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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  What a lemon!!! - 1999 Volvo V70
  By letdown_volvo_owner - April 28 - 10:00 am

  My husband and I purchased the 1999 V70 XC certified preowned. The car has been in the dealer shop on average, every 2-3 months. It leaks/burns anti-freeze, has electrical issues, replaced the electronic throttle module 3xs, has had many light issues, power seats work sporadically, replaced the lock switch for gear shifter, replaced headlight switch, replaced torque mounts, gas cap issues and the list goes on. I thought Volvo was know for its reliability???

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  My review - 2000 Volvo S40
  By Patrick Whitworth - April 28 - 10:00 am

  VERY unhappy with the electrical as well as the climate control system.

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  Charlie - 2004 Volvo C70
  By Charlie Belcher - April 28 - 10:00 am

  Great car. I was able to negotiate a very good price on the car. The dealer had much more room to negotiate than either Saab or BMW which were my other two choices. Of all the convertables we looked at only BMW was a better car and at way too much more money. The BMW ended up costing about $8500 more.

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  great car - 2006 Volvo S80
  By talor jennings - April 28 - 12:43 am

  great handling, nice lines and solid feel make this a great automobile. everyone should try this one.

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  Shock and Awe. - 2001 Volvo V70
  By skipb - April 27 - 9:30 pm

  This car has ruined our brand loyalty to Volvo (having previously owned and been very happy with an 84 DL wagon, an 84 GL sedan, an 88 740 wagon, a 93 850 sedan, and a 97 850R sedan), and as a result we probably will not be buying another. We have already spent well over 5K replacing items that should never need replacing (the radiator, 4 or 5 control modules, etc.), and now we are facing a 5K transmission replacement at 94K miles. The dealer is sympatheic, as is Volvo of America, but is otherwise totally unresponsive. Its a shame, but its time for us to explore another brand.

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  Consumer Reports Unfair to this Vehicle - 2005 Volvo V50
  By Lenny - April 27 - 3:03 am

  Sporty, comfortable ride; Steering luxurious w/short radius; good gas mileage combined with highly responsive engine; excellent dealer service in both New Orleans and Houston (love the loaner cars); seemingly inexhaustible cargo capacity for a compact wagon (three adults, three small dogs, lots of luggage and mother-in-laws personal possessions while evacuating from Katrina to Houston, then evacuating from Rita to Lake Charles and then to fort Smith - tight, but workable); generally far more reliable than CR predicted. Negatives: slightly cramped side-to-side knee room for male driver; imperfect rear vision; bind in driver seatbelt; windshield fluid tank failed (fixed after wait for part).

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  Very Disappointed - 2005 Volvo S40
  By Andrea - April 26 - 3:03 pm

  I have had this car for less than a year and it has been in the shop for brake problems 3 times already. Ive also had to go in for software updates for 3 times also. Now Im having a airbag issue. The company is non- responsive to these problems. This car has made me miss my old car that was 8 years old.

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  960 it is better than i thought - 1997 Volvo 960
  By Tusker - April 25 - 2:00 am

  I love this car , would like to keep it if i lived in California . Not too good for snow , i might have to give it away... But it has been very good excellent ride and performance.

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  The S80 T6 is more than incredible! - 1999 Volvo S80
  By luxurycarbuff - April 25 - 2:00 am

  Let me start by saying I love luxury sedans. Over the years Ive owned Mercedes, Jaguar, Bmws, but never a Volvo. In April 1999 I decided to check out the S80. I went to the Volvo dealer and worked with Todd, an outstanding sales professional. I had no intention of purchasing the car but before it was all over, I bought. Ive had my 1999 S80 T6 now for about three and a half years. This is the best luxury car I have ever owned. It has been trouble free during ownership. It will be paid off soon and Im keeping this one. I recommend the 1999 S80 T6 to everyone. Very reliable and such a nice car to ride in.

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  Sporty! - 2005 Volvo S60
  By Tony - April 22 - 12:23 am

  I just purchased my 2005 S60R with 6 speed MT. This car is fast, well balanced and very fun to drive. The turning radius is my biggest complaint so far but outside of that, the car has met my expectations which were pretty high. In addition to the great performance, the seats were a major selling point- very comfortable and good looking.