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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  Great car - 2005 Volvo S40
  By Rob - July 15 - 3:13 pm

  After eight months I still look forward to getting in the car. Not as much power as the T5 but more than enough for normal driving. Handling is superb. After driving Hondas, I appreciate the low end torque and the smooth shifting. Controls are logically designed. The interior is spartan but comfortable and without gimmicks. Fit and finish is excellent. I enjoy getting compliments on the car as there still are not that many around. I think it is one of the best looking current models.

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  One Month In, Love It - 2010 Volvo XC60
  By Elmo - July 15 - 3:53 am

  Have had my T6 XC60 for a month now and absolutely love it. Traded up from a T5 XC70 and it is night and day different in terms of comfort, performance, gadgets and head turn. Even my wife loves it and shes pretty neutral about cars. The XC60 is more roomy for front and rear seat passengers, has a much more comfortable ride, and the T6 is a lot of fun. Even the handling is good for a "crossover" vehicle. Not top heavy and mushy like some other higher ends we drove. Knock wood, none of the initial build quality issues noted here (yet) in fact, no issues at all to date. We are very excited about it and love out new XC60.

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  Its a Mitsubishi and it shows! - 2000 Volvo S40
  By Dude - July 15 - 3:00 am

  Ive had a few Volvos and they were all better off than this one. Always has some kind of problem even though I maintain the car way better than whats called for. I only keep it because now I drive a crazy amount for work and the fuel mileage is good when its not blowing O2 sensors! It rattles like crazy and sometimes I want to set it on fire. I should have kept the S70 because real Volvos are great cars. How disappointing!

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  Great Car - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By slj - July 14 - 5:10 pm

  Debated on whether on not to buy one since JD Power and Consumer Reports didnt like them. After driving Land Rover, BMW, Acura, Infiniti and all the other SUVs, we didnt find one that we liked as much as the Volvo. Bought it and are so glad we did. Rides nice, quiet and smooth. Volvo has been great to deal with, we have had no problems with it. all the complaints that others mention in the review we havent seen. Is great to drive around town or on a long road trip. The kids in the back are comfortable and happy and we up front are as well. No regrets at all buying it and am very glad that I did despite the not-so-good reviews from the above mentioned organizations.

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  Perfect but serious software issues - 2017 Volvo XC90
  By KJ - July 14 - 12:59 pm

  This is our 4th XC90 in 12 years (we always lease 3yrs at a time). This is also our first model since the major redesign in 2015. Its currently driven around 8000 miles and we have had severe software issues including: Random battery drainage caused by software issue (locked out 3 times), constant "car is unlocked" notifications in iPhone app even though the car is locked (false alarm), GPS offset where the car thinks its 100miles from where it actually is causing random warnings when driving at 60mph where t thinks its in a 25mph school zone etc., very unreliable cellular connectivity making Spotify and Pandora features pretty much unusable, occasional connectivity loss in a well covered area and many over random weird issues. Volvo should rethink their software strategy seriously, stop patching a dead horse and change to a completaly new platform.

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  Dont buy 2004 Volvo S80 - 2004 Volvo S80
  By Howard - July 13 - 9:13 am

  Ford engineering has obviously ruined Volvo. My wife preferred the Volvo to a Lexus based on exterior style, but now regrets the decision. The car has major electronic failures about every 4- 6 months and required towing to the dealership twice. Also required the "company" to send someone out for figuring out the repair. We got this car for a reliable vehicle to drive on the road for trips, but I would use my 1986 Subaru GL10 or 1993 Toyota T100 4x4 rather than this Volvo. It was painted white, but should have been yellow to match its lemon qualities. Do not buy this junk or you will regret it!

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  fearful yet tickled - 1998 Volvo V70
  By fearful - July 13 - 5:56 am

  Less than one day after my purchase of an ultra clean silver v70 wagon with 135k and just a few obvious repairs needed. We paid 4995 less 1750 bucks for my somewhat hated kia rio 5 speed no power steering car that I bought new 9 years ago. The mixed reviews tell me I am in for some costly repairs but until then this car seems better for not too much money spent. Also the car insures for much less (60.00 a month full coverage) because of its high safety rating. Well see I guess

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  Volvo Bravo 2 - 2010 Volvo XC60
  By Jerry W - July 12 - 4:10 pm

  This is an update of my previous review in May 2009. Ive had the vehicle for 4 months and over 4,000 miles now. Although the observed fuel economy started out low (18-19 mpg), it has since improved to 20-21 mpg in a mix of highway and city driving, using regular grade gasoline. For an AWD vehicle, this is actually quite good! In this review, I have given the fuel economy a 9 (previously given an 8).

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  Versatile Family Wagon - 2001 Volvo V70
  By XC Family - July 12 - 2:06 pm

  If you want to drive a car/wagon without feeling tons of weight and moving a hefty-size SUV, this is the crossover that you need. Ive definitely found myself in love with this XC wagon, not just me but my entire family. Its such a versatile everyday car. Also come in handy moving stuff and going for long trips. Plus the Volvos legendary safety features loaded in this car. The only thing I would do differently is to buy this car earlier. Gas mileage is quite good in its class, I get around 22 to 24 for mostly sub-urban city driving.

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  Under-appreciated car - 2011 Volvo C30
  By Chris - July 12 - 2:16 am

  A great car for a daily driver. Lots of features even on the base model. What you give up at the high extremes of performance you more than make up for with daily usability. Much more comfortable in normal conditions than any of the other hot hatches (GTI, etc).