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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  Lemon law buyback with less than 5k miles! - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By JDW - February 21 - 11:35 am

  Beautiful vehicle inside and out but buyer beware, this is NOT a reliable car. Owned less than 9 months, with less than 5k miles and has been in the shop for over 90 days for various issues (battery draining, Sensus screen not working, thermometer broken, the list goes on) Volvo is refunding purchase under FL lemon laws. Advise to stay away!

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  first volvo minor problems - 2001 Volvo V70
  By hjk15087 - February 20 - 2:00 am

  First volvo ever owned, bought it for safety and comfort, performance pretty good, would like to see more storage space for front cabin. had some minor issues with the remote entry was fixed under warranty, great service dept at Turner Volvo. had to replace several light bulbs the past few months. have owned vehicle for three years, thinking up upgrading to XC90 for more space for the family. the tire noise has become very noisy at highway speeds.

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  Review - 2005 Volvo V50
  By Beachyy - February 19 - 10:40 pm

  We had trouble with the car starting. It would say invalid key and left us stranded twice. They replaced to started and it was fixed under warranty. We also had trouble with fuses blowing and sometimes the windows not going up or down. They replaced the whole electrical system for us under warranty.

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  Volvo 850R best auto ever made - 1996 Volvo 850
  By casperjim - February 19 - 10:10 am

  It is the best car that I have ever owned. No complaints. I now have 150,000, bought the car when it had 104,000.

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  Dependable car - 1998 Volvo S70
  By Dianne Wittman - February 18 - 12:06 am

  As long as the car is maintained properly, it will give excellent performance and give a comfortable ride.The car is heavy and holds the road well. From the standpoint of safety, the car is heavy and the occupants can feel confident of escaping serious injury should the car be hit.

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  My last Volvo - 2015 Volvo XC60
  By john delaney - February 17 - 11:32 am

  While this car drives well its given me a ton of problems, generating a lot of repair costs and frustration. While under warranty I had lots of little problems, and the check engine light came on so regularly I ended up having to buy a code checker to avoid constant trips to the dealership or somewhere like autozone to have it read. One of the reasons it kept going off was the gas tank was visible machined poorly, so no matter how well I attached the cap the check engine light for emissions would come on. It also burned through oil on a few occasions. I took it to the dealership immediately, but they couldnt ever find anything wrong. Other problems were generally small issues like sensors or spark plugs going bad. These were an inconvenience, but they werent major and were covered by the warranty so I didnt care too much at the time . At about 55,000 miles the car suddenly started emitting a very high pitched squeal. I made plans to take it to the dealership the next morning. In the morning the check engine light was on, and it also started revving uncontrollably when stopped at stop lights. Eventually they informed me the bearings in both cam shafts went bad, and the thermostat needed replaced. This was about a $3000 repair cost, and they said it would take about a week because they had to order the parts. It took the dealer 7 WEEKS to repair my car. They seemed incapable of ordering the right parts or ordering all the parts they need. They did not keep me informed at all, and I constantly had to call and check in. Half the time they werent able to provide me a time estimate at all, and they other half of the time they said it would only be another couple days. I spoke to Volvo corporate, left messages for the manager, etc, all to no avail. Finally they called and said it would be ready the next day, only for them to discover something else wrong with the car. When they finally finished all the repairs I picked up the car, and immediately noticed how heavy the steering felt. I thought it was just because Id been driving a different loaner vehicle for the past 7 weeks (Honestly it had been so long I kept reaching for the wrong controls in my car once I got it back). However, after a couple more days it became clear something is now wrong with the power steering. Now I have to decide whether to take it back to the same dealership and see if they will fix it for no/reduced cost since it was likely the result of something they did, or take it to a different dealership which might provide better service. Either way this is definitely my last Volvo ever. We were thinking about an XC90 for my wife, but now there is no way well even consider it. About the only thing positive I have to say about the car is that it averaged about 28-30mpg for me, but the savings isnt worth the other costs and frustrations.

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  Looking for excuses to drive S-60 - 2002 Volvo S60
  By whitney - February 17 - 10:00 am

  This is truely an enjoyable driving experience. I considered the BMW, Acura and Infinity and went with the Volvo. The exterior design sold me. I have no regrets. The lease on this car was outstanding (0 interest). It is cheaper to lease and then buy at the end of the lease term.

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  love this car - 2004 Volvo S60
  By spike4u2u@yahoo.com - February 15 - 10:00 am

  The volvo S60 R is a wonderful car that does everything that it says it does. I did ALOT of reviewning and car comparing, The Volvo always was a top contender. Just as soon as i hit the road and started cornering and giving it gas I knew I had to get it, which I did and very happy I did.

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  Not a fan - 2000 Volvo S80
  By Geir81 - February 15 - 10:00 am

  Bought 1yr ago in Tewksbury Ma (Americar)-for $3000 more than they advertised it (web). I put 10k miles on the car in 1 yr. w/n 1 week-check engine&service lights on. Americar turned off.The lights returned after 5 days. Americar was not capable of fixing. It was above them (they admitted). Front/rear stabilizers had to b replacd w/n 1st month, needed replacing 8 mo. later. Steering grinded. Control module 4 steering wheel (radio-wipers-BLINKERS- HEADLIGHTS)shutdown. Going down steep hill-noises like car about 2 fall apart. Began revving very high @ stoplights. Engine shut down in park after revving & jolting. Last straw. Traded car in 1 week l8r.

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  Fabulous! - 2004 Volvo V70
  By KB, Bethesda MD - February 15 - 10:00 am

  Leased this Silver R, automatic, in August, 03 as my 99 T5 lease was coming due, after looking at Avant Wagon, Toureg, and lots of others. Had All-Season tires put on as a condition of lease and the car is fantastic. It sticks to the road in all weather and at all speeds. Never any wheel spin -- it just digs in and goes like a bat out of hell. 15k so far and no service issues.