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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  Review - 2005 Volvo V50
  By Beachyy - February 19 - 10:40 pm

  We had trouble with the car starting. It would say invalid key and left us stranded twice. They replaced to started and it was fixed under warranty. We also had trouble with fuses blowing and sometimes the windows not going up or down. They replaced the whole electrical system for us under warranty.

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  Fabulous! - 2004 Volvo V70
  By KB, Bethesda MD - February 15 - 10:00 am

  Leased this Silver R, automatic, in August, 03 as my 99 T5 lease was coming due, after looking at Avant Wagon, Toureg, and lots of others. Had All-Season tires put on as a condition of lease and the car is fantastic. It sticks to the road in all weather and at all speeds. Never any wheel spin -- it just digs in and goes like a bat out of hell. 15k so far and no service issues.

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  good quality suv - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By Lowell Wolf - February 15 - 10:00 am

  The suv seems to be a very safe vehicle.The suv is very good looking.It has many nice features

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  A Nice Used Wagon, Shop Carefully. - 1998 Volvo V70
  By JawzX - February 13 - 6:36 am

  I bought this car from a private seller who had all service records since new, so I knew what I was getting into, which was a very well maintained, if high-miles car. It had a large amount of work done to it prior to my purchase, including the Infamous prop-shaft replacement (still needs a torque-tube bushing and rear shocks), so I knew I wouldnt have to worry about that for another 150K miles... The car is very comfortable, performs reasonably, handles well, holds a huge amount of stuff, is great in the snow, parts prices for repair are high. I have no bad things to say about the interior materials or fit of the car, but mine was assembled in Belgium, maybe that makes a difference?

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  Love this car - 2002 Volvo V40
  By davidz - February 8 - 10:00 am

  This is my first Volvo and I really love the car. I drive my cars pretty hard and this car has held up well, minus the problems which seem to be unfortunately quite common for the V40. The v40 is fun drive- handles well and is quite zippy. Front seats are very comfortable. Some people have complained about the non-standard radio controls, but I think they are the most effective and useful controls I have ever used. Tuning knob to scan through 20 presets makes more sense than separate preset buttons and is much easier to use while driving. Common problems affecting this vehicle are: 1) brakes wear out quickly. 2) electrical system burns through headlights

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  Fun to drive but SMALL! - 2005 Volvo V50
  By papalo - February 7 - 1:30 pm

  OK, we knew that this was a small wagon going into our purchase, but, man, is it cramped! If you need more cargo space than a sedan but not as much as an SUV, this would be a fun (and functonal) vehicle to drive. But, with two toddlers (and all the stuff that goes with them), it is just smaller than we were thinking it would be. Plus, maintenance and repair on this vehicle is astronomical. ($200 to replace ONE tire!) Weve had some reliability issues with the electrical system as well. Were already looking to trade it in for something else...

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  1998 Volvo V70XC - 1998 Volvo V70
  By petee - January 31 - 2:00 am

  Good vehicle all around. Braking system poor design. Rear wear out at 17000mi, fronts last forever.

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  Not bad, but would not buy another one - 2000 Volvo S80
  By Scott C - January 31 - 2:00 am

  My S80 T6 has not had many problems. A steering recall, and replacement CD/Radio has been all. I put in synthetic oil on a regular basis and rarely take it to the dealer. When you pull the radio to fix a stuck CD, you have to get the air bag service light reset - can not do this normally. This has always been a pain at the dealer. Although I have not had problems, I count my blessings as others have. With 50K miles + on my car, the car seems "loose", as panels shake regularily. Trunk space is great, it fits 4 people well, but there must be better cars out there for $40K (2000 price). I have no real issues, but would not buy another S80.

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  Classy - 1998 Volvo S70
  By VK - January 30 - 11:36 am

  In the 7 years I have owned this car I have spent about $4500 on maintenance and repairs and that includes brakes, new tires, 60 and 90K service. This is approx. $650/year which is phenomenal. The car has about 95K miles now and the car still runs like it is new. I absolutely love this car and will probably keep it for another 7 years. If you maintain this car well it will easily run past 200,000 miles.

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  AWD Letdown - 2004 Volvo XC70
  By 2004 XC Owner - January 29 - 4:40 am

  Been a great car for commuting; awesomely comfortable. AWD power to rear wheels failed and no warning to alert driver. Discovered when son observed rear wheels not spining on icy driveway. Discovered after warranty expired; $2600 repair cost & 3+ wks @ dealer waiting for parts. All the while weve had 3 snowstorms in that time, which is one of the reasons I bought AWD. Not a happy camper. Weve been Volvo family for long time (3 V-series in household now); not sure Ill buy another. BTW, Volvo isnt only mfr w/AWD problems - do internet search on "AWD problems"