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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  Volvo curse - 2004 Volvo S60
  By Dianne W - December 15 - 10:00 am

  Weve owned our brand new 2004 S60 2.5T for 10 days and its been at the service dept for more than half of the time weve owned it. The night we drove it home, we noticed a vibration-shimmie which, after 3 attempts, the dealer has been unable to diagnose and repair; they have balanced the tires, changed the tires and the problem has not been resolved after three attempts. Weve put more miles on the loaner cars than our own car, lemon law here we come. We bought a BIG, EXPENSIVE problem; we never expected this to happen with Volvos reputation and the amount of money that we spent, but it did!

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  Nice Car, Terrible Manufacture service - 2007 Volvo S40
  By volvo2007red - December 14 - 7:34 am

  I enjoy my 2007 S40 and purchased it due to extended warranty. I have had the same repetitive problems with "bad batteries" twice in 3 years. Volvo has done nothing to identify the problem other than make me pay for new batteries. Since the original was under manufactures warranty the replacements warranty was null and void, therefore the bills on me. Manufacture did nothing to further look into problem, or recognize the product default. I am sure I will be reposting again in another year with the same issue! Buy with caution!

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  Nothing but trouble - 2005 Volvo S40
  By DSM - December 3 - 2:36 am

  I purchased my 05 S40 brand new back in November. As soon as I hit 3,000 miles everything went downhill. I found myself taking my car in for repairs more than I was driving it! In the 6 months that I owned it, it spent 45 days in the service department during 7 separate visits! And they couldnt even fix most of the problems! This was the worst decision I have ever made. Thanks to an attorney, I filed a lawsuit against Volvo and they were forced to purchase the car back. Never again will I buy another Volvo.

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  I just dont get it - 2002 Volvo S60
  By Jaxster - December 3 - 2:00 am

  Doesnt handle as well as a BMW, isnt as comfortable or user-friendly as a Lexus, costs more than either. View is limited, gas mileage is atrocious, turbo has significant lag time. On the plus side, front seats are extremely comfortable and car handles quite nicely if not spectacularly. On the whole though, I cant wait until my lease is up.

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  could have been great - 1998 Volvo V70
  By ihateeuro - December 1 - 10:00 am

  other than being in the shop every ten minutes, the cross country is a great car. if you got the wallet and dont mind loaner cars. the cross country is your car. you will get to know the service techs real well, and they are even less reliable than the car. consistently horrific service that is hard to beat. stay away from european cars. japanese is the way to go. lexus, honda, toyota all better in the long run.

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  Only useful as a city vehicle - 2018 Volvo XC90
  By Doc - November 27 - 6:02 am

  I test drove this vehicle. Wonderful interior, nice exterior styling. The electronics and safety are impressive. But... whoever designed and engineered the drive train was misguided. The 14 mile all-electric range is a joke. 8 miles at best. The gasoline powered range is laughable. 13 gallons fuel capacity. The T8 is really a front wheel drive vehicle with an electric rear wheel drive assist. I cannot imagine what the range would be if you were towing a boat or had something mounted on the roof. It is probably well suited for someone who lives in the city, drives the kids to school and goes to the market. With the short electric range, you will find the gas engine is virtually always needed and thus you are just hauling around an extra 500 lbs. of spent batteries. But with a full charge, this vehicle is fast from a standstill. Only two negatives about the rest of the car: The front armrests are too short for tall drivers and the ride with the optional wheels and tires is a bit rough, even with the air suspension. Positives are many, but this is a very expensive vehicle once you start adding options. Many dealers are selling them at or below invoice. The extra $5002 in tax credit would be appreciated, but the T6 is a much better value. BTW. I am probably getting another X5 diesel.

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  Happy Days - 2001 Volvo V70
  By Southern Car Owner - November 19 - 6:13 am

  Today is the happiest day of our lives with our Volvo - its trade-in day. This car has been in the shop so many times - bulbs, seat motors, transmissions, electronics, power window lifts, rear hatch, batteries, alternators, voltage regulors, and most recently 1,100 climate control module. Our favorite was at 70 mph the engine fault sensor shut down the car completely - real hazard! Only good thing on this entire car is the engine which has given us the least amount of problems.

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  Not Ready for Prime Time! - 2007 Volvo C70
  By Missb - November 10 - 5:56 am

  My 6 month old C70 has been in the shop twice because of roof rattles, roof still rattles. Volvo just sent out a "Campaign Notice", recall? Another trip to the dealer! After a minor fender bender, repairs took 2 months, primarily due to parts being on "national backorder". One came in a mislabeled carton, it took an additional week until the right part came from Sweden. A week later, the roof and trunk stuck half way open necessitating an emergency tow and more shop time! Apparently few techs are trained to work on the C70. Volvo is not supporting this car with parts inventory/tech training. Some customer service reps were surprisingly rude. Not what youd expect from Volvo, a disappointment.

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  Paint it yellow and call it a lemon - 1999 Volvo S80
  By jzeltvay - November 3 - 10:40 am

  I was so excited when I first purchased my new Volvo. Even though it was a bit pricey, I was looking forward to getting 300,000 miles out of it. My first clue should have been when a position light message came on when I was driving it home from the dealer my first day. I have had multiple problems since that day. Under warranty the rings had to be replaced with <20,000 miles on it. I have spent thousands of $$ to try to figure out why my check engine light stays on. Over $4000 to have it fixed and 50 miles later the light came on again. Now my emissions light keeps coming on. 3 oxygen sensors later, it still comes on. Plan to put it in gear, run it off the mountain and collect the ins.

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  better alternatives - 2004 Volvo S60
  By not for me - October 8 - 12:40 pm

  Ive had this car for about 2 and a half years and am looking forward to getting rid of it. I traded in an f 150 for this car because of gas mileage and I still wanted 4wd. Ive spent over 6k in repairs, keeping the truck was a better idea. It looks good on the outside, but with new tires and awd winters are still difficult. Gas mileage is good but too many awkward things. When I turn left it makes an odd noise, but drives fine. The carpet inside has torn in odd places. If I use the cd/cassette player the drivers side speakers dont work. I cant warm my car up without being in it because you cant lock the doors with the other keyless remove with the car running. I wont be buying another