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 Value for the Price - 2008 Volvo S80
  By max Perkins - February 3 - 7:03 am

  This is a great car! We looked at BMWs/Mercedes and decided on this Volvo as we felt you pay a lot for a BMW/Mercedes name. This car drives like a dream and is SO comfortable to ride in. Have take it across country and had no back/muscle fatigue. It is very responsive, has great power and gets much better gas mileage then we expected. The T-6 is the features we were looking for in a "sports" car. The body design is very nice and we see people looking at it all the time. 4WDs are hard to find but we wanted that for the extra security when driving (lots of rain where we live). We hope to get at least 200,000 miles out of this car. Would highly recommend.

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  Tire Problems - 2005 Volvo S60
  By Schulmani - February 2 - 1:53 pm

  I purchased my 05 R certified with 25k miles and loved it until I had to replace all four high performance summer tires (it was covered by certification) then again 2k miles later (not covered by certification). Ugh! So buyer beware the sensitivity of the front suspension and tire wear. Other than that this is a great car - under the radar and superfast. Great performance with volvo safety - if only it was more reliable.

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  Good car but a little disappointed - 2006 Volvo S80
  By JEdl - January 31 - 5:23 pm

  The car is fun to drive and nice to look at but the quality of the interior is a bit poor especially the leather seats which tend to wear quicker than most other vehicles with leather trim. Volvo could pay better attention to maintaining their reputation of producing a quality vehicle. Reliability rate low for this model due to transmission noise when shifting from park to reverse

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  our third volvo - 2004 Volvo XC70
  By tampafamily - January 31 - 10:00 am

  Wonderful Wagon! Easy to handle, grips the road, solid construction!

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  volvo s40 - 2002 Volvo S40
  By Ray Tierney - January 29 - 10:00 am

  A beutiful small but comfortable car. Sticker price is high but we were able to purchase it for $5000 less making it a great car for tha money.

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  Great Ride, Poor Interior Quality - 1999 Volvo V70
  By BigDave - January 28 - 1:16 am

  I bought this with 40,000 miles. With the exception of the AWD axle blowing ($2200) I have had no serious mechanical problems. Burns oil and the brakes are very expensive ($900 for all 4) to replace. The interior has fallen apart from day one. 3 interior panels keep breaking clips and the back hatch panel has never stayed attached even after replacing the clips. Volvo is a good car mechanically and ergonomically, but it feels like Fords traditionally poor quality interior. Leather is extremely cracked and many electronic annoyances.

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  Volvo Sport Wagon - 2005 Volvo V50
  By s reich - January 27 - 8:03 pm

  I love this car-- it is fun to drive and is very nimble in traffic. The sound system, control panel and most of all the ergonomics of the seating are precisely right for my needs and comfort. I am a small person, and this is the most comfortable car I have ever driven. Even my husband-- a designer-- has come to enjoy driving it, and I like the fact that although it feels very safe and solid, I dont feel like it is a "mom" wagon (nothing against moms-- I am one (!) but am beyond the car seat stage). I do not understand why this car is not being promoted more visibly by Volvo, as it is unusual and perhaps appealing to a different female market than the typical Volvo consumer.

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  2007 C70 The Best Convetible - 2007 Volvo C70
  By Wisam - January 27 - 1:13 am

  This car is absolutely the most fun to drive of all of the cars I have ever owned. the engine and transmission are responsive, handling is excellent and you can cruise with the top down knowing that if there is a chance of rain, The leather seats are very comfortable,you can pull over and have the hard top up in 30 seconds with the push of a button. I love the handling, love the interior space - one of the best convertibles on the market still today ,I have 14 year old daughter and put a child seat for my 2 year old son easily , the trunk is big enough to put a big stroller and more staff and you can still open the roof without any problem!! First time for me to own a Volvo I have it for a year now and I love it,I purchased a warranty when I bought .I had to take it to the dealer to fix the convertible switch and it was covered by the warranty.

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  Volvo S40....No complaints! - 2006 Volvo S40
  By clintb305 - January 26 - 10:00 pm

  Since I left the dealership with my 2006 S40 Ive had a smile on my face. Its fun to drive. Its quick more than it is fast. Its a smooth quiet ride, very comfortable. Has an amazing sound system with easily accessible controls. Has a large trunk with seats that fold down in the back. But the best thing about it is the price.....its actually affordable.

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  After 2 weeks, I love it! - 2016 Volvo XC60
  By Ann - January 26 - 7:18 pm

  This is a BIG SUV, but wow, it is great to drive. Still learning devices and how they work. I need a bigger garage for it! This review was for the XC90 T6