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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  Great little car - 2005 Volvo S40
  By K Borton - September 13 - 12:33 am

  This was my first car; while not real fancy, it was reliable. I never had a problem with the car. Regular service, but never a major repair

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  Saved my daughters life - 2002 Volvo V40
  By meonly - September 12 - 10:16 pm

  My daughter totaled my first V40, hit on 3 sides, air bags inflated, went airborne across 4 lanes of traffic and hit by 3 cars. Not a scratch on her or her friend. I didnt think such a light weight car would have its occupants survive an accident like that, neither did the paramedics. Thank you for that. I am a volvo owner for life. Waiting for the xc60, that will be my fourth volvo.

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  still love this car . . . - 2005 Volvo S40
  By smb83 - September 12 - 12:03 am

  I have had this car almost two years and am still very happy. 28-30 mpg consistently. No problems, just in for software upgrade on radio one time. Easy and fun to drive; great on highway and around town; great in snow and rain. Very happy, will definitely buy another S40 when ready to trade. Love my S40.

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  VOLVO XC60 T6 DYNAMIC, 2017 - 2017 Volvo XC60
  By Al.Usr - September 10 - 10:55 am

  Good mid size SUV, but $$$! Pros: all-wheel-drive, four-cylinder engines is powerful, regular gas a big plus, good MPG for this size, cabin is comfortable. Good road handling and modest cargo space. Cons : Noisy drive, hard suspension, small display screen for navigation and system control, outdated knob operated, is not touch screen and isnt user friendly. feels less luxurious than the same $$$ rivals.

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  Smooth ride after the speedbumps - 1999 Volvo S70
  By Jake - September 9 - 12:23 pm

  I have had this Volvo for 6 years, 75,000 miles, and it has been great. The major problems I have had with the car came around 90k miles when the ETC and ABS had to be replaced. The ETC is a recalled defect and the ABS happened to go with it in my case. The car is easy to maintain and has plenty of room to work in the engine compartment. Lights are easy to change; I dont even scratch my hands doing it. Maintenance procedures are easy to perform on this car which is more than I can say for many other cars. Parts are also sold at reasonable prices and readily available from vendors online. There are also great resources for maintenance, etc. online. I wish I could drive this car forever.

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  Comfort, style and SAFE - 1996 Volvo 850
  By pnad - September 9 - 10:00 am

  At 118000 miles, this car is in better condition than my 60k mile Ponitac GTP. Very comfortable to drive. Quiet and rattle free. Interior materials seem to be if good quality. This platinum edition car is LOADED. Heated leather seats are very nice on cold morning commutes. Not the fastest car on the road, but she is no slouch. The 220hp turbo 5cyl keeps you in the above average range. I love the styling of this car and it actually gets a bit of attention from other drivers. I like the peace of mind knowing I am driving what has to be the safest car on the road.

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  My Baby - 2002 Volvo S40
  By punkin2514 - September 9 - 10:00 am

  I am 25 years old and this is the first car that I have purchased on my own. It is a perfect introduction to Volvos line of cars. I started looking at cars in the Honda price range and made the mistake of test driving the S40. I fell in love with my car and got it loaded with all the whistles and bells. I havent had any problems except for a rattle in the front "fixed" headrests that luckily are covered under warranty. I would recomend that people take advantage of the internet for bargaining and pricing the car that they want. I ended up saving over $800 by purchasing in Tacoma and paid just below the Edmunds TMV price.

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  Volvo S80 - 2000 Volvo S80
  By ethomas3256 - September 9 - 10:00 am

  Like the car, little slow on exceration. A little noisy on Freeway. Great Space and comfort...

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  My First Volvo - 2004 Volvo V70
  By First Volvo - September 9 - 10:00 am

  Finally ditched the mini van (and all the squeaks, rattles, etc) and stepped up to the 2004 Volvo V70. Purchased the 2.4 Automatic, with Premium Package and Integrated Booster seats for my wife. She loves the car (and never lets me drive it!). Weve been on 1 road trip, with 4 adults, and everything fit fine, seating was comfortable, got great gas mileage. Best feature without a doubt is the integrated child booster seats. Love the heated seats!

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  It could have been a contender - 2001 Volvo V70
  By Family of four - September 9 - 10:00 am

  If you prefer the safety and handling of a station wagon to an SUV or a van, the V70 seems to be the ideal choice.But... Our V70 has been in the shop eight times in two years. Five bulbs have burned out, and not because of daytime running lights either, as turn signal and brake lights also burned out. The service department just states that this happens. Unfortunately, the most crashworthy car is not very safe when you are driving around out of town at night with one headlight.The remaining choices for a family are a much more expensive but well-made foreign wagon (not a jerry-rigged Ford) or a safe, boring, soggy-driving Toyota or Honda van.