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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  Its a beast and perfect! - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By Marc Korody - March 4 - 8:29 pm

  I wasnt a Volvo guy but the new design brought me right into the showroom. Then I drove all three models, and by far the inscription seats stood out at me. These seats are the most comfortable I have experienced. Overall the car has 21" wheels which make the ride a bit rough, but the seats and interior make up for it. XC90 is a family hauler and not the fastest off the line, but it makes up for it in technology, comfort and value. For $62k you get act that in MBZ would cost you $80k, plus its totally unique looking (I get compliments) :-) Be warned - the sales experience is not as refined as the car, just ignore the idiots and do your own research. Service & Parts department so far has been excellent.

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  Love it - 2002 Volvo S40
  By mormit - March 4 - 2:06 am

  We were looking for a new vehicle for my wife and had good luck with her older car, a 1985 245 Volvo wagon. She wqanted something small, reliable and easy to drive. We looked at the S40, VW Golf, and Honda Accord. Picked the S40 both on its own merits and our past experience with this brand. We both really love this car. It has a high quality, comfortable, safe-feeling ride with sporty handling.

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  I love my 1st Volvo - 2008 Volvo C30
  By JohnRae - February 27 - 6:03 pm

  Ive had my car a little bit over a year now and still love it. Very fun to drive and has the power to overtake other cars if ever needed. The suspension is a bit stiff but handles very well. The styling is one of the main reasons I bought the car. Its unique, sporty, and classy all in one. A real eye catcher. Its nice to have a car that you dont see at every other stop light. My small list of gripes for this car is: 1. The passenger side seatbelt rattles a bit when driving. 2. At times would like to have more trunk room. But i just fold my rear seats down normally if i need more space. 3. Would be nice to have the trip computer come standard instead of having to pay extra for it.

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  Drives nicely. Have your wallet ready. - 1999 Volvo S80
  By Eduardo B - February 23 - 10:30 pm

  Enjoy as much as you can when the dash message reads "no messages" because when a message comes it is like a call from nature to a wild animal, but in this case the call it to the dealer. Love the car, great power, handles smoothly, great sound, unbeatable brakes, cockpit like driver sit. Gives me 36.6mpg when i set cruise at 62mph, not only by display but at-the- pump calculation. 0-80 in less than 8sec. Tranny apear to know when im going to need some trust, engages smoothly and turbo kicks in in a dime. I added H2S Xenons w/H7 adapter and the headlamps make a perfect light/dark cut on upper portion of beam. Maintenance cost has been even less than our other vehicle (toyota)

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  Great Cross Country - 2004 Volvo XC70
  By mary - February 22 - 2:30 pm

  Waited a very long time to buy a Volvo. Bought the CX in 2004 and wish I had bought one sooner.... really love the ride and the comfort! Just wish the windows were tinted a little darker or the sun visor was a little longer or had an extension like the Audi. Otherwise am very happy and plan on getting another, but now I know about the Sweden trip and will be flying to pick up the new one...

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  THIS CANNOT BE A WAGON! Surprising Performance - 2015 Volvo V60
  By R M M - February 21 - 10:17 am

  I canNOT believe that this is a wagon. It outperformed the 3 series BMW in my test drives, and continues to impress. We were really skeptical on the MPG claims, but it does fairly close to it (if you can resist the temptation to enjoy the surprising pickup). We generally are "green drivers" and get better than usual miles, but I still doubted the 37mpg highway claim. Yet, this morning, I got 33 in a 15mi city drive from my kids school to the office (A/C on as it was ~90F outside), but this is Raleigh NC traffic (mild). This weekend we had the car loaded with 2x large adults, 2x kids(in giant, heavy, 5 point boosters), 2x 10gl coolers full of drinks and ice, a small bag of clothes, 2 large picnic blankets, 2 folding chairs, and a 60lbs dog, but we still did 29mpg in a mix drive(60mi city/25mi hwy) of 85mi (round trip). The trunk space is great. All that stuff fit and the giant poodle still could stretched out on his bed. The software for trip computer and other things could be simpler, and the breaks feel too smooth for people that enjoy the sporty action of an audi, but the car is excellent in every other way. Ohhhhhhh, the seats are amazing. Updates: over a year in and we continue to be very happy with this Volvo. It is comfortable, has ample space for us, it is versatile, drives like a sports car(except for soft/smooth breaks), and gets decent mileage if driven accordingly. Only snag is that the cell app is impossible to get working for us, so I dont get to turn it on before getting out of the house, etc.

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  Try one, you may just like it. - 1999 Volvo S70
  By Patches - February 21 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle is a pure pleasure to drive. The seats are very comfortable on long drives & trips. The turbo hesitates before kicking-in, but the power will surprise you for a five cylinder engine. Had only one major headache, difficulty starting that took over four visits and multi-days at the dealer before the problem was diagnosed and repaired. If you can avoid the dealership service, please do. Regular service averages about $300 and major service about $800. This doesnt include the big one at 60000 miles (timing belt).

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  OneFineCar - 2006 Volvo XC70
  By AlecZander - February 19 - 2:50 pm

  This vehicle gives my rather hesitant and extremely cautious wife a confidence in driving she has found in no other. Much better than the Jaguar Sportwagon. This is a very well thought out car. It is happy in all driving conditions. We expect to keep it for ten years or more! It is a mid-size car, and one should not expect the roominess, particularly in the back seat, of a similarly priced luxury sedan.

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  Great Wagon - 2009 Volvo XC70
  By Thom Walsh - February 18 - 11:40 pm

  As a satisfied owner of a 99 XC70 I purchased the 09 because of all the incentives. What a great wagon! Fast, comfortable, spacious and fun to drive. A big improvement over the "99. The 3.0 Turbo is a blast and the transmission is a seamless partner. Handling is considerably better than any SUV I tested. Considering the weight of this wagon and the horsepower, the gas mileage is fantastic (21mpg).

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  From Mercedes to Volvo - 2004 Volvo S60
  By QualityFreak - February 17 - 2:00 am

  I went from a 2001 Mercedes C240 to the Volvo. The Volvo has much better acceleration and the ride is more sports-like (which is either good or bad depending on your taste.) The interior is gorgeous despite fewer luxury touches than the Merc. Build quality is excellent and the seats are the best Ive tried. The "thunk factor" on doors and trunk lid give an impression of better quality than the Merc.