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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  NO MORE VOLVO - 2002 Volvo S60
  By No More Volvo ! - March 27 - 11:40 pm

  Bought used in 2005 at 48,000 miles; regularly maintained after purchase. Engine death at 108,000 miles. Told it was "sludge" plugging the turbo, (despite our regular oil and filter changes.) Every minor thing cost an arm and a leg to fix. Blinker kept going out (short somewhere in system - ate bulbs like candy). Very expensive cost of ownership. The transmission was threatening to go, but the engine went first.

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  You should be warned - 1999 Volvo S80
  By Jon - March 27 - 1:06 am

  My wife and I had thought this was the car of the ages. We were looking forward to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd badge. As we approach the 1st badge(100K) we must again drive 120 miles to our neighborhood Volvo dealer to be told my control module computer is out(3rd one) and it will be $800 for est repairs and no the unit is not warranted. If you read the posts they speak for themselves. A great car to drive but a nightmare to own. Someone should be slapped for letting this thing out to the market place. I should have bought the Maxima at the time. I could have bought a new maxima this year with the money I would have saved over the last 6 years.

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  Get used to BAD NEWS! - 1999 Volvo S80
  By jjarnold - March 24 - 11:13 am

  This has to be the worst excuse for a "luxury" car I have ever experienced. Engine seals and gaskets replaced at 60,000 miles ($1,500)- Wheel bearings and tie rods replaced at 75,000 miles ($800) - Driver side power window fell off the track at 70,000 miles ($400) - Throttle sensor replaced 80,000 miles- ($1,200) Now I have more noises coming from the front end and I fear another trip to the Volvo dealer so I can pay $80+ an hour for them to fix this monster that they created. They are kind enough to give me a 10% discount on the repairs. What a relief!!? Never another Volvo in my future - could this be related to Ford now owning this once fine company? I will continue to spread the word!

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  My Volvo - 2001 Volvo S60
  By 82airborne - March 23 - 3:11 pm

  I have to be honest I read some reviews and was quite in disbelief of the what people said. I just bought a used Volvo that has 217,854 miles on it and it runs perfect. Basically what it boils down to is that my car had 1 owner who bought the car in 2001. If you dont take care of your car it wont run 217,000 miles..period!. i want to hear stuff like the light bulbs are easy to fix but the housing is brittle so be careful. I dont want to hear "this transmission sucks i bought the car in 2001 owned it for 4 years and never changed the oil in it and it blew up..Worst engine Ever!" because then you sound dumb and I learn nothing....so thanks and no i dont work for volvo im in the army i work

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  OK if dealer supports - 1999 Volvo S80
  By jaego - March 22 - 10:00 am

  Have had insurmountable problems with am radio reception which still is not fixed. Had transmission replaced at 50000 and some strut at 25,000. Some rattles. Is safe as I T-boned a lady who ran a red light at 35mph and felt I had been hit harder by my 12 year old son. The car took a punch but the overall experience with dealer and radio has made it less than desireable.

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  Cant beat Volvo longevity - 1996 Volvo 850
  By Multi Volvo Owner - March 21 - 4:03 am

  Ive had my 850 GLT for almost 9 years. Its been a solid performer. Just do the scheduled maintenance and enjoy driving it. Reliable, solid, and dependable.

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  just purchased - 2010 Volvo XC90
  By david - March 20 - 3:16 pm

  After an exhaustive look at a range of cars from the 4 Runner to the Range Rover Sport we settled on the XC90 and I think we got what we expected. An ok vehicle that has an appealing look but its not flashy, and the interior is nice but creature comfort is lacking. What sold us was the relatively decent price for the number of features and the 5 yrs of free maintenance. We also like the spacious interior and the 3rd row seats are nice to have if needed and space is not compromised, although the 2nd row is a little tighter than some competitors. Im 6 but could still sit there comfortably. This SUV will be a fill in for a few yrs until something in this $ range gets us excited.

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  Not Exaggerating, Run Far, Run Fast - 2006 Volvo XC90
  By Heather Mullins - March 20 - 7:36 am

  This was a 40th birthday present..worst $$ ever spent. fuel pump went out first yr. stranded in the middle of nowhere literally..3 recalls, middle console makes noise, front end steering makes popping noise (took many trips to fix) grinding noise in reverse, many trips to figure this out, side window leaks, OEM tires terrible, brakes replaced every 25,000 miles, power steering pump went out, now the car is not wanting to go in reverse and the key mechanism has problems, fuel door latch broke ($350 to fix) we are now cutting our losses and trading it for a GMC SLT Yukon, only 58,000 miles on this money pit!! Spend your $42K elsewhere!!

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  More than happy - 2008 Volvo XC70
  By Paul U. - March 18 - 9:40 am

  Just upgraded my 08 XC70 with a new 08 XC70. Added more options, like Dyna audio, BLIS, Adaptive cruise and 17" wheels. Chose Black/Black instead of Oyster/Tan. It feels like I am in a completely different car. Where the other one was nice, this feels more like a luxury automobile. I am so much happier with this car. My first was an early production and this one seems to be tighter, put together better and has a much higher quality feeling to it. I put over 12K on my last one in over 4 months and never warmed up to it. I can see keeping this one for much longer

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  For a Type R Personality - 2006 Volvo S60
  By mooser - March 17 - 4:07 pm

  In a matter of a second my fuel sipping, turbo spooling Saab, as well as my ego, plowed into a short bus. (Literally) A week later Saab went bust. After much deliberation, I picked up a 2006 S60R with a 100,000 warranty for $16k. This car is FAST and makes the noise of 1/2 a Lamborghini Gallardo. The adjustable suspension and stereo are amazing. This car does take some getting used to, however. I cannot start the engine without feeling as though it guzzled an 1/8th of a tank. The turning circle makes you think of Kirstie Alley trying to do gymnastics, when in a parking lot. Once you unleash it on the road however, all of that disappears as fast the cars in your rear view mirror.