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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  Nice looking, needs work - 2006 Volvo S80
  By Dave - February 26 - 6:56 am

  We chose this car because it was the best looking with the most interior room in its class. It is very comfortable, but the engine is woefully underpowered. Gas mileage lists between 20 and 27 mpg, I drive mostly highway and cannot get above 19 mpg, very disappointing. Little annoyances: there is only one button for lock/unlock. If your door is unlocked but passengers is locked, you must hit the button once to lock all doors, then again to unlock all doors. Homelink garage door opener should be standard on a luxury car, is instead in the convenience package which is expensive now that they include the back up assist. It is a beautiful, underpowered car, with minor annoyances.

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  AC fails after a week - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By Randal Doerner - February 25 - 2:12 pm

  What can I say.... In one week, the AC has stopped cooling. ONE WEEK!

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  VOLVO - 1996 Volvo 850
  By flody - February 25 - 10:00 am

  I have had a love hate relationship with this vehicle. I love flooring it and wasteing other cars but I hate the constant brake/electrical problems.

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  Best Car Ive Ever Had - 2002 Volvo S40
  By Mary-C - February 25 - 10:00 am

  This is the best car Ive ever had. I had a 2001 model but got into a sever accident only about 4 month after I had gotten in. The car was totaled but I only had a few scratches. I trust my car to keep me safe and other should too. The acceleration is one of the best things and the climate control feature is a great help. This is a great car for everyone, except maybe the extremely large person who might have some trouble getting in.

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  More than meets the eye - 2002 Volvo S60
  By REICHOWJR - February 25 - 10:00 am

  This is my first Volvo. I wanted a safe vehicle for my family as well as one that stands out from the rest of the bunch. We have loged over 4500 trouble free miles averaging 29 plus mpg on the freeway at 75 mph. The paint quality is near perfect as well as fit and finish. I wish I had seats in my home as comfortable as the ones in the front of this car. Our 2 and 4 year old kids fit comfortably in their car seats in the rear with enough leg room so their feet are not in our backs. The 2.4 T has plenty of power through most of the power band. The front of the car feels a little heavy when pushed hard into a corner but otherwise handles well.

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  Extended Warrenty saves the day - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By Lemon - February 23 - 5:50 pm

  This car is in the shop about once a month. Luckily we bought the extended service warranty as the build quality is on par with some of the first generation Korean models. Some the failures are real safety concerns. I guess the positive if the parts do fail and result in accident you know you will be safe.

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  Most excellent - 2008 Volvo C30
  By ted - February 23 - 7:23 am

  Excellent car, handles like a dream, gets off the line fairly quickly. It could use some extra torque though, and you should do everything in your power to stay away from potholes (I cringe at the slam of my 18 inch wheels over concrete expansion joints), but luckily with its superb handling, you can avoid them without difficulty. The sound system is unreal, the car is just one huge menu system. Everything can be changed, adjusted, and tweaked to your exact specifications. I wish the front didnt look exactly the same as the S40 and V50, but its a small price to pay for having the coolest car around.

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  Thank God Volvo buys back - 2004 Volvo S40
  By david047 - February 22 - 10:00 am

  Had the car less than 2 days and Volvo still cant figure out what is wrong with this thing. This is my second Volvo , 850 turbo was the first, a better car but Ford didnt own them then. They are currently replacing the whole emission system. At least the dealer Buys back or replaces which is where I am at the moment.

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  Versatile, fun, well-constructed........ - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By DJCA - February 22 - 10:00 am

  We use our thrid row seats infrequently, but when we do....sure nice to have. The vehicle is solid as a rock, it drives very car-like and the engine is spirited, though it probably could use another 25hp. I wish we had purchased the navigation system.....would have been a fun accessory. The sound system is amazingly good once programmed, but trust me, to unlock all of the audio features you have to spend 2 hours on the setup.

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  Safe and solid ride - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By Scarlett435 - February 20 - 11:33 am

  I love my Volvo SUV! Wish I would have purchased it with the GPS already installed. Have replaced all 4 tires, front & back brakes, front & back rotares, upper engine mount all before 75K miles! But I still love the vehicle.