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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  Consumer Reports Unfair to this Vehicle - 2005 Volvo V50
  By Lenny - April 27 - 3:03 am

  Sporty, comfortable ride; Steering luxurious w/short radius; good gas mileage combined with highly responsive engine; excellent dealer service in both New Orleans and Houston (love the loaner cars); seemingly inexhaustible cargo capacity for a compact wagon (three adults, three small dogs, lots of luggage and mother-in-laws personal possessions while evacuating from Katrina to Houston, then evacuating from Rita to Lake Charles and then to fort Smith - tight, but workable); generally far more reliable than CR predicted. Negatives: slightly cramped side-to-side knee room for male driver; imperfect rear vision; bind in driver seatbelt; windshield fluid tank failed (fixed after wait for part).

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  The S80 T6 is more than incredible! - 1999 Volvo S80
  By luxurycarbuff - April 25 - 2:00 am

  Let me start by saying I love luxury sedans. Over the years Ive owned Mercedes, Jaguar, Bmws, but never a Volvo. In April 1999 I decided to check out the S80. I went to the Volvo dealer and worked with Todd, an outstanding sales professional. I had no intention of purchasing the car but before it was all over, I bought. Ive had my 1999 S80 T6 now for about three and a half years. This is the best luxury car I have ever owned. It has been trouble free during ownership. It will be paid off soon and Im keeping this one. I recommend the 1999 S80 T6 to everyone. Very reliable and such a nice car to ride in.

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  Sporty! - 2005 Volvo S60
  By Tony - April 22 - 12:23 am

  I just purchased my 2005 S60R with 6 speed MT. This car is fast, well balanced and very fun to drive. The turning radius is my biggest complaint so far but outside of that, the car has met my expectations which were pretty high. In addition to the great performance, the seats were a major selling point- very comfortable and good looking.

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  Tons of Fun - 2008 Volvo C30
  By BB - April 21 - 5:33 am

  Lots of zip! Handles great! Grabs the road! Comfortable! Good mileage! Gets lots of compliments! Great price! Overall - great buy!

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  A great car - 2008 Volvo S80
  By HNH - April 20 - 5:16 pm

  Looked at the usual German, British & Japanese luxury brands, and just when I was about to buy a Lexus, decided to stop by a Volvo dealer. The S80 T6 seemed to have what I was looking for: understated luxury, solid build, strong engine, comfortable ride, nice stereo and a reasonable price. A great value.

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  My Volvo! - 2005 Volvo S40
  By Brian - April 20 - 2:30 pm

  I bought my Volvo used with 3k miles on it and have driven it all over Europe, I have yet to have any problems. The only thing I could possibly complain about is the lack of factory tint on my windows. Also if you have something heavy (15 lbs) or more sitting in the passenger seat it will sound a bell and there is a flashing seatbelt sign. If you can call that a bad thing. And the last one is the lack of after market sterios made to utilize the new dash/radio in the S40.

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  MIGHTY MITE V50 - 2007 Volvo V50
  By signal67 - April 19 - 1:53 pm

  Superbly designed vehicle that is an absolute blast to drive. Mine is the "Full Monty" T5 AWD with buttery-smooth 6 speed manual. Seems like every design and engineering detail was painstakingly tested and mulled over to best benefit the driver. Gives me 85% of the performance I expect from my 85 Porsche 911. I can haul my ever-growing toddler son in his Recaro sport seat and my two 90 lb. Weimaraners (very tall, large dogs). A great-looking vehicle as well that really grabs on-lookers attention. Most people think of AWD for icy, snowy environments, but here in L.A., I like it for added performance - goodbye torque steer, understeer, oversteer, etc. A total beast.

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  A reliable, safe, & comforable ride - 2000 Volvo S80
  By Movie Star - April 19 - 2:00 am

  Experience has been excellent to superior with very few problems of any kind. The car has superior safety features, is a comfortable ride and extremely reliable over 30,000 miles to date. It averages 2o miles in the city and 27 on the highway. The sound systym is excellent and as are the handling characteristics. No realignment has been necessary, the tire wear factor has been excellent with an est. additinal 10k miles to go. Brake lining wear to match.

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  XC70 Excellence - 2003 Volvo XC70
  By Nicholas - April 19 - 2:00 am

  The new Volvo XC70 is a significant improvement over the 2002 model. I know. I just bought a 2003 after my wife had been driving a 2002 model over the past 14 months. The new car has a more powerful 2.5 liter turbo engine. The extra power boost makes the Cross Country a very responsive car indeed. Added to that, a completely redesigned all-wheel-drive system makes the vehicle a joy to drive in Bostons very snowy winter. That, added to supreme comfort and proven safety, make this car a wonderful choice. Why buy a full size SUV when a station wagon meets all your needs? The fuel economy of the smaller vehicle is good to have too.

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  XC70 kicks ass! - 2003 Volvo XC70
  By walterxc70 - April 19 - 2:00 am

  Moved to Syracuse 1600 mile roadtrip was effortless. Snow capability is outstanding. I bought the XC70 over the XC90 becuase I like the car handling. A "car" that needs rollover protection is is not a car.