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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  Wonderful Car - Fun to Drive - 2004 Volvo S80
  By Bob Erfle - September 12 - 10:00 am

  The 6 cyl (non-turbo) moves this full- sized car very well. I look for excuses to go for drives (or steal it away from my wife & take it to work!). The trunk is very roomy. The Safety features are and have been one of the primary hallmarks of Volvo – they don’t come much higher rated

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  Loving It - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By sandra123 - September 12 - 10:00 am

  I am a first time Volvo owner and have absolutely no regrets. The ride is as smooth as glass and it is an amazingly comfortable ride. Friends have told me the seats are more comfortable than their living room couch. I have the third row seat and thats quite comfortable as well although with the seats up you dont have much trunk space left but no worries because Volvo has every accesory so strap your luggage to your luggage rack. Ive been in lots of luxury SUVs and this is the best ride. I live in the city and dont get more than 11-12 city miles to the gallon. Thats my only complaint. The engine is small but pretty powerful.

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  My most perfect ever -- of 8! - 2006 Volvo XC70
  By Rick - September 11 - 1:23 am

  Acceleration is weakened by the all - wheel drive somewhat, but imagine it on slippery roads! If the drag strip was wet, no one would beat it! Comfy for 10 hour drives, stylish...not a SINGLE complaint!

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  At 140 mph . . . - 1996 Volvo 850
  By Bogus Skier - September 10 - 10:00 am

  The Turbo can achieve that speed but it sounds and feels like its in a hurricane. Bought new. Few problems: 2 batteries, some nuisance rattles. Smokes up mountain roads. New higher profile tires: handling and ride improved. Wt. distribution compromises handling. Steering heavy - requires firm, deliberate input; precise road sense in return but over- steer prone. Seating comfort is remarkable. Repair/routine maintenance myself so expenses minimal. Replacing pads at 45K without the need for rotors. Unused extended warty. Leather durable and wearing exceptionally well. Unless it begins to fall apart, will keep it around for another 5 to 8 yrs.

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  **No Issues Here** - 2008 Volvo XC70
  By **no issues here** - September 10 - 8:20 am

  I have been driving this car for about 3 months and so far it has been a great vehicle. I recently got back into by old car (00 Outback LTD) which my wife now drives and really noticed the comfort and smooth ride of the Volvo!! I live in CO and drive to the mountains nearly weekly. It does great getting up the passes. While not excessive the power is adequate to get around people around you. Fuel eco is really not bad if you do a decent amount of highway miles. If you stick to city only it sure does drop quite a bit. I am getting between 20-21 combined. Some issues with a the air blower (makes a clicking noise) but have not yet tried to take it in for a fix. Overall a great car!!

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  We wanted to love this car.... - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By Smokejumper - September 10 - 3:30 am

  The xc90 has a beautiful look to it. When we decided to get rid of our Acura MDX, we tested several luxury SUVs. Both my wife and I really favored the Volvo. That is, until we drove it. We wanted to love it so much that we returned for 3 test drives but in the end it was just underwhelming. The engine is underpowered and the driving experience was nonexistent, but we might have lived with that. What really disappointed us was the interior. Volvo was proud to tells us that their seats were designed by a medical doctor and took 6 years to complete. Well, they really arent that comfortable. The interior felt like an empty box....Spartan appointments for a vehicle over 50k. The infotainment console is too far away from the driver and the system was unneccessarily complicated. The positioning of controls did not seem to have a logical or ergonomic design. Overall, the xc90 felt cheap and hollow. Just how cheap was really apparent once we drove the BMW X5, Mercedes GLE and others in the luxury SUV class. We felt it was very overpriced.

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  Low Reliability - 2000 Volvo S70
  By n2b - September 9 - 1:46 pm

  Good Sturdy car, Safe, However it is difficullt to maintain. While changing oil and filters -- it needs special internal filter and needs special wrench. It forces you to go to a dealer for oil changes. No dip stick for checking transmission fluid. Ease of maintenance always increases a cars reliabilty. Engine hot light comes on occasionally while the temp gauge reads normal and with full antifreeze. The light goes off only after an overnight cooling. The electronic throttle light comes on and the engine stalls. Volvo has not been able to explain the problem. The dealer will clean the throttle butterfly but it might or might not fix the problem. Volvo refuses to issue a recall.

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  A Most Excellent Vehicle! - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By scooter - September 9 - 9:30 am

  This is a fabulous vehicle for my needs, both mountain and city driving in all weather conditions. It is excellent on the highway, comfortable, easy and satisfying to drive. It has a voluminous cargo capacity and with an aftermarket rack system, all things bikes and skis are on top, safely transported. My mileage is better than sticker, 25 highway on about 18 around town. With snow tires it is a go anywhere winter vehicle. The 6CD sound system is excellent. There has been one factory recall for the front tie rod ends. I have not had any mechanical or other issues with this vehicle. It is the 5th Volvo in our extended family, and my third one. For me, this car is a keeper!

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  Nice lil wagon - 2001 Volvo V40
  By drivetotheend - September 8 - 3:00 pm

  Bought with 58,000, now at 74,000. Nothing beyond the 60K service and oil changes. Paint is worst feature. Added mud flaps and euro-rails for a little character and sport exhaust, K&N filter, Bilstein gas shocks and a heavier sway bar for fun. Very responsive, very quick, very nice. As noted on these, the brakes will need replacing after about 20K, but it still stops well (they were new at purchase). Overall, this is a great vehicle. Yakima box onto the rails and I can fit all I need to camp with my wife and two small children. Once they get a little older, the back seat will be too small; its tight back there!

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  so glad i got rid of my toyota ! - 2006 Volvo V50
  By jj - September 7 - 11:00 am

  got rid of a 4runner 2005 the best day of my life. toyotas have great reputation on the engine reliability but someone forgot style and comfort. the v50 is amazing i want to drive. i want to take a hard turn and the geartronic is so much fun to drive. the back seat might be a little small for big passengers, but oh well that is the only bad thing and not really a problem.