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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  Happy First Time Volvo Buyer - 2005 Volvo XC70
  By rheeper - October 12 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my XC 70 for 2 mths now, and very satisfied.

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  What a nice ride! - 2002 Volvo S80
  By redtailwolf - October 10 - 2:00 am

  First leap into up scale drivng. we test drove BMW, Mercedes, Saab. Tis car handles beter than all of the above. we also drove Acura and Lexus. Te Lexus was close but the safety ofhe Volvo won us over.

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  Any Better? Not - 2003 Volvo XC90
  By james graff - October 10 - 2:00 am

  My XC90 is incredible! The entire family fits along with dog and gear without sacrificing any safety or comfort. Im glad Volvo finally did it. As far as Im concerned, after owning a X5 for 2 years, Bmw cant even be concidered any longer.

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  Best of the best - 2003 Volvo XC90
  By Roger Champoux - October 10 - 2:00 am

  Best ride, best performance for value, safest on the road.... and most of all, most versatile. HOT HOT HOT

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  Simply the Best - 2003 Volvo XC90
  By JellyBean - October 10 - 2:00 am

  The xC90 is simply the best of its class and all SUVs on the market, including those costing substnatially more money. It rides like a luxury automobile but has the room and power (we have the turbo) of larger SUVs. Superb performance in bad weather - rain or snow.

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  Well worth the wait, effort and money - 2003 Volvo XC90
  By GWNorth - October 10 - 2:00 am

  After a 6 month exhaustive search and study of SUVs, the XC90 was chosen, mainly for its extra safety features. If you have children, that in itself, is worth the price.It is stronger then its competetiors in some areas (interior room and design, gas mileage), weaker in others (towing capacity, off roading) but, simply put, no other SUV even comes close to the Safety features.

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  Do not buy this car! - 2001 Volvo S40
  By Emily - October 6 - 9:30 pm

  I purchased this car as a certified pre-owned. It was 3yrs old and had only 35k mi., but almost immediatly I began having problems - from the steering wheeling vibrating, brakes needing to be replaced, having to replace the entire sunroof, and varous engine parts failing. As soon as the warranty was up, I started taking it other places, but eventually was sent back to a dealer when my check engine light would not go off. Volvo informed me they could try a download to the cars computer, but warned me this occassionaly resulted in the computer freezing and the car becoming unusable, and it would be my expense to fix.

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  253,400 miles and still in the passing - 2003 Volvo XC70
  By Chris from Norwood - October 6 - 6:00 pm

  253,400 miles and still in the passing lane! I love my 2003 XC70. I am almost at 300,000 miles and the engines performance is that of a young and vibrant one - the car is absolutely safe, an easy to handle vehicle and I Love my Volvo XC 70!

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  Satisfied Owner - 2011 Volvo XC60
  By rkurlander - October 6 - 4:30 am

  AWD, Premium, Sensus, Multimedia, Convenience, PCC. With 2,000 miles I give the Volvo XC60 an A-. Vehicle is very solid with excellent build quality. Performance with the 3.2 engine is good. There is no reason to spend extra for the turbo unless the "rush" is important. MPH is better than advertised with 20 city and 26.5 highway. Pirelli tires are excellent.

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  Pleasant, but disappointing - 2007 Volvo S40
  By John B. - October 5 - 11:53 am

  The S40 2.4i gets high marks for styling, fit and finish - very nice. The 168 horsepower 2.4 liter normally aspirated 5-cyl has plenty of pep. Fuel economy is on the low side - I averaged 23 MPG in mixed city/freeway driving. The standard suspension is tight and supple; goes right where you point it. The big disappointment is the electrical system. In the 1 1/2 yrs I owned the car I had three occasions where the car didnt recognize coded electronic key, and a series of erroneous indications of hood unlatched, lights burned out, etc. After awhile cons outweighed pros, and I lost confidence. Last week I sold it, bought a BMW 328i (who can argue?).