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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  Ist Volvo - 2005 Volvo S40
  By Cope200 - November 30 - 10:00 am

  Had two problems less than 250 miles. Air bag light came on and Climate Control actuator made noise. Dealer was prompt and courteous in fixing both problems. Really enjoy driving the car. Very secure to the road.

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  Maintenance can be expensive - 2010 Volvo XC60
  By jbatl56 - November 29 - 6:16 am

  My 2010 XC60 has been a good vehicle since I bought it used 2 yrs ago. It is very comfortable and with the T6 its quick off the line. But now at 73,000 miles Im beginning to wonder if its not the beginning of the end. Brake vacuum pump needs replacing ($700), sunroof leaks during a hard rain ($500), tires cup regardless of brand apparently, leather is wearing worse than my moms 1989 Cadillac, the lift gate pistons needed replacement (caught under warranty), brakes wear quickly ($400) and I need a new motor mount ($500). I think thats a bit much for a Volvo with what many consider low mileage. But then again, its really not Swedish anymore, is it?

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  Good Car - 2005 Volvo S60
  By Ron - November 28 - 10:50 am

  Car is great, I love the Acnatera interior. I have had it for approx 5K miles so far. Only problems are the dealer cant seem to figure out how to adjust the Xenon headlamps and the wheels scuff real easily. Already have 2 severely damaged ones. The problem seems to be the tire has no shoulder to protect the wheel, even in a drive thru carwash. I wish I could contact someone at Volvo in the "R Division" to talk about the car but cant seem to find anyone. DCXs SRT division has great chat rooms. Guess Volvo is too small??? or I am not good on the tube.

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  Still love it after a year - 2001 Volvo V40
  By jfalley - November 27 - 2:00 am

  I am single, travel (for fun) alot and love this wagon. I have 2 dogs, and there is plenty of room for the standard fair for one person. 2 people with all the equipment to snowboard gets full but still has rear vision through the vehicle, have done 3 people and I dont recomend it, the back seat is tight (real tight)if the front is set for the comfort of a 6 foot tall person. Rear seat is for kids only, but that is how you get the good milage, perfect for me.

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  I love it even more than the 2.9 - 2003 Volvo S80
  By Jonathan Barth - November 27 - 2:00 am

  I had a 2001 S80 for 1.5 years and as much as I LOVED the car, I always regretted not getting the T6 package, premium sound, and color-coded trim. When I got this Pearl White 2002 T6 (with color coded trim), I was in utterly speechless; the seats where even more comfortable and the handling and responsiveness of the T6 is fantastic. And the sound… the 3rd channel and DPL are great. With the exception of the mild dead spot when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear and the fact that the premium sound does not play MP3s, I really have enjoyed the high end responsiveness of the car and the sound system. At 130 mph, the car is just beginning to beg for more.

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  DIGIT - 2003 Volvo XC90
  By SWEDISHGEARHEAD - November 27 - 2:00 am

  HAVE HAD IT ABOUT 1 MONTH AND LOVE ALMOST EVERYTHING ABOUT IT WISH IT HAD A 5 SPEED OR 6 SPEED TRANNY AND A LARGER GAS TANK BUT THATS NITPICKING

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  01 V70 T5 - Thumbs Up! - 2001 Volvo V70
  By Rick - November 26 - 8:06 pm

  New to the Volvo world but my brother has owned three, including his current 02 V70. Just brought home our 01 T5 last month; its a well-maintained 2-owner w. 95k mi. Ive owned various BMWs, Jaguars, VWs, etc. & this Volvo compares very well. From the interior & exterior design to the performance & fun of driving, the car has an overall feel of real quality & thoughtful engineering. As preventative maintenance, I changed the timing belt (incl. tensioner & pulley) & water pump after the purchase; also put in a new cabin air filter. The 01 V70 sometimes gets a bad rap, but I suspect thats at least as much owner issues as the car itself. Thumbs up on a great car, especially the T5.

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  Very fun to dirve - 2011 Volvo XC70
  By hikerguy69 - November 26 - 4:10 am

  I had a 2005 Subaru Forrester XT with 94K miles, and decided it was time for a new vehicle . I wanted a car that was fun to drive, yet able to carry me, my friends and camping gear up Idaho forrest roads. I looked at 2010 Forrester and Outback, but settled on the XC 70 T6. It is very fun to drive. I love the comfortable seat and the relatively quiet AWD. The handling was excellent and the turbo had loads of pickup. Ive only had it a week, but I am very happy.

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  Reserved Judgement - 2017 Volvo XC90
  By bigmountain - November 25 - 6:37 am

  We bought this car in February after multiple generations of 4 different luxury SUVs my wife and I were tired of feeding the pig at the gas pump. We travel probably 18 weekends a year so gas mileage is important to us, but so is capability for off-road and snow performance. We researched this purchase at length. This car is beyond innovative. The interior and exterior design feels like a $100,000 car, not a 60k car. Where this car shines: fuel economy, handling, long trips (the pilot assist feature is addicting), interior functionality, comfort, the Dynamic and Off Road driving modes are incredibly helpful when called upon. Where this car isnt great: ride, the ride is very busy and a little harsh which exposes some typical European car rattles and will expose every Lego stuffed in a cupholder. This is a trade off to consider if you like the confidence of the handling on a backroad. The technology can be a little invasive at times when you are just out running errands, so you have to be willing to learn about it and use it properly or it will drive you mad. The only major complaint that I have with the car is the auto-stop-start feature which is way too overzealous to cut the engine off when you are at a quick 4-way stop or pausing to let someone pull out of a parking space. I am optimistic the software engineers will release a patch for this soon (hint-hint).

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  Amazing SUV for its price - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By Hpc112 - November 22 - 5:09 pm

  Coming from a BMW X3 this car has so many more safety and luxury features at the same price SUV. Not to mention its much larger and much peppier engine. My wife and myself also looked at the BMW X5 and mb gle and Audi Q7. We found x5 to be very expensive and the BMW dealer by us has a horrible service department, but the SUV drove nicely and interior was nice but very similar to the Volvo but 8,700 more for comperable equipment. The gle was a bit small and no third row, transmission was a bit rough when passing. The q7 was very out dated, no technology features, no safety features, worst fuel economy, we have no idea how it was rated so highly, it felt like it was a decade behind the others. We also looked at the Range Rover sport, this was a very nice SUV but over budget about 24,000 more than the Volvo. When looking at the Volvo make sure you drive both regular motors we found the base t5 to be under powered and nosy. But for a few grand more the t6 engine is very quick and the transmission reacts much smoother than my Mercedes Benz e350. The only compliant I have is the fuel economy is not as good as stated more like 20-21 mpg average with about 60 percent highway. But I think the claim high fuel economy is in Eco mode only so comfort or high performance get worse economy, at least it takes regular fuel. I definitely recommend the active cruise control and cornering head lights both are great options and the kids love the very large sunroof. The iPad interface takes some time to get used to, but everything is voice command also and the dash board also cam be customized to view whatever you want. If you send some time with it everthing including changing its colors are customizable, maybe a bit too much. I wish the auto on off would stay on the last setting used like most European cars instead of turning back on each time you turn the car on and you need to flip to a second screen to turn it, just not ideal. The seats are very nice and designed to mold very well to your body, much more comfortable than my Benz or wifes old x3. Overall I have been very impressed and would consider the up coming 90 sedan over replacing the E class with another E class if the features and ride are the same for less the was the xc90 is.