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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  5,060 Miles of S80 in Europe - 2007 Volvo S80
  By Werner Koczian - February 22 - 4:36 am

  Used Volvos superb overseas delivery program. Drove car in Europe for two months from Sweden through France, to Monaco and back through Italy, Austria, Germany, and Denmark back to factory for home shipment. Excellent performance including almost 25 mpg fuel economy. Car was a joy to drive in the Alps as well as the Autobahns. In small towns and crowded metro areas, this is definitely a big car. But its size gets respect on the Autobahn as smaller cars yield to this big Swede.

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  150k miles and counting!! - 2007 Volvo S60
  By Christian - February 21 - 6:51 am

  I bought my 2007 Volvo S60 R used at 85k miles. It now has over 150k miles on it! In this time I have not had one problem with the car. Its given a scheduled oil change every 5k miles, and had its 120k mile regular maintenance. I do take very good care of my car, however, I enjoy having fun in it as well. With the DTSC system combined with AWD, the back country roads couldnt be more fun. This was my first car, and have had it since I was 16, so Im sure you can guess the limits Ive pushed this car to... None the less, it has held up better than I couldve imagined. I recently took the car for a full 130 point inspection and it passed every single one. My mechanic doesnt doubt if Ill see 300k miles with this car. With all the good, I will have to complain about the turn radius, as its about the same as truck. All in all its a great car, I look forward to the life of this car and the other Volvos I will be purchasing.

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  Quality Assurance Inspector 18 Yrs. - 2007 Volvo V50
  By Dan - February 20 - 8:46 pm

  The Is My Seventh Volvo, Most of My Volvo were Used , But always got Good Resale and Trade In. I bought My First One as a College Student on Easter Break in Fla. 122S Cream White with Red and White Interior 4 Sp ,144 , 244 , 245, 242 GL 4 sp-elec. OD - New ,Big Brakes 2001 V40 New , K&N , Cool Stat ,Drilled Rotors Speical Pads, NGK Iridiums 2007 V50 New, K&N, Still Breakin In Motor ! Seems Like It is Rally Sport Set Up ! The Aero-Dynmaics Could be a little Better - Didnt - get that Opt. Package 6 Spd is a Blast,Makes Smiles per Mile ! I Wish Volvo Would do Better Aero under Trunk Rear Aera , allowing a Spot Spoiler Lower Air Exit. All in all The Volvo is Great. Danny

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  Nice Ride - 2005 Volvo V50
  By sean & patti - February 20 - 1:13 pm

  My wife and I have been driving our new V50 for a little over a month now and have put on 1200 miles. Its definitely a fun car to drive. The cockpit is designed well with all knobs and buttons in easy reach. We ordered the 17" wheels and love the look they add to the car. It surprises our friends when we stomp on the gas. There is definitely enough power coming out of the engine to satisfy. I would recommend this car to anyone looking for a small wagon.

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  Great used car. - 2000 Volvo V70
  By cat5fred - February 20 - 10:00 am

  Bought this car used with 113k miles in 2006. Soon after purchasing the check engine light came up, we had it fixed ($700) and ran without problems for about 3 years. In the meantime, we went places, off-road, from TN to FL, etc. Very reliable car, seats are the best in the industry. Cargo space adequate. Even today (10/16/2010) it provides a very smooth ride. The service light is back on, but the codes returned are safe to ignore (fuel condenser system, est. repair cost 2k). Great, dependable car, electrical system, specially the A/C, warning lights could have been designed better.

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  the ultimate sleeper - 1996 Volvo 850
  By volvoville - February 20 - 10:00 am

  I bought mine from a coworker 2 years ago with 137000 miles on it..after tune up, replacing oil trap and new set of tires, now i own extremely reliable and fun car to drive..never gave me any problems, and i run 13 pounds of boost all day long via mbc..very fast..

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  Its G-RRRRRR-EAT - 2006 Volvo S60
  By Silver Bullet - February 18 - 10:56 am

  Excellent value for the price. I would have liked to purchase more of the extras, but wanted an S60R now! After the test drive I lost sleep waiting to purchase. I would have purchased two, but opted to purchase a Dodge Charger SRT-8 as our "bigger" car. The sixth gear is an asset. The fuel economy is nice. We traded in our 2004 S60 and feel that the R version is heads and shoulders above the competition and other S60 models. The gauges are gorgeous!! The overall interior room could be a bit bigger (this is my one and only negative point). But the size is just right for a small family. As you step into the car, an ambiance of complete safety surrounds you.

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  I lOve It - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By asdffg - February 16 - 2:00 am

  I love the new volvo xc 90 it is one of the most amazing cars i have ever bought. I am really glad I made this purchase!!

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  Excellent Road/City Car - 2000 Volvo S40
  By s40red - February 14 - 10:00 am

  Our S40 experience is quite good. The car really handles tight city driving with great maneuverability, and responsiveness, then on to the freeways with no problems. Its got solid handling, good in all types of weather Yeah, the check engine has come on sometimes when I started the engine, then goes off after awhile but nothing to obsess about and is being fixed by Volvo.

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  Great Car, Worth every penny - 2002 Volvo S60
  By Andria - February 14 - 5:00 am

  Mine was previously leased Volvo that I purchased from dealer. The car rides beautifully. It came with winter package, so it drives fantastic in snow. Wish it would take corners a little better, but I used to drive a sportscar before this one. When I purchased the car it had 47K miles on it. Within 3 years it now has 109K. No issues. The "check engine" light came on. It turned out it was the gas cap wasnt on tight enough. Hit a huge deer while driving the Oregon coast hwy doing 60MPH. The deer walked away and the car had some damage ($7k), but I was still able to drive it all the way to Las Vegas with no problems. Could barely feel the impact in the interior cabin. Volvo fan for life.