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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  Carls Review - 2007 Volvo V70
  By Carl Moore Houston - October 21 - 2:36 am

  I bought a 2007 V70 closeout which came with lots of options as a replacement for my wifes 940 which was totaled in a wreck -- great deal . The car is very comfortable driving and handling. The 2.5T has excellent pickup compared with the older B230F engine. Gas mileage is good -- approx 22 mpg around town.

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  Fell in love - 2006 Volvo S40
  By mccabeterrymac - October 19 - 6:03 pm

  I drive alot. This car was rented for a trip to Palm Desert and when I finished I had to have it. Ive had it now for over a month and its been an amazingly fun car. Its agile, good fuel economy, and very responsive for its class.

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  Overall happy - 1998 Volvo V70
  By les - October 19 - 2:00 am

  Bought with 55K miles. 2nd Volvo, replacing a 240 wagon. Much improved over 240, but like the 240, suffers from little things breaking.... rear windshield washer motor, electric driver door lock doesnt work from remote. Also, compared to 240 and all our other cars, its a very difficult car for a do it yourselfer to work on due to special tools that are required.

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  Fast Wagon - 1996 Volvo 850
  By Volvo Driver - October 19 - 2:00 am

  Bought this car used from a dealer. It had 49,000 miles, but looked perfect, and had all the maintenance records. The engine is great, lots of power at stop lights and on the highway. Great for long trips, seats fold totally flat, and can go well over 420 miles on a tank of gas. My only complaint is with the ride over even moderately rough roads. You feel every road bump. I have driven over some pot holes where I thought the front end would fall off the car shook so badly. Ironically, the car rides much better when fully loaded with people and luggage.

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  First Volvo is a Winner! - 2004 Volvo V70
  By Gr8pilot - October 19 - 2:00 am

  This is my first Volvo and shares garage space with a Corvette. Both a great fun to drive, very responsive look great and are very comfortable but the Volvo will carry the groceries, kids, dog and still perform like a champ. Not as good on gas as I expected but the trade off for safety and performance is worth it to me.

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  Must see before Benz, Acura & BMW buy - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By zuomo - October 19 - 2:00 am

  I was pleasantly surprised with the innovativations within the interior. More room than its competitors + safety first. I personally like the body style better than the BenzM320, Acura MDX and the over priced BMW. The Volvo handles well and the interior is luxury just like youd find in more $$$ competitors. Im very happy and satisfied. (If i had to do it again Id get the ALL wheel drive option. FW drive pulls steering on quick acelleration).

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  Saab or Volvo Wagon - 2002 Volvo V70
  By Russell Schwartz - October 17 - 10:00 am

  We were considering the Saab Wagon vs the Volvo V70 24T. The two were very similar but after driving a Saab 93, we opted to try the Volvo. In the end, we are very very happy. It drive incredibly well, has great pick up (you need the turbo), and is very comfortable. I do miss some of the extras that were standard on the Saab, butthe driving experience more than makes up for it.

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  I really like this car - 2002 Volvo S80
  By George Joseph - October 17 - 10:00 am

  I was spending so much keeping my POS 95 Chevy on the road I figured it would be cheaper to make a payment. Saw an ad for $19,990 and 0% financing for a Mercury. Holoman Lincoln Mercury. They treated us like crap and it turned out it was false advertising. Scumbags. Went to Deel Volvo in Miami. They treated us like they wanted our business. No false advertising etc. Daniel Sun was cool. Did not like the s80 until I sat in it. Very nce car. We got there at 12:30 left at 1:15 for lunch and left dealership at 2:30 to go home. Did a 4 year lease,no money down, 47 payments, 15,000 miles a year for $520 a month. So far I am very happy with it.

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  A pleasure to own - 2000 Volvo S80
  By rt - October 17 - 10:00 am

  The Volvo S80 T6 has been a pleasure to own and drive.For a large sedan it gets decent gas mileage and the twin turbo provides impressive thrust for passing. Superb fit and finish. The hallmark feature is its luxurious ride on long road trips coupled with renowned Volvo safety features, provides passengers with a stong sense of well being & comfort.

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  2.5AWD - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By HappyXC90Owner - October 14 - 10:00 am

  Very comfortable ride, and easy to drive. I like the split tail/liftgate which makes the huge cargo room easy to load. The liftgate is smaller than many comparable SUVs and I can easily open it in the garage with the garage door closed. Researched many midsized SUVs and the XC90 had the best interior space for limited exterior size that could easily fit in our small garage. No problems with the car at all. Performed VERY well in deep snow in the mountains this past winter where many other 4WD vehicles had problems. Did not buy this vehicle to drive off road but I was glad to know how well it handled.