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:

• 

  Nothing but problems - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By volvoalabama - September 6 - 9:33 am

  Ive had nothing but problems with my 2005 XC90, and they are still ongoing. The main issue is a continuous start problem, but the front door locks have broken, the door pull has come loose, the carpeting has come loose, the CD changer is broken, the DVD player raises and lowers unexpectedly while driving. The dealer cant figure out the start problem. I have to pay for rental cars, lose time from work, and experience the general frustration of not being able to depend on a car. I wont buy another Volvo.

• 

  Love my Volvo! - 2003 Volvo S40
  By TLA72 - September 5 - 2:00 am

  The car is easy to handle and fun to drive. It is a fast little car. The leather interior is great quality and the seats are very comfortable. As a mother, it is a great feeling to know that I am driving my son in one of the worlds safest cars!

• 

  low miles tons of repairs - 2001 Volvo S60
  By dondeb1028 - September 5 - 2:00 am

  I own a 2001 Volvo s60, with only 35K, we have replaced 5 headlights, Brakes, rotors, tires, and just had the transmission replaced, key will not come out of the ignition. What a wonderful car. Also paid 30+ for it can only get 15K. got to love it.

• 

  Most expensive car I have ever owned - 2001 Volvo V70
  By Barney - September 4 - 11:03 am

  Front end is weak. Constantly requires repair and replacement of tie- rod-ends, ball joints, constant velocity boots, etc. You name it, its been replaced, multiple times. Power window motors, go through them like candy. Transmission was replaced with 1 mile left in warranty. Transmission is going again but it lasted 150,000 miles. Rattles, boy does it ever. But, it hasnt rusted out and the engine is still strong after 188,000 miles. Again, I cannot tell you how much this thing has cost to maintain but its got to be close to the purchase price. Most comfortable seats of any vehicle I have owned.

• 

  Fantastic Car - 2004 Volvo XC70
  By Jordan - September 4 - 6:33 am

  This is the best all-purpose vehicle you can find. It does everything, its fun to drive, its safe enough for babies and fast enough for dads. All-wheel drive is the best for all weather conditions Ive driven this car through storms, rain, snowstorms, cross country, etc. and never once felt out of control. The turbocharged engine gives a kick when you need it. It has nice clearance for hopping curbs or going offroad. The only semblance of a complaint is that the gas mileage is on the low side, we average 20 mpg in mixed use driving. But it still beats an SUV in that category. If you need an all-purpose vehicle, but want better reliability than an SUV, this is it.

• 

  An unreliable tank - 1997 Volvo 960
  By mb - September 3 - 10:00 am

  Unreliable in its first few years, seems to be settling down in middle age. Many similarities to a tank - limited front visibility, rough ride, tight headroom & legroom. An old style Volvo that only a true Volvo lover (which I am not)will like. On the upside, with regular visits to the shop, it will probably be around for another 20 yrs.

• 

  not so great car - 2002 Volvo S40
  By unsatisfied owner - September 3 - 10:00 am

  I have had problems with this car since I got it. The check-engine light has come on at least four times and the car has stalled on me twice( once for a defective computer chip and the other time was because the oxygen hose came off), I took it in to the service center at the dealership and theyve fixed it. This car has given more problems than it is worth (Im trading it in for something better and more reliable), its basically a defect.

• 

  Awesome and Fun - 2002 Volvo S60
  By CM - September 3 - 10:00 am

  Fun car to drive even without the turbo. Has plenty of get up and go. Was highly impressed with what came with buying a VOLVO. Not a box anymore.

• 

  Excellent car - 2000 Volvo S40
  By Veronika - September 3 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car a year ago and I love it! I always get compliments, even when I am at traffic lights. It rides smooth and is very sturdy. The only thing that bothers me is the cupholder blocking the stereo. I still cant understand why someone designed it to be in the place that it is.

• 

  My first impressions after 700 miles - 2015 Volvo XC70
  By Mitch Johns - September 3 - 12:53 am

  We purchased an XC 70 platinum T6 3 liter that had an EPA mpg at 17/24 mpg. We chose this car after purchasing two BMW X1s in 2014 and 2015. I was a bit worried about the mpg and that I would be consuming more gas and hurting the environment. Well after our first major road trip of 430 miles in CA from N. Ca, through Sacramento to Palo Alto, I was impressed. You have to know that this road trip is primarily major state and federal highways, on roads that are very bumpy, can be stressful, and very heavy with traffic. We obtained an overall round-trip gas mileage of 25.6 mpg with cruising speeds of 70-80 mph, and considerable stop and go on these interstates. Frankly consider this route to be one of the worst traveling itinerary that you could ever drive and put a car through. The best attribute of this car is the Volvo front car seats that are likely the most comfortable in a car. We purchased the car mostly for the front car seats as my wife has spinal issues that causes her great pain and discomfort about the third hour of a road trip. The seat comfort was the best of what could be expected given my wifes chronic aliments. I cannot say this for the back car seats as they are average, and the designers could have engineered more leg room for the rear passengers. Dont get the wrong impression, it is still better than the X1s that we have experienced. The auto runs smooth, plenty of acceleration, low road noise, and takes the highway bumps with little lingering memory. What I might be critical of is the steering as it is a bit light and you dont have intuitive feeling you get out of a performance car such as a BMW X1. The handling around curves is slightly above average, but you should slow down a bit if it is a tight curve as there is a slight body lean and response for you to take it more slower than a performance car. I have only 700 miles on the car and as you know, nothing is broken in yet, the engine especially. I will look forward to more (pleasurable) road trips and I anticipate that I will find the car much more superior and also expect to obtain slightly higher mpg on long road trips. There are no available safety ratings for this model, but it is a Volvo. The exterior body is very solid and the finish is excellent. We have learned much after purchasing three new cars in the last 24 months and anyone purchasing should do their homework in regards to invoice price, reviews of the car handling, etc.