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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  Piece of Swedish Junk - 2015 Volvo V60
  By Gary - June 25 - 1:15 pm

  Car has been in 6 times for an issue with loss of power. They rebuilt the engine at 29k miles. Still exhibits intermittent power loss due to pre-detonation of spark plugs which retards the timing causing the loss of power. Happens without warning which makes it very unsafe to drive when merging. Volvo has acknowledge the issue yet states it will happen under certain conditions. They have been completely and utterly useless and are unwilling to resolve the issue. Do a search under Volvo Drive E Clicking and you will find the info. 3rd and last Volvo.

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  V50 - Outstanding Car - 2006 Volvo V50
  By SR - June 25 - 6:10 am

  Get the sport package and you will not believe the handling...better than 325i.

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  Traded 2000 S40 for 2004 S40 - 2004 Volvo S40
  By Mark Gray - June 23 - 10:00 am

  I just traded my 2000 S40 for a 2004 S40. The dealer and the automobile are 1st Class. The small things I did not like about my 2000 such as location of window and mirror controls and cup holders have been improved greatly. The car also has a 5 speed automatic now and is much smoother and quiter. Some slight body changes make the car better than the 2000 model. A great car has been made almost perfect! Perfect would require about 200HP and 200lbs.ft. torque.

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  Best Deal for Third Row - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By pab - June 23 - 10:00 am

  Wanted a 3rd row but owned the Tahoe which was a little too large. Great interior, easy to use third row. Love the car.

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  Great so far - 2010 Volvo XC60
  By Max - June 20 - 6:26 pm

  I am completely happy with the xc60 so far. Both the exterior and interior styling are great and the ride quality is nice. I have encountered a few minor quirks which I hope will fix themselves (the doors didnt lock once when I started moving, the optional collision warning sounded once when there was no one near me, and a little piece of plastic fell off the tailgate that I simply had to pop back on). Other than those very minor problems, I love the car and am completely happy with the purchase.

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  1999 volvo s70 base 5 speed - 1999 Volvo S70
  By sj_volvo_s70 - June 19 - 1:48 am

  What can I say that has not already been said. Very noisy dashboard, pathetic acceleration.. Air conditioner decides to stop working after its been working fine all day, wind noise, power door locks not working, and the locks in the back are at the rear of the door, very tough to reach... The need to always have the code reader in the car, just in case!!! Very poorly design throttle-body.. gets dirty really easy causing most drive-ability problems.. MPG not good for a small 5 cylinder with 5 speed manual low-mid 20s.. my 99 e320 with a v6 and auto 27+ mpg...

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  Fantastic car! - 2004 Volvo S60
  By Julia S. - June 18 - 10:00 am

  Ok, so Ive had the car for less than a week. I absolutely love it. The 2.5T S60 2004 has incredible styling, power, and luxury. Ive never owned a Volvo, but between the super experience at the dealer and the car itself, Ill be buying Volvos for a long, long time. Its a luxury car without the high price. I was torn between the S60 and a Honda Accord. No contest. The S60 is better built, drives better, and its not what everyone else is driving! Yet.

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  Great road trip car - 2003 Volvo V70
  By NJ V70 Owner - June 18 - 10:00 am

  Generally very happy with car. Superb seats, great ride and handling, very comfortable on trips. Both my wife and I have safely completed evasive maneuvers that would have been trouble in other vehicles. Better equipped and more comfortable than other cars in price range. Child booster seats are a great feature. Great gas mileage - approaching 30 mpg on trips. Comes at the expense of acceleration though, which is just adequate. Only major gripes are and engine courseness and reflection off light taupe dashboard. Resorted to polarized sunglasses. It doesnt bother my wife, however. Upside is that the light leather interior looks great.

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  Average XC90 (V70XC was better!) - 2003 Volvo XC90
  By Bushepy - June 18 - 10:00 am

  The XC90 has been a disappointment with the following: overall build quality, fit and finish (both interior and exterior, noisy electroic climate control, poor audio system (the premium Dolby Pro-logic II surround sound is very disappointing), and, most disappointing, the lack of adequate engine power while accelerating onto highways or while climbing mountains. I also have had major problems with my Volvo retailer on warranty work (they damged the car. This could be my very last Volvo.

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  A Great SUV! - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By Saber - June 18 - 10:00 am

  A quality SUV that gets great gas mileage for a SUV. Has a small feel driving the vehicle with a lot of room to carry passengers and/or cargo. Also feel very safe in the XC90.