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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  Never again... - 2000 Volvo S80
  By lemonvolvo - February 2 - 6:40 am

  Bought 4 years old with 27k on it. 55k miles now. Know why the low miles, spent most of its life in for repairs. I spent $1200 on new shift solenoid per Volvo, which didnt fix 2nd to 3rd gear shudder. Then told me only remedy is $3500 new tranny. Didnt do that yet. Numerous phantom electrical problems. Repeated trips to clear codes, with a minimum $50 charge each time. If you are thinking of buying this model year, run away as fast as you can. See message boards and reviews. Ford didnt even own Volvo yet, so cant lay blame there. But it is a GM tranny, go figure. Will never buy another Volvo, have owned 17 vehicles in 35 years, this is worst buy far, more problems than all others combined

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  Lemon - 2000 Volvo S80
  By 1bigagent - January 26 - 10:00 am

  The S-80 is avery comfortable and good looking veh, but it has been the most unreliable veh I have ever owned, in the last 3 years the car has been in the shop over a dozen times, and for weeks at a time. The head gasket blew at 4000 miles, the electrical system, a nightmare, the transmission does not function properly. All of this Volvo acknowleges, but they will not step up to the plate and get me out of a lease that only has 3 months remaining. My car is currently in the shop and has been for the past week and a half. I will never buy another Volvo!

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  Waste of money - 2000 Volvo S80
  By Jenn - January 24 - 10:23 pm

  I bought this car used 4 months ago and have brought it back to the dealer 3 times for repairs including faulty locks, broken heater fan, shocks, constant stalling while driving, gloppy engine oil, throttle replacement. Its a total lemon. Dont buy one!

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  WINNS CAR - 2001 Volvo V70
  By p morgan - January 14 - 2:00 am

  3 YRS OLD AND LOTS OF STUFF HAS BEEN FIXED. THE REMOTE CONTROL DOOR LOCKS,THE POWER DRIVERS SEAT, THE PASSENGER SEAT IS A PAIN TO ADJUST, NEW FRONT STRUT, NEW RADIO & SPEAKERS, NEW CUP HOLDERS. WE HAVE TAKEN EXC. CARE OF THIS VEHICLE. THE ONLY STRONG POINT IS INTERSTATE DRIVING. THE QUALITY AND INTERIOR DESIGN IS POOR AND MY WIFE IS READY TO SELL. WE WILL NOT PURCHASE ANY MORE VOLVOS.

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  Medicore SUV - 2017 Volvo XC90
  By Midoles0621 - January 13 - 4:48 pm

  This Volvo is an average SUV . Nothing special , some materials are hard ( rest hand , etc. ) . The ride is very hard .

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  Not A Good Idea - 1996 Volvo 850
  By kittycrabbs - January 9 - 5:56 am

  People like to say Ford screwed up Volvo, but the 850 was made long before Ford took over and its a dog. Constant front alignment problems, tire wear, abs problems, shifter wouldnt move, glove box decided not to open. I got rid of the car when the seat belt wouldnt pull away from the door post- wanted $650 to fix it. Never left me stranded, but the smallest repair job cost a fortune. I thought Id have it a lot longer than 130k miles.

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  Engine disaster - 2000 Volvo V70
  By daclasn - January 5 - 5:13 am

  This is the 3rd Volvo I have owned, the other 2 being 240s. The car is comforable and drives great, but the engine has been a constant source of trouble. It has burned excessive oil since new..a quart every 500 miles. Volvo tested it and declared it "normal". Now that it is out of warranty, it is starting to burn valves, 3 so far and burning even more oil. The car is a disaster and Volvos plan seems to be to get owners out of warranty then refuse to do anything to back up thier product. I will never buy another Volvo. They are not what they used to be!

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  Last Volvo - 2000 Volvo S70
  By Jeff Barnes - December 22 - 4:50 pm

  This has been the most expensive car Ive ever had to own. I wouldnt say its very reliable either Warranty service was fair at best. I dread the check engine light going on. Thats never less than a $1,000. I like the way the car looks and drives but I cant afford it or can I rely on it.

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  Let Down - Not what they used to be - 2002 Volvo S40
  By cwhite - December 18 - 6:53 am

  I have owned this vehicle for 4.5 years, purchased certified pre-owned and the 1st yr was great. This vehicle has soooo many mechanical blunders that when I look at it, Im afraid it might need to go to the shop. I have invested atleast $6,500.oo or more in repairs and replaced tires twice. One dealership replaced parts on it that werent required to fix the problem and I had it towed from the dealer to a small time mechanic who fixed the problem for 1/4 of the price. I could vent more about it but Ill save their face. I will not buy another Volvo.

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  I had such high hopes.... - 2017 Volvo XC60
  By Nicole - December 15 - 12:43 am

  1500 miles driven so far...encountered three issues (all were "reset" by turning the car on and off again.) First, the power lock on the driver side door decided not to function one day, but hasnt repeated yet. During a heavy rain, the auto folding mirrors would not fold back out after turning the car on and off several times. It later reset after being parked for an hour and I was told by the dealer to push the left and right mirror command buttons at the same time which should cause the mirrors to fold out if they are stuck. Best of all, I believe the parking break malfunctioned, triggering the check engine light to come on and the car to be undriveable. After I safely rolled into a parking lot and turned the care off and on it appears to be fixed for the time being. Ill be making my first trip to the service department before I make my second car payment! There are some good things: Acceleration is great for a 4 cylinder and size of the car; Tons of cargo space + panoramic sun roof made for some luxury car camping; Very comfortable (and great gas mileage at about 30 mpg) on a 8 hour road trip; Bluetooth integration is fairly seamless (wishing the car had apple play) and the navigation system has a very nice feature where the next turn displays in the instrument panel so you dont have to keep looking back at the screen. There are many things I really love about this car, but the reliability issues have me feeling pretty disappointed. Im glad I leased.