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:

• 

  2001 Volvo Transmission Problem - 2001 Volvo V70
  By ararat - September 1 - 11:06 am

  Ive had 3 2001 xc 70s, now Im down to 1 and I have a 2001 V70 T5. They all have had the same problem- TRANSMISSION....I think somebody should start a lawsuit against Volvo because anyone who has a 2001 Volvo has a transmission problem. Ive tried everything to fix the problem...nothing works. The only thing that would help is buying a whole new transmission.

• 

  My new S40 - 2006 Volvo S40
  By Lindsay C - August 31 - 5:20 am

  I love my new S40! It is a great little car! I have driven Honda Accords all my life and made the switch! I am not at all disappointed! It drives GREAT and is so fun to drive. I feel so safe in it, the safety features are unreal! The only minor complaint is that it needs more compartment space on the inside. I keep a lot of stuff in my car and there is not as many places to put it all. But other than that I have no complaints!!! Love it!

• 

  Bought Back as a Lemon by Volvo - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By MEK - August 29 - 7:40 pm

  This car gave me problems almost every time I drove it. The car was a lemon and was bought back by the manufacturer. The list of things wrong with it is dozens of items long. Many of the problems were an inconvenience, but several of them actually made the car dangerous to drive. Volvo should be ashamed of themselves for releasing this model before all the bugs were worked out. The collision mitigation system was erroneously triggered on several occasions, which means that the car braked itself to a full stop while I was driving at speed and there was no accident imminent, the belt pulled me back into the driver seat and alarm bells went off, as well as the HUD flashed red lights. That was only ONE of MANY things that went wrong in the car. All of this with less than 3K miles. I will avoid Volvo at all cost for the rest of my life.

• 

  Great car, great buy! - 2006 Volvo V70
  By Iowaman - August 29 - 3:10 am

  Bought this "last year" model at considerable savings, really not much more than "non premium" cars we considered. I now understand why people buy luxury automobiles. This car is incredibly smooth, quiet, and comfortable. The leather seating is superb and the vehicle feels very solid in its construction. Cars and trucks passing by produce hardly any noise in the cabin, unlike the SUV we traded in, where we had to shout to be heard. The Volvo safety features also make it a great purchase.

• 

  Vacation plus new car - 2004 Volvo S60
  By Volvofan - August 29 - 2:00 am

  This is our 4th Volvo (since 1984), we picked up this one in Sweden,using a free flight from Volvo. Put on 2500 miles in Europe before shipping it back to CA (at Volvo expense.) Sure beats a rental car. My current Volvo is a 1988 240DL, which still runs fine--very reliable.

• 

  Great S 60 - 2003 Volvo S60
  By spagtio - August 29 - 2:00 am

  Excellent value - great ride, safety features, styling. The car has a great road feel, good power balance and good fuel economy. The clutch requires the least effort Ive ever experienced!

• 

  The XC-90 - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By buffpru - August 29 - 2:00 am

  I have driven Jeep Grand Cherokees for several years and was very accustomed to their ride. In comparison, the Volvo drives and rides like a regular car and not like a SUV. I have also been impressed with the performance and Volovs attention to detail. This is a fun car to drive and own.

• 

  Mixed Bag - 2005 Volvo S60
  By Dan - August 28 - 10:53 am

  Excellent performance, though road noise is a bit excessive at times. 30,000 miles on the car and its been in the shop five times for various repairs: electrical issues, switches failing, very harsh "buzz" on AM radio caused by poor shielding (still not resolved completely) AWD went out at 25K (acted like FWD only, no power to rear), all fixed under warranty but I expected better from a $40-45K car. On the upside, average mileage (combined city/hwy) has been 25.6 for 20,000 miles (nice!) and gets 32 Mpg on level highway (55-60 mph). Relatively comfortable for 3-hour per day commutes. Turning radius of the Queen Mary (good grief this thing is hard to get in a small space!).

• 

  Love the new s-80 - 2010 Volvo S80
  By john w - August 28 - 9:26 am

  Having owned an 04 V-70 with a n/a 2.4 5 cylinder we were well acquainted with the Volvo brand, I also own an 05 V-70. We have the PZEV 220 hp engine and it is plenty peppy, decent on fuel on the highway, not so much around town 19 mpg. The overall build quality is superb,the standard equipment is mind boggling, leather is standard, not so with mb/audi/bmw! Hd radio and bluetooth! Oh and did I mention the seats, the most comfortable seats period! It is a fun car to drive, Volvo tweaked the shift points and our 3.2 pzev flies, great ride not as punishing as our 04 V-70. I looked and drove audi/mb/bmw a-6/e class/5 series. It is true they have more potent engines but for thousands less!JHW

• 

  Volvo is a Chinese owned nightmare. - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By jsh - August 27 - 12:00 pm

  This car is a beautiful car,, with extremely poor reliability, dont buy this car it makes range rover look low maintenance. from day one its been in the shop, belts brakes. Chineses software is crap.