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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  Volvo S70 Review - 1998 Volvo S70
  By User1973 - March 4 - 10:00 am

  Excellent car, the car had provided more than I would expect..Highly recommended for fun, sports and family...

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  Volvo S80 T-6 Executive - 2002 Volvo S80
  By Surgeon200 - March 4 - 10:00 am

  The top of the line Volvo S80 T6 Executive is the pinnacle of volvo style, performance, luxary and safety. The car has more than adeqate accelation and pickup. The engine is silky smooth and matted to a smooth 4 speed Geartronic transmission, in standard automatic mode the transmission shifts smoothly, though in the manual mode there is a slight delay between upshifts and downshifts. The Rear areas border on limosine like and provide execeptional leg room (A passenger who is 6 tall is comfortable behind a tall driver.), the car overall is the best car yet that volvo has produced.

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  S40 - 2005 Volvo S40
  By Eric - March 2 - 4:16 am

  This is my first car that i purchased. Prior to this i was driving a GEO Prizm. This is a large upgrade. I own the 2.4i and even with the limited HP the car still has a deep growl when compared to other cars that i drove of a compareable price. I have never been happier driving my car.

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  V70 first 6 months - 2007 Volvo V70
  By White - March 1 - 11:06 am

  What a nice car! Bought it for safety reputation. Handles well, is comfortable and holds road like its glued. Too much wind noise and low beams cut off too short. Fit and finish is first rate and car is tight, excpept for wind noise. Gets less fuel economy than other mid-sized domestic cars, which was a surprise. Get 21-23 in town and 26-29 in hilly country, so I guess thats not too bad. Guess Im getting old, but it has one tough oil filter for a shade tree mechanic! Plenty speedy with 2.5 turbo. The run flat tires had defective sensors that dealer service did not understand and were impossible to fix. Eventually replaced. I like the car alot!

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  EXCELLENT ROAD TRIP CAR - 2006 Volvo S80
  By VICK47 - March 1 - 4:40 am

  I have owned two S80 sedans a 2002 and a 2006. They both had the metallic black paint and the premium sound cd player. I use this car for highway travel mostly.When I get in it to take the road its like being in another world,it is truly fun to drive and the seating is so very comfortable and relaxing. Every passenger says the same thing. I get it washed and detailed often and use only premium fuel.I really like the facts that lots of people usually cant tell what year or make it is without asking.This car seems to be built for the mature driver who is beyond the "race car" years and makes a statement that "Im concerned about safety and comfort."

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  In a class of its own! - 2004 Volvo V70
  By Balmer R - February 27 - 2:00 am

  Awd and 300hp, what a wonderful combination! This is not your average V70 or XC70. Traded my 2004 XC70 for a 2004 R and could not be any happier. The old fake wood interior finishing in the XC is replaced with real aluminum and wonderfully soft leather. Handling, even when not pushing the car to the limit, is much improved as well. Directional stability is on par with Volvos German rivals, not something I would say about the XC70. Take it for a spin... best wagon without spending >$60k for the S6 Avant.

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  Lucky lucky Lucky - 2009 Volvo XC70
  By London Kiwi - February 26 - 10:16 am

  Lucky enough to live in the Uk, so bought a 175Hp Diesel 2wd variant. lose the all-wheel drive, but gain excellent fuel economy (average 38MPG with mostly around town driving) still have the luxury touches (Leather upholstery, heated seats, build in sat-nav etc) Love it love it love it

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  Best Car Ive Ever Had - 2002 Volvo S40
  By Mary-C - February 25 - 10:00 am

  This is the best car Ive ever had. I had a 2001 model but got into a sever accident only about 4 month after I had gotten in. The car was totaled but I only had a few scratches. I trust my car to keep me safe and other should too. The acceleration is one of the best things and the climate control feature is a great help. This is a great car for everyone, except maybe the extremely large person who might have some trouble getting in.

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  More than meets the eye - 2002 Volvo S60
  By REICHOWJR - February 25 - 10:00 am

  This is my first Volvo. I wanted a safe vehicle for my family as well as one that stands out from the rest of the bunch. We have loged over 4500 trouble free miles averaging 29 plus mpg on the freeway at 75 mph. The paint quality is near perfect as well as fit and finish. I wish I had seats in my home as comfortable as the ones in the front of this car. Our 2 and 4 year old kids fit comfortably in their car seats in the rear with enough leg room so their feet are not in our backs. The 2.4 T has plenty of power through most of the power band. The front of the car feels a little heavy when pushed hard into a corner but otherwise handles well.

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  Most excellent - 2008 Volvo C30
  By ted - February 23 - 7:23 am

  Excellent car, handles like a dream, gets off the line fairly quickly. It could use some extra torque though, and you should do everything in your power to stay away from potholes (I cringe at the slam of my 18 inch wheels over concrete expansion joints), but luckily with its superb handling, you can avoid them without difficulty. The sound system is unreal, the car is just one huge menu system. Everything can be changed, adjusted, and tweaked to your exact specifications. I wish the front didnt look exactly the same as the S40 and V50, but its a small price to pay for having the coolest car around.