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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  Very dissapointed - 2004 Volvo S80
  By dbaill - March 14 - 12:28 pm

  I bought my volvo 8 years ago. I have fixed this car so many times. Fixed windows not working three time, motor mount broke, throttle body needed cleaning, lights quit working, I owned three different toyota vehicle and put over 150,000 on each and have not had problems like this in any one of them. Would never ever buy another one

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  Disappointed in our 2001 XC - 2001 Volvo V70
  By Shasta - March 12 - 8:26 am

  What a disappointment! Our volvo xc was my dream car but weve had nothing but problems with it and were still experiencing problems. At first the problems were minor and under warranty, so it wasnt any big deal. But we have an extended warranty but it wouldnt cover the $1000 throttle that went out. Our volvo dealership indicates that its common for the throttle to go out and this was at less than 60K miles. We wont buy another one and Im hoping to get rid of this one before anything else goes wrong! These are too overpriced for all the maintenance that is required.

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  First Volvo - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By Jeff H. - March 12 - 7:06 am

  My father bought a Turbo Diesel Volvo a few years back and it turned out to be a lemon. After all the hassles of dealing with the State, Volvo and the dealership, he finally got his money back. So why did a buy a Volvo? I wanted to go to Sweden. I wanted to get the R station wagon, but she wanted the XC90. She won. I took overseas delivery of the car. Volvo arranges everything. Great trip. Once the car arrived stateside, I drove it back home using highway 199 that connects Grants Pass Oregon to Crescent City California. The car stuck to the road like glue. Very little sway and very responsive. Great breaking going into corners and plenty of power exiting them. The future?

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  Performance with a Smile - 2004 Volvo S60
  By Terzo - March 11 - 10:06 am

  I was looking for a reliable, fun and safe car that wasnt a gas hog and could be driven year round. The Volvo S60R was definitely it. I looked at the Audi S4, the Acura TL and many others. None could compare to the R. It has 3 different suspension settings that actually make a huge difference in handling. It has plenty of power and a huge torgue band. I am getting about 23 miles to the gallon with some highway driving. However if you are on it (throttle) and I mean on it (like racing from 40mph to 120mph with turns and a lot of brakingyou will on get about 12. The brakes are unreal. The interior quality is execptional. The features just keep on giving. Awesome car & mileage too.

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  IHATEMYVOLVO - 2000 Volvo S40
  By IHATEVOLVO - March 10 - 10:00 am

  This has been the worst car-ownership experience EVER! When I tried to complain to the dealership about the EXPENSIVE maintenance (new brakes, etc.) they sent me a form letter telling me not to come back - even though my car was a LEASE!!!!!!!! I also own 2 Audis (the best) where all maintenance is INCLUDED! Don Beyer and Volvo are the WORST and I tell this to everyone I know (and always will)

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  Great Car! - 2004 Volvo S40
  By TravisScher - March 10 - 10:00 am

  The volvo S40 is really a great value. It has a very luxurios feel to the inside and and a european style outside. It performs very nicely and I have no complaints.

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  Nice car, very good quality, great on long freeway trips - 2014 Volvo XC70
  By xira1 - March 9 - 11:06 pm

  I just turned in a 2011 Subaru Forester at lease-end, which I liked, for the 2014 Volvo XC70 (T6 turbo, AWD), which I now have driven 2,000 miles. There are pros and cons to both--the Subaru was a simpler car with less gizmos to go wrong, and in 3 years, nothing broke. It was also very fun to drive-- very responsive steering. But for long trips, I like the Volvo better-- in fact I am less tired after a long freeway trip because of the excellent driving position, superior visibility, great road-holding feel (it feels like it drives itself when going 75 MPH), great seats, blind-spot monitoring system, and a superior audio sound system. The cabin is also very quiet, and AC is powerful.

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  Good looking Lemon - 2001 Volvo C70
  By alltaurus - March 9 - 5:03 pm

  Horrible suspension causes breaks and leaks. No turn radius. Its a beautiful car that is fun to ride, but too many trips to the dealership for a high priced luxury vehicle.

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  A European Buick! - 1996 Volvo 850
  By djfkeefe - March 5 - 3:00 pm

  Major advantage: comfort, most comfortable car Ive ever owned. Gasoline mileage respectable - 25 mpg. Major drawback: maintenance costs - cost $4800 in the 4 yrs I owned it, and was facing as much for this year. Started to use oil, 1 qt per 3M miles. Wind-dam too low, knocked it off several times on low concrete barriers (difficult repair). Nonsensible design: headlight wipers, but no rear window wiper? Why?

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  Worst Car Ive Ever Owned - 2003 Volvo XC70
  By Bwana - March 4 - 10:50 pm

  This is my second and last Volvo. My first Volvo (V40) was excellent and when we decided to buy a a new car, we went for another Volvo. Big mistake!! Nothing but problems (two engine breakdowns within 24 hours of each other, carpeting cut wrong - had to be replaced, battery and headlight failure in 1st 6 months of ownership. Cheap interior componments which break - radio knobs, control of electric rearview mirrors. Integrated cell phone suddenly quit working. Stitching coming off seats and shift knobs, etc.