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 car, performance could be better - 2003 Volvo XC90
  By Doug Reynolds - April 1 - 10:00 am

  The Volvo XC90 is an excellent package for a person who wants the performance and feel of a European sport sedan, but the versatility of a large SUV. This car feels light and nimble, but has variable performance. Sometimes there is a lag between 1st and 2nd gears. Braking is excellent. Ride and handling are very good. Engine is quiet. Gas mileage and range is poor. The car is well-engineered for versatility. Second row seating adjusts individually for all 3 seats. Center seat slides all the way forward. Third row is two independent seats which fold into the third row. Comfort and quality of materials is excellent. Dash layout is great.

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  2001 s40 - 2001 Volvo S40
  By sallie - April 1 - 10:00 am

  i test drove the bmw 3 series, the acura cl, and the audi a4. i chose the volvo because of the way it handled. i also felt as though the vehicle was more substantial--less glass and more metal.

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  love my volvo s60 AWD - 2002 Volvo S60
  By trusgold - April 1 - 10:00 am

  i am happy with this car. good stereo comfy seats good a/c

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  So far so good - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By merrickjjbp - April 1 - 10:00 am

  Great vehicle for a group; we had four kids and four adults on vacation. Drives like a luxuary car. Great interior finish. Why did it take 100 years for somebody to rethink the interiors ergonomics. Three rows have space and flexibility. Only downside is economy Overall, great vehicle

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  The R-evolution! - 2005 Volvo S60
  By Brian L - March 30 - 9:06 am

  After looking at the Audi A4, Bmw 3 series and Saab 9-5 I decided to go with the Volvo S60R and man was I right! This car handles like a dream, has great power off the line and the seats are unbelievable. My relatives all own Audis & BMWs and were extremely impressed when I let them test drive my "R". I had the car ordered from Sweden and it only took 4 weeks to be delivered. I recommend purchasing the "sport body kit" as it lowers the ground clearence for less wind resistance and also for a real sporty look. Ive only owned the car 1 month and had 10 people comment on the style. Whats best is many other European cars will not know what this car can do so let them try, then gas it!

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  Not Too Shabby - 2002 Volvo S80
  By GG - March 30 - 8:03 am

  Its comfortable, safe, plenty of cupholders, plenty of leg room, gorgeous interior. You cant really ask for much more as far as the interior goes. I love the heated seats in the winter. It handles nicely, and its pretty fast for what it is. Im not sure if Id go as far to say that its the best car Ive ever owned, but it is a beauty. Ive had some problems with the tail lights, when I shut the trunk theyll go out and I have to whack them a bit to get them back on. The winshield wiper fluid got disconnected, not sure why. I poured fluid in the resevoir and it just poured out onto the driveway. Car wont start if the gas gauge needle hits the red area.

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  Great Drive, Bad Car - 2001 Volvo S80
  By KJHOG92 - March 29 - 11:40 pm

  Ive had this car right after a transport company owned it for less than a year. Its great to drive, its slow, but steering feels great, control is unbelievable. Ive had this car up to 140 on the highway, was straight as an arrow, not even a vibration. Ive taken this car on exit ramps at 80 mph. The car just grips the road. And it is so comfortable. I just love that aspect of the car. But the problem is the car isnt built right. The Sunroof has been replaced twice and doesnt work anymore, my front window barely work, everything is plastic and is just falling apart. New Tranny at 99,000 and the engine has an oil problem. And it sucks the fuel. If you have deep pockets than its good.

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  2 Years W/ My XC90 2.5T AWD - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By Frank - March 27 - 4:23 pm

  I am just completing my 2nd year of ownership with my XC90. As others have mentioned it has spent some time in the shop and seems to be recalled every 6 months or so. The XC90 is a very safe SUV and has a vault like feel to it very similar to Mercedes Benz. My biggest issues are all the little things that go wrong with it. I am now replacing the chrome window trim on the driver’s side for the 3rd time. The design of this is so poor, it’s held to the window frame only with double stick tape. There is also a removable armrest/storage compartment that is starting to fall apart and Volvo is refusing to replace or repair it. A great service department is key to owning this vehicle.

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  STAY AWAY FROM THIS CAR!!! - 2004 Volvo S60
  By Vick M. - March 26 - 9:57 pm

  Reading the reviews on here, I cant believe my eyes. But then I see that most people raving about this car also say this is one of the only cars theyve ever owned, so that puts things into context. This is HORRIBLY EXPENSIVE AND UNRELIABLE CAR. Ill get into that in a little while, but let me list the pros and cons before I list all the reliability issues. Pros - Exterior has a classic, timeless look. Not unlike a similar year BMW 5 Series. - Luxury car with low resale value, inexpensive to buy - Great Handling on corners - Turbo Engine available with non-premium gas Cons - TURNING RADIUS IS THE WORST IVE EVER SEEN IN A SEDAN. - Horribly designed cabin. Cheap hard plastic at literally all of the places you rest your knees when you drive. (Door handle and side of middle gear shift console). - Small back window and poor visibility - Fuel Economy is crap. Its 19/27 and most of the 3 years I spent driving this car, I averaged sub 21 mpg. Its only recently with 90% highway driving that Im getting 24 mpg combined - Sound System and Speakers are lacking - Center console/dash is just ugly - Green interior lights give it a 1980s feel. My 03 Honda Accord Coupe had red and gray. Now for the REAL problem. I bought this used with 75K and am now at 120K. I made the decision early on not to put money into this vehicle unless it was for required maintenance Best decision Ive made as it has saved me over 10K in repairs in that time. - CD Player doesnt eject any CDs or take any CDs in. On/Off button is glitchy, and there is an electrical short somewhere in the car that Im 90 % sure is related to the non-working audio system. I havent used it AT ALL for the last 15K miles because it almost killed me, twice. - That electrical short, on TWO occasions, KNOCKED OUT THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER AND MY CAR FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO EXPLODE! I HAD TO PULL TO THE SIDE AND CALL TRIPLE AAA. I literally havent turned on stereo since because Im scared for my life when I drive this car. Both times the transmission shop said that nothing can be done because the short is ruining the transmission computer unless I want to spend hundreds of dollars to find the short. Better not to use the stereo at all. - The drivers side leather seat has completely ripped at both sides. The passengers side power window adjuster broke so now I cant use that window (the part is 300+) and the shocks on that side are messed up too. - There is rattling from 3 or 4 different areas and the window noise from the passengers side window is super loud. - The Fuel gauge is idiotic. 75-80% of your car fuel can be used and still be on half way and then the other half of your fuel gauge empties out incredibly quickly. This is a HORRIBLE car. I had a 03 Honda Accord coupe that was in a frontal collision and drove for 130K miles with absolutely no problems even coming close to the issues Ive had with this car. STAY AWAY.

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  Volvo - 2001 Volvo S80
  By Mike BJ - March 26 - 2:00 am

  Volvo is a very good car. I had this car 2 years. It beats my 1991 Ford Explorer that lasted two years and my 1997 Linclon Town Car that lasted one year. It still doesnt beat my 1992 Acura that lasted from 1992-1997 and my wifes Honda Accord that lasted 1987- 1997. I would always recomend Volvo. The only problem is it had 3 electrical problems.