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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  Love This Car - And I am Picky! - 1996 Volvo 850
  By Ricardo - July 11 - 10:26 pm

  I love this car. Never thought I would even own a Volvo, let alone say I loved one. Keep them maintained and they will keep on going! Do a few modifications and these will not only get better gas mileage (30+ if you can keep your foot out of the turbo) but also blow the doors off of most cars out there.

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  Nice suv smooth ride - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By dan f - July 11 - 4:43 am

  It rides great and has nice power. Great room and comfort. Some interior defects like a door handle coming off and a broken seat stop. I have owned it one month - 4000 miles on it.

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  Still Going - 2005 Volvo V70
  By Mike - July 10 - 6:50 am

  I have had this V70 car for 92,000 miles. I still drives as new. Only repairs were to a frozen gear shift and head lights started to glaze but were replaced under warranty. Maintenance has been below normal, brake pads, oil, and flush fluids at normal intervals. Volvo dealer maintenance is less expensive than premium brands but I have spent four figures there at least twice. The result in keeping the car up is a 10 year driver, six years in it really shows no wear of any significance. My last Ford Explorer and Sable were well worn by now on the last go around. Wife has S60 same engine her car is bullet proof also. For people who want cars for longevity go with the base 5cyl eng.

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  Family car - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By FamilyMan - July 8 - 7:50 pm

  Great car and safety features are excellent. Family of 5 when we bought and now a family of 7 and still driving. We pack light, put a cargo holder on the roof and take off on the road.

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  Back to Volvo - 2010 Volvo V70
  By Max - July 8 - 1:40 pm

  It has been a few years since I owned a Volvo , but this 2010 V70 is a marvelous vehicle. Downsized a little from a Honda Pilot (great vehicle too). The size is perfect for our needs, and the gas mileage is good too for a car of this size and weight(>30mpg on the interstate). Very comfortable and quiet with a solid build quality. Had to order the car from the factory and while it took 3 months to arrive, it was worth the wait.

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  Volvo S40 LSE AS R - 2004 Volvo S40
  By Mr.Garza - July 8 - 2:00 am

  Overall a great car. Going to Grossinger Volvo in Lincolnwood, Illinois was a hassle, they have a terrible service center, and when we terminated a lease of a 2000 Toyota Camry XLE they lost the keys, manual to the car and never returned it on time(recieved bills from toyota). Great car for the money. It would have been better if they had told us about the new redesigned 2004.5 Volvo S40. The service is terrible they dont know the parts of the car, they dont know how to fix problems with the car(squeking noise when braking), and they dont know which car you own, last time they brought us the wrong car!!!Dont go to Grossinger!!!

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  Volvo Most Underrated........... - 2002 Volvo S60
  By kzoomn - July 6 - 11:20 pm

  A very good to excellent car with outstanding seating comfort. Has everything the luxury cars have except the high price. Above average gas mileage with satisfactory power. The best thing the S60 has going for it is its styling. You can alway find it in a parking lot as it doesnt resemble most of the other makes copycat cookie- cutter styling. Plan to keep it for at least 10 years as it will still look up-to-date............

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  Love my Volvo - 1998 Volvo S70
  By knickfan2 - July 6 - 10:00 am

  I bought the car because of Volvos reputation for safety. I ordered stick shift to get on the highway faster. Little did I know that it would perform so well and be so much fun to drive. I have maintained it with the dealer in Westport who has been nothing short of exceptional. The only recurrent problem I ever had was with the turn indicators. This was resolved through the replacement of a switch as part of a recall. At 50,000 miles it still drives like new. The only down side is that it has taken away the pleasure of getting to buy a new car after 4 years.

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  Smooth operator - 2010 Volvo XC60
  By Slobo Todorovic - July 6 - 3:16 am

  Car (AWD 3.2L) rides extremely smoothly and feels great in city and highway driving. Even though Volvo is known for making comfortable cars, this model has probably best combination of suspension, tires and seats. It is extremely comfortable and quiet. Base engine has enough power and it is fun to drive in snow and in mountains. Base sound system and blue tooth are excellent. We did not get model with factory- installed navigation system but any aftermarket system can be nicely mounted on dash. We enjoy this car very much after owning it for 6 months (8 k miles)and would recommend it. It has nicer exterior lines than any other Volvo and is very comfortable for whole family.

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  2005 Volvo XC70 - 2005 Volvo XC70
  By rtkcwhite - July 5 - 8:00 am

  The handling and comfort of this vehicle has surpassed our expectations. We traded a Suburban for this ride and we were worried about the reduced cargo space and to our suprise it packs vey nicely