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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  Short of Expectations - 2000 Volvo S40
  By Clay Bittner - September 15 - 2:00 am

  I thought when buying the S40 that I was stepping up to a luxury automobile that would cross over into the service provided etc. I definitely thought wrong. The buying and service experience I had with my second car (an Infiniti) was far more enjoyable than the Volvo experience. Owning my Volvo was a similar experience to my experiences owning a Honda which is not what I thought I was getting into. Probably will not own or lease another Volvo. Looking back I should have gone for the Infiniti G20 instead although the car has been "OK".

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  Great little car - 2005 Volvo S40
  By K Borton - September 13 - 12:33 am

  This was my first car; while not real fancy, it was reliable. I never had a problem with the car. Regular service, but never a major repair

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  Saved my daughters life - 2002 Volvo V40
  By meonly - September 12 - 10:16 pm

  My daughter totaled my first V40, hit on 3 sides, air bags inflated, went airborne across 4 lanes of traffic and hit by 3 cars. Not a scratch on her or her friend. I didnt think such a light weight car would have its occupants survive an accident like that, neither did the paramedics. Thank you for that. I am a volvo owner for life. Waiting for the xc60, that will be my fourth volvo.

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  Smooth ride after the speedbumps - 1999 Volvo S70
  By Jake - September 9 - 12:23 pm

  I have had this Volvo for 6 years, 75,000 miles, and it has been great. The major problems I have had with the car came around 90k miles when the ETC and ABS had to be replaced. The ETC is a recalled defect and the ABS happened to go with it in my case. The car is easy to maintain and has plenty of room to work in the engine compartment. Lights are easy to change; I dont even scratch my hands doing it. Maintenance procedures are easy to perform on this car which is more than I can say for many other cars. Parts are also sold at reasonable prices and readily available from vendors online. There are also great resources for maintenance, etc. online. I wish I could drive this car forever.

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  Comfort, style and SAFE - 1996 Volvo 850
  By pnad - September 9 - 10:00 am

  At 118000 miles, this car is in better condition than my 60k mile Ponitac GTP. Very comfortable to drive. Quiet and rattle free. Interior materials seem to be if good quality. This platinum edition car is LOADED. Heated leather seats are very nice on cold morning commutes. Not the fastest car on the road, but she is no slouch. The 220hp turbo 5cyl keeps you in the above average range. I love the styling of this car and it actually gets a bit of attention from other drivers. I like the peace of mind knowing I am driving what has to be the safest car on the road.

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  Volvo S80 - 2000 Volvo S80
  By ethomas3256 - September 9 - 10:00 am

  Like the car, little slow on exceration. A little noisy on Freeway. Great Space and comfort...

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  2/3 the way through my Volvo lease - 2004 Volvo XC70
  By d. from denver - September 4 - 7:00 pm

  This car is very stealth; it performs way better than the image it projects. If you get into the turbo, it will leave most everyone else sitting at the stoplight. Very solid build quality so far (at 30k miles). Maintenance not too bad because the major ones covered under warranty, which they no longer do (cheaped out). Run synthetic oil most the time in it.

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  2001 Volvo Transmission Problem - 2001 Volvo V70
  By ararat - September 1 - 11:06 am

  Ive had 3 2001 xc 70s, now Im down to 1 and I have a 2001 V70 T5. They all have had the same problem- TRANSMISSION....I think somebody should start a lawsuit against Volvo because anyone who has a 2001 Volvo has a transmission problem. Ive tried everything to fix the problem...nothing works. The only thing that would help is buying a whole new transmission.

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  Mixed Bag - 2005 Volvo S60
  By Dan - August 28 - 10:53 am

  Excellent performance, though road noise is a bit excessive at times. 30,000 miles on the car and its been in the shop five times for various repairs: electrical issues, switches failing, very harsh "buzz" on AM radio caused by poor shielding (still not resolved completely) AWD went out at 25K (acted like FWD only, no power to rear), all fixed under warranty but I expected better from a $40-45K car. On the upside, average mileage (combined city/hwy) has been 25.6 for 20,000 miles (nice!) and gets 32 Mpg on level highway (55-60 mph). Relatively comfortable for 3-hour per day commutes. Turning radius of the Queen Mary (good grief this thing is hard to get in a small space!).

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  152,000 miles and counting - 2000 Volvo S40
  By sb - August 26 - 7:56 pm

  hello there Volvo world I bought my new Volvo in Sept 1999...its an S40 2000. It had only 2 miles on it and now I have over 152K! Yes...the only mjor repair was new engine mounts 5-6 years ago and a new alternator in July 2008. Im on my 3rd set of tires. The interior is still mint condtion and runs excellent. I am now obsessed to see how many miles I can get out of this car.