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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  New 2014 S60 R-Design and online reviews - 2014 Volvo S60
  By spmatl - March 22 - 3:47 am

  I just purchased an S60 R-design and hope to pick it up today. Has the same specs as an Audi S4 but costs much less after negotiation. I assume the S4 has better driving dynamics but they just wont come down on price much for the car. I will update my review after spending a few weeks with the S60. Does anyone know where to find a good online video review of this car? Volvo has done a really bad job of getting this car in front of the car mags.

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  Great, apart from parking brake problems - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By Hugo F - March 21 - 8:57 pm

  Bit spoilt also having a tesla (hence the infotainment system seems slow and buggy compared to the tesla, even though its miles ahead of typical cars) but the interior is really nice as is the lane follow and adaptive cruise. Very relaxing on long journeys. Had problems with the electric parking brake locking on, stranding my wife in the school parking lot. Volvo said the car needed to be towed to the dealer; I found this thread and someone mentioned pulling the parking brake fuse to reset the system (open hood, look inside fusebox cover to identify the fuse, pull, leave a minute, replace, done) - this fixed the issue totally for us. Going to get the dealer to check for a firmware update for that component at the next service.

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  2005 Volvo XC70 - 2005 Volvo XC70
  By Wayne - March 20 - 3:13 am

  Just took delivery of my new 2005 XC70. A trade from a 2002 XC70. Volvo has cut some corners which is very disconcerting. The under floor storage has been replaced with insulation (and not very well installed) The seat pockets are smaller. The handy in-dash cup holder has been replaced by a useless nook. The center console has lost a lot of its usefulness and been replace by useless cup holders. In short poor quality creep has set in, a trait learned apparently from Ford. unt. Additionally, the poor quality Perilli tires are still there.

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  no more volvos for me - 2000 Volvo V70
  By mls_intex - March 17 - 8:23 am

  A friend showed me this site and wow how insightful! Guess Im not alone with my endless Volvo problems; AC, throttle body control unit (which left my wife stranded), AC again, faulty air flow unit, (that took 4 trips to the dealer to fix) broken, CV joints, strut mounts @ 82k, numerous little things that have broken through normal use; cup holders both front and back, windows controls -every one has gone out -save the drivers unit, the list goes on... It also burns through tires (my wife drives it 80% of the time and she is a conservative driver) going through a set of yokohamas in half the warranted life (60k). Im told that we are part of the Volvo 200 club -Every visit to the shop =$200!

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  Ford Should butt out - 2002 Volvo S60
  By Andrew - March 11 - 6:03 am

  This car has been in the family since it was brand new. Its a pretty nice car, but its had a lot of silly little problems. In its lifetime, the wheel bolts rusted, the front bumper popped itself out of place. Just recently, went to get gas and when the attendant opened the fuel door it fell into his hand. This, from what I have seen, is a popular issue with S60s and V70s of this generation. The glove compartment door is now sagging, and the paint quality is very poor. Mechanically, the transmission seems a little screwy, causing the car to shake when you let go of the brakes after a complete stop. This is an awesome looking car, but unfortunetly its a bit unrefined.

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  Great, solid, safe choice - 1998 Volvo S70
  By david Atkins - March 10 - 8:40 pm

  Bought it used with about 8000 miles on it got it checked out to make sure it hadnt been in any accidents they said it was clean but then the radiator started to sag! The guy who fixed it said that the car had hit something hard before we got it. It is a solid, safe, responsive car. I would recommend a Volvo to anyone! It does not at all seem like an 8 year old car at all! We only have had normal wear problems with this car and a few small electrical problems

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  2008 xc 70 - 2008 Volvo XC70
  By peterdal - March 10 - 9:50 am

  Solid car protected me during off- set/head-on 55 MPH collision on 101 north of Hopland, CA. Other driver decided to make a u-turn on 101! Car took the crash well. Felt like I was in a vault. Slightly underpowered, needs turbo. Got same model again with more options.

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  for volvo...not bad. - 2003 Volvo S40
  By BunBun - March 8 - 2:00 am

  for a 18 yr old guy.. im quite happy abt s40.. i never thot volvo will design diff. looks. Cuz usually they jus design it square and ...u no .. like a coffin.. but for S40..its amazing. Even though its a demo car when i bought it.. the car still runs smoothly and i only have to bring to dealer for check up once so far to change brake that had been worn off, tires rotation and tires alignment.

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  Volvo or Ford? - 2001 Volvo S60
  By Drew - March 2 - 12:00 am

  This is my first Volvo, I have enjoyed it, however have had a few problems. The paint job on the window surrounds fell off and the plastic strips had to be replaced. A couple of spots on the hood where the paint has bubbled too. The bearings needed to be replaced once on the rear and twice on the front end.

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  Excellence in most areas except the NAVI - 2010 Volvo XC60
  By woodinva - February 28 - 2:48 am

  Purchased this vehicle as replacement for Wifes 1999 Ford Explorer (350K miles). Wanted a Boron steel cocoon for the wife, Excellent Safety rating. Xenon lights and decent gas mileage. I got that and more. Upgraded my car to Polestar rating (software upgrade) My car came with Sirius Satellite and currently get 20.8mpg with plus (89) gasoline with ethanol can get up to 23 mpg if I use strictly (non ethanol gas and clamp down on my lead foot!) Navi system ( does not work efficiently but one must buy this to get backup rear camera) Honestly.. buying a Garmin convertible works better then the currently installed cumbersome system which requires you use a remote control & is flawed.