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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  Long Volvo History - 2002 Volvo S80
  By Paul - July 3 - 1:06 am

  We just bought this car as an off- lease Volvo Certified Used Car, trading in a 1996 Volvo 850 with 139,000 miles on it. I also own a 1994 850 with 125,000 miles. This model has great pick-up, is extremely quiet, and has all the luxury "bells-and- whistles" Id ever want! Straight highway Im getting 28 MPG on regular fuel. At almost $3.00 a gallon, thats 50% better than my Nissan SUV.

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  I Love My Swede - 2006 Volvo S40
  By Barbara - July 1 - 6:46 am

  So far this car has been awesome and incredibly so was the experience of purchasing the vehicle--they treated me like a Queen

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  Lightening Vault! - 2006 Volvo S60
  By visquci - June 30 - 11:06 am

  After a long research Volvo S60R was never in my radar. However, it is the most well balanced car. It is like a japanese katana blade, it has a fierce power in the torque, horse power and the AWD really really HUGS the road. S60R is not only a fast car but the safest on the road. Volvo has finally stepped up in its foundation in safe now they are moving into speed. i love it when you turn on the car the turbo sound really speaks to me like its telling me to drive me FAST! i top this car at 138 i would had gone faster but didnt bother too. Well done Volvo you really impress me.

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  I Love My S80 - 1999 Volvo S80
  By eyefixer - June 28 - 10:00 am

  In 1999 I decided to trade my 1996 Lexus and make the change to the new S80. I am so glad I did. This has to be the best car I have ever owned. The dealer upgraded the cars computer software and I think they also did some sort of recall, but besides that it has been completely trouble free. The maintenance at the Volvo dealership has been extremely cheap to do (especially compared to the high maintenance on the Lexus). I would have to rate this car more dependable than my last Lexus too! The seats in this car are a dream. I can go on and on..... I love driving my S80 every chance I get. Its just such an enjoyable car to own.

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  My wife loves it - 2004 Volvo S40
  By Jeff Robinson - June 28 - 10:00 am

  My wife get her S40 5 days ago. She thiniks this the best little car for her 49" body. It is easy to drive and very good looking. She says she fields safe in it and it is speedy. The seats are my favorite I could sleep for days in them. I have had some hight end cars and now driving a Land Rover Disco and The little Volvos seats are above all of them.

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  2004 Volvo V70R - 2004 Volvo V70
  By Don Jones - June 28 - 10:00 am

  I say: CAR OF THE YEAR! My car keeps pace with the Boxter yet can handle a surprisingly big load. The 4C system is user friendly and the buttons are centrally located. The 6-spd manual transmission is smooth and practically guides itself into each gate. The seats are the most comfortable I have ever driven and provide ample support. Be sure to get the optional stereo upgrade: 325 watts of pure music enjoyment. I got the On-Call service, which has an integrated phone (steering wheel controls too). The dials are very cool, especially at night! The performance, innovation, safety and price are all trend-setters and superior to the competition.

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  quirky but overall fun to drive - 2002 Volvo S80
  By paul - June 27 - 6:53 pm

  bought this car certified used from a volvo dealership and have had it for a little over a year now and put 20K on it. other than a couple of fuses and other minor electrical problems, i.e., dome light comes on when i hit a pothole, etc, the car rocks! awesome power, maybe too much for front wheel drive but i would never complain about that. i still find the design impressive and this still feels like a sold luxury car. compd to the e class and 5 series, and this totally was no brainer. has been very reliable and never in the shop for anything other than routine maintenance.

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  Volvo Headed Back to Greatness - 2010 Volvo XC60
  By Michael Brown - June 26 - 12:40 pm

  As the past owner of 3 Volvo, I can tell you that I switched brands because my last Volvo was a disappointment. After lots of nudging, my wife convinced me to look to Volvo as a replacement vehicle for her wonderful BMW 530i which had come to the end of its lease. We need an SUV type vehicle and the X3 was not satisfactory and the X5 was too big. The XC60 was perfect. It drives incredibly well (a smidge better then the Audi Q5). It has buckets of power and torque and stops well. Coming over a twisty hill at a good clip with an unexpected major drop, my wife was able to control the vehicle easily and there was no loss of grip or direction. That one maneuver closed the deal for us!!

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  Suweeet - 2006 Volvo S60
  By Jim - June 25 - 4:56 am

  I went from a 4Runner to this vehicle. Perhaps Im getting old. I seats are incredibly comfortable (essential for my long commute). I test drove an older S60 2.4 (non- turbo) and Im extremely glad that I went with the newer Turbo AWD.

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  Love it! - 2006 Volvo XC90
  By Eric H - June 23 - 11:10 am

  Our familys first Volvo. Bought it for my wife after she had a baby -- shes no longer able to drive her 2-seater convertible with the baby. We both love it. Smooth drive. Very stylish. Chose this SUV after test driving and strongly considering BMW X5, VW Touareg, and Range Rover. Choosing the Volvo just seemed clear to us to be the smart choice, especially when it comes to safety and reliability.