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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  Part Luxury, Part Touring, Part Sleeper - 1996 Volvo 850
  By AutoX47 - March 4 - 10:00 am

  I have previously had a mazda rx7 and a performance-oriented moddified blazer and this "brick" (nickname for volvos) is turning out to be my favorite out of the three on the street. Its sporty yet street suspension is fun while still comfortable and its turbocharged strait5 has a lot of potential and Ive found it to be quite reliable. Im currently running 300 horsepower w/ just a chip and ported cylinder heads and havent had any problems with the stock transmission not to mention the rest of the wonderfully engineered swedish touring car. The heated leather and premium sound are also very nice and so is the wood trim.

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  Sounding Off! - 2012 Volvo S60
  By Robert Pagano - March 2 - 10:16 am

  Bought this S60 AWD new. Absolutely love the handling and ride..good gas mileage and safety features. Cannot stand the center console sound system. Have had it replaced once and it still doesnt work. AM reception - lousy at best. The entire system, including the phone, just shuts down at random. Push FM button and get AM or nothing. Push phone button and get radio. Have complained and been told as recently as two weeks ago that they had to replace the system for the newer models because the 12s thru 14s were so bad. Leather seats also wore out after 20K miles

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  What a blast - 2002 Volvo S60
  By kevingh - March 1 - 5:36 am

  This car is absolutely FUN to drive. Very plush and elegant interior. Too many safety and convenience features to mention. This car really hugs the track as well. I was disappointed with the 2.4 (not enough "get up and go") but the 2.4T is perfect around town or out on the interstate. The 17" wheelse really sets this vehicle off. I cant wait to have to drive places now.

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  Well pleased - 2008 Volvo V70
  By Mike - March 1 - 1:20 am

  This car is what you would expect from Volvo. Understated performance, design with good handling. This is my second Volvo wagon, previous 240. I love the wagon for the car ride with the hauling of a suv. Pleased with fuel economy. I commute 70 miles round trip daily on interstates and average 26 mpg.

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  The very best and safe to boot - 2004 Volvo XC70
  By mta - February 28 - 10:00 am

  Only bad feature is radio. It would be nice if the car had the option of a high pressure turbo.

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  Love It! - 2004 Volvo S80
  By blaschke - February 28 - 10:00 am

  Shifts for automatic to manual smoothly, very intelligent car -- will adjust to multiple drivers to get the max mileage, air sensing is a God-send for those traveling near dairies, presently 23.4 combined gas mileage -- primarily city driving, responsive steering, corners well, does not have a small turning radius like my 245, on-call speaker in driver headrest,

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  Rust Proofing - 2007 Volvo V50
  By Kathy - February 27 - 3:36 am

  My Second Volvo New , My Forth New Car ! Insurance Rep , Claims Safe , Safe, Safe That says It all ! Easy to get into and out of Traffic !

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  Volvo Lover - 2006 Volvo S60
  By Annette Ferrell - February 26 - 2:56 am

  I searched many months for a car and my decision came down to the Volvo and the Acura TL. I love this Volvo - its quick, FUN to drive, yet has a feeling of sophistication and sexy! This car feels like its floating on the road - watch your speedometer - youll be at 90 mph before you know it. This car is comfortable and well appointed. Leg room in the back is a little tight, but I rarely have rear passengers so no problem. I drive about 80% highway and consistently get 27-28 mpg.

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  Volvo T6 AWD - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By Mac and Marti - February 23 - 7:10 am

  To date have had a great experience with the car. Also had same with dealership. Excellant service with NO pressure. Also made very favorable deal.

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  2004 XC90 T6 AWD - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By pcassell - February 22 - 10:00 am

  Waited months for the new 2004 to come in to the dealership but it was worth the wait. This car is extremly comfortable and fun to drive. I think its sharper looking than the BMW and has more interior space. Another big plus is that you dont see these cars on every street corner.