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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  The Best SUV Ive Owned - 2006 Volvo XC90
  By Robb Arnst - August 25 - 5:23 pm

  This is the best SUV that Ive owned. Previously I drove a 2000 Mercedes ML320, and the Volvo rides much better, more like a car than an SUV. It has a good solid feel to it. Im 64" tall, and I find the seats very comfortable. The rear seat leg room is good, and the third row seats can actually be used by an adult. Power from 2.5L engine is adequate, but it doesnt have as much pep as my Mercedes, which I miss. If you want more power get the V8 version. Ive been getting about 20 mpg on the highway. The winter driving mode with the AWD is a nice feature. I drove home in a substantial snow storm with no problems. I looked at a lot of vehicles, and this is the best!

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  Poor introducton of model - 2006 Volvo C70
  By Bob S - August 24 - 10:20 am

  My ownership experience has been less than satisfactory due to the constant irritation of having the auto at the dealership. Constant problems with programming with radio shutdown, GPS shutdown, barking dog in the fan control of AC were finally fixed with a programming fix. Two rings embedded in the back boot of the convertible cover resulted in boot being replaced after two attempts to get replacement from mfg. Blew out a tire & since no spare, took 5 days to get a replacement. Now I get a recall stating most of the problems I have already experienced. Found five shims in trunk that fell from someplace in convertible top & undetermined where they should be replaced.

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  best in class - 2004 Volvo S60
  By cjs - August 22 - 2:00 am

  I love this car. I drove pretty much everything in the class, BMWs, Nissans, the Passat, Infiniti G35 and I35. Each car and make has its strong suit but I think Volvo has really created the best all-around car here. One cautionary note here, I leased mine sight unseen (another dealers inventory) and really wish I had the 17 inch rims.

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  Not ready for prime time - 2004 Volvo S60
  By NRFPT - August 22 - 2:00 am

  A fun car to drive but the build quality is not up to par. Have already had the rear brake pads & rotors replaced due to squeaking and the replacements also squeak. Also have a disturbing vibration in the shifter when in 5th gear. Volvos position is that the vibration is inherent in the design of the car.

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  good all-around AWD vehicle - 1998 Volvo V70
  By diane99 - August 21 - 10:00 am

  if you can only have one car, this makes the most sense to me. spacious as SUV, safe in snow, handles well

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  Bitter-Sweet Feelings for the Vovo V40 - 2004 Volvo V40
  By BrainEdge - August 10 - 6:23 pm

  On the first long trip, the engine light came up. Then again, and again. For the first 2000 miles drive, the car was 15 days in the dealership service bay. Then, the best feature of its turbo was not set right. The dash lights keep coming up every now and then without any pattern. Still not fully exorcised and the warranty is over. I will probably never buy a Volvo again, safety or no safety! If your car transmission dies suddenly on a freeway, I dont know how you call it safe or reliable. But only one thing I like about it, the peppy turbo charged engine. Muscle car drivers hate its guts!

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  Best all-around SUV - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By RBirns - August 9 - 10:06 pm

  Coming up on 3 years of ownership, so I guess this review is overdue. This is probably the best all-around luxury SUV available. Styling is just right-- not too big and boxy (Lexus GX), not too minivan-like (Acura MDX), not too feminine (Lexus RX), not to mail-truck (Mercedes ML). Looks very similar to BMW X5, which is a compliment. Ride is not as plush as a true luxury car, but better than most SUVs. Handling is very good. Acceleration with the 2.5T is ok at the low end, but highway passing needs more punch. Quality materials in and out. Only repairs were loose tie rod end (probably pothole) and dead rear wiper motor, both fixed under warranty. Mostly city driving getting 14-15 mpg.

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  Nice car!! - 2002 Volvo S40
  By akaljy - August 8 - 2:00 am

  So far so good.. It runs great and looks great. All my friends love to get on my car. I had long trip to Vancouver ,BC from Eugene, OR and had much fun . Acceleration is good, it smokes out other cars so easily.But, one complaint is its underpowered engine. It could produce more that 160 hp, just as Jetta 1.8 T .

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  Impressed so far . . . - 2010 Volvo XC60
  By MaxLoad - July 30 - 12:23 am

  Its only been a couple of days since I took ownership of the XC60, but Im extremely satisfied so far. The car has good pick-up, a nice ride, and pretty decent handling. The biggest drawback so far is the navigation system.

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  96 Base Wagon - Great automobile - 1996 Volvo 850
  By DFH - July 29 - 10:00 am

  We bought our wagon after it came off a three year lease. I insisted on a wagon over a sedan because I wanted the utility aspect of owning a wagon. We looked at SUVs and sedans but we prefered the ride and stability that the 850 wagon provided. This car has been very pleasant to own and drive. We have done nothing more than gas n drive this car between normal oil changes and regular sheduled maintenance.