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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  Pretty decent car! - 1999 Volvo V70
  By jb99v70 - February 24 - 4:30 am

  Bought this car in January and its been a pleasure to own. I got it VERY cheap, and all I had to do was put new tires on it and about $700 worth of suspension work. Other than that the car has been pretty much trouble free. No break downs. Check engine light pops up about once a week. But usually goes away. Drivers door window pack isnt working right. A/C works when it wants to. One door doesnt lock and the car seems to think one door is open always. So just removed dinger and light fuses. Tailgate panel still makes noise even with new clips. A couple creaks and rattles. Gas mileage is pretty bad for a wagon. About 14 city 25 highway. But it has been a decent car for the price.

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  Transmission issue - 2004 Volvo V40
  By logiclane - February 21 - 1:20 pm

  I have 37,000 miles on mine, and it has been a great car for highway travel. I too have had the transmission hangup issue, which the dealer was able to diagnose and replace the shift control unit under warranty. I drive on the highway quite a bit, and like the solid, heavy feel of the car without it driving like a tank.

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  Time for something different... - 2000 Volvo S80
  By pamandbrad - February 20 - 10:00 am

  On the plus side, very comfortable vehicle inside, also great looks. Unfortunately, many trips to service dept after only 24k miles for suspension/electrical/ problems mostly. Unacceptable for a 40k+ automobile. I think Ill go back to Japanese cars next.

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  great! - 2002 Volvo V40
  By mel_e - February 20 - 12:26 am

  My car has 114K miles and still runs great. It definately burns through headlights as other reviewers have noted. I had some electrical? issues a short time ago, my mechanic thought there may have been a recall but the volvo mechanics said not. The dealership mechanics are the problem. apparently I needed new sparkplugs and the head gaskets cleaned. I think they just didnt want to reimburse me for the THREE sensors that needed to be replaced within one month of each other, if its an electrical issue theyre supposed to refund your money. Regardless, I love my V40. Also, when i got it i got 32 mpg. after disconnecting the computer, it now gets 26+ but i drive more in town now so...

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  I expected more reliability for $45K - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By Dan - February 16 - 10:23 am

  Within 1 month of purchase I returned from a week long business trip and was stranded at the airport (PA in January) as my new XC90 would not start. Actually I had to use my key (in the door) to open the vehicle as my brand new $45K XC90s battery was dead. Dead enough that the remote opener would even work. The dealer (Large Volvo dealer in Wilkes-Barre) attempted to repair the problem 3 times without success. When this occurred the fourth time I began looking into the Lemon Law. So that is where I am at today. I have a $45K SUV that I do like driving, as long as I dont park it for more than 5 days, because then I cant drive it without a jump start. Today my drivers power seat did not work

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  Its good - 2005 Volvo V50
  By dennisoco - February 16 - 12:59 am

  I always read reviews befour I buy a vehicle except I bought this drove it for 9 years then read the reviews to see what people are complaining about.You will never get used to the complicated heating defroster buttons and lights and so forth,Should have kept it simple.But it is a realy good car.But to be real hnest the only real problem after 185 thousand K.M. is the or was the release for the open the tailgate,The repair only worked til warrenty ran out so I paid a mechanic to put in an actual hardwire with pushbutton to open the hatch.Cant trust the electronic key fob to open it and what good is a station wagan if the tailgate dont open.New axles are 700$ or 115$ shop around.cross border

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  Money pit - 2000 Volvo V70
  By depressed - February 12 - 3:43 pm

  We bought this car 3 months ago and its already in the shop with a blown head gasket (the major problem) and a leaking AWD box, total cost to get our car back is $3,100.00 if they dont find anything else wrong. None of the local import mehcanics could fix the head gasket so we had to have it towed to the nearest Volvo dealership 90 miles away. As soon as we get the car back its getting traded in. Apparently when they get near 100,000 they are no longer dependable and Ive been told to expect between 1,500.00 and 2,500.00 for every repair. Its not worth it. Our passenger side window doesnt work either.

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  I will keep it forever - 1998 Volvo S70
  By ShortCircuit - February 9 - 3:06 am

  This is my 3rd Volvo and its buy far the best to date!! I will always own and drive volvos. The stereo is fantastic and the fuel economy is brilliant. I dont like how the check engine light comes on all the time and im sick of taking it in for decoding so i now just ignore it. Its unbreakable and the engine loves to rev. 350,000 km and still going strong. Lack of cup holders in Aus delivered S70s. VALUE FOR MONEY!!! I love you my Volvo! xx

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  Good car but... - 2005 Volvo S40
  By letodo - February 9 - 2:12 am

  Safety- big win here- got swiped by a Lexus LX trying to get into my lane- nothing but a tiny scratch. Rear ended by a Honda- the front bumper of the Honda was torn off but I only had a small scratch. Performance- no, it is not a BMW 3 series but it does 80% of what the BMW does for $10,000 less (compared with same options). Ride is a bit harsh. Reliability- flawless since I got it... until recently. Ignition switch, engine motor mount, engine speed sensor all failed at once. Parasitic draw from trunk wiring 2 months prior to that. Running costs- expensive (more on that below)

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  Got a good one - 1996 Volvo 850
  By T-luv - February 8 - 2:00 am

  We bought this car in 99 with 57k on it. Now has 150k miles. Had all of the normal problems (brakes, cam sensors, squeaks in dash, bulb burnout, etc.) but these have all been relatively minor. I can never understand why folks take their cars to the dealers for service and get ripped off - find someone else! I fix most things myself so costs have been rather low. Its a solid car that we got for my wife to be safe in. Will probably sell it next year but overall it has been a decent car and well miss it. Probably the best student car out there (safe, durable, not too powerful).