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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  Very Pleased - 2007 Volvo XC90
  By Sport model - March 29 - 5:00 am

  Bought the car for my Wife. We have 3 Children 7 and Under. Had Minivan. Its my wifes car but I no longer dread driving her car. She chose the sport model which didnt break my heart. Love the susp and wheels. Great ride, tons of fun to drive, handles better than my maxima, looks awesome(red). Love safety features(essentially why I suggested to her). Downside is that it is not minivan which had tons of space, convenience for ingress and egress(obviously plus and minuses). Thankfully she was ready for an SUV again. Gas mileage fairly good, 18 mpg with the V8. Love features, loaded with all but nav. Seats are super, feel connected good ergonomics

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  Blast of Fun - 2005 Volvo S60
  By Padilla - March 28 - 6:30 am

  This car is a get up and go vehicle and is totally different than the traditional Volvo. With the flexibility in performance choices, this car is a lot of fun to drive and change the suspension at the push of a button! Go Get One! What are you waiting for?

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  Safety and comfort - 2016 Volvo XC60
  By alex peirce - March 25 - 7:58 pm

  Review for Volvo Volvo has been around for decades and have been setting the safety standard for years. Not only are volvos safe, but there also comfortable, stylish/perform well, dependable, and affordable. I am a very picky person when it comes to cars and it takes a lot for me to consider a car. When I look at buying a car I look at the overall styling of it, if it is comfortable or not, if it is dependable, but above all I look at how safe it is and in my opinion volvo blows all of these categories out of proportion. SAFETY- As I said before Volvo has been setting the safety standard for years; they have come out with everything from the three point seat belt or pedestrian detection with full auto brake to auto pilot system on cars. Volvo cares deeply about the safety of their buyers and unlike other car brands that put luxury first or convenience they put safety first. All Volvos come standard with a pre-collision system called city safety. In my opinion volvo cars are the safest cars on the road today. COMFORTABLE- Volvo also cares about how comfortable its passengers are. Volvo has gone as far to have special seats designed by orthopedic surgeons to make the ride of a volvo more comfortable. They use very nice soft to the touch materials in their cars that its passenger appreciate. STYLING AND PERFORMANCE- Volvo has sleek designs that set them apart from other auto maker from there Thor Hammer headlights to their distinctive long LED taillights. When you see a Volvo on the road (especially the new ones) you can tell its a Volvo because of the sleek styling of it.I think that Volvo does a great job of making their cars head turners. For years Volvo did an ok job in the performance, but in the last decade they have really been improving the performance of their cars. All their cars come standard with turbocharge engines, but for those who want a little more of a driving experience like me, you can get a special line of Volvo called the R-Design. The R-designs come with special turbo engines tuned by the Swedish racing company Polestar (Polestar also tunes the suspension of the car). I own a Volvo XC60 R-Design which is a crossover and it feels like I’m driving a sports car like the Lexus IS or BMW 3 Series. Dependability- Volvos are very reliable I have never had a major issue with mine and neither have my family members who have one. There a little more expensive to work on but they’re worth it. AFFORDABILITY- Volvos have a long range of price tags, but for what they are there very reasonably priced. There prices range from lower $30,000-well over $90,000 in the U.S., but you can get a year old volvo in the 20s.

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  s-60 R - 2004 Volvo S60
  By Bill - March 25 - 2:20 pm

  The Volvo s60 R is a very fast, safe , and reliable car. It has excellent control from the all wheel drive and has awesome interior features.

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  three year owner and still happy - 2003 Volvo S40
  By djones - March 25 - 2:00 am

  We searched high and low for an affordable safe car without driveing a status symbol and found the 2000 S40. I wanted a good commuter car that would be dependable and fun to drive for many years. I do most of my own maintenance and have not had any mechanical problems;the dealer has treated me like royality. The car is not a family of four car but works out fine for a family of three! We purchased the car in August of 2000 loaded with all the features except heated seats; and we love it, love it , love it!

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  My Volvo - 2004 Volvo C70
  By Georgia Roberson - March 23 - 6:40 am

  There are 2 negatives about this vehicle - 1) Terrible turning radius and 2) bad visibilty with top up. You get used to the visibilty and learn how to best use your mirrors but backing out of a parking space with an SUV on either side of you is taking your life in your hands. You just go very slow and hope if someone is coming they will see you and stop. As for reliabilty - I have had to take it in only once in the time I have owned it, vacuum leak in the brakes. Other than that it runs like a top.

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  Love it! - 2008 Volvo XC70
  By FirstLast - March 21 - 2:36 am

  I am so happy I bought this car. It handles beautifully in the snow and is very comfortable. The only negative I have found is the sun visors. They are not wide enough. The gap between the visor and the pillar is enough to cause a blinding glare. When they are straight down, they obscure the road. Other than that, everything is perfect.

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  Our Favorite that weve ever owned !! - 2007 Volvo XC90
  By James TG. - March 19 - 10:30 am

  We love the looks, drive, safety and reliability of this car !! Nothing negative to say !!

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  S60R - 2004 Volvo S60
  By Kim Viner - March 19 - 10:00 am

  Good looking car that has great performance and very nice interior. Performance very trong at higher elevations due to the high boost turbo(I live at 7000 ft). Litle turbo lag and the six speed transmission is well suited to the engine. Selectable suspension settings make a noticeable difference. Rie quality on interestate type surfaces is really smooth in comfort mode. The active suspension cures the body role problems of other S60s. Sapphire black metalic paint has a slight hint of purple which makes it look not "too" black. I had reservations about the "blue" leather interior, but when seen in person, it looks really nice.

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  Simply Awesome! - 1999 Volvo S80
  By here4u312 - March 19 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my 99 S80 for almost 4 years now and over 50,000 miles. Its incredible! Thats the best way I can describe it. I really cant find anything that is not perfect on this car. I did have one defect on the car which was warranty. Thats why I rated it a 9 and not a 10 for the build quality. I really feel this is a perfect car. Other repairs have been software upgrade (solves all issues with these cars) and ball joints replaced under a recall. If you want a good reliable, safe car, this is it.