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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  Got To Luv To Play - 1998 Volvo S70
  By Rick T. - January 5 - 10:36 pm

  If you like to drive for the sake of driving, the GLT is the car for you. But, you should also love to work on your car. Yes, take it to the dealer and you will pay an arm an leg. But, with a little effort, research, and a willingness to use old parts -- you can keep this baby running like a top. As the natural evolution of the 850, there is a huge on-line following for tips, hints, and advice. I never worked on cars before but now I actually enjoy it. It wont corner like a race car, but few cars of this age, will give you the pulse quickening leap off the line, while giving you a great sense of safety and security.

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  Never Again! - 2002 Volvo V40
  By akaslick - January 5 - 2:00 am

  After first year of ownership, every week, 1 or 2 light bulbs go out! Thank gawd for the warranty! Very inconvenient. The car is expensive to maintain. The car doesnt hold value like the other volvos. I was told otherwise. Its funny that when I brought my car to the dealer for the 30k service, the 2 people in front of me were complainig about the problems they were having with their cars. They dont makeem like the early 80s 240DLs anymore. Too bad!! Ill never buy another!

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  110K Miles and Going - 2000 Volvo S40
  By DallasSteve - January 5 - 2:00 am

  I love this car! I have personally put over 100K miles on this car in heavy traffic and on road trips and I have never regretted the purchase once. My service has been excellent, my reliability good and the car is without question a well performing small car. I have to say I understand the weiners, they just did not understand the car they purchased. There was a defect with the headlights which was completely fixed under warranty. The brake pads do wear quickly. Volvos have great brakes, they stop on a dime. Great brakes wear quickly, thats the trade-off. I would never trade my safety and breaking for saving a $100 in brake pads.

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  A Luxurious piece of Garbage - 1999 Volvo S70
  By obsessedwithcarz - January 5 - 2:00 am

  Basic Sedan with climate control leather alloys and automatic. Stay away from Volvos. If you care about safety get a loaded used Ford Taurus one years old with low mileage for 12 grand. if you keep cars for years get an extended warranty! I am in debt from buying a volvo and had to dump it before it killed me. Everything broke between 40 and 50K miles. get a factory extended warranty or something similar my warranty only paid for after market parts which screwed me big time. not to mention some things werent covered. horrible resale value! im getting a focus and buying pillows at Walmart for side airbags.

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  Volvo for LIFE! - 2002 Volvo S60
  By DonGuba - January 5 - 2:00 am

  Best Car for the Money - New or Used. Will never buy anything else but Volvo. Audi, SAAB, ro BMW are not even close. Volvo for LIFE!

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  Buy a Lexus!!!!! - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By jimi286 - January 5 - 2:00 am

  I traded in my 03 t5 for an 04 t6. I wanted to upgrade. Well the steering was much smoother, xenons fantastic, stereo was a good upgrade too. Never had a problem w/ t5. T6 has a miss or should I say rumble in trans, dealer unable to correct. The navigation is a JOKE. A total and complete waste of $1900. The fuel economy is totally atrocious. Ride is extremely comfortable both around town and on the highway. Too much wind noise at high speeds though. Im trading it this week for a lexus. Now there is a navigation system.

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  Lovin It! - 2003 Volvo XC70
  By DFox - January 4 - 8:36 pm

  Being a SUV/pick-up gal I wanted something sporty but a little beefy. The XC70 has a luxury/sports car feel with some of the perks of an SUV. I love the tiptronic shifting as I had that in my BMW (okay, I broke down and a bought a car a couple of years ago!). The gas mileage averages 21.5 in town; much better than my last SUV!

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  Edmunds is wrong -- this is way better than an SUV - 2013 Volvo XC70
  By gregrasa - January 3 - 1:35 pm

  Weve had our XC70 a year-plus. Had a V70 before it. We love it! Car has understated luxury. Feels like its build like a frickin tank, as Im sure it is. Turbo engine does well. Not what youd call nimble for around-town driving, but fantastic seats and big-car driving dynamics make it an awesome road-trip car. Excellent stereo. Car looks classy, inside and out. We owned an SUV in the past -- and hated it. Hated the high, tippy feel, tight squeeze in parking spaces, bad mileage. The Volvo solved all that. We recently bought a 2014 Highlander for 7-seater carpool purposes, and while its nice enough its not as all-around great as the Volvo. Toyotas only advantage: 2 more seats.

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  Volvo - For Life - 2005 Volvo XC70
  By VolvoXCdriver - December 31 - 12:31 pm

  I loved my 2005 Volvo XC70. Everything about the car screamed quality. The swedes know how to build a car - the leather on the seats is very thick, very little plastic is used, and metal covers the exterior of the car. As much as I loved the car, I did have some issues with it. 1st, the siren went out and caused the sunroof to stop working (if you dont believe me, google it), and the check engine light came on once because the gas cap needed to be replaced. Neither of these issues cost very much money to fix, however. The car did have a little over 100,000 miles, so a few repairs are acceptable since Volvo cars will outlast any others if you take care of them. The other thing that I didnt like about the car was its fuel economy. I was averaging 21 MPG - might as well get an XC90. This car is really for those of us who dont buy into the SUV craze, but still need a light off-road vehicle with plenty of cargo space. The thing that really won me over on Volvo was safety. I know that in my XC70, I can rest assured knowing that I drive the safest car in the world. Look up "Volvo saved my life" and read the stories (CAUTION: You will never be able to drive another non-Volvo car if you do this :) I got a great deal on this car so I only bought it to re-sell it, but I ended up falling in love with the car. I would recommend the XC70 to anyone - in fact, I am buying a 2006 XC70 to replace my 2014 Camry Hybrid.

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  Best Kept Secret In Luxury Sedan Market - 2004 Volvo S80
  By AnClar - December 31 - 10:00 am

  Great car at a great price.