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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  Nice Ride - 2005 Volvo V50
  By sean & patti - February 20 - 1:13 pm

  My wife and I have been driving our new V50 for a little over a month now and have put on 1200 miles. Its definitely a fun car to drive. The cockpit is designed well with all knobs and buttons in easy reach. We ordered the 17" wheels and love the look they add to the car. It surprises our friends when we stomp on the gas. There is definitely enough power coming out of the engine to satisfy. I would recommend this car to anyone looking for a small wagon.

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  Great used car. - 2000 Volvo V70
  By cat5fred - February 20 - 10:00 am

  Bought this car used with 113k miles in 2006. Soon after purchasing the check engine light came up, we had it fixed ($700) and ran without problems for about 3 years. In the meantime, we went places, off-road, from TN to FL, etc. Very reliable car, seats are the best in the industry. Cargo space adequate. Even today (10/16/2010) it provides a very smooth ride. The service light is back on, but the codes returned are safe to ignore (fuel condenser system, est. repair cost 2k). Great, dependable car, electrical system, specially the A/C, warning lights could have been designed better.

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  the ultimate sleeper - 1996 Volvo 850
  By volvoville - February 20 - 10:00 am

  I bought mine from a coworker 2 years ago with 137000 miles on it..after tune up, replacing oil trap and new set of tires, now i own extremely reliable and fun car to drive..never gave me any problems, and i run 13 pounds of boost all day long via mbc..very fast..

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  my volvo S40 2.00T - 2000 Volvo S40
  By luke - February 20 - 10:00 am

  Im saddened to here the negatives although i have not had it long i love it! I had a 1969 Volvo before and i loved that one too i have had Hondas,Fords and a Toyota and they all stink big time!! So i decided to go back to Volvo i am soooo glad i did, now when i see a Honda on the road i cant help but laugh, because they are trouble on wheels! If you want to complain about a Volvo go get a Honda if they dont rust to peaces then they will break into peaces, yes parts are expensive for Volvo, but they dont seem to break my 1969 Volvo after 6 years the only problem i had was getting someone to set the twin SU carbs.

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  Volvo XC Not after the warranty - 2001 Volvo V70
  By Ginger - February 19 - 2:53 pm

  I bought this vehicle in its 3rd model year and it had all kinds of kinks. Under warranty all of these issues were free ($6000 worth), but note that I sold the vehicle as soon as the warranty was up. Loved driving it; impeccable customer service and reasonable service prices but am not willing to pay for unreasonable problems.//I have 2 labradors and an infant who go with me everywhere. This vehicle has the space of a midsized SUV and somehow handles the road like my tiny 325i BMW.//With the car seat installed behind the passenger seat there is little room left up front--in that configuration, my husband is 6 and refuses to ride in the passenger seat as his knees are up in the dashboard

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  Its G-RRRRRR-EAT - 2006 Volvo S60
  By Silver Bullet - February 18 - 10:56 am

  Excellent value for the price. I would have liked to purchase more of the extras, but wanted an S60R now! After the test drive I lost sleep waiting to purchase. I would have purchased two, but opted to purchase a Dodge Charger SRT-8 as our "bigger" car. The sixth gear is an asset. The fuel economy is nice. We traded in our 2004 S60 and feel that the R version is heads and shoulders above the competition and other S60 models. The gauges are gorgeous!! The overall interior room could be a bit bigger (this is my one and only negative point). But the size is just right for a small family. As you step into the car, an ambiance of complete safety surrounds you.

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  2016 XC 90 - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By Ro Ta - February 18 - 2:08 am

  This car is very nice while it works. However there are way to many issues with it. Software issues are very common. I basically had to take it to the shop for two months straight. The most frustrating experience was just having the car flat out not start with plashing park (brake service warnings). This has happened like 4 times in 6 months. Not only did this happen on my current Volvo XC 90, I had the same exact 2016 prior to that, in which Volvo ended up buying back. Replaced that car, but the other day I was at the grocery store and boom Same message, car will not start and is currently needing to be towed back to the dealer. I would stay away from Volvo. While the car is super nice, when it works, it is just way to un reliable and has way to many issues. I mean, come on! Its a brand new car!

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  I Love This CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2000 Volvo S40
  By packersfan12 - February 16 - 8:47 pm

  Ive seen a few others say bad thing and im sry to hear that mine has 157k on it and runns like a dream besides a few problems like to o2 sensor this car is great fast and fun to drive volvo as far a i know has always been known for building high quality cars that run 4 a long time with the proper care plus they are some of the safest as well i love my volvo hope you do to

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  I lOve It - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By asdffg - February 16 - 2:00 am

  I love the new volvo xc 90 it is one of the most amazing cars i have ever bought. I am really glad I made this purchase!!

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  Excellent Road/City Car - 2000 Volvo S40
  By s40red - February 14 - 10:00 am

  Our S40 experience is quite good. The car really handles tight city driving with great maneuverability, and responsiveness, then on to the freeways with no problems. Its got solid handling, good in all types of weather Yeah, the check engine has come on sometimes when I started the engine, then goes off after awhile but nothing to obsess about and is being fixed by Volvo.