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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  What a disappointment - 2001 Volvo V70
  By makanani2 - November 15 - 12:10 am

  Im thinking the only reason why this car comes up with 4-stars is for the comfort and interior and exterior design, which are excellent. Tell any Volvo mechanic that you own a 2001 Volvo V70 XC and after they stop laughing hysterically, theyll weep for you. The transmission is going to fail, if it hasnt already. Mine had an oil leak so bad, we named the car "The Valdez". Three weeks after being told that it would cost more to replace the transmission and fix the oil leaks than the car was worth, it blew up on a mountain pass. If you want a Volvo, find an older 740 (non -turbo).

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  Eurotrash is the name of my wifes XC90 - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By dumbchuck - November 14 - 9:16 pm

  ...because thats what it is. Its in the shop now waiting for a new motor because a bearing self destructed and sent metal fragments throughout the engine. Volvo better be including a new turbo with the replacement. Had to get a new seat module (brain) because the car kept losing memory 3. It took us maybe 6 trips to service before Volvo finally authorized the replacement. We had been back as many times for the engine noise which nobody could identify until the oil seal blew (even though they could hear it). When they did anything at all, it was to tighten the heat shield on the exhaust or adjust the steering (knocking out the alignment). Dealer service has been nice but ineffective.

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  safe, reliable, high performance - 1999 Volvo S70
  By Doug M. - November 13 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car for long trips. Comfortable seats (wife loves seat heaters). Everyone praises rear seat room. AWD is great in snow, and has good gas mileage unlike SUV (approx 18/25 city/hwy). Car is fast, handles great, stops great. 60,000 mi service is $1000, other service is every 7,500 mi and cost $100-200. We have done maintenance only. Our car is well used and has a hard life, it is completely reliable and feels more solid than new cars of other makes.

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  best Volvo ever! - 2001 Volvo V70
  By Rick Waters - November 13 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned 8 Volvo, including an 1800ES. This XC70 is the BEST! Power, looks, utilitarian, and soooo comfortable. Best buy in cars I have ever made!

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  Transmission - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By Carl Swanson - November 13 - 10:00 am

  This is our first Volvo, great looks, handling. The transmission has a serious problem that the dealers cannot seam to solve or Volvo. The pickup in first gear is great when it shifts to second it seams to die and fails miserably to respond as one would expect that a smooth move through the gears. The t6 looses out in this reguars, plus it is not safe when you gun it and it lets you down. Would like to hear from Volvo as to how this happned and why it cannot be fixed.

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  A winner all around - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By FML - November 13 - 10:00 am

  This is the vehicle that I want my family in at all times. Not only is it very safe and "smart" it is very stylish and pratical. The XC90 is built like a tank, yet it gets good gas mileage (for an SUV) and delivers performance on the road. The safety systems are the best in the world and give me the confidence that my family will not be in danger when they are on the road.

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  Good for the kids - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By Aronky - November 10 - 11:43 pm

  This car is built very well and feels great to drive. Rides really good, and is great for hauling around kids and stuff. Love the split tailgate and the really supportive seats. Great for long trips, but would recommend the larger engine this 2.5L inline 5 is very sluggish but gets the job done if its just for driving the kids around.

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  Volvo XC90 - Great Car! - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By RBW - November 9 - 11:59 am

  I have the model year 2018 XC90 T6 and it has been flawless so far with around 10,000 miles. This is a super safe vehicle and you will like all of the creature comforts. There have been some 2016 XC90s with early new-model issues, but at this point 2-3 years later, the new Volvo platform from 2015-16 is now solid from what I can tell first hand. This is a beautiful vehicle inside and out and you will feel youre driving something special each time you get into it.

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  Did great in a crash - 2001 Volvo S80
  By ed - November 9 - 10:46 am

  I bought this car for my 17 year old. It worked great, looked great and ran great until he was smashed hard from behind. The car absorbed the force incredibly. You can see from the damage how the design was made to absorb the forces and the head rests worked great in protecting the neck. he and his brother who was also in the car were not hurt, no whiplash or anything. The driver of the car that hit them was hurt the wreck was so bad.

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  Love the car when its not in the shop... - 2015 Volvo XC60
  By mustang4305 - November 9 - 9:06 am

  We bought a new XC60 R-Design in June of 2014 and have had nothing but problems since...it has been in the shop every 3-4 weeks with problem after problem. Everything from the suspension to the steering to the electrical has been an issue. We love the design and the build quality but this car has been a lemon.