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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  Why Europeans tend to get it right - 2003 Volvo V40
  By Adam Lausch - August 25 - 5:56 am

  I must say that this is truly a unique car. Ive rated it as unbiased as tough as I can. I simply love to drive it, and Ive owned some pretty nice vehicles. I think one of its major downfalls is that Volvo didnt offer a manual transmission, that would be a blast. I love the V50s, but we were able to find a very nice V40 with low miles for $6K. I couldnt pass it up. So far Ive have the check engine light come on once, and I think the ignition timing may have been off a bit. So I changed out a set of new high-performance plugs, and its running superbly. Good performance, not great. Its so comfortable as well. Why buy a SUV for a small family when there are fun and economic wagons like this

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  Solid, Smooth and very powerful - 2012 Volvo XC70
  By rnarendmd - August 24 - 6:59 am

  This is my second xc70 after trading up from a 2006 model. The new T6 model is so much better than the previous model. The engine is terrific and the comfort and ride quality are much improved. Gas mileage is about the same as the old turbo 5 cyl. (avg. 19.6 so far on reg. fuel; but car only has 500 miles on it and is not broken in yet). The premium stereo is terrific and the streaming bluetooth works great. The overall feeling of the car is very refined and is a great car for someone with young kids. Cargo space is obviously excellent as well. Very happy with my new car and looking forward to the first road trip!

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  Ken - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By Ken - August 24 - 12:34 am

  Love this vehicle!

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  Many issues...no resolution - 1998 Volvo S70
  By Esc5150 - August 23 - 11:43 pm

  Have had the car for 3+ years and experiencing same issues as others. ABC control replaced ($1000), MAP sensor, lights and more lights, weird shutter/noise from front end and more engine fault codes than I can count. No service available outside dealership which is over-priced, questionable and I am always treated poorly when requesting service. Door panels are starting to peel and waiting for the known transmission issues at 130K. Very disappointed in build quality considering price and reputation from years past. Had planned to keep for 10 years but decided to return to Acura (had my last one 10+ years and it was perfect!). Avoid this car unless you are married to a mechanic!

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  nice to the eyes - 2002 Volvo S80
  By nice car - August 23 - 4:30 am

  When the Volvo s80 first hit the market in 1999 I took a liking to it. I now own one and love it but I really dont like the fact that they wont do recalls for the front struts because I went to get mine checked and they were not very surprised that my struts were rattling and going out, they said it has been very common with Volvo, a very irritating noise and it make the car sound really junky, but other than that its a very nice car if you can deal with a rattling front end.

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  DW - 2006 Volvo XC90
  By Dennis Windmuller - August 20 - 1:13 pm

  Very impressive for a SUV - sturdy, good power, nice drive. Quality interior & overall design - unmatched safety.

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  2-Month Review - 2005 Volvo XC70
  By R. Chester - August 19 - 10:43 am

  Have had my XC70 for about 2 months now. Gas mileage is better than our 2001 2WD Suburban, but at about 14MPG in town, its less than I expected. (Did read another review saying it should improve after 5k miles). Quick & very fun to drive; handles great; smooth transmission. Front seats are VERY comfortable. Back has almost no legroom. Im 64" and my 4-yr old son cannot sit behind me b/c theres NO legroom. Has great features like auto- up and down front windows; same with sunroof; cargo tray in rear; rain sensing wipers; Geartronic; trip computer; well laid out controls. Aluminum passenger grab bar gets HOT in sun. Not a good place for coins. My wife is coveting the car.

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  great family car - 1998 Volvo V70
  By td90 - August 19 - 2:00 am

  We bought the v70 GLT used several months ago with 55k miles, and are very pleased with the car. Very solid construction, no rattles or squeeks. Good acceleration, crisp handling, and great brakes. With routine maintenance, should be good for 200K+ miles, just like the 740 we had.

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  2001 S40 Review - 2002 Volvo S40
  By Mike and Erin - August 19 - 2:00 am

  We bought a Volvo S40 late 2001. At 12,000 miles, the steering wheel started shaking when braking. Since then the Volvo dealer has replaced the entire braking system 4 times. They even escalated the problem to Volvo headquarters. It was really frustrating for both us and the dealership. I have to admit, the dealership gets an A+ through all of this. They are buying the car back from me, and putting me into a new S60 for my troubles. I have never seen a dealership show concerned with making us happy. Nonetheless, we paid $30k for a car that was in the shop once a month. Which is why they were quick to get me out of the car.

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  Great cruiser - 2002 Volvo S80
  By gunner12 - August 17 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car just off lease (2 yr) and the service records show a few small defects (cooling fan and brake pedal position sensor)initially repaired under warranty. The car has been flawless and a very satisfying daily driver. Excellent engine smoothness, power, and fuel economy (24.6 mpg mostly city). Extremely solid and quiet body structure. Excellent sound system--one of the best Ive ever experienced. We shall see how well it does in snow soon! No negatives at all so far (4 months).