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:

• 

  Cramped Interior Space - 2006 Volvo XC90
  By JJ - May 13 - 12:00 am

  Nice quality materials...my wife loves it but she is 53" tall and 110 lbs me on the other hand I am 61" 215lbs I find the interior way to cramped especially for knee room...the ride is nice but I feel like Im sliding off the seat due to poor side bolstering...the 2004 seats were better than the latest versions which changed in 2005...bad choice.

• 

  Nice car, horrible reliability - 2003 Volvo S60
  By D - May 12 - 3:53 am

  The S60 has a solid, safe feel, which is ironic as it rattles constantly due to the harsh ride. The design inside and out is fantastic and timeless. Interior quality and ease of controls are excellent, but lacks storage space. Comfort is great, but legroom is tight in back. Visibility is horrendous, as is low speed maneuvering. The car is fun to drive when its pushed hard. Reliability is unacceptable. Ive replaced the starter motor, sensors, seat memory, and a bunch of other computer related things I dont know how to explain. The transmission is dying. The auto wipers have a mind of its own, as do the interior lights and the fuel gauge. The car makes lots of weird noises.

• 

  A tank but enjoy driving it. - 1998 Volvo V70
  By jawether - May 11 - 6:20 am

  Ive put 25k on it since buying 15 months ago with 132k. Since then Ive replaced the sunroof glass due to a leak (got used one for $75), the emergency brake cables rusted, temperature sending unit went bad, spring seat on top of strut mount failed, refastened the rear hatch panel and a radio bulb burned out. Luckily, I was fortunate to do all these repairs myself except the strut work. When everything is working the car is a joy to drive. Regarding the safety factor, I feel like Im driving a vault down the road. Bottom line... do not buy a used Volvo with 100k+ unless you can either do most of the maintenance and repairs yourself, or dont mind paying ~$80-100/hr to have the work done.

• 

  V70 Just Arriving from Europe - 2008 Volvo V70
  By Randall S Over, P.E. - May 10 - 1:16 am

  Picked up the car in Gothenburg, Sweden and drove 1800 miles through Europe. Very easy to handle, beautiful interior, typical great seats and well laid out dash, switches, gauges, etc. Evolutionary update to the design of my S60. If anyone is thinking of the European delivery program, do it, well worth it even with the current value of the US dollar vs the Euro and SEK.

• 

  06 S80 2.5L Turbo - 2006 Volvo S80
  By caniacfan - May 8 - 6:12 pm

  Bought this car when it had 60000 miles on it and now has 124000 miles. Very happy with car. My wife loves it. She drives it more than I. Had to have AC condenser replaced at 119000 miles. Headlight connectors go bad and have had to replace headlights more frequently than expected. Other than those issues it has been normal maintenance. Get 24 MPG on average and 28 on hwy.

• 

  First Volvo and very pleased. - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By twelborn - May 5 - 5:08 pm

  I did not ever think that I would be a Volvo driver, but once I took a test drive in this SUV I knew that I had to have it. The comfort that Volvo offers its drivers and passengers is outstanding. Despite the smaller 5-cylinder engine, this car has spunky acceleration and I can manage decent fuel economy for this size of a vehicle if driven properly. I have only been driving it for about 1 1/2 months, but I have had no problems so far and this car was meticulously maintained with its previous owner so there are no problems that I anticipate should happen.

• 

  many many problems - 2004 Volvo S60
  By wakk - May 4 - 7:10 pm

  i leased my s60r in 2/04 and have had nothing but problems with it. first the hose for the power steering went out and then a week later a fog light burnt out in april. since then it has 7500 miles and the chassis setting has gone out and it keeps backfiring between shifts. the backfiring has been a problem since april and service told me to first wind out the rpms and now i am told it is a characterisic of the s60r. the front tires are now rubbing when turned to the far right or left.i am meeting with the tech guy and volvo rep 11/10/04 hoping to get out of my lease and move on to a dependable car like the nissan maxima.

• 

  My Volvo did not last - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By Kevin - May 3 - 6:40 am

  I am someone who wanted to be a Volvo owner for life . I had always heard how dependable Volvos are . Well my XC90 was anything but . At 59000 miles I needed a new transmission . And the Volvo dealer was not helpful with anything . I am just getting ready to turn 110000 miles and I need another transmission . Also I had to put in a new drive train at 90000 miles. Along with a new front axle at 64000. Granted I do drive alot of miles in a year. But I purchased a Volvo so I could have a safe reliable car . And my Volvo cost me way to much in repairs and way to much on rental car bills . After my experience with the Volvo XC90 I would recommend it.

• 

  XC60 T6 in a class of its own - 2010 Volvo XC60
  By Tdog86 - May 1 - 10:00 am

  It was between the Lexus and XC60 and I went for the XC60 T6. I have about 9500 mi. on the car and I have no regrets with my decision. Its fun to drive and I havent had any problems so far. Fits the kids comfortably in the back with the integrated booster and serves as an adequate backup family hauler when not using our XC90. Yes, we are now a complete Volvo faimly. I cant say enough about how safe these vehicles are and how safe I feel as a passenger or a driver. Now that Volvo is finally starting to get up to date on the electronics for the end user, that makes me like them even more.

• 

  Volvo XC60 3.2 fwd - 2010 Volvo XC60
  By JR - May 1 - 10:00 am

  Bought this to replace my Pilot, with the intent to get much better gas mileage and better features. Gas mileage is a little disappointing, 16 in town, 23 on trips. Better than the Pilot, but not that much. Engine overall is average. Interior, ride, handling (much better than Pilot, which is a boat), electronic features all excellent. The main problem is that its just a bit too small, miss the Pilots space way more than I thought. Nice car but if I change my mind, I would. Ok for a small family, I guess. Beware of EPA estimates, they are a crock. No way this vehicle gets 27 highway if you go over 55. You get run over in Calif. if you do less than 70.