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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  No more Saabs for me! - 1999 Volvo S80
  By No-More-Saabs - January 29 - 2:00 am

  I have now owned three Saab models which have been relatively nice vehicles. I decided to take a closer look at Volvos flagship vehicle when it was released. To my surprise I wound up trading in my tired Saab for Volvos S80 T6 sedan. This is a great car! The car was just over $50,000 out the door and the dealer wouldnt budge much on the price. Regardless, no regrets on this car. The car now has over 90,000 miles of trouble free driving. Runs nicer than any other car Ive owned. Much more comfortable than my previous Saabs and acceleration to leave all other luxury cars in the dust (most sports cars too.) All around, this is great car!

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  Very Pleased - 2008 Volvo XC70
  By paw - January 26 - 9:43 am

  I bought the XC70 after extentsive research. Having other Volvos I appreciate the new design: smaller exterior size but larger interior space. Rear leg room is fine as long as the 6-plus footers can compromise a little. Mileage has improved to 23 hywy at 73mph. Performance is great in the high rpm range: paddle shifting works great when passing. We drive to ski county each weekend and frequently encounter snow and slop which the XC handles effortlessly, but I see it could be easy to become overconfident. There is some jerky-ness when initially stepping on the accellerator. For what this car is intended to do, it does very, very well.

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  s40 - 2004 Volvo S40
  By N8theGr8 - January 22 - 2:00 am

  Love the design, volvo is slowly but surely changing themselves around. Excellent bang for you buck with this car.

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  New V70R - 2004 Volvo V70
  By Dans_V70 - January 22 - 2:00 am

  First Volvo was an abandoned 1958 PV544. Towed to my college apartment, started the PV544 and it ran with absolutely no problems for three years. However, the 70’s and 80’s weren’t to kind on Volvo quality and I soon discovered Japanese auto value. So why the V70R? For one thing Japanese cars are a commodity. High quality commodity for sure, but not very unique character. Also, I missed having the versatility of a wagon. I just picked up the V70R. Its exactly what I was looking for. Unique combination of luxury, safety, practicality, and pure adrenaline rush with 300 HP and super low-end torque. This car is a joy to drive.

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  Wheeeee! Fun and luxury. - 2008 Volvo C30
  By lola - January 21 - 11:16 pm

  I havent had this much fun with a car since I traded in my 72 Volvo 144 for a 1982 Rabbit. Acceleration in 3rd gear pushes me back in the seat and Im practically giggling when I have the excuse to lean on the gas to merge onto the highway. Once there, its incredibly quiet, 6th gear keeps the revs down, and handling is reliable and predictable. I got the non-sports (1.0) model and the ride is very comfy. This car is great. Its got the original tires which arent great in snow, but theyre not bad either. Mileage depends on how you drive (duh). I can push it some and still get the 20 mpg the EPA promises. Ive only had it for 1000 miles; Im infatuated.

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  Great car... highly underated - 2002 Volvo S40
  By volvofan - January 21 - 10:00 am

  Great car... just bought it a week ago and its amazing. The engine seems it can handle a lot more than just 160 hp. It accelerates like a dream.

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  My dream car - 2006 Volvo XC90
  By Denise - January 20 - 10:24 pm

  Easy to maintain. Safest car Ive ever own.

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  I Love This Car - 2008 Volvo XC90
  By Laura - January 19 - 12:26 pm

  I got this car mostly because I needed a change from my previous black MDX and black RX300. I got the passion red V8 Sport because it looked terrific and drove nicely on the test drive. I love this car because 2 months after I got it I was in a collision (head on with air bag deployment) with my two toddlers and elderly parents on the way to my daughters birthday party and we all walked away with a few minor bruises. The tow truck driver and police officers all said to me "thank God you were in a Volvo." The dealer made my car perfect again and I love it more than ever.

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  Five reasons to get a Volvo S60 2.5T fwd - 2004 Volvo S60
  By vooman - January 17 - 10:00 am

  1) The leather seats that come with the sport package are incredible. 2) The power of the car is right sized for the specific front wheel drive version. 3) The S60 receives a one rating in the five star ratin system with five being the worst, meaning that the Volvo S60 has the highest rating for maintaining the value of the car 4) Sleek and sporty looking but still a four dour sedan that makes the car very versatile 5) An incredible 8 speaker sound system and radio, even at the stock level. Volvo works very closely with Dolby Labs, Bose, Harman Industries, Nokia, Dynaudio, Alpine Electronics, and Mitsubishi Electronics.

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  2004.5 T5 - 2004 Volvo S40
  By bharkins - January 17 - 10:00 am

  I havent had this car for very long, but I love it. Its a really smooth and responsive ride. I got the sports package and the premium sound and Im really glad I got both. In particular, I find the aluminum to look much better than the fake wood. While there are a number of little things Id like to see added in this car, they are little. Overall, Im really impressed.