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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  Not a reliable VOLVO - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By Yu - July 3 - 8:01 pm

  Updated review: the car wat sent to dealer many times because the start/stop function did not work. It has not been fixed. Every time the dealer charged up the battery and it worked for a day or two. Volvo simply just looked at the check code and concluded there was nothing wrong. After many frustrations, I just gave up as I do not particularly like the start/stop feature. Bought the car because of Volvos safety and reliability reputation. Nice looking car and drives great. But still I would say Do Not Buy. Owned XC90 for about 9 months. It went to shop for three times due to unknown battery draining issues commonly seen by many XC90 owners. So far the issue seems have been fixed but I heard many other owners still have the problem. Stop/start almost never worked. Dealer said nothing can be found regarding to this. Received three safety recalls on the car in 6 months. All small but annoying issues. Volvo made a bold redesign on XC90 but this one failed.

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  Great Car/Terrible Mileage - 2008 Volvo XC90
  By Chris - July 3 - 2:20 am

  My wife has always wanted the XC90, so we took the plunge when the lease on our Pathfinder was up. Its a beautiful car, and weve owned Volvos all along growing up. From a comfort standpoint, the car is top notch. More interior room than the Pathfinder. Powerful stereo system. It was good to get the familiar Volvo safety Ive been used to over the years. Only problem, the gas mileage is horrible. Were aveaging 14.8. But hey, what do you expect for a car that is "dripping" in safety features, thats more important Also, had to drop some paperwork at the dealership one day and something punctured my tire as I was driving out, they reimbursed me for the new tire!

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  Still Great After 75 Thousand Miles - 2004 Volvo S60
  By KPboy - July 1 - 1:50 pm

  I got this S60 hoping it would be reliable, and it hasnt let me down. Year after year it has been problem free. After almost 6 full years of service, it has been the best car I have ever owned. I even live in a mountainous region with constant hill driving and braking, and the S60 manages quite nicely. The only money I have spent on this car since purchase has been for the regular maintenance intervals. If you are looking for something rock solid when it comes to safety and reliability, then this one is the absolute best. I would know, ive had 2 benzes, a BMW and an Audi. This one impresses me more than any of those.

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  Great Ride - 2006 Volvo C70
  By atlfan - July 1 - 3:43 am

  Its like being on vacation every time I get behind the wheel. The top is an amazing piece of engineering. The car is very well built, and drives extremely smoothly.

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  Great Car! - 2007 Volvo S80
  By Volvo Yahoo - July 1 - 12:33 am

  This is my second S80, first was a 2000. The 2007 is a great car and very comfortable. No one beats Volvo seats, friends even comment on it. Love the way it rides, handles, style. Still have the first S80. I hope this is as good as the first car has been.

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  Volvo S60 - 2005 Volvo S60
  By Lou - June 30 - 7:20 pm

  This is my second S60 and I like this one as well as my first one. It is a very comfortable car to drive, well built, and handles nicely. The s60 is the best car Ive ever had.

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  swede is in - 2004 Volvo S60
  By rpaecm - June 30 - 10:00 am

  volvo - best value, who needs german performance? are we driving on a track. comfort, economy, value at 65% of the price

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  AWESOME CAR - 2004 Volvo S40
  By s40t5 - June 30 - 10:00 am

  I just recently recieved the s4o t5 for my highschool graduation... its def. well worth the little bit of money and its an awesome car to drive!

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  Awesome Car at a Great Price - 2004 Volvo S40
  By James Powers - June 30 - 10:00 am

  I have the 2004.5 S40 2.4i with Premium Package/Sound, Convenience. I chose the 2.4i because I didnt feel the T5 was $3K faster, meaning the 2.4i has some good enough zip for me. As most others have written, you are saving quite a few bucks when choosing the S40 over the TSX, A4 or C230. I came down to the Acura TSX and the S40. I paid about $2K less, understanding the great reliability history of Acura. At the end of the day I felt Acura is a small Accord with a sport package. As for the A4 and C230, both were great cars but were about $5K more. I would not have considered the old S40 nor the current S60, but the new 2004.5 S40) is a solid car!

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  Carl Moore Houston #2 Review - 2007 Volvo V70
  By Carl Moore Houston - June 29 - 5:53 pm

  My first review was Oct 2007. Since then the V70 has 19,000 miles on it - low mileage. The door locks have gone crazy opening and closing at random and that was fixed. The main problem I have had is with rust buildup on the brake rotors and pads which cause wheel shimmy when braking. At first Volvo refused to cover under warranty citing normal wear and tear. Cost- almost $1000. After complaining to main office NJ, they agreed to cover the rotors but not the pads (all 4 wheels). Ridiculous. Thats still $450. I have never had this problem in 47 years. I would never recommend to anyone to buy a new Volvo - they used to be really great cars when they were 4 cylinder cars. I still have 2 940s.