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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  Another Killer Volvo - 2003 Volvo XC90
  By MRF2 - February 13 - 2:00 am

  My first impression upon hearing about the new Volvo SUV was that an otherwise respectable company had finally given in to the demand of these unsafe, irresponsible, environmentally wreckless, overall nast vehicles. Well, I was wrong about this one! This car has all the great SUV attributes without the nastiness Ive mentioned above. The exterior/interior design is better then anyone else, and looks every bit as good as the BMW X5. The interior is different, but in a quite revolutionary way. Best of all, it drives and rides incredibly well.

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  New Car fun - 2003 Volvo XC90
  By zandybeach - February 13 - 2:00 am

  Its finally arrived...a vehicle that is incredibly safe, very comfortable and a joy to drive. Im so happy Volvo has decided to get some style!

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  Best car for the money! - 2006 Volvo S40
  By Kennedy - February 12 - 8:36 pm

  I have had 47 cars and I really like the way this car handles. Best dealership in town. I would highly recommend this car if you are in the market! Very comfortable, reliable, dependable and the interior is awesome!

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  Very happy so far - 2008 Volvo XC90
  By JAGinKorea - February 10 - 5:00 pm

  Took delivery of this vehicle in Korea using the diplomat and military sales program. Very simple process to custom order the vehicle from the factory and saved nearly $9K over state-side MSRP. Zero mechanical or quality issues since it arrived 8 months ago. Incredibly versatile SUV for my family of five- weve used a variety of seating configurations for different trips, extra guests etc. Very quiet at standstill and on highways and a nice sound to the inline 6 when you step on it. I had driven the V8 version several times before and it is more fun, but I couldnt justify the extra cost and Ive never felt I absolutely needed the extra power. One of the best family vehicles out there.

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  Listen to Drivers, not Consumer gurus - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By John from KY - February 10 - 1:20 pm

  Bought new in 9/04. Have 41000+ miles. 2.5T w/AWD way to go. 5 speed trans and 2.5 has plenty of power and is smooth in the city. Turbo jumps in and performs well. Mileage 19.1 over last 10,000 city and hwy. Looked and drove a myriad of other new mid-size SUVs. This vehicle is extremely easy to handle, gets excellent mileage for its weight,and all safety features offers peace of mind. (AWD, Xenon, Back Up warning) Very comfortable, and 7500 mile service interval a big plus. Brakes only 30% wear, tires (Michelin) good for 25,000 more. No ones going to pry this one out of my hands until it has 200,000 on it. Then its off for another Volvo. Dealer service absolutely impeccable.

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  Great Car/ - 1999 Volvo S80
  By JohninKnox - February 9 - 1:26 am

  I had been looking at an E320. I feel this car has all the features and more compared to the E320 and 5 series BMW. Very Very happy with great, ultra quiet and power for the interstates.

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  In love with my Volvo - 2006 Volvo XC90
  By Volvoluvr - February 8 - 8:56 pm

  We purchased my Volvo used in 2007 and it had 36,000 miles on it. We had recently had our second child and loved the safety features and quality of this car. (Not to mention it is beautiful) It came with a few flaws, poor fuel consumption and rear doors that dont open wide enough in the back to get kids/groceries misc in and out. Third row is a joke really, no room for normal sized adults. Ok for children but hard to get them in and out. Overall this vehicle made me happy for 3 years and we never had any repairs other than scheduled maintenance. Just traded it in on a minivan due to our THIRD child arriving, but still missing my Volvo. Ill have another one again someday.

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  Is this really a Volvo? - 2000 Volvo S40
  By sportsguy - February 8 - 10:00 am

  Other Volvos Ive owned have been solid cars. Ive been disappointed with the S40. Its noisy on the highway, too small and not solid. It seems a little cheap. The turbo provides a nice boost entering traffic or the highway.

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  Great Car even for the youngsters.... - 2003 Volvo S60
  By matt1540 - February 8 - 10:00 am

  Being the 1st car my wife & I have bought, we could not ask for anything better. After driving all other cars in the class, the Volvo won our hearts over. Even though we took some ribbing for Volvo being a family car, the S60 has style and flare and the turbo has enough punch to have fun out on the road.

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  sorry i bought it - 2002 Volvo C70
  By kpb - February 7 - 11:16 pm

  I was swayed by the looks when I bought this car. It has been in the show more than a dozen times in one year. The windows rattle, the top flaps in the wind, the turning radius is almost unsafe, and twice my brakes have malfunctioned and needed major repair - with only 25K mileage. Good looking is the only good thing I can say about his car.