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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  Worth the wait and effort - 2001 Volvo C70
  By rickG - November 22 - 10:00 am

  I looked long and hard for this car. It took over 3 months of searching to find a 5 speed in the HPT. It was well worth the wait. Handling is phenomenal. A joy to drive on a winding country road. The pick up is great. First gear to about 15 mph. Shift into second, hit the gas and the turbo kicks in to push you back in your seat. Even at highway speeds there is plenty of power left for a quick acceleration to pass or avoid another car or just for the fun of it. The C70 is traditional Volvo quality and sturdiness. Even with hard driving I am able to mainatian gas mileage of 20.7 MPG. My recommendation is go out and get one now.

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  Great Value - 2007 Volvo S40
  By m4336 - November 20 - 3:02 pm

  We purchased the car used with 20,000 miles on it. We have only done the prescribed services to the unit. It has not required a single repair in the last 4 years and 40,000. We put custom wheels on the unit a couple of years ago, and get regular compliments from strangers on how sharp the car looks.

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  S60 AWD is a great car - 2004 Volvo S60
  By amsr - November 18 - 10:00 am

  This is the first Volvo automobile that Ive purchased and so far I am very pleased. I wanted a car with a nice blend of performance and luxury that also stood out over the others aesthetically. The S60 was my choice over other AWD sport sedans such as BMW, Audi, Infinity, and Volkswagen. The other choices are nice cars but their body style was too bland for my tastes except for the Infinity which was my second choice. I really like the overall look of my Volvo S60 with my favorite features included.

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  From a Mercedes to a Volvo - 2004 Volvo S60
  By Chitoe - November 18 - 10:00 am

  I sold my 2000 E430 when I had to leave to goto China for work. When I came back to the states, I needed a car. I compared cars like Acura TL, TSX, Jaguar X-Type, C320 and count less others. I never considered buying a volvo until a nice salesman told me of the big rebates that they were offering. I got almost $7000 off the listed price of a brand new volvo. I can not find anything under $30k new that I can compare. The Acura TSX was the closes thing to compare with.

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  Fun Sedan - 2005 Volvo S60
  By BlazinBob - November 15 - 9:16 pm

  Great car. I got the Premium, touring and sport packages on mine as well as the "geartronic" trans. Plenty of power, handles GREAT, Sporty car and safe too! Not much room in the back, but its plenty for the kids and they have their own AC vents back there. Seats are very supportive and comfortable. Lots of neat little features like if the wife uses her key to lock the car, the drivers seat and side mirrors remember their positions and return to her settings when she uses her remote again. Auto down AND Up on the front windows. They also have an obstruction safety that will automatically reverse the window if it encounters an obstacle while being raised. My second Volvo.

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  safe, reliable, high performance - 1999 Volvo S70
  By Doug M. - November 13 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car for long trips. Comfortable seats (wife loves seat heaters). Everyone praises rear seat room. AWD is great in snow, and has good gas mileage unlike SUV (approx 18/25 city/hwy). Car is fast, handles great, stops great. 60,000 mi service is $1000, other service is every 7,500 mi and cost $100-200. We have done maintenance only. Our car is well used and has a hard life, it is completely reliable and feels more solid than new cars of other makes.

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  best Volvo ever! - 2001 Volvo V70
  By Rick Waters - November 13 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned 8 Volvo, including an 1800ES. This XC70 is the BEST! Power, looks, utilitarian, and soooo comfortable. Best buy in cars I have ever made!

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  A winner all around - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By FML - November 13 - 10:00 am

  This is the vehicle that I want my family in at all times. Not only is it very safe and "smart" it is very stylish and pratical. The XC90 is built like a tank, yet it gets good gas mileage (for an SUV) and delivers performance on the road. The safety systems are the best in the world and give me the confidence that my family will not be in danger when they are on the road.

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  Volvo XC90 - Great Car! - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By RBW - November 9 - 11:59 am

  I have the model year 2018 XC90 T6 and it has been flawless so far with around 10,000 miles. This is a super safe vehicle and you will like all of the creature comforts. There have been some 2016 XC90s with early new-model issues, but at this point 2-3 years later, the new Volvo platform from 2015-16 is now solid from what I can tell first hand. This is a beautiful vehicle inside and out and you will feel youre driving something special each time you get into it.

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  Did great in a crash - 2001 Volvo S80
  By ed - November 9 - 10:46 am

  I bought this car for my 17 year old. It worked great, looked great and ran great until he was smashed hard from behind. The car absorbed the force incredibly. You can see from the damage how the design was made to absorb the forces and the head rests worked great in protecting the neck. he and his brother who was also in the car were not hurt, no whiplash or anything. The driver of the car that hit them was hurt the wreck was so bad.