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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  First Impression - Great ride! - 2013 Volvo XC60
  By temsmedic - September 23 - 4:55 pm

  Wow, what a change, moving from a Honda Civic Hybrid! I know that the 300 hp is going to get me into trouble! I REALLY miss the large digital speed display on my Honda, because I REALLY need to keep an eye on my speed with this thing! It is way too easy to get up and moving above the speed limit I had a great experience purchasing it from Sandberg Volvo, after my local dealer wouldnt match the USAA price, and Sandberg gave me an interest rate 1/2 of USAAs. I was a bit worried about the poor reviews of the digital interface, but I find it easy to use, EXCEPT the nav system is not as easy to use as Garmin. I still cant find a way to pull up stored waypoints,

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  Miss it a lot - 2001 Volvo S40
  By prodigy1 - September 22 - 8:46 pm

  I bought a 01 s40 with 30k miles on it and NEVER gave me an ounce of trouble. I took very good care of it. The dealers always treated me great when I went in to do major maintenance, such as replace turbo o-rings and timing belt. The dealer prices where not bad at all. Its sad to see so many people had such bad luck with theirs. Unfortunately a year ago my wife fell asleep and flipped it over a couple of times but its a volvo and her and the kids walked away with only seat belt burns. It had 135k miles on it and ran like it was new. I highly recommend this car to anyone. And not all but most of what Im reading in other reviews that are "complaints" are wear and tear maintenance items.

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  ive loved all 4 of my volvos - 1998 Volvo V70
  By bob - September 22 - 4:16 am

  ive owned 2 245 wagons, this XC, and my wife drives a XC90. need i say more----and id buy another. with this 98 XC, my wife was stopped at a light on the saw mill pkwy outside of nyc---2 passengers....rear-ended by a buick that didnt stop---hit her going 45 mph----not a scratch on the three volvo occupants---totaled the buick----we repaired the XC and still runs superbly. with a set of Thule roofracks/adapters--this vehicle almost becomes a small truck. AWD---we live in the hills of new england---not a problem with the volvo. repairs---the usual--lets say if you keep up with preventive maintenance---you wont be stranded or surprised by a huge repair bill. love my volvo wagons.

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  Bought Used - 2005 Volvo S80
  By Statik - September 21 - 12:53 pm

  I researched a few vehicles and liked this car because it could fit four adults and a car seat comfortably. The base engine feels stronger than my v-6 mustang. It has good traction and it is well designed inside and out. I also enjoyed the 100k pre-owned warranty from volvo came with it even though I bought it from a private party. I would recommend this car to others.

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  What a mistake..... - 1999 Volvo S80
  By hannibal - September 20 - 2:00 am

  Happy for those of you who love your S80, this car has been a nightmare for me. It would be fun to drive, except for anticipating the next expensive repair. The car has been in the shop regularly since new, even had to replace the gas tank (of course, 5K miles AFTER warranty expired). Repeated calls and emails over the years to Volvo NA and dealer regarding quality issues have gone unanswered. I will NEVER buy another Volvo, and tell anyone who will listen about my bad experience(s). A shame, because I was really excited about Volvo when I first purchased this car.

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  Great - 2000 Volvo S80
  By zoramz - September 20 - 2:00 am

  I enjoy the ride in this vehicle. It drives smoothly, you hardly know you are in a car, it handles very nicely. I also like the style, I bought it because of its looks, also because I feel it is a safe car for family and friends.

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  a truly great car and hard worker - 1996 Volvo 850
  By krizy1 - September 18 - 6:53 am

  i bought my volvo from a friend of mine.. he had neglected to car somewhat,so i had to do a few maintenance things. this car is easy to work on,parts for the most part are inexpensive. although there are a few things i wouldnt fix myself. over cheap to up keep.. fun as hell to drive.,flip it into sport mode and away you..,its fast,.,responsive,over engineered.the only complaint would be gas mileage in the city.,but still not awful.. just could be better.. i love my volvo.

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  Some problems, but still feel safe - 2000 Volvo V70
  By firstimevolvoowner - September 15 - 10:00 am

  Car had some initial problems with ignition system, and has had to have a number of minor nuisance type repairs. With 52,000 miles, Ive already replaced the brake pads twice, had the rotors machined at 36,000 miles and then replaced at 52,000. Handles well, and is very quiet and comfortable. Gas mileage is good at +/- 24 combined. Just wish I could get 75,000 trouble free miles like the 4 Toyotas I owned before this car.

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  Could be better ! - 2004 Volvo S60
  By myfirstvolvo - September 15 - 10:00 am

  The drive is definitely different from my last car a BMW to a Volvo. The sunroof was malfunction the day I got my Volvo. Luckily, the part was under warranty. Blew out an un-repairable tire after three weeks. Paid $150 excluded labor for a unique hard to find tire. The car consumed more gas than expected. I wonder what else might go wrong. I however like the redesigned Volvo that looks sporty and maintain its safety reputation.

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  My S60 - 2001 Volvo S60
  By joeyedgins - September 14 - 8:30 am

  This car is awesome. I bought it with 85,000 miles on it. I had to immediately take it in for its scheduled maintenance (90,000). The dealership didnt do anything to it before selling so I had to replace the control arm bushings, tighten the sunroof cables, download the latest transmission software for the transmission, adjust the engine heat shield, etc. (1,900 dollars including the scheduled maintenace at dealership) Do not let the price scare you! It is amazing car-especially if you want to keep your wife satisfied. I cant keep her out of it. She never drives her Mercedes anymore. The car has plenty of power for not being a Turbo. I willdrive until the wheels fall off!