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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  My First Volvo - 2003 Volvo XC90
  By barbra - March 26 - 2:00 am

  I came out of a 3 year lease with Mercedes Suv, and could not believe the difference in my Volvo. Comfort to myself all front and rear passengers. Rides like a passenger car. The safety features are endless. By this time the first year with the Mercedes it was in the shop at least 4 times. The reliability and all around advantages made me a VOLVO FOR LIFE customer.

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  Best Car Ive driven - 2004 Volvo XC70
  By Herbal90 - March 23 - 8:43 pm

  Bought the car in Germany after direct comparisons to Mercedes and Audi wagons. Best car Ive ever driven and also best value for the features. Military pricing and home shipment was great! Smooth autobahn car, solid as a rock and quiet through 120 mph. Starts to float above 125 mph, but holds a straight line without drift. Very comfortable seats, huge interior space, great controls. Love the rain sensor, heated mirrors (needed both in Germany). My first Volvo and Im very pleased. My next car (10+ years from now) will also be a Volvo. Since the kids will be bigger, Ill be eyeing the S60R.

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  The SUV I Love to Hate - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By JLS - March 23 - 8:16 pm

  Ive owned my XC90 just over a year. Been in the shop over 6 times for warranty items ranging from the air intake on the engine to the air vents breaking. Most frustrating is that the same parts keep breaking. The air intake has been repaired 3 times and the vents 2. Ive also been frustrated with trim parts falling off and the third row seat breaking. Ive owned Volvos for years and have had little to know problems other than routine maintenance. This Volvo is the vehicle I love to hate. Love the ride and creature features, hate the reliability and build quality.

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  The best choice of my life - 2000 Volvo S70
  By Reuven Alayev - March 23 - 9:30 am

  i bought the Volvo S70 about back in 2002. The Volvo had a great cherry red exterior and a light tan colored interior. I was amazed that the car looked like new after driving 154,000 miles in six years. That made me worried, but I asked many mechanics and they all told me that Volvos dont give any problems, just refill the gas, change the oil every 2000 miles, and refill the water, and the car will be loyal to you. They were so right! My Volvo S70 now has over 174,000 miles and still drives and looks brand new, and it has not given me any mechanical problems ever since I bought it almost 2 years ago. This is a great car that keeps its value over time.

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  Volvo S40 - Highly recommended !!! - 2008 Volvo S40
  By Dan - March 23 - 8:56 am

  I purchased a left over 2008 S40 about a month ago, mainly for my wifes use. What a car! We absolutely love it. Weve both always owned domestic vehicles, but this one beats all of them in just about every way I can think of. It has an overall great design, both inside and out. The comfort, feeling and handling of the car is superior than everything I have driven in the S40 price range. Also impressed with crash test ratings. Now that we have experienced the quality of Volvo, I think it will be awhile until we go back to domestic. My vehicle is a Navigator, seriously thinking about trading it for a Volvo. Didnt think I would ever have considered that a few months ago!!

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  More than expected - 2011 Volvo XC70
  By warren smith - March 23 - 2:00 am

  At 1,000 miles I am impressed with all aspects of my new XC70 T6. I am getting 21+ miles in suburban driving, the seats are very supportive and comfortable. I haul two boats and have had no problems with the ability to pull them. We use the more than ample space behind the front row seats to haul all our stuff home back from our summer place. The Bliss system works as promised but does do false readings in the rain. We have the ccomvenirnce group and climate group of add ons plus the personal communications feature and all work as promised. I find the control panel easy to use and the Bluetooth set up is easy to use.

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  What About the Breaks? - 2011 Volvo C30
  By jbreach - March 23 - 2:00 am

  Great looks and peppy engine but what about the breaks. Brought it back to dealership twice wondering why oh why doesnt this car have a firm break pedal. Why must I travel halfway down before breaks engage and when they do why does it feel so choppy? Is this a Volvo trademark because if it is I sure dont want or need it. This one very important aspect has left me lukewarm on this car and wondering if I made a $25k mistake which I will now regret until I trade it in.

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  A Volvo that turns heads?? - 2011 Volvo XC90
  By rocco - March 23 - 2:00 am

  Ive just owned the XC90 R-Design for a bit over a week, so I can not speak to its durability or reliability, but I can say that this is one of the best looking, most comfortable, spacious, versatile and well designed SUVs/crossovers on the market. I looked at EVERYTHING in the segment before deciding on the Volvo for offering what is, in my opinion, the most attractive package at a price that cant be touched by BMW, MB, Lexus, Acura. I am a loyal BMW owner and have been extremely pleasantly surprised by Volvos offering. While the XC90 is an aging design, the R-Design breathes new life into it.

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  A good car to own - 2001 Volvo S60
  By turbos60 - March 23 - 12:00 am

  Im 24 years old and I got the car when it first came out. I have never had problems with the car except the fuel door falling off. I have over a hundred thousand miles one the car and never had any issues. The next one Im going to is going to be the volvo s60 R. I love the car and would not trade it in on anything. I purchased the evolve programmer and the advanced exhaust system and it opened the car up. if you have the money def get get the evolve kit.

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  Solid car - 2008 Volvo S80
  By stu silbergleit - March 22 - 10:43 pm

  This car feels and is solid. The drive is extremely smooth and the heating system (both air and seats) are excellent. The seats are luxurious, stylish aand very comfortable and supportive.