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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  outstanding car, s80 - 2004 Volvo S80
  By j.maclain - January 24 - 10:00 am

  We purchased our S80 back in January and We are very pleased with its performance and reliability thus far. We had a 1978 volvo 244dl that we drove for 22 years and we sold it with 265,000 miles on it 3 years ago, and every now and then we still see it on the road. So we have nothing negative to say about volvo and will drive them forever, infact we just took delivery of our new volvo XC90, and its everything they say it is. Thanks Volvo

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  Discomfort - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By Curlenjik - January 24 - 10:00 am

  The suspension on my XC90 is amateurish at best. I feel every bump in the road, every space between concrete slabs that the tires pass over. The sightlines make driving with side mirrors a must; I cannot see to the left and right of the car by turning around in the drivers seat and trying to see objects beyond the second row. The fuel consumption is ridiculous and the engineers have some nerve requiring high test gas.

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  Fun to drive, good looking, really nice - 2006 Volvo S60
  By abjammin - January 24 - 9:50 am

  Made a decision to purchase this car after evaluating it and several others. Very happy with my choice. BMW was nice but everything is a la carte. Volvo included all the features I needed/wanted in a beautiful pkg thats a blast to drive. Cool looking and very comfortable interior. Only warning is that the sport pkg skirts are very low and the steering in tight places - parking lots is not very tight. Once you get used to it, its fine.

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  Great fun to drive - 2001 Volvo V70
  By cleerssen - January 22 - 6:53 pm

  Excellent driving machine, little wacky on the electrical and ETM but solid car all told. Good gas mileage for 245hp.

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  Unexpectedly Exceptional - 2018 Volvo XC90
  By Ryan Taylor - January 21 - 11:38 pm

  The luxury options on this vehicle place it among the top auto manufacturers. The interior design, and every element, has been so thoughtfully crafted around the driver, it is hard to believe that more people have not discovered Volvo. They really have stepped up to win with this one. The quality of materials would be on par with Bentley! I love the mix of leather, wood (with a matte finish), chrome dressings, all highlited with LED accents. Although the shiny black plastic area tend to collect fingerprints easily, which is why they supply a cleaning cloth (which you will use often). The seats are incredibly comfortable, with heat, cooling and a massage option that you will wonder how you ever lived without! Even the second row seats recline and are super comfy. The built-in child booster seat is convenient for when you have family or guests. The $3200 Bowers & Wilkins audio system is like being in a live concert, where, when you turn up the volume, you hear every detail in crisp clarity without it hurting your ears. If you love music, this could alone be reason enough to buy this SUV. I chose the hybrid option, which when you lease, you save the $5k California Rebate off the purchase price (as opposed to getting a tax credit when you purchase). I love that I can plug it in and get 15-18 miles of gas-free driving. It adds extra power that makes this 6600lb car move very fast. I also love that it drives completely silent on the Pure or hybrid mode. To me, this was worth the additional price. The instrument display is great and the main 9” Sensus central display is so easy to use and again, really thought through. It is so sensible and user friendly, I am very impressed. Apple CarPlay works great, as does the Bluetooth option. The XM radio is amazing and it has a Spotify app that uses the AT&T modem, if you sign up for data service. I’m using the trial and have had a few issues with it buffering, as there is no option to download a playlist, like you can on a phone. I think that I will probably just use my iPhone with Spotify instead of paying for another device ($10/20 per mo). One last note, the safety features are the best available. I love the auto steering that helps you stay in your lane during normal everyday driving. It watches the road lines and applies corrective steering automatically if you start to drift. The heads up display is great too. It gives you a warning if you are driving too close, or if it senses a forward collision (which It sometimes falsely does on curvy roads). It displays the current speed limit and warns you if you drive faster (you can adjust the warning speed too). These features help you to be a better driver. Overall I’m so impressed and happy with my purchase. I sold my Porsche 911s to buy this vehicle and I would never go back! I also, love that there are not tons of these cars on the road and when friends hear I bought a Volvo, they don’t have any idea how amazing it is. Everyone already knows that Volvos are the safest cars in the world, they just don’t expect them to be this exceptional.

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  Volvo continues to move up - 2006 Volvo S40
  By Greg Hocevar - January 21 - 1:23 am

  If you are looking for a safe, fun little car to drive, then this is the one for you. Whether it be around town, on winding country roads, or on the freeway, this car performs as if it had the heart of a sports car (with a more comfortable ride of course). For the value, this will beat any BMW 3 series, any Mercedes C-Class, and any Infinity G class.

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  First and Last Volvo - 2004 Volvo S40
  By FtLauderdale - January 20 - 2:03 pm

  Im not a big fan of this car and anxiously await the end of the lease. Its just not reliable enough, something is always going wrong and the service people act like theyre doing you a big favor to fix it, even warrantly items that just should not be a problem so soon. With that scenario, rattles, wind noise, and poor gas mileage (22 mpg), Ill be looking elsewere for my next ride.

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  Fun Turbo Wagon - 2005 Volvo V50
  By grochef - January 20 - 10:03 am

  Volvo did a great job of designing this car. The front end gives the V50 an aggressive look and the large rear tail lights set it off from the crowd. Standard features are generous and the list of Options provide the ability to create a dream. I purchased the car using the Overseas Program. I would recommend that anyone opting for that program does not purchase any accessories from Sweden. The prices are twice what they are in the US - even though they tell you it is a "Special Price". Other than that, the trip to London, Sweden and Norway was great fun.

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  nice - 1998 Volvo V70
  By tom4342 - January 20 - 3:37 am

  i bought used,145k miles has been great so far,check engine light was on,hooked up scanner said misfire on number 3 and 5,wasnt or running reg gas maybe.I think people to over react when a light comes on,yes they are incorrect sometimes,i drove a 94 f-150 for 8 years with the check engine light on and it never failed.Regular maintenance is easy,loads of pickup and great gas mileage,operating or repair costs not an issue for me because i do it myself.

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  Practical and Economical while still Fun - 2002 Volvo V40
  By thirtysomething - January 19 - 9:00 am

  I bought this car because it was reasonably priced and the because of Volvos reputation. It is a bit on the small side if you have more than one child or move lots of stuff, but it a very practical car that holds quite a bit with the rear seats completely flat. The acceleration is surprisingly quick for a 4 cyl. It is better than many V6 I have driven. The handling is tight enough for a sports wagon but I wouldnt go searching for curves. Fantastic mileage! This is what is keeping me from upgrading to a bigger or more powerful car or hybrid. 28 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway. Ive had zero maintenance issues in 5 years. Change your oil!