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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  The most reliable car Ive ever owned. - 2003 Volvo V70
  By ginia - May 14 - 7:43 am

  What an auto! Have regular maintenance performed, put in gas, and away you go. Replacing the sport type tires was expensive but other than that, there has not been one equipment failure or maintenance problem in almost 7 years. People who dont know Volvos think the wagon is new and are careful not to slam car doors into it. It gets 25 mpg in town and 31 on the highway - better than my 2009 S80.

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  "La Negrita" - 2002 Volvo C70
  By Gilgamesh - May 14 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Volvo (the S40 2000 was my first) and I love this black beauty! I enjoy the tight handling and the superior excelation (a little turbo- lag would have prefered a super- charger). The looks and comments I get on her are amazing. Everytime I go into Manhattan and park her the attendants always ask how she drives and that it is the best looking coupe on the planet. Needless to say its a "chick-magnet" and thats a good thing! My sound system is the high end version and Ive added XM Satelite Radion to the mix!

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  the right blend - 1996 Volvo 850
  By eddyp - May 14 - 2:00 am

  Bought 6/2002 from 2nd owners and have been very pleased in the past year and a half. Power is great for highway passing, gas mileage good - typically 26-30 mpg, reliability good - just scheduled maint. (outside of a replaced battery) despite being just over 100K now. Highly recommended.

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  Volvo S40 - 2000 Volvo S40
  By Janet S - May 14 - 2:00 am

  Driving this car is a pleasure. It is the perfect mix of safety features, dependability, style and comfort. I have had only minor problems, (rattling sunroof, bulbs burning out) that were quickly fixed by the dealer. It is the easiest and most fun car I have ever owned!

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  Excellence in a performacne wagon - 2004 Volvo V70
  By v70rNJ - May 14 - 2:00 am

  After 3900 miles, with summer and winter tires, car is broken in and mpg is right up there as advertised. Excellent acceleration in all 6 gears (at least below 100 mph - I havent had it up into triple digit land). Seats are outstanding providing you dont need to lose weight, they are firmly bolstered. Sport mode 4C is excellent, comfort good for long hails on the interstates or if you have back seat passengers. Braking, overall handling dry, wet, crosswinds, all excellent.

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  I LOVE MY S80 - 2004 Volvo S80
  By TORONNO - May 14 - 2:00 am

  I LOVE IT, MY S80 IS GREAT, ILOVE IT , VERY NICE,GOOD PRICE, GOOD VALUE, GOOD CAR.

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  Among the best - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By New Volvo Owner - May 14 - 2:00 am

  This is the best vehicles my wife and I have ever owned. We narrowed it down to the BMW X5 3.0, Acura MDX, Mercedes ML320, Infiniti FX35. For us a boxy SUV didn’t cut it, we wanted something a bit sportier. The BMW was our first choice until we drove it, too jittery, the Acura was nice and a bargain for the price but the interior was dull,the plastics looked cheap, and the outside resembles a mini-van, the Infiniti felt too much like a sports car and the ride was to stiff. The XC90 is a perfect blend of quality, comfort,fun to drive, loads of safety features, style, class, value, great transmition, and did I mention loads of safety features.

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  XC90 - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By XC90user - May 14 - 2:00 am

  Great car, very flexable, comfortable both on the road as well as during light offroading. Gas milage good except for during hard acceleration. Gets slightly better than EPA milage

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  Great! - 2002 Volvo S80
  By Jim Howards - May 13 - 10:00 am

  I first checked out other cars such as Cadillac, Lexus, BMW, and Mercedes Benz. I didnt think Volvo could compare with such companies, but it did. I feel safe when driving and like a nascar driver because this car has lots of power! It is great in highway driving. No trouble getting up to speed and passing is a breaze too. City driving with this car is fun. My golf buddies have plenty of room in the back. Trunk space is plentyful when I am hauling 4 golf bags and boxes of golfshoes in there.

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  A beautiful wagon - 2011 Volvo XC70
  By jjf5 - May 10 - 10:50 pm

  We had wanted to buy one of these for over a year, and I had done extensive research. I initially wanted a V70, but wife wanted the AWD. I thought the base XC70 3.2 was too slow and inefficient, and wanted to see what happened after Ford sold Volvo to the Chinese. Im glad I waited. Not only were prices slashed, but quality and features improved. I picked up an XC70 T6 cheaper than last years base model. Volvo hired a good CEO, and the workers in Gothenburg are happier than they were under Ford. This combined with it being the 3rd production year should mean improved reliability, but well see. Ill post a long term update after 10000 miles.