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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  Sorry, cant buy another S70 Volvo - 1998 Volvo S70
  By J Florida - November 19 - 10:00 am

  Volvo has realy disappointed me on my first try. Bought it new and had it in the shop over 10 times in the first 6 months. Replaced the AC compressor twice within the first year and total 3 times now. New evaporator and many other AC parts once it was out of warranty. Replaced more lights than on any cars every owned for a combined total of 30 years. The list of problems goes on and on. Dealer did what they could to satisfy me, just a poorly engineered and manufactured car! Too bad because it drive well when its not in the shop.

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  Volvo Needs to do Better - 2001 Volvo V70
  By Dave - November 18 - 11:56 am

  Weve owned the car since new,50k total miles. Weve had about a dozen of the electrical problems like others describe, all taken care of under warranty. Some topics I havent seen mentioned: Volvo has dropped the ball re several areas of active safety. Theres poor visibility out the rear of the car, even worse at night due to the dim backup lights. The dash reflects badly in the windshield. The response of the electronic throttle is different in forward vs reverse, its disconcerting. The HID headlights (have used them on loaner cars)are terrible, standard ones are quite good. On the other hand, our dealer Mitchell in CT is excellent and actually fairly reasonable in price.

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  Awesome car to drive and looks great - 2005 Volvo S40
  By Steves36 - November 16 - 11:00 am

  We bought this the last month and just love it. We opted for all options and used Edmunds for the quote... Wow what a nice feeling buying a car without hassle. The car drives like a champ with the sport package, makes great turns and has good pickup. Back seats are OK, but could be a little bigger but my wife still car pools with 3 people. The warranty cant be beat and to include all routine stuff is great compaired to what we got with my car (Ford). If I had to do it all over again I would without thinking. Its an awesome car at an awesome price

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  Love my S60 2.5T - 2005 Volvo S60
  By Ronee - November 16 - 5:00 am

  Handled like a dream on the Autobahn. Back in the states, on our "POOR" roads and weather conditions, the S60 2.5T holds the road. For a car with a short wheel base, one hardly feels the bumps. I would recomend this car to anyone at any age. Volvos slogan- "Volvo for Life" is right, its the only brand I will ever own.

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  v-40 - 2003 Volvo V40
  By Patwest - November 15 - 10:00 am

  It is almost as heavy as my old 95 850T (which had 210000 on it). Handles like a larger car. It has a lot of zip with the turbo engine. It U-turns in 3 lanes. Plenty of room for a bike, wheelchair, or lots of luggage. Middle seat is short, but not as bad as some compact wagons.

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  S60R, 5 spd auto - 2004 Volvo S60
  By calberry - November 15 - 10:00 am

  Ive only owned this car for a month but so far its a hoot. It looks great, performs great and is a joy to drive. I have the 5 spd auto transmission and consquently there is noticeable turbo lag. Under accerleration it is hard to drive smoothly.

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  Turbo wagon rating - 2002 Volvo V70
  By jthomas - November 15 - 10:00 am

  Outstanding overall quality. Only required one minor warranty service in first 18 months. Suprising fuel economy for full sized vehicle. Neat interior features for hauling dogs, camping gear, etc. Integrated roof rack makes it easy to customize to carry toys. Highly recommended!!!

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  Trouble Trouble Trouble - 1998 Volvo V70
  By PCHB - November 12 - 2:00 am

  Other reviewers have either loved this car or hated it. I fall in the hated it category due to very poor reliability, the list is endless. Lost all tires in the first 3 months (bad batch of Continental), visited the shop 8 times due to Check engine light solved finally by a complete fuel system replacement, then wiper motor went, then headlight system, then airconditioning, then at 53,000 dirve shaft, AWD system and clutch! Need I say more! I did force Volvo into a full-blue bokk +$5000 buy-back on a 2002 AWD (with extended warranty) - it has been perfect.

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  OLD VOLVO OWNERS-Your Reward is Here - 2003 Volvo S80
  By MR. BIG - November 12 - 2:00 am

  This is a fabulous automobile and quite the sleeper. It is a big sedan in the Euopean sedan tradition that uses space rather than wastes it. Performance is on par with sedans costing $15-20K more. And what boy racer in a Honda would ever expect a Volvo to blow right by them? The car handles the twisty stuff with sure-footed comfort. This is my 5th Volvo and my favortie by far. So far we only have 3,000 mi on it with no negatives. I have paid my dues with old Volvos. I am a fan. This is my reward! A pleasure to drive.

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  THE PERFECT WAGON - 2002 Volvo V70
  By T5bruce - November 12 - 2:00 am

  The Volvo V70 T5 wagon is the perfect blend of family hauler and sports/touring vehicle. The V70 is an extremely handsome, well designed vehicle and is significantly more refined than previous generations of Volvo wagons. The seats are the most comfortable I have ever experienced, handling is excellent and acceleration is exhilerating.