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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  Luv My Car - 2005 Volvo V50
  By LvnMycar - June 2 - 4:20 am

  I am enjoying my car. My last car was a new convertable (too small) then before it a SUV. This car gives me lots of room and sporty so it does not feel like a "Mom wagon." I have the upgrade sound system which I love and the sports package! It has a smooth drive and comfortable on long trips.

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  last rwd Great volvo - 1997 Volvo 960
  By fjr - June 1 - 2:00 am

  Ive been driving volvos for 17 yrs & would not trade this world class luxury sports sedan for all the tea in china. I just surpassed 150,000 trouble free miles. By far the best value in the rwd euro segment compared to the mb E320, bmw528, lexusGS300. Too bad volvo dropped the ball & quit building rwd cars... they lost a large segment of their customers because of it.

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  fun to drive, but only when it works! - 2000 Volvo V70
  By drj20 - June 1 - 2:00 am

  The car is not that old and I have had to replace, as far as I can tell, everything. The turbo (!), the brakes, the catalytic converter, and lots of things with mysterious names and big price tags. I think the car is really fun to drive and it is the most comfortble car in the world. I also think whoever designed and built it was having a bad day. As much as I love the car when it is working, I would say that this is a car to stay away from.

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  Excellent Performance and Build Quality - 2004 Volvo S60
  By Leo - Rochester, MI - June 1 - 2:00 am

  Ive gotten the car for about a month and only can say Im very happy with the performance and brinsky acceleration of the car. The engine is very strong and feels much bigger due to the high low end torque. No turbo lag experienced even when loaded in stop and go city driving. The powerful response at higher speeds is simply unmatched for sedans of its class. No torque steering and perfect handling at all conditions. Fuel mileage can hurt when driven at high performance mode. Marvelous brakes and tight feeling manual transmission.

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  Such a great car! - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By lapidusa - May 31 - 5:26 pm

  I was hesitant to get what I thought was a pretty fancy car, but it was such a good purchase. The car really is many things all at once. It drives like a sports car even with a 5 cylinder engine. It packs gear like a big car yet is not a tremendous SUV. It handles sketchy terrain well yet hums down the highway very politely. The interior is thoughtful and well crafted. And on top of that, it really seems to make some conscious effort to be a thoughtful car (ultra low emmision engine, safety features for both occupants and pedestrians). Luxurious without being offensive. Not a single problem mechanically.

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  Volvo didnt stand behind the car - 1996 Volvo 850
  By CraigJ - May 30 - 2:00 am

  AC died while still under warranty, they "fixed" and it died again after two months use. Turned out to be a design flaw due to new refrigerants, evap rotted from inside out. Dealer and Volvo refused to defray any cost whatsoever, cost me $1300. NEVER AGAIN...

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  Great Car - 2005 Volvo S80
  By Richard L. Turner - May 29 - 6:23 pm

  My Volvo S80 is a very comfortable car to drive. The neck and back support are the best I have ever had in a car. I can fold the back seats down for transporting goods and groceries. The car has a great pickup at about 270 horsepower. I own three volvos and will stick with volvo as I feel they are one of the safest cars on the road as well as being powerful and comfortable. The outside style has dramatically improved since the old box shaped volvos. I cant ask for a better car. The service dept. at West County Volvo has always been friendly and efficient. Proud to say I dont have to take my volvo in very often.

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  Great Compromise - 2010 Volvo XC70
  By Mark - May 29 - 2:00 am

  Replaced Volvo S60 T5 (250 hp) and Lexus LX-450 (inline 6 at 218 hp) with 2010 XC70 T6. Key features: rear seat that folds into flat floor for transporting dogs, drivers seat I can sit in for an hour without my back hurting (sadly the reason I couldnt go with Audi), acceptable performance with 281 hp engine, nice mix of luxury features like highway manners at 90 mph. Delivered on all of the above at what seemed like a very competitive price compared with functionally equivalent vehicles from other manufacturers. Biggest drawback is having to refill gas tank so frequently.

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  Great car, but noisy? - 2006 Volvo C70
  By David Murphy - May 27 - 8:30 pm

  Love the C70-design,ride comfort, power. Agree that displays could be better. Mine however seems to be a noisy car. Maybe because I have not had a convertible in a long time. Heavy sounding rattles have been hard to isolate. Dealer replaced bearings on the struts. Recently seems to be noisy at the roof connections. Would not give it up but am a little disappointed at the noise.

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  Sorry to rate so poorly - 2000 Volvo V70
  By jaxroon - May 26 - 2:00 am

  We were very excited about our purchase, we both dreamed of owning a Volvo for years. Were we just unlucky or is this vehicle one of the most unreliable, poorly manufactured automobile ever made? Constant sensor issues (each sensor cost approx. $500. New Tranny after 35,000 miles. Bulbs constantly blowing, electrical problems, a new angle gear ($2500) after $85,000 miles. Software upgrade for the new tranny after 2 yrs, and the list goes on and on...this car must have cost us $10K in repairs, towing and scheduled maintenance for the 4 years we have owned it. Just a warning folks!