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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  V8 XC90 - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By MF3681 - October 20 - 10:53 am

  Great fit and finish. The V8 comes with the 7 seat package, rear A/C, leather, etc. Still brand new but no initial problems, just like a high end Japanese car. Performance is excellent and the vehicle handles very well.

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  New Volvo - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By Leonardo - October 19 - 11:24 am

  Its a spaceship. Genuinely impressed. The touchscreen takes some playing around to adequately understand (>4 hours). Very comfortable.

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  This is a great buy!! - 2005 Volvo XC70
  By ktotaro - October 13 - 11:16 am

  We have loved our Volvo XC70 ever since the day we purchased it. The car is very versatile and has excellent space and its cabin is very luxurious. The turbo charged engine is great!! The car only had a squeak and the dealer quickly repaired it. This is a great buy!

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  My first volvo, but not the last - 2006 Volvo V50
  By ALFREDO - October 13 - 4:53 am

  My wife didn´t like the wagons. She wants a suv (x3) but now she is impressedand very happy. Me, i´m glad with my car.

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  2005 Volvo S 60R - 2005 Volvo S60
  By Dale Fryberger - October 11 - 6:06 am

  I purchased car used with 4400 miles. It was a Volvo finance division company car from headquarters in Michigan. Its automatic, very fast and turns heads. My car has the sport package (ground effects), is bright red, and has the Atacama natural leather interior option. This car definitely looks European with its low slung appearance and twin exhausts peeking out the lower left corner. It is so coool ! I chose this car over Acura, BMW 3 & 5 series (overpriced) and Lexus IS 350. The sport package and Atacama interior are a must have ! Seats are tops! Really comfortable. Engine sounds so great. All I need yet is a high priced radar detector ! This car cruises so effortlessly !

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  S60 - 2004 Volvo S60
  By Stuliny - October 9 - 10:00 am

  Great car, easy to drive and even the 2.4 has some pep to it. Quiet ride and ROOMY and a pretty decent stock stereo (which was a nice surprise) nice alternative to the other sport sedans out there....bmw overpriced and audi just too small of a cabin

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  One of the best in the luxury SUV market - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By GLXwagon4mo - October 9 - 10:00 am

  The luxury SUV market is getting crowded, but this one is definitely worth considering! This SUV has the typical European feel when driving - It has gives enough road feedback and feels firmly planted. It has some body roll around corners, but much less compared to other competitors (except the BMW and Infiniti). It also has the utility that many other midsize luxo SUVs lack. The safety features set the std for this market - Boron roof, Roll Stability control, pretensioners for all seven seats, list goes on.

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  Volvo V70 -- the "alternative" SUV - 2005 Volvo V70
  By Tony - October 9 - 7:16 am

  This is my second V70. The first was a V70XC (Cross Country). The V70R, also an AWD vehicle, offers the best of all worlds. First it handles better than a car with its adjustable, computer- controlled chassis. It gets great gas mileage -- imagine a 5-cylinder engine (cheap to drive) that will crank out 300 horses when you want to have fun. Finally imagine the traction and versatility of an SUV in a luxury car that is loaded with safety features. As long as Volvo remains Volvo and doesnt morph into a Ford Country Squire, Ill be behind the wheel of a V70 indefinitely. Did I mention 300hp on an AWD wagon?

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  Great Alternative Sports Sedan! - 2005 Volvo S40
  By Dylan - October 6 - 8:00 pm

  For the past year I have been pulling my hairs out trying to determine what my next car would be. I am a car enthusiast so naturally I have a lot of favorites pulling at my heartstrings which made choosing a vehicle to replace my dependable 2005 Civic would be very difficult! I laid out the criteria I wanted: powerful engine, AWD drivetrain, compact, reliable daily driver. Sure there are some great cars that meet these like the Subaru WRX, Mitsubishi EVO, or entry-level Audis, but the truth is I wanted to own something more unique because I like to stand out. The aforementioned competitors are a lot more common are starting to feel oversaturated in the world of car culture. Not many AWD compact sedans exist, so naturally the Volvo S40 appeared to be my only option. I went for it on a whim and ended up with a beautiful 2010 R-Design with the ever-exciting T5 engine of course! So far, I am not really disappointed. The car does everything I wanted it too and even a bit more. Im not 100% satisfied with the way it looks as it is a dated (2004, 08 refresh) design. I dont understand why Volvo dramatically updated the C30 and C70 styling but left the S40 kind of bland for its last 3 years... However, it is still a nice looking vehicle with cute yet aggressive proportions. Interior looks amazing though! A lot of people harken it to IKEA as a joke, but they arent too far off. The interior is sleek, modern, and beautifully simple. The materials are wonderfully rich and well put together. It feels like youre in a much more expensive car with all the great driver amenities and the excellent climate control and booming stereo system. Trunk space is a little small compared to my last car (especially the opening) but it is sufficient for hauling most things. I will say the rear seats can be kind of cramped with the front seats extended backward. The car is awesome to drive. Not quite as fast as a WRX or EVO, but has potential to run with them with a few easy modifications. The T5 engine is noisy, but in the good sort of way that it gurgles in the low RPMs to remind you how sporty it wants to be. The S40 AWD handles really good and flat and so far has proven to have some great traction on slick surfaces. The brakes feel a little bit grabby and fade under hard braking, but do the job. The seats work well to keep you comfortable, even though the cars great handling comes at a cost of being very stiff and it likes to jar itself over small bumps in the road. Overall a very impressive car so far! I have not had any issues except for the oil cooler which the previous owner damaged on a curb. It was only a $120 fix locally and I am no longer dripping oil from it.

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  We love our XC 90 - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By petermw - October 5 - 11:33 pm

  We received our XC 90 in Sweden and drove it 3200 miles in Europe and had it shipped to our Oregon home from London. Our family of 7 enjoyed all the comforts of the car as we drove along the highways. In spite of the high fuel costs in Europe and now in the US, we feel that it is an economical car to drive. It is easy to drive, we love the warning system when we are parking and have the car in reverse. Our local dealer is a pleasure to work with, as well.