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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  Love Hate Tolerate - 2001 Volvo V70
  By MishNY - November 28 - 9:13 pm

  Beautiful car, quality interior materials and exterior fit and finish. Outstanding fuel economy and extended range comfort and utility. Difficult radio set up, bulky A- pillars and out of place cheap plastic touches. The ride is detached for cars in this price range, light bulbs blow more often than you need fuel. The tranny went at 30K forcing an extended warranty purchase. Local Volvo dealer provides exceptional service at a price you would expect with this class of car. The car is far too noisey for this class. With 100k just around the corner a new Volvo is not out of the question although better cars in this price range exist.

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  Take the plunge!!! - 2002 Volvo S80
  By gertdog8028 - November 28 - 7:46 pm

  Great car to drive. Very stylish, easy to control, and great interior comforts. Power from a standing start is not a problem and car is very steady at highway driving speeds.

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  Best Car Ill ever own - 2001 Volvo V70
  By Bruce McNally - November 27 - 4:09 pm

  I paid more for my 2001 V70 2.3 (manual trannie(but with just about every extra available) than I ever had for anything - 20K with 37K miles. It just turned 240,000 and has gotten me from NYC to Merida, L.A., Portland, New Orleans (yearly), Florida you name it - snow, ice, rain & wind, in great comfort, style and if I could figure out how to keep this car for the rest of my life Id do it. It aint cheap but youve gotta find great (not dealer) mechanics and sometimes buy your own parts online. I do understand the auto trannie in these first years sucked and have friends with those problems, but otherwise *****

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  lemon, literally - 2006 Volvo S40
  By monicald - November 27 - 4:47 am

  After 1 year I had taken my car in to repair the electrical 5 times, they couldnt do it. At one point the driver door wouldnt open and I had to enter my car through the passenger side. Volvo ended up settling for a good sized pay out. Here is a list of other problems I had with car, none of which were covered by warranty as they occurred just after the 50k warranty was up: 1) engine thermostat never worked 2) due to above, car overheated, replaced radiator reservoir & new thermostat 3) spark plugs replaced 4) door lock covers popped off 5) plastic peeling off control buttons 6) major water leak when rains, floor thoroughly soaked 7) radio shorted out 8) Trunk stuck in closed position

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  A Ford in Sheeps Clolthing - 2006 Volvo S40
  By DMark - November 27 - 1:40 am

  Overall, a good vehicle for the money. Economy is great (were getting 32+ mpg on the open road), and features for a small car are good. The Hallmark of a Ford is crap fasteners, and to that end this s40 wears the Mantle of its once parent company very well. Trunk lid liner fasteners strewn in the trunk, interior panel fastener hanging loose, window base trim. I automatically push it back in now as I reach for the door handle, lower front grill fastener never has been aligned, headlamp washer almost pops back into the correct location, and an external air temp gauge that sporadically reads 20 degrees low (of course, it functions normally at the dealer).

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  AS EXPECTED AND BETTER! - 2001 Volvo V70
  By mrsimpson - November 26 - 3:42 am

  First, after much review perhaps the XC models have far more problems than the 2.4T V70. I am at 124,000 and this car is the most comfortable, reliable and all around best car to drive. I also own a 2008 Audi A4, and although the Audi is the prize, I lean more toward driving the Volvo ALL THE TIME! The only issue I had was the radiator modulator going bad, which ran me about 575 dollars and only because my friend is a mechanic! Volvo would have easily been a 1000 plus job! But you know the parts are pricey, find a trusting local guy or do the regular maintenence yourself, it pays! That said I commute just shy of 90 miles a day and this car runs so smooth it is a pure joy. Also good on gas!

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  10k Review - 2004 Volvo S60
  By jlnksanders - November 26 - 2:00 am

  M3, S4, WRX Sti and Cobra all considered. The R was by far the best buy based upon performance, technology, safety, and comfort. Stunning performance from a 2 ton sports sedan! Has a quality feel/look that easily matches BMW/Audi. Nordkap leather is unique and looks much better than the brochure. Have had no major problems, but have experienced the back- fire between gear changes. Volvo says no problem but still think back-fire is a little tacky for such an advanced automobile. The active chassis is awesome! Overall, the R is a real bargain in terms of price, performance, quality, technology and possibly most important--safety.

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  Love this Vehicle! - 2001 Volvo V70
  By Tavares - November 26 - 2:00 am

  First Volvo we have ever owned. Bought it because of its looks and safety record. Have owned it now for over 3 years and, granted I only drive about 4000 miles per year, but we have not had any trouble with it. Take it for service to Volvo of Tacoma (WA) and their service dept. is outstanding. They go out of their way to make sure we are satisfied. Only repair was to a rattling passenger seatbelt which was fixed under warranty. Loved the car so much we bought two more Volvos for our kids to drive!

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  Beautiful, Competent & Thirsty - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By jblaze13 - November 26 - 2:00 am

  Very comfortable ride. Vehicle is bigger than it looks. 5 cylinder engine performs well. However, the city gas mileage is terrible (15.8 observed) in cold weather. Short trips can get expensive with premium gas. Highway mileage is true to 24 mpg rating. I cant see how the T6 is worth the extra money. Exterior design is faaar more beautiful than just about anything in its class.

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  XC90 Review - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By Joe F. - November 23 - 1:04 pm

  Excellent car by all means