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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  Great Car - 2004 Volvo V70
  By Darkclaw13 - March 17 - 10:00 am

  This just a great Car

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  What has happened to Volvo Quality - 2000 Volvo S80
  By MDB51 - March 16 - 12:10 pm

  This was my second Volvo. My first was a 1994 that was great. I looked foreward to the 2000 S-80. Intially it was fine, I do put a lot of miles on my cars but I also religiously keep them serviced too. It seemed that after the warrently was up everthing seemed to go bad. My biggest problem was first my right front wheel assembly collapsed to the tune of about $3000. Then a year later the left side collapsed-the same amount. I heard there was a factory recall on U joints and I suspect that I was not the only one to have this problem. The front under trim kept falling off. I finally got rid of it for a Mercedes which still has quality in their cars.

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  Once youve gone Swedish... - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By J Sube - March 15 - 10:23 pm

  After driving Saabs (900SE Conv, 9-5SE Sedan) for nearly ten years, I wanted to move to an SUV and bought a Toyota. Although it was highly reliable, I was bored beyond belief with it. So, along came the Volvo XC90 T6 AWD in Graphite Gray -- great looking, so very comfortable, excellent driving experience, great gadgets, and hauls a lot of stuff easily (dog, people, and things on weekend trips to the beach house). My only complaint is that I didnt wait two more months to get the 8-cylinder engine. On long up hill segments of road (local streets, etc), it often whines when the turbo has to kick in to move up the hill. Other than that, I love the vehicle and recommend it to all.

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  OK Car - 1999 Volvo S70
  By bw626 - March 15 - 3:43 pm

  I bought this car used as a gas mileage car. It was almost ten years old with just over 100,000 miles when I bought it. Since then, the antenna broke, the door hinge broke, the power locks only work on the right rear door. The build quality is ok, but the materials are cheap. The dash is really squeaky and there are a lot of rattles. I like the safety ratings, fuel economy but everything else is just okay. Out of five stars, I give this car a 2.5. Would I buy another Volvo? Maybe a new one.

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  Volvo V50 New Review - 2005 Volvo V50
  By BWB - March 14 - 10:56 pm

  We purchased this car after looking at a lot of competitive cars. We liked the minimalist design but full featured interior. After 1 extended trip of 1700 miles in a weekend, we found the car to be economical, comfortable and very stable. We are very happy purchasers of the car.

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  4yrs and still very happy - 2005 Volvo S40
  By Grega - March 14 - 1:16 pm

  I would say it’s a car that has a lot of character. I was looking for a car not so typical, that would stay up to date for many years. It’s different from the purposeless styles of a lot of GMS, Hondas, Toyotas, Nissans, Acuras, and Lexus types I’m tired of seeing on the road. Still fun to drive and with a quality feel to it at a reasonable price. It’s been 4 years and I still enjoy driving this car very much. I did have a few recalls and software glitches in the first year I bought it, nothing serious, but so far it has been quite reliable since. Pleasant Volvo dealer, although expensive outside of warranty, acts really professionally for the most part.

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  Nice; car, ride, feel, some minor repair - 2002 Volvo S60
  By UofA Grad - March 14 - 11:36 am

  This car is nice. Had a few immediate problem after initial purchase. The drivers side door (inside handle) went out of commission. Since the car was certified the warranty cover it. The check engine light came on after 60,000 miles, that cost $200 to fix. The stock radio does not work well with cell phones in the car. Overall not bad, its a fun sedan to drive.

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  Great Car - 2011 Volvo C70
  By T - March 14 - 3:03 am

  I have had my new 2011 C70 for one week and so far so good. They changed the three major objections I had to the 2010 - boring front lights, blah rear lights and cheapy plasticy interior. I was ready to buy in Q4 2010 but waited until late February when the new 2011s arrived - definitely worth the wait for the improved vehicle. The $1000 loyalty program was an added bonus.

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  Terrific Vehicle! - 2008 Volvo S80
  By dstogsdill - March 13 - 12:43 am

  I picked up my 08 S80 at the end of 09. This S80 had every option that Volvo made for it in 08, including the navigation, rear dvd system, and adaptive cruise with lane departure and collision warning. The car is made for cruising and is extremely comfortable and has a solid and powerful feel. The safety features are truly advanced and work well. In fact, due in part to the BLIS and Lane departure systems, I feel my driving has actually improved. The T6 is very quick and has tremendous power in all situations. Of course, we will have to see about the reliability of all these advanced features, but so far the car has made me fall in love with Volvo!

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  Loving the XC60 - 2010 Volvo XC60
  By Rafael - March 12 - 2:33 pm

  First time Volvo buyer, and so far I love our new loaded XC60 T6, I did a lot of research and tested all its competitors, my wife and I loved the design and well rounded design of the car. I was not sure about the navigation system on the car based on reviews, but I was happily surprised on the way it works, I actually think that the controls are better position on the steering wheel compared to a touch screen based navigation.