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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  Great Deal - 2002 Volvo S60
  By af - April 6 - 10:00 am

  First of all, the deal was great. 36 month lease, 1st month lease payment free, $2800. below MSRP, 0.34% interest rate! The car has been perfect for a rough New England winter. Only two minor problems. One was weird "service engine" messages from the message center which were untraceable and the other was an easily depleted battery with minimal radio use while engine off.

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  Test Drove the 2012 XC70 t6 - 2012 Volvo XC70
  By solarwinds - April 6 - 8:40 am

  XC70 t6 is a great looking solid vehicle... I test drove a 2012 t6 with 70K miles for about 40 minutes in city and highway... The MPG are not great but the power is smooth and it is a 4100 pound solid vehicle that you will hopefully be safe in. The seats and interior and features are fantastic better than a BMW, Audi, or MB. At this point it is either a MB wagon, XC70 t6, Subaru Out Back... I wont get a BMW wagon because of the RFT. I just dont see a utility vehicle or people mover not having a spare tire... The MB no off road... So its going to be an t6 or an Out Back. I would recommend a XC70 t6 it a very solid machine...

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  Magic Blue R-Design for the Road - 2011 Volvo XC90
  By akbrant - April 4 - 7:08 pm

  I traded my 2011 XC70 for this 2011 XC90 in March 2011 for a road trip from Alaska to Texas on to California and back to Alaska. I put 13,000 miles on this baby in 30 days. I have never had a vehicle cradle me on a long rip like this one. I drove many 600-800 mile days and had not one ache or pain at the end of the day. The OEM Perrelli tires sucked, and I put Continental AWD Contacts on and it is luxury personified. The NAV is clunky, but I got used to it as the days went on. I have to leave the NAV on or the backup camera would never get used as it takes too long to rise up. It is sad I gave up newer technology in the XC70, but ergonomically the XC90 is much better for a tall guys.

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  Volvo...Out of the Box - 2006 Volvo S40
  By JP - April 4 - 11:46 am

  What a fantastic vehicle. I was not in the market for a new car when I test drove this Volvo for Volvos national Charity Event for "Alexs Lemonade Stand." (Dealer donated 20-bucks for a test drive) I bought it the next day. Sporty, fast, handles like a dream...and garners a lot of looks. It is different from all other comparable sports sedans. Nicer and faster then a co-workers 06 Mercedes C-class...he was impressed at the speed! I LOVE driving this car!!! I love looking at when it is sitting still!

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  Loving The Sun - 2008 Volvo C70
  By Willy - April 4 - 9:30 am

  Overall, I love the car. Ride is smooth, power is more than adequate and handling is nimble. The beefed up Dynaudio Sound System is expensive, but AWESOME! The design of the system lets you totally enjoy the stereo even with the top down. Just wish my model came with iPod Dock. Interior is very comfortable and quiet, though not overly spacious. Theres plenty to love here, with a few minor annoyances: no iDock, the trunk cowl (required to be snapped down before lowering the top) could seat more securely, some dont like the back massage given by the big subwoofers behind the back seats, BLIS trips out occasionally.

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  Best SUV, most awarded large SUV for a reason - 2018 Volvo XC90
  By Andy - April 4 - 12:58 am

