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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  1998 V70 Wagon - 1998 Volvo V70
  By merley - October 2 - 10:00 am

  The V70 definatly feels more sturdy than our Camry, solid like you would imagine a tank feels. Crisp handling/steering can be fatiguing on long trips because the slightest move of the wheel sends you off course. Braking is excellent with 4 wheel disc/anti-lock during the yellow light power stops Ive never had anyone stop as quikly as me. Acceleration? Im not so impressed but its better than the Camry. The seats are very comortable (but see improvement area for related comments). The leather quality seems better than average.

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  if u can buy it you can afford to fix it - 1998 Volvo S70
  By LUVMYVOLVO - October 2 - 10:00 am

  Just purchased very high mileage Volvo S70 GLT. 156000 mile on a 1998. Got a great deal. Volvos can go on for ever with a little bit of TLC. Encountered some minor power window problems and some instrument lights were out. Over all the car still drives like new. Repairs included-New stutts and mountings, one tire, balancing and alleignment--$750.00

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  Get it! - 2003 Volvo XC90
  By bcrafto - October 2 - 10:00 am

  I bought this for my wife. She absolutely loves it! I have a 98 Mercedes Benz ML320, and in a lot of ways, the Volvo is much nicer. Now I understand that I am comparing a 04 to a 98. We have only had the vehicle for 3 weeks, but I dont have anything to complain about except for the price. I did manage did get $1,200 off of sticker though. That is much better than what I have heard most are paying.

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  So far, so good - 2004 Volvo XC70
  By DarylH - October 2 - 10:00 am

  After driving SUVs and trucks for the past 10 years, this is a pleasant change (after some getting used to). Drives beautifully, great gas mileage.Cant say I like the geartronic feature. As other have indicated, its somewhat difficult to use and there is a lag before shifting.

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  Great car. Solid and reliable. Poor gas mileage - 2007 Volvo S80
  By necostanzo - October 1 - 7:00 pm

  I bought this car used with 64,000 miles. It is a great looking car that is extremely well built. Much more solid than the 2005 Audi A6 I owned (that car had more rattles than a 10 year old Yugo). Seats are very comfortable, however the natural tanning process they use is not resistant to normal conditioners and cleaners (I cleaned the dirty drivers seat and it removed some of the tanned leather on the right side of the seat bottom bolster). The gas mileage is poor as compared to other V6s in the 3.2l-3.5l variety. My Audi A6 got about 27-28mpg hwy and this car only gets about 25-26mpg and it is only FWD and less powerful. Saturn Aura got 29mpg. Great car, solid reliable, poor mpg.

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  Not allowed to use a carwash - 2008 Volvo C70
  By cricket3 - October 1 - 3:33 am

  The C70 is a beautiful car. The only problem that I have had is that I cant take my car through a car wash. It leaks inside my car. Now, this would not shock me too much if I had a cloth top. I have the hard top. I took it to the dealer 2 times and also reported it to corporate. After they tested my car, they agreed it did leak while in the car wash. There recommendation was that I can either hand wash my car or drive it to their dealership and take it through their light carwash. Would not mind if I didnt have to drive 25 minutes to get there and being that my car is leased, this would be extra miles which I prefer not to put on my car. Volvo does not stand by product. Sad!!

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  Fabulous car - 2005 Volvo V50
  By AnnMarie - September 28 - 10:33 am

  This car is sporty, fun to drive, and holds all your purchases from Home Depot. I made the switch from an SUV to this car and Im really glad that I did. Also, if you compare this car to the BMW 3-series wagon, a tall person can actually sit in the back seat of the Volvo wagon as opposed to the BMW 3- series wagon where theyll be crammed in with no leg room.

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  Everything I thought it would be - 2010 Volvo XC60
  By Mark - September 27 - 3:06 pm

  I have had my XC60 for two months now and it has performed better than I expected. I had a S60R and was concerned I would miss the performance. While the T6 isnt the same as my R it is better than I expected it to be. The fuel economy is a little less than the S60R and could be better. There hasnt been one thing I would say was a disappointment,

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  Fun - 2004 Volvo S60
  By Cuyama - September 26 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive, comfortable, great sound system, I have no regrets.

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  A Wonderful Car - 1998 Volvo V70
  By Northern Man G - September 26 - 10:00 am

  This has been a wonderful car. It has never let me down and only been in the shop for routine maintenance. Ive found that the ABS can be fooled by hitting potholes while braking normally but other than that the car has been a gem.