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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  Amazing SUV for its price - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By Hpc112 - November 22 - 5:09 pm

  Coming from a BMW X3 this car has so many more safety and luxury features at the same price SUV. Not to mention its much larger and much peppier engine. My wife and myself also looked at the BMW X5 and mb gle and Audi Q7. We found x5 to be very expensive and the BMW dealer by us has a horrible service department, but the SUV drove nicely and interior was nice but very similar to the Volvo but 8,700 more for comperable equipment. The gle was a bit small and no third row, transmission was a bit rough when passing. The q7 was very out dated, no technology features, no safety features, worst fuel economy, we have no idea how it was rated so highly, it felt like it was a decade behind the others. We also looked at the Range Rover sport, this was a very nice SUV but over budget about 24,000 more than the Volvo. When looking at the Volvo make sure you drive both regular motors we found the base t5 to be under powered and nosy. But for a few grand more the t6 engine is very quick and the transmission reacts much smoother than my Mercedes Benz e350. The only compliant I have is the fuel economy is not as good as stated more like 20-21 mpg average with about 60 percent highway. But I think the claim high fuel economy is in Eco mode only so comfort or high performance get worse economy, at least it takes regular fuel. I definitely recommend the active cruise control and cornering head lights both are great options and the kids love the very large sunroof. The iPad interface takes some time to get used to, but everything is voice command also and the dash board also cam be customized to view whatever you want. If you send some time with it everthing including changing its colors are customizable, maybe a bit too much. I wish the auto on off would stay on the last setting used like most European cars instead of turning back on each time you turn the car on and you need to flip to a second screen to turn it, just not ideal. The seats are very nice and designed to mold very well to your body, much more comfortable than my Benz or wifes old x3. Overall I have been very impressed and would consider the up coming 90 sedan over replacing the E class with another E class if the features and ride are the same for less the was the xc90 is.

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  850,S70,S60 whats next? - 2004 Volvo S60
  By tmorgan4 - November 22 - 2:16 pm

  Ive had the 850, S70 and now the S60 and this is probably the best car ive ever driven. Great on gas mileage,probably the most seductive sedan on the market and fun to drive. Pound for pound this might be the best european sedan on the market! I love everything about it, I cant even imagine what the next generation s60 will be like.

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  Volvo S60 - 2006 Volvo S60
  By dlester6909 - November 19 - 7:33 am

  Best car I have ever had. Its very responsive and agile. The smooth drive is what I expected from a midsized luxury sedan. The power from this 2.5 must not to be overlooked. I would encourage all to just take a test drive to see what I mean.

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  I like this car - 2008 Volvo XC70
  By NYPAULY - November 17 - 4:13 pm

  I bought a new XC70 in April, so I havent had a chance to test it in snow and ice. I do a mix of city and highway driving and have averaged 24 MPG. The car handles well and is nice to drive, although I find the transmission hunting for gears sometimes. I had heard that the transmission is adaptive so that this may stablilize once it adjusts to my driving style.

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  Great car - 2004 Volvo S60
  By Davenick - November 16 - 10:00 am

  Great all around car. Extremely versitile, practical, safe and great to drive. Feels and drives solidly/

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  Whats with the whining? Awesome Car! - 2001 Volvo V70
  By Hi Speed Kid Hauler - November 16 - 10:00 am

  Replaced 92 945T with over 226K + original turbo......this car ROCKS! Fast, luxurious, SAFE, great mileage, and hauls 2 toddlers, the two big dogs qucikly, in comfort. Factory stereo jams. OK, I had ONE bulb replaced (theyre FREE so what?). NO other problems whatsoever and I drive fast, cruise at 80 mph get 25 mpg....These other people whining about tires lasting 20K (Z rated 17 inch, what do you want, they handle great), sidewall bubbles are caused by bashing into objects with too low air pressure (try 38 psi all around), maintenance costs are cheap, Mobil 1 oil change every 5K...love our car!

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  Best in class - 2008 Volvo XC90
  By nicolo - November 15 - 4:16 am

  The CX90 is in a class by itself. I drove the 08 MDX (Ive owned two), but the V-6 labors, its still only a five speed, the ride is harsh, and the wind and road noise are too high. The BMW X-3 is a teetering joke, the X-5 3.0 is underpowered, the 4.4 overpriced, besides which the controls are needlessly quirky, the navigation screen miniscule, and the leather looks and feels like 2nd rate plastic. How do they sell those things? The Volvo leather on my premium is sumptuous, the materials and design are great, and the ride responsive but quiet with no wind noise. In short, Its a great ride. And the lease was the same as the the MDX for a car that stickers for 10k more.

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  Well worth the money &everything is well designed! - 2016 Volvo XC60
  By Scott - November 14 - 10:48 am

  I shopped around for months. First of all, dont be afraid to internet shop outside of your geographic area. I bought mine 300+ miles away and got an extraordinary deal on exactly the car I wanted. Otherwise, I am very pleased with the car--everything is well thought out, intuitive, and the car is a true pleasure. I opted for the platinum/BLIS/heated seats etc. pkgs. and all of the added safety features are amazing. The workmanship, build quality and thoughtfulness of design shows here. Frankly, I havent had anything to criticize or second guess. I would suggest that u drive several models to find the right engine, AWD v. FWD etc before choosing. The combo I chose emphasizes a more cushy ride which is what I was seeking. Remember, that you have the option of getting 19 or 20 inch tires. I stuck with the 18s and no complaints although some may find this model not "sporty" enough. I did rent an AWD while in Canada for a week, and found that model to be faster and sportier. The choice is yours! Also, I chose the base engine and it is more than adequate and zippy.

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  Love the new XC90! - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By Hemant Saraf - November 12 - 6:07 pm

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  Great car - 2005 Volvo S40
  By Luis Rivera - November 12 - 5:21 pm

  I own this car since new, in my country is not easy to find european cars in manual transmission. Since I bouth found it great for similar market. The service in my country is not the best, but I have good mechanics.