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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  Be Careful - 2005 Volvo V50
  By Unhappy - February 21 - 10:26 am

  I have owned my V50 for 1 1/2 years and I have been unhappy almost since the day I purchased it. We had to be towed off the highway on the six day of ownership when the turbo went out. Weve had it in for repairs for a faulty radio, faulty cargo compartment and just recently the fuel hoses went out.

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  The car your wife will let you have. - 2004 Volvo S60
  By Carlos Stevenson - February 17 - 10:00 am

  This car was a Blast its 300+ hp engine refined handling and comfortable seats make it the best. But unfortunately its styling is a little bland and i would have rather had a benz. For those of you who have wives and want a safe car while you want a fire breathing racer this is a good comprimise.

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  NOT THE FAMILY CAR WE WERE LOOKING FOR!! - 2001 Volvo S60
  By kris - February 17 - 10:00 am

  Great car, if you dont have young children, in car seats! Only one rear facing car seat on the market fits in the car, and it cant be placed in the center, (the safest place in the car for children) by the way the car seat costs $300.00! If you use any other car seat, the passenger seat cannot be used. So much for our family car. Doors dent and scratch very easily. CD player has problems, fuel gage says it has gas, but car wont start?

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  rattle - 1998 Volvo S70
  By NOR - January 26 - 6:56 pm

  This is a great reliable car, most of the time it is comfortable and fun to drive! I am a mechanic and I am right up with anything that might go wrong along with preventive maintenance being done on time;(car has 140000 miles. My only issue is that the car has a rattle in the front(I believe right front fender area), that I can not locate; front end is tight, links, ball joints, struts, strut bushings, along with rear end is also tight. Any help from anybody would be great!

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  Stay AWAY from C30 - 2008 Volvo C30
  By Stacy26 - January 21 - 7:30 am

  This car has awful wind noise over 40 MPH. I have had the doors adjusted, seals replaced and the noise seems to get worse. I can only turn the radio up so loud. Before you buy check out a volv c30 users forum- it is the #1 problem. Volvo seems quiet on the subject, but it seems to be a design flaw. And I have had it aligned more times (at the dealership and not under warranty) than I think is necessary (3) and it still has a tremendous amount if road noise. It is fixed when I first get it back, but after 5,000 miles out it goes again.

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  Not like the old Volvos - 2001 Volvo V70
  By volvo89 - January 20 - 10:00 am

  What a disappointment! After driving my 1989 240 wagon for nearly 300,000 mi, I decided to get the safety features of a new wagon. Thats all I got. This wagon has less cargo space and is shorter in height (so I bump my head getting things out of the back). Ive had trouble with the electronics in the passenger side door 3 times. The driver side inside handle is pulling away from the door and will be very expensive to fix. The cup holders in the rear seat are crummy and have broken on my car. Overall much more expensive to maintain. I do like the integrated child booster seats. Well, no more Volvos for me. I feel like Im driving a Ford; oh right, I am!

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  read the other reviews first - 2001 Volvo S40
  By volvofrom orlando - January 11 - 10:00 am

  The paint is cheap, the location and function of the front and rear cupholders is bad, the headlamps burning out after 14,000 miles and the brakes experiencing frequent wear were unexpected. I also have been in to the dealer many more times than you would plan from a Volvo. Mysterious check engine lights, tires and rims that need to be completely replaced after minor/small impacts with potholes. The service department is always very nice, but why is it they always run out of Volvo loaners right before I get there? I end up seeing the "Enterprise" guy in the lobby and enjoy the hint of smoke- ridden Chevy Malibu for the day.

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  Looks great on paper - 2001 Volvo V70
  By Eric - January 11 - 4:16 am

  ... not so great to actually own. Weve had this car close to two full years now, and although I did some homework going into it, I had no idea just how annoying this vehicle is with regards to repairs. I like working on cars, but it seemed like every weekend I was out in the garage replacing a bulb, fixing a leak, trouble shooting cryptic error messages. Ugh. Final straw was finding out the transmission is going to need replacing, and the engine cant maintain oil pressure. Least reliable car Ive ever owned. I intentionally bought the Volvo to be safe and something our family could rely on, instead its a crap shoot every time you get in the car.

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  XC Volvo Motor problems++++++++ - 2003 Volvo XC70
  By dqman - January 9 - 9:46 pm

  This car has been trouble since day one,electrical problems, front end trouble, and now a new motor with only 130,000 km. It has been towed 3 times back to the dealer. Once I receive my car back (it has been in the shop over a week) it is going over to the Honda dealer to be traded on a new Pilot. Customer service has gone out the window at Volvo I am renting a car now for a week and no help from volvo or the dealer is that how they build customer loyalty.

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  Worst car Ive ever owned - 1996 Volvo 850
  By Unhappy in NJ - December 30 - 10:00 am

  We bought this car originally because of its safety and reliability ratings. I still feel safe in it, but its been one headache after another: little things at first, but then a $1,400 A/C repair at 45,000 miles, numerous electrical system issues, and today, at 91,000 miles, Im told a rod in the engine has been thrown. Unreal...this in a car that was meticulously maintained. Id never by another Volvo.