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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  2010 Volvo v50 - 2010 Volvo V50
  By Jay - March 11 - 1:00 pm

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  A Mommys car - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By SLAG - March 11 - 5:20 am

  Very good vehicle, I feel that I have provided myself and family some extra safety when on the road.

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  Beautiful Vehicle - 2012 Volvo S60
  By piplanih - March 10 - 8:40 pm

  Bought my first Volvo couple of weeks back. The exterior really wowed me initially when I saw this car at the Minneapolis Auto Show during the Fall of 2011. In my mind, the looks are only half a step behind the Audi A7 (which costs 2x the volvo) and better than BMW or MB. The interior is clean, solid and classy. Controls are well situated and I really like the standard connectivity. As advertised, the seats are really good and supportive! Last, the car drives very well. Very smooth power delivery. And quick too. Using the manual mode shifter, I was in 6th gear at 2500 rpm!

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  Do not buy this car - 2000 Volvo S80
  By bruce - March 10 - 2:23 am

  Bought this car new. What a piece of junk. Interior fell apart had to be reupholstered. At 50000 miles the head gasket blew $3,000 fix.Other problems to numerous to list est. repair costs at 60000 miles - $10,000.Just trying to save someone else the same mistake.

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  A car for the yuppie mom. - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By casalizzie - March 9 - 10:00 am

  Feels like driving a sedan, but you have available all the features of a SUV. Unsurpassed safety. Fun for the kids - dvd screen and ability to integrate, view and play electronic games, perfect for long trips.

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  Stay away from Volvo - 1999 Volvo V70
  By Valerie Wood - March 8 - 9:50 pm

  Bought vehicle used in 2003 with 42,000 miles on it. Paid $23,000 for it. Have had nothing but trouble. Multiple visits for leaking antifreeze, replaced hoses, tightened clamps, replaced reservoir. Volvo dealer says this is wrong, independent mechanic says that is wrong. Had to return multiple times for a faulty ETS that Volvo finally replaced due to multiple class action suits. Warning lights flash on and off and no one can figure out what is wrong. $2000 later, car is worse than when I first brought it in.

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  2 Years Later I STILL Love it!! - 2004 Volvo S40
  By Restongal - March 8 - 7:33 am

  Okay I have had this car over two years and have done some serious driving, at just over 42,000 miles Ive driven in most every weather condition and this car has passed with flying colors through all of them. I was stuck in a major snow storm in Maine, put the car in "winter mode" and had no problem driving where many others had to pull over. The 2.4 has plenty of get up and go, and I love the looks it gets from others, I have had several people stop and ask me about it. It handles well and corners darn good with no fishtailing, which I am sure the stability control is responsible for. I recomend this car highly!!!

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  Not Bad - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By Dave - March 8 - 5:46 am

  Poor gas mileage is the only major issue we have.

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  2001 V70 Wagon - 2001 Volvo V70
  By Dave - March 7 - 12:36 pm

  My vehicle has the standard five cyl. non turbo engine. I purchased the car new. I really like this car. It is stylish, its been reliable, and it gets good gas economy for its size. It runs very well on mid-grad gasoline, runs very smoothly on premium, and runs OK on regular (no pinging, but much less zip). The car is heavy, so acceleration is not the best but is adequate. Get the turbo if you want to take off in a hurry. My biggest complaint is the lack of Volvo dealers available to service the car. Also,there are some high tech features that become expensive to fix. Even small items are expensive as the parts sources are limited, making trim and accessories expensive.

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  So far, still good. - 2007 Volvo S60
  By Ybba - March 6 - 7:06 pm

  Its been a year and Im even more impressed and pleased with my purchase. Went on a couple of road trips from MA to VA on I95, through major cities like Stanford, NYC, DC, Richmond. 31MPG - Impressive. The comfort of the driving position is wonderful. I am reminded of the line from a competitor "... when you turn your car on, does it return the favor?" In this case a resounding yes! Climate, seating, interior quality, reliability - all excellent. Engine purrs at night. Had two service visits and the only thing changed were indicator bulbs. 1 year and 16000 miles later I am happy with my choice.