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:

• 

  Boring But Reliable - 2000 Volvo S70
  By GBW - November 12 - 2:00 am

  Safe. Solid. Boring. Electrical issues always. Fast enough. Real good in snow. Great local dealer. Expensive to buy. Cheap to own. Will look at Audi A4 in June, 2003. No interest in Volvos new designs.

• 

  Some flaws, and not again - 2000 Volvo S80
  By FirstS80T6 - November 12 - 2:00 am

  I have several complaints about this car. First of all, the 17-inch upgraded tires are not suitable for any winter driving in the Northeast. I learned this the hard way. Second, driving with the windows and sunroof open will cause the rear view mirror to shake very violently at 60mph. Third, maintenance and autobody works are extremely expensive. It costs me over $700 to replace a cracked headlight! Routine maintenance services were over $200 each visit. Fourth, the suspension and the steering are too soft for my liking. Last, the visibility is very poor. For the amount of money, it is not worth it, and I will definitely not buy the S80 again.

• 

  after a year some issues - 2009 Volvo C30
  By jasper - November 12 - 12:56 am

  Just over a year with low mileage, ~12000. R-Design has great styling. The dash is a bit bland and more color could be added in the dash console lighting. Gas mileage is not quite what I expected, (6 speed manual) ranges from 31 to 21 (depends on time of year and how I drive). The front end on the RDesign is also poorly engineered. There is nothing you can do to prevent scraping when going up small upgrades (my driveway for example). This causes the rubber on the underside to hang down, quite an eyesore.

• 

  saved me and my fiancees life! - 2006 Volvo S60
  By alex - November 11 - 8:09 am

  me and my fiancee were driving when a tire blew out at 45 and shot us to the left we hit a dirt and rock embankment, went up and flipped over on the roof and continued down the road about 200ft. we both walked out of this car with nothing but sore bodys. this car saved our lifes. i will deffinetly be purchasing a nother one!

• 

  21st Century Sportwagon - 2015 Volvo V60
  By markyfish - November 10 - 2:33 pm

  This car is fast, comfortable, beautifully designed, and luxurious. It is a thoroughly modern vehicle in every way and demonstrates how far Volvo has come. The new 2 litre engine is totally smooth, and the 8 speed auto always places you in a sweet spot for torque. The top notch electronics features illustrate that accidents will be preventable one day. It is the best value in premium wagons, and the design is pure and classic............

• 

  Safety That Looks Good - 2005 Volvo V50
  By 11eastwood - November 10 - 10:00 am

  I just got this car last week and love it more every day...It is comfortable, safe and practical. I looked at everything available, both wagons and SUVs. This was a great choice. I was driving a Mercedes SLK 320. I havent compromised speed or handling. This is a solid, well made vehicle, with lots of thought put into safety. I went with the base model and it has every feature I wanted, with a price tag not much different than Japanese wagons I looked at.

• 

  I got a deal - 2010 Volvo XC70
  By unclogum - November 9 - 1:20 pm

  Car was loaded with everything but parking sensors and power liftgate, A cream puff 2010 with 16,000 miles , a day at war with sales staff and a final offer 2 days later I got it for 26 grand. Thats one heck of a distance from the 43,000 it stickered for 2 years ago. Car is tight, room for my stuff, quite , has all the power I need and with no turbo takes regular fuel. I can go over 400 mile per tankful . I would have bought an Outback new at 32 grand, but this Volvo is more car. However keep in mind it takes one heck of a hit in its first 2 years. Mileage is what they claim , but hey if you drive a Volvo , you can afford it, right, of course right.

• 

  Excellent Vehicle - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By johng - November 8 - 7:03 pm

  This vehicle is our 5th Volvo. When we saw it on the showroom floor, after reading about it, we bought it. The safety,quality,performance and ride of a Volvo keep us coming back to it, even when we consider other similar vehicles on the market. The cargo space in this vehicle is excellent. Need I say more?

• 

  Loved it but now regret it!!! - 2002 Volvo V70
  By oberg24 - November 7 - 9:23 pm

  I have to say that I loved the car the moment I bought it. However once the warranty ran out the problems began. We now have to replace the radiator which has a slow leak. We have to now replace the steering rods and bushings.I have never had to replace steering rods at 57K miles on any of my past cars. There are a few other things that happened from day one that were never properly taken care of. I believe that Volvo should at least offer to help cover the expenses. Our local dealership has not been helpful at all.The Volvo cars of America has not been helpful as well.I bought the Volvo thinking that I would drive it forever but now I dont believe that will be the case!

• 

  Dont Buy - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By MTG - November 7 - 6:56 pm

  I would not buy this vehicle again. Have replaced almost the entire suspension of the this vehicle and the transmission failed twice, once at 60K miles and again 6 months later. As other customers have said, the customer service was awful.