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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  Practical/ reliable/fun - 2004 Volvo S60
  By Ron - October 8 - 12:09 pm

  This is a great car gas mileage is fair, with a large tank. Less stopping for fuel on those long trips. Seating is comfortable and well thought out. Interior plastics. Should have been better. 144k on the odometer and just the routine maintenance.

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  Swedish Bombshell - 2005 Volvo S80
  By Jim P. B. - October 5 - 10:00 am

  My S80 T6 is less than a month old and my wife & I very pleased with the performance, comfort and luxury of this automobile. I ordered the Four C chassis, combo climate/warm weather package and the Bi-Xenon lights as we live on the Gulf coast and have to contend with heat and fog. We took the car on a cross country trip to the mid west and the Four-C was awesome in the hills of Kentucky and the heated seats came in handy during a cold snap in Michigan. I did have 2 small problems that were immediately corrected by the dealer: mis aligned headlamps and a bad fuel pump sensor that caused the check engine light to pop on. Volvo seems to have gotten the kinks out of this model. Super Safe!

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  Good bang for the buck - 2005 Volvo S40
  By Joe3435 - October 5 - 10:00 am

  Smooth ride at a reasonable price. My first luxury car and it does me well. Lots of features for the price. I love the styling!!!! Go test drive one.

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  WOW - 2007 Volvo S80
  By TWHACKSAW - October 5 - 7:26 am

  Test drove several CPOs to include Lexus, BMW, Mercedes and Acuras and didnt find any to be as comfortable, safe and as fun to drive as the S80 V-8 AWD. While it may not be as sporty as a 5 Series or as luxurious as an E-Class or Lexus, it is the best total package. The AWD has proven itself to be a winner during this harsh Iowa winter. Ive never felt as safe and secure driving through snow as I do in the S-80. Added two 9 inch DVD screens to the headrests so we can use it instead of the Minivan in bad weather. Best part- wife didnt blink at the price because she loved the S-60 we had previously. Personally I think the V-8 is the way to go, but Im sure the T-6 is fine as well.

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  Wait and See - 2003 Volvo S60
  By BobW - October 3 - 2:00 am

  Unfortnately I had a 1999 S-80 T6 prior to buying the 2003 S-60 T5…….so far the S-60 is a great car but with only 626 miles … it is a wait and see game.

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  Zippy comfort - 2006 Volvo V70
  By raddoc - September 29 - 5:50 am

  Ordered this car 3 months ago to replace Audi A6 2.7T. The car came in two weeks early, a first in my experience. Extremely comfortable sport style seats are even better than the seats on all of our previous vehicles - including 2005 Benz. This wagon is a great value compared to MB, BMW and Audi for size, performance and absolute $$$ spent.

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  GREAT VEHICLE - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By DAVIS - September 27 - 10:00 am

  I HAVE OWNED ABOUT EVERY SUV ON THE MARKET AND I HAVE TO SAY FOR THE MONEY YOU WILL NOT FIND A BETTER VEHICLE

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  XC60 T6 Review - 2010 Volvo XC60
  By Paul - September 26 - 11:43 pm

  Compared; MB, BMW, Audi and Volvo. Owned MB, Lexus and Volvos (9th Volvo). Volvo best equipped for $$. Took delivery in Sweden. Excellent trip. 2500 miles on odo and mpg is running; 20 city, 22.5 combo and 24 highway. Turbo tip: taking it easy on the pedal will return decent mpg. T6 engine is smooth and the 6 speed trans shifts extremely well. The best riding and handling Volvo, for me, and of course the seats should be used as a industry standard for comfort and function. Did not purchase the nav system as Garmin is much easier to operate. I looked at the T6 R package but couldnt justify the extra $$ for what is included. The dealership calls to ensure I am happy. Bullet proof so far.

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  Love my 2000 V70 4 Dr SE Wagon... - 2000 Volvo V70
  By Peatmoss - September 23 - 3:43 pm

  I bought this wagon 2 years ago with 126,000 miles on it. Im the 4th owner. As soon as I drove it I liked it. It did have a slight hesitation when accelerating but that turned out to be some sort of air module which was covered by a dealer recall. I got the car back and had the tie rod ends replaced, 4 new tires and an alignment and it runs like a new car... very smooth! I currently have a 177,000 miles and it still runs great! Not sure if its so reliable because it was built in Belgium (still has the Port of Entry sticker on it). I do mostly highway miles and have consistently averaged 27 - 29 mpg!! My goal is to reach 300,000+ miles!

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  Great cruiser - 2001 Volvo S60
  By Falstaff - September 21 - 10:00 am

  Ive been really pleased with my commute since getting my S60. Its quiet, has good highway passing power (better than it is off the line) and is both fun and comfortable. The mileage has been much better than expected. All in all, its a great buy. The A4 is much more cramped in back and the BMW 3 is muc more narrow in front. Its the roomiest ride in its class.