  On top of reviewing the car itself, I will also provide quick a review on the brands Oversea Delivery program (OSD). First, about the vehicle itself, one of the best 7-seater SUVs on the market. In its class, the only competitor is Audi Q7. And to configure the Audi Q7 with similar equipment including full digital dashboard, semi-autonomous pilot assist feature, upgraded interior and sound systems, heads up display and others, the Q7 will run at least $5-8K more. So in terms of value alone, XC90 is a more sensible selection. I realize that even with the XC90 and in the R-Design trim that I have, it costs more than $71K out-the-door, so to some shoppers the value isnt the most important aspect of the decision making process. Then lets take a look at the various tangible advantages that XC90 offers aside from pricing. First and foremost, the interior of the XC90 is in a class of its own. The upgraded contour seats are just amazing. It truly provides the best comfort in any car money can buy. Next, the center console design is fantastic with the large touchscreen interface. The only thing that can compare to it is the even larger and better panel in the Tesla Model X. Some reviewers on youtube still prefer the button and joystick controls in the Q7 or X5, but I think it is just the matter of accepting a change. After using the XC90 touchscreen interface for about a week, I found it very intuitive and it responds very quickly. I dont understand some of the comments which claim that using touchscreen during driving is more distracting. The fact is, no matter which systems you use, the driver still has to scroll through numerous menus either with a mouse pad (ie: Lexus) or a i-drive type joystick (ie: Audi/BMW), and they are all distracting. I found that the touchscreen on the XC90 at least offers huge icon for most features and all you need to do is to swipe left and right between two large menus. To me, it really cannot get any simpler after one week of getting familiarizing of the system. By contrast, I found the concept of a retractable infotainment screen in the Q7 is very out of date. A retractable screen like that has been a thing in the past since the late-2000 Cadillac CTS. The final point about XC90 interior is the fit and finish. Every single piece of the interior materials is top notch and the simplistic Scandinavian design is great. However, the cabin is not the most quiet for a car in this price range. It is definitely not as tranquil as the cabin of a Mercedes. Now, the second part of the review is about the OSD program. I did it when I placed the order with Volvo. With the OSD, there is no negotiation on prices, everything is ordered per the price list. The listed prices for the car and options are only slightly, if any, lower than MSRP. The kicker is that OSD waives the destination charge, which saves $995 automatically. In addition to that, Volvo provides 2 round trip tickets from any where in the USA to Gothenborg, Sweden and a night of hotel for you to travel to the factory and pick up your own car. You may drive your own car through Europe up to 6 months and Volvo even covers the cost of your insurance up for 15 days. And when youre done with the self-driving tour, you return the car to one of the designated locations and they will ship the car to your local dealership in the USA with no additional shipping charge. So buying a car and getting a free trip to Sweden, why not? I particular like this shopping experience because there is no haggling. I know what I am going to order and how much Im going to pay exactly. I get to tour the Volvo factory and drive my own car to see a part of Europe where I dont visit very often. Such a great way to buy a car.

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  A lot of car - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By crabby hayes - April 2 - 7:38 pm

  For as big as this car is, it handles surprisingly well. That said, I had planned on getting something smaller, but the ride comfort and technology (especially the great center display and fewer buttons) won me over. It is bigger than the Highlander it replaced, so my wife and I are still parking in the back corner of the mall parking lot - afraid to get too close to anything that might scratch our new car. It is great onthe open road, but a bit too much around town, My wife and I are still learning the new technology, which is a bit intimidating to a non-technophile. My wife couldnt figure out how to turn off the radio the other day, and needed to recruit a youngster to help (you just turn the volume down until you see the "x" - oh well.

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  Gr8 S-80 - 2009 Volvo S80
  By frls1 - April 2 - 6:39 am

  My 3rd Volvo S-60x2 now S-80. I love volvos always have and will. I bought this one used from City Auto in Memphis. No complaints what so ever. Sturdy Dependable, sleek, comfortable.....Good gas mileage, Reasonable maintenance. If you need a good Volvo mechanic in Memphis TN call Swedish Solutions, he specializes in only Volvo.....Love the car wouldnt trade it for anything except another Volvo.

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  Good until 90k - 1998 Volvo S70
  By Glen - April 2 - 4:13 am

  The following have required replacement/repair in the last 10k miles. Three AC modules. Power steering harness, ABS module, Struts, Shocks, Power radio antenna, power door locks, Power seat does not work properly. To this point the engine and transmission have been solid. The bottom line is $4,000 worth of repairs for a car that had been reliable but has turned into a money pit of repairs. If you have one sell it before you put too much mileage on it.

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  Youll love it..... - 1999 Volvo S80
  By MirrorShine - April 1 - 10:00 am

  Ive now had my 1999 S80 T6 for about three years. I bought it used with about 18,000 miles on it. I now have a little over 65,000 miles on it. All I can say is I love it. I bought it for myself (wife has a Mercedes CLK) bbut shes always fighting for the T6. She complains primarily about the seats in the Mercedes and also its too tight inside. The seats in our T6 are absolutely the finest. Its also very spacious, great looking, very dependable, and sooooo FAST! Only repair Ive had was a clip that was loose for a light (under warranty). Other than that, completely trouble free. A superb car for the price!