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:

• 

  Definitely a Volvo - Worth the $ - 2006 Volvo XC70
  By Northeast - October 9 - 1:16 am

  We changed our Passat wagon for a Volvo XC70 and will definitely keep it at the end of the lease. We have never owned such a sturdy and comfortable car. This car rocks! For a second car, we are considering another Volvo. You definitely get your moneys worth.

• 

  Swedish Dragon Wagon - 2005 Volvo V70
  By R2D2 - October 8 - 2:50 pm

  This much fun ought to be illegal. The V70R is the perfect stealth wagon. Who would expect 0-60 in the mid-5s from a station wagon? With the available aftermarket items (exhaust, sway bars, and engine computer kits), getting 350+ HP is very do-able from only 2.5 liters. The 6-speed manual and brembo brakes make this a pleasure to drive. With 04 and 05 models coming within pricing reach, now is the time to think swede.

• 

  money pit of a car - 2000 Volvo V70
  By takenbyvolvo - October 5 - 6:50 pm

  Bought the car and I have put more money into it than what it cost me. I like that it is safe, but I dont like how there are so many problems with it. I will never buy a car from Volvo again, and I am hesitant still on getting a car that is so expensive to repair. Sure it is great in the snow, but that is only like four weeks out of the year that I need it for that. Gas mileage is like a pick up truck and it is so finicky, everything seems to go wrong.

• 

  Excellent reliability. - 1996 Volvo 850
  By Melarti - October 5 - 10:00 am

  Having owned many, many used cars over the past decades, I have a good baseline from which to evaluate long term reliability. I attribute excellent build quality to the phenomenal reliability that we have experienced with this car. After over 45000 miles, the only problem experienced was with a squeaky ventilation fan.

• 

  Great looks+highway comfort/performanc - 2001 Volvo V70
  By howardc64 - October 4 - 8:20 pm

  Wife traded a minivan for this and loves it. This car has 2 personalities >= 70mph on highway is awsome. Comfortable, good power + mileage (28-29) City driving is sluggish and poor mileage (17-19). Lack low end torque so the car lacks pickup. Manual shifting stick or autostick allows the driver to correct of mismatched auto shift + RPM torque setting. Poor turing radius. For our style of driving, well go with the 2.5T next time. Reliability has been ok. Both headlight + various position/brake lights burned out once. The bulbs are cheap and very easy to replace. Front light lens assembly is a single unit (glass) and cost $300 for parts when chipped. Get ipds plastic lens protector.

• 

  My Little Pocket Rocket - 2007 Volvo V50
  By Allen - October 2 - 1:03 pm

  I get raves from a lot of other drivers and what a blast to drive this V50 is. Fort Knox on wheels too as Volvo is famous for safety. The Japanese made tranny matched to the 218 ponies makes it a dream to drive. Easy to be at 80+ mph and feels like 40. Quick on acceleration, shoots from the gate and leaves a lot of other cars in the dust! I say Volvo finally got it right in styling, interior, safety, guts, all there! I upgraded wheels to 17", tinted all windows and this baby stands out on the road.

• 

  GREAT USED LUXURY CAR FOR LOW LOW PRICE - 1998 Volvo S70
  By d.slvstri - October 2 - 8:20 am

  My 98 GLT turbo has been very good to me so far, i purchased it two weeks ago and drove it day 1 from VA to NY and day 5 from NY back to VA with no problems at all, the driver seat wasnt so comfy towards my center back on the long drive but overall ok, it has the typical warning lights on dash (ABS/TRAC) but i learned to live with them and got used to not having the luxury of working ABS/TRAC features since my previous Ford Focus didnt even have those options. Very good acceleration once turbo kicks in, i dont know what the top speed is on this car despite the 140 speedo but i had no problem getting to 127 mph fairly quickly. Gorgeous blk ext with blk leather int. only paid $1400 usd

• 

  My first Volvo...wont be my last - 2000 Volvo S40
  By ColumbusS40 - October 1 - 10:00 am

  I wanted a Volvo since I was a kid and was quite surprised when I got financed into an S40 at agreeable terms. The maintenance schedule is a little high, I must admit, but in my opinion its worth it. In one year, Ive put about 20,500 miles on the car. (This will go down as I moved closer to the city). Very comfortable, very solid, and fun to drive. Like it a lot but will upgrade to a station wagon (V70)when I can.

• 

  Love it! - 2007 Volvo XC90
  By Dena - October 1 - 12:46 am

  I traded in a 2004 Lexus RX330 for the 2007 XC90. I love the way it handles and it feels much tighter and sportier. It accelerates and shifts gears much more smoothly than my Lexus. My only complaint is the gas mileage is not as good, and I had a minor issue with the Sirius installation. This car is fun to drive!

• 

  Refined "Wagon" - 2010 Volvo XC70
  By Marc L - September 29 - 7:56 pm

  Since our 1998 V70, some things have changed: Quiet, smooth ride, on-demand power. And some things havent: Best seats in the business, solid planted handling, and large cargo capacity. This wagon really does it all in a refined attractive package. The only Achilles heel is middling fuel economy. But thats a price worth paying for this fantastic "wagon."