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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  Very Dependable and Durable Car. - 2001 Volvo S80
  By Jay - May 18 - 3:10 am

  I own a Volvo s80 2.9 and I already put in 161,000 miles on it and I dont have any troubles. and it depends on how you take good care of your car. I always use top quality brand, oils (Lubro Moly 5w- 30 synthetic), gasoline (91 and above Shell premium), Do regular maintainance such as oil changes and filters every 5,000 miles. Transmission oil and filter change every 35,000 miles. I regularly have my car wash.

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  Third time is a charm - 2000 Volvo S70
  By Delreybird - May 16 - 8:30 pm

  This is my third Volvo in 18 years.(I had the first one for 15+ years and 285,000 miles; were still driving the second one). Its been a great car so far, except for some electronics-related problems, all fixed under warranty. Its comfortable, has plenty of pep and gets excellent mileage.

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  Very Unreliable + Expensive to Maintain - 2001 Volvo S60
  By David - May 16 - 6:46 pm

  This is the worst car Ive ever owned without question of the six total. It has expensive issues constantly popping up and has terrible rattles. I will never ever consider buying another Volvo. I cant wait to get rid of it. What a total disaster it has been. I regret the day I bought it. I dont normally complain about things, but they earned my scorn.

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  Very Good Car - 2002 Volvo V40
  By Jay Bee - May 15 - 10:00 am

  Had my V40 for 8 years, 120K miles. It is a great sport wagon. Excellent cargo room, comfortable for my family of 4. Handles well and was my 50 miles a day commuter averaging 26 mpg mixed driving. Expensive to service but there were no major problems in 8 years. Burns through headlights and bulbs. Dont know why. All over the internet but dealers claim ignorance. My 16 year old just inherited it. Safe, runs great, expect another few good years from it. Over all a good purchase new, and if taken care of, worth the blue book value used. Maybe even undervalued in blue book if clean and taken care of. Just keep after those damn bulb changes.

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  Great Car - 2011 Volvo C30
  By KW - May 15 - 10:00 am

  I have had my C30 for two months now and still have fun driving this car. Its fast, comfortable and handles great. Just got back from a 5 hour trip to Boston and the comfort of the seats held up the entire trip and I averaged 29 miles per gallon. The exterior continues to attract attention and turn heads.

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  Still a great car after 100k miles - 2007 Volvo S80
  By rustysmith - May 14 - 10:02 pm

  No problems after 107k. Rock solid car. Originally bought it for the seats because of a bad back. Reliability has been superb and fuel economy better than EPA ratings. Seats and leather are world class, and the ergonomic interior is nice. Ive come to love the fuselage-like look and design of the floating center stack console. There are trade offs with everything, though. The cabin lets in a reasonable amount of road noise and the ride is jittery and stiff. As a full disclaimer, I like an old school soft ride to the firm ride preferred today, and the Volvo is more BMW than Buick. That said, Id buy it all over again. Im even happier with my car today than I was four years ago.

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  2004 Volvo S60 -- Good Car - 2004 Volvo S60
  By outlaw704 - May 14 - 11:40 am

  Ive put a little over 25000 miles on my White S60 since May 04. I am pleased. The exterior is excellent and the interior is very nice. My only negative would be the lack of legroom for back seat passengers. The ride is nice -- firm, but smooth. Positive steering feel and very responsive brakes. My gas mileage has been better than expected; about 27+ mpg average. Straight highway is around 32 - 33 mpg. This car is based in Texas; the air conditioning has no problem cooling the cabin quickly and comfortably. Generous, very large trunk. Mechanically, everything has been fine, so far... Fit and finish are excellent. I got $5000 off by waiting til the end of the model year.

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  Smooth Operator - 2008 Volvo C30
  By JJAY - May 13 - 9:50 pm

  This car is solid and smooth. The performance is pretty good. Gas mileage is excellent. I love the fact that you can cruise and it feels like its bigger than it is, however as you press on the pedal the car responds.

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  Great car except.... - 2006 Volvo S80
  By Pete - May 13 - 2:00 am

  I love everything about this car except the gas mileage. The dealer told me that I could expect to get up to 24 mpg around town (really, I asked twice and had it confirmed…Volvo only says 20 mpg). I am lucky to get 17.5 mpg, and I am driving very conservatively (with a combo of local and highway). When I asked the Dealer, I was told that the mileage was probably due to the car being AWD. Funny, that isnt what he said when he was trying to sell me the car. Also, Dealer said to use regular gas (in spite of Volvo recommending super unleaded). I am in the process of upgrading my fuel and hoping to see the numbers improve. Otherwise, I love this car.

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  I just loooove this car! - 2007 Volvo S40
  By Nicolle - May 13 - 12:56 am

  I just got this car and i totaly love it...it does handels great and it is soo nice having a luxury entry sedan.