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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  Not Impressed - 1998 Volvo S70
  By Not Impressed - April 16 - 10:06 am

  Give me back my Honda, after driving a Honda for 11 years I wanted something fun to drive. I made the mistake of getting the S70 turbo. I felt it had a better track record then BMW or Saab. Always a light on the dash. Major bucks to repair. Honda is the Sherman tank of cars beat it to death and it just laughs at you. My S70 should be paid off but the repairs have prevented that. Do yourself a favor stay away from this car.

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  Dont buy this Chinese-Owned Vehicle. - 2010 Volvo XC60
  By Kris - April 14 - 8:03 pm

  Im writing this to encourage you to find other options than Volvo. [non-permissible content removed] I feel it necessary to write a review that people will read-in the 2015 section. I owned a 2010 T6 AWD AND paid for the Polestar Upgrade (+30 HP). Fact is, I really liked the seats in the car and driving it was fun, except when it broke! At 55K miles, I paid for a new wheel hub ($650), at 60K miles, a rear stab link broke off ($450), then the doozie-at 65K miles the Rear Differential AND Active On Demand Coupler went bad (over $6500) ! NO THANK YOU!!! I promptly traded my vehicle in for an American Made Chevrolet Traverse and never looked back! Volvo claims to be a Premium Brand-Not Yet, My Friends, Not Yet ! Honestly, you will LOVE this vehicle until its time to get it fixed. What I lose: Comfy Seats, Acceleration, Smaller Car Handling, Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Indicators What I gain: Keep more of my $$$, On Star is way underrated for safety/security, Way more Cargo/Passenger Space, American Pride, More USB Ports, Better Chevy Customer Service What is Similar: Exact Same Safety Ratings

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  Volvo #4 is The Worst By Far - 2000 Volvo S40
  By JAMN - April 5 - 12:53 pm

  I have owned four Volvos, ranging from 240DL to a 960 wagon. This 2000 S40 has had so many problems that this is my last Volvo. The red paint comes off on a drying towel after washing. The stereo speakers stopped working. The cabin climate fan just stopped working. What else?: Rattles, check engine light, headlight bulbs, rust forming under hood seam, turn signal malfunctioning, etc. Never again Volvo. Honda, here I come.

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  always in the shop - 2000 Volvo S40
  By usedtobuyamerican - March 29 - 10:00 am

  Not counting tires or oil, maintenance costs: 2004 $1621 2003 $2182 2002 $797 Volvos apparently reach 200k miles by replacing everything on them periodically. Has left me stranded twice!

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  Nice Looking, but. - 2006 Volvo S40
  By Paul - March 22 - 5:56 pm

  Too many issues. Mostly electrical, control type problems. In dealership for service far too many times. No reason to do the Volvo experience again

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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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  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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  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.

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  Great Car Until It Breaks - 2000 Volvo S80
  By Sportscarnut - February 6 - 2:10 am

  Had my S80 T6 for 18 months from 22K to 40K miles. During that time, the following failed or broke: upper strut mounts (2), oxygen sensor, mass flow sensor, motor mount, lower control arm, strut assembly, front brake rotors, ABS control unit, turbo oil return line, dashboard clock, ignition switch, turn signal switch, headlight assembly, exterior trim piece, door trim piece, etc., etc. Additionally, when I sold it, one of the turbos was blowing oil and the transmission shifts had gotten mushy (neither of which the dealership was willing to correct). Other than that, it was the best car you could ever own. It was fast, handled great, and was very comfortable. It also got about 20 mpg.