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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  A most unreliable great car - 2001 Volvo S60
  By Chuck P. Sacarmento - December 20 - 11:36 pm

  Stay far away from this great car! Its reliability and Volvo support stinks! This was our 2nd Volvo and our last! Suspension components that break every two years, oil leaks, constant bulb failures, gas door, trunk lock, and a failed transmission! The transmission was a known problem early in life of car that reduced its life. Volvo created a feature that resulted in premature trans failure. This is well documented. If your trans fails out of warranty, which it will, Volvo and the dealer will say tough.

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  T6 Poor Reliability, Too Many Problems - Avoid All VOLVOS - 2005 Volvo S80
  By roversocal - December 20 - 8:49 am

  In a sentence: do not buy Volvo or any model S80. PERIOD! Poured about $3500 in repairs into the car over 2 years only to have problems with transmission shifting and random CELs. I know cars. Heres what was done: new struts, serpentine belt, fuel filter, MAF, coil packs. Then a transmission service urgent light came on at 78k miles with long upshift. Paid for software update and drain/fill..no change. Volvo Santa Ana was garbage and always overcharged/misdiagnosed. You can get an old Civic/Corolla with better reliability. The car literally sat because we thought it was unsafe and would walk instead.

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  Know where the moneys spent - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By Michelle - December 19 - 8:36 am

  I really got to see where the money was spent on this car, when driving through water-logged Interstates at night in November. I could feel a tire/tires losing grip on the flooded road, but the wheel never shook. The power was taken off the hydroplaning wheel & applied to the ones still grounded. Its been in bad weather where I appreciate this car the most. I never had a problem with its pick-up/power driving through mountain passes that are so steep and windy theyre only open in the summer. Love the car. Would highly recommend it.

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  My first Volvo, but not my last. - 2006 Volvo S40
  By Diana C - December 18 - 11:43 am

  Great looking car. I love the sporty lines, while retaining its classy look. Gone are the days when Volvo was boxy and predictable. Volvo proves a sedan can be sporty.

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  great first car - 2001 Volvo S40
  By donaldduck - December 16 - 10:00 am

  5 speed auto is excellent. Very economical.

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  NO MORE VOLVO - 2000 Volvo S80
  By Dash - December 15 - 2:46 am

  I wish i had done my research before I bought this 2000 S80T. Its been nothing but trouble. I loved the look of the car in simply NOT RELIABLE. Volvo are very pricey cars for them to be so unreliable. I had to replace so many things and ive always maintained it so well and always dealer maintained. but im done with this company

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  A good car, but could be better - 2011 Volvo V50
  By teagardin - December 13 - 7:21 pm

  Owned v50 for over a year. Styling is excellent. After a year, still like looking at the car. The interior is unequaled in this class, high-end minimalism, nothing annoying visually. Power is not one horsepower more or less than average. Wish it had 5 more horses at least, but not bad. Disappointing mileage--18-19 city, and maybe 22 highway. Should be better! The handling is so-so. The suspension takes bumps fairly hard, and feels rough on dips and larger bumps or road imperfections. Just stable enough. Feels European, in a good, but not great way. Good utility. Good space. Visibility is compromised by FAT pillars. Overall, recommend this car. But... dont love it really.

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  Good Car - 1998 Volvo S70
  By Jeff1976 - December 12 - 3:30 pm

  This is a good car. Some people dont like it because they take it to a dealer to get it fixed which is a big mistake. Over the years I have learned to fix things on it and overall its a pretty mechanic friendly car. One of the easiest oil changes I have ever done since the oil filter is forward of the pan. I am at 155,000 mi and going strong. Im going to keep this car with me for decades more since it is safe and has a fairly timeless design. Staying ahead of maintenance is the best defense to problems. Get it checked out unless you know what to look for and you wont be suprised with killer repairs. (70k change the timing belt). They are fairly inexpensive used. Buy one!

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  Very Comfortable but Brake and Trunk Pro - 2003 Volvo S60
  By allen - December 12 - 2:26 pm

  Bought this vehicle 6 months ago - very comfortable to drive and looks great but persistent problems with brakes and trunk. After 5 attempts the dealer finally fixed the trunk alignment problem but they have decided the brake noise is just "normal" for this car. Never had a "normal" brake noise on any of my previous cars (Toyotas and Hondas) The trunk is also too small to fit my golf clubs in without taking two of them out of the bag! Finally I have a low pitched "rumble" at highway speeds that despite three attempts to get the dealer to fix is still present. Car also needs a better coin box.

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  Safe, Reliable Car - 1996 Volvo 850
  By fusnyphi - December 11 - 2:00 am

  Bought new in 1996 and maintained regularly through the dealership until the warranty expired. Now serviced by a more trustworthy independent import repair shop. Save by buying parts online. A strong, solid, dependable car (150k miles). Excellent brakes, but rotors are not durable. No significant mechanical problems.