 28 - 2:06 pm

  Ive had my Volvo XC70 for a year now and have had absolutely no problems. Its taken me up into the mountains many times - solid on snow packed and/or icy roads. All the features are convenient. Seat warmers are great! Lots of cargo room. Great car!

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  Happy CX90 Owner - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By J Knowles - June 28 - 10:03 am

  As my first experience owning an SUV, I was worried about handling the size. This Volvo XC90 has been wonderful. The narrower build makes the vehicle handle more like a car. At the same time, the three rows of seating have given our family of five all the comfort and convenience we wanted. We highly recommend the vehicle.

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  I love this car - 2002 Volvo S40
  By stargate - June 25 - 10:00 am

  I really enjoy driving this car - it is just my size, very comfortable, I havent had any problems since I got it. It is a bit small for my husband though. I really like the features and safety, the car accelerates well, I get a good gas mileage.

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  Best suv i have ever driven. - 2018 Volvo XC90
  By MRWAS - June 25 - 8:41 am

  I purchased the 2018 xc90 inscription. I highly recommend the inscription with the air suspention upgrade or at least test dirve it with and without to see. You are able to set it up high for 4x4 or set it for comfort or set it for high performance. Also the Polstar upgrade was well worth the money. Makes the suv engine rock and come alive when you need it to.

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  Great Car - 2006 Volvo S40
  By John - June 25 - 7:50 am

  The car gets compliments every where I go. The price is fair, looks great inside and out, and drives like a well tuned sports sedan.

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  A great car - 2002 Volvo S60
  By so cal owner - June 23 - 11:20 pm

  Ive driven the S60 for four months now and my overall satisfaction is a 10. Its a great car and stands out on the Southern California roads filled with MBZs and BMWs. After happily owning a Mercedes for over 15 years, Im glad that I decided to consider alternatives. I looked at Audi, Jaguar, Acura, MBZ, BMW and Volvo. Its fun to drive a car that you dont see everywhere you turn. Especially one that performs and looks as good as the S60.

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  Peace of mind - 2006 Volvo S60
  By MyS60RRR - June 21 - 11:36 pm

  I have had a lot of cars over the years, but the Volvo S60 R sedan is probably the most fun to Drive and the safest. I traded in my Infiniti G35 coupe for the R car. I like being able to select my suspension setting from comfort (soft) to Advanced (Stiff) where you can feel not only feel the bumps in the road but also the cracks. The acceleration is outstanding. The car is also all wheel drive and will be useful in the winter.

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  GREAT RIDE...DEPENDABLE - 2006 Volvo S60
  By safety proved itself, unfortunately - June 20 - 7:35 am

  My Volvo 940 sedan was 20 years old @330,000 miles, and the final decision to retire it was not passing the Smog Test w/o $. So, being that Volvo had me impressed, I found a very low mileage S60 (depreciation and parking lot door dings were decision metrics) and jumped on it. This car has been amazing. Not one day has gone by that I regret it. Its sporty, fast, and rides like a glider. Its roomy, comfortable, and so far, just the consumables. Yeah, BMW might have the status, but Im really happy with my Volvo S60. THIS IS A REVISION in lieu of my accident post. UPDATE: Jan 2018- Still in LOVE w/ my S60. The headlight replacement is a tight area to work w/ but hubby invented a tool to make it easier. Also, should you own a black vehicle (like my S60) and you scratch the paint, a permanent marker and car wax will work, or black nail polish and a clear nail polish, depending on the depth of the scratch. My S60 has been terrific, and were still having an "affair". SYNOPSIS of original post This car was hit my another vehicle that lost control do to flip flops getting suck on the accelerator, and I thought my car was totaled, but to my surprise, just bumper and panel damage. I was surprised how well this vehicle did. I saw the Camry wrapped around a tree (she was lucky-alright), the stop sign down, and the violent hit my vehicle took, and the minimal damage, and my elderly mother and I had no injuries. Truly, this car did amazing. This is the only time in my 23 Volvo brand history, I had to find out, and this was not a minor accident to other vehicles. BTW, Volvo created the collapsing zones in vehicles. Great engineering and what a safe car. Now granted, physics played a role.

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  Best car for under $40k - 2004 Volvo S60
  By dbugbee - June 20 - 2:00 am

  If you want the biggest bang for your buck, you cant go wrong with the S60R. It looks great, both inside and out, and is not as ubiquitous as the 3 series or A4 series. Plenty of power, handles great, and has the most comfortable seats in the industry.

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  this car rocks! - 2002 Volvo V40
  By akaslick - June 19 - 10:00 am

  This car is perfect...form, function. The best part is that its not a flashy car.. Because there arent too many on the road, it looks fresh.