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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  Disappointed - 2000 Volvo V70
  By Disappointed Owner - July 17 - 8:46 pm

  First European Car I have owned after 1 Honda and 3 Nissans. I am back to Japanese after this experience. Car purchased as a one year old car with 13,000 miles. Good safety features, design, and options features have been far outweighted by terrible mechanical failures, all after certified extended waranty expired. Failures included steering, electronic throttle control systems, master brake cylinder, drivers seat belt, front brake rotors, and front passenger electric window switch. Repair costs have exceeded $3,000. I have never owned a car that experienced major failures of critical drive train components. An now the car has several rattles. I would not recommend Volvo to anyone.

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  Mold Smell in A/C system & Low Oil Level Warning - 2010 Volvo XC90
  By vmfromtx - July 17 - 3:03 pm

  I bought my CX90 New and have owned it for over 2 years. My Volvo XC90 has an annoying issue. When I turn on the A/C, for the first 30 seconds, bad mold smell comes, and then I dont smell it. Reported to the dealer on 4 different occassions. They supposedly did everything ehey could, but the problem still persists. Recently, at 58000 miles, suddenly "Low Oil Level" sign came up. When I cheked the dipstick it was below minimum. Dealer supposedly checked it and found no oil leaks and says that they must not have put enough during the previous oil change, and that Volvo does eat some oil between service. I will have to monitor the oil level to see if there is a problem.

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  T6 S80, The Perfect Car - 2008 Volvo S80
  By Halmarc - July 17 - 7:40 am

  This Volvo T6 S80 has to be, the best car Ive ever owned. It is the perfect balance of performance, comfort, safety and handling, with decent fuel economy. I run it on regular unleaded gas and its very fast. In fact, I havent floored the gas pedal yet. Its good off the line and when passing. That was not true of the MB E350 that I test drove. When compared to the E350 and BMW 530, its as good a car for about $15000 less. Try one, youll buy it.

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  2010 XC60 - 2010 Volvo XC60
  By Deborah Gura - July 16 - 5:03 am

  The 2010 Volvo XC 60 is a fabulous SUV - I am very satisified with my purchase. It is fun to drive - the turbo engine accelerates nicely. It has a stylish exterior and interior. Very comfortable seats. I purchased with the BLIS - blind spot system - I dont know how I lived without this feature on previous cars. Extremely comfortable seats - plenty of leg room and the panoramic moon roof is tinted so it allows light without making the car too hot.

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  Disappointed - 1996 Volvo 850
  By PGHowner - July 16 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car with intentions of being able to pass on to my child a safe/reliable used vehicle that would last several years. I have had various problems with it since purchasing it - having brakes repaired most often (1-2 times a year). I will never buy a Volvo again - my next car will be a Nissan, Toyota or Volkwagen.

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  Volvo S80 loves Mechanic more than me! - 2000 Volvo S80
  By S80 lives in service - July 16 - 2:00 am

  This is my first and last Volvo, I have driven it 60k miles. Its comfortable and attractive to look at, but gee, I am disappointed in the build and mechanical quality. After all the front suspension work (recall) the car scares me on the highway. I hate the surge when the AC switches on and off, the door locks sound like a sick power drill, and the car rattles like an 80s American car. I live with it all, but for $35K I expected a lot more! Since the warranty ended it has cost me 3K to keep up with it. Ive tried to trade it but dealers price it way below trade in value and then run away - they dont want it in thier used inventory either!

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  pretty close to perfect - 2012 Volvo S60
  By easternpadad - July 12 - 11:42 pm

  driving it for a couple of months, but no snow yet. Great feel - - a blast to drive. There is a learning curve on some of the tech features, but not too bad. We feel great about the car

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  Best Car Ive Ever Owned - 1998 Volvo S70
  By MadeInJapan - July 12 - 7:40 pm

  I bought this car after selling a 94 850 turbo wagon that I had a love/hate relationship with. I got rid of it due to expense of taking it to the dealer, but I missed the power, comfort and the "fun factor." So, after owning a small Japanese car until it was paid off I began looking for a Volvo Sedan. I must say that I did a lot of research before purchasing this car. This car, when you do your own repairs is not a drain at all. I had the ECU upgraded and also beefed up the suspension with IPD swaybars. Its amazing!

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  Smooth cruiser - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By carnut - July 12 - 4:33 pm

  This is our 6th Volvo. Smooth and comfortable on the highway. We keep up with the maintenance and have the transmission fluid flushed annually. Best mileage was 23.4 mpg on the highway with premium 93. Most filling stations add 10% ethanol now which has lowered our fuel economy averages.

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  Great Car To Drive To the Shop - 2000 Volvo S80
  By Sportscarnut - July 12 - 9:16 am

  In a period of 18 months the following failed: ignition switch, oxygen sensor, mass flow meter, motor mount, upper strut mount, headlight assembly, brake rotors, ABS control unit, turn signal assembly, turbo oil return line, front strut assemblies (2), door trim piece, turbo oil seals, etc. It also had a nasty habit of throwing black brake dust from the front rotors down the side of the car. The really bad part is that if it had been even somewhat realiable, this would be an unbelieveable car. It is nice to look at, very comfortable, relatively easy to work on, and it is very cheap on the used market (probably due to the horrible reliability).