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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  2004-XC90AWD, 3750 miles and counting - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By johng - July 28 - 2:00 am

  Being a first time SUV buyer but a 7 year Volvo owner (850GLT) we were already biased toward Volvo but did do considerable research on other brands before we dove in. Although always a little shocked by their sticker prices (and lack of much room for dealing with the dealer, especially on the trade-in) in the end we just think it`s the best overall SUV available today. Mechanically it`s hard to beat. And it`s the best looking SUV by far. And being "safe as a bank vault" has it`s obvious rewards. We are at 3750 pretty hard miles at this point already and so far so good!

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  Way Overpriced - 2008 Volvo XC90
  By sdd - July 27 - 3:20 am

  We bought the XC90 after owning a Suburban to get a smaller vehicle, a "luxury" SUV, and for the safety features. The safety features are there, but this SUV is not a sturdy vehicle for active families. The middle console has come out, the doors do not automatically lock/unlock, it rattles, the seats in the back rows are difficult to lay down-just to name a few of our complaints. For the money, we regret we did not purchase the Lexus or the Land Cruiser.

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  Major Disappointment - 2005 Volvo XC90
  By Jim Barnacle - July 26 - 8:50 am

  My 2.5 Turbo moans and groans it way around town delivering me 15 miles to the gallon. The SUV is particularly annoying to drive in traffic because the car hesitates off the line (turbo lag Im told). The vibration of the turbo reminds me of a diesel. When I exit the car the vibration stays with me. This is a sad excuse for a premium SUV. I actually enjoyed my 2002 Ford Explorer more than this overrated piece of junk. I feel betrayed by the automotive press for their positive reviews. M

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  Wow Fast Euro on the Cheap. - 2006 Volvo S60
  By TTRx - July 26 - 3:50 am

  300 HP with a very stealth look. Makes the Nissan 265 HP Commercial look slow. I have had the car for a few weeks and can not overstate how great the fit and finish is. The first choice was safety (has too many airbags to list) and getting great performance what a bonus! I might look at the xc90 to replace my BMW X5!

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  Nice, dependable car - 1998 Volvo S70
  By barbara - July 24 - 5:53 pm

  Love the car however time is not good to the interior. Leather seats in excellent shape, however the door panels have mis-shapen making it not conform to the doors. The buttons on the doors are sticky, gooey. Also I have replaced all the sensors. One being the ABS which didnt work when I got it(hadnt worked for years). Would not have replaced it if it hadnt been that the speedometer and odometer quit working as well. The check engine light comes on about every other week. Then mysteriously goes off for the remainder of the time. I will not take it to the dealer, too expensive. My husband is knowledgeable and does all my routine maintenance. He rewelded the driver door,it almost fell off.

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  Would never ever recommend or purchase again! - 2006 Volvo XC90
  By lassiterlisa - July 23 - 5:43 pm

  Purchased a used 2006 Volvo XC90 AWD V8 a year ago, had 77K miles on it, but was in excellent condition and we thought very safe for our family. We didnt know it had a transmission that COULD NOT be repaired ONLY REPLACED. The Volvo dealership informed us that this particular transmission was not repairable. Unfortunately our warranty company wouldnt ok the replacement so we had to transfer the car to a transmission repair facility to try and rebuild it. They were able to get all the parts needed but 1 and Volvo wouldnt sell the 1 part that would fix our car. SO we had to purchase a USED transmission for $5,700.00 (new would have been $7,500).

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  So much money for THIS???? - 2000 Volvo V70
  By sunprairie - July 23 - 10:00 am

  We have friends who get a new Cross Country Wagon every 2 years and swear by them, but we got a lemon. Ours had a bad fuel pump and injection system, among other things, and it took several return visits to 3 diff. dealerships, two complete breakdowns, and finally negotiations with Volvo directly to figure out the problem, and who will pay for the repair when it was just outside of the warranty. Twice the car just stopped working while driving. It shakes at high speeds and my 1996 Honda Accord had a smoother ride. I didnt buy a $40,000 car so my family and I could be stranded twice. Servicing the car is costly even with no problems.

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  Fun Car - 2009 Volvo C30
  By wm - July 19 - 6:36 pm

  Caveat this review with the fact Ive only owned the car for a week, and Im still on a buzz from buying it. The manual is incredibly fun to drive, and very smooth. I highly recommend the R-design; its well worth the money. Cosmic Wht w/ Brwn body kit looks phenoml, but hard to find at a dealer. It is not a utilitarian vehicle, as the rear bumper is too high and big, and other cars offer more interior space, but its a great little sports car. More hp/less weight/better mpg than a V6 Mustang. Comfort inside is top notch. Driver views are very good. I did a 1300+ mile trip right after purchase and it holds 80mph easily at 2700rpm. It accelerates the same at 40mph as it does at 70. Fun.

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  Unreliable - Never again - 2001 Volvo C70
  By Va - July 19 - 2:16 am

  This is the most unreliable auto I have ever owned in over 30 years. Interior switches and plastic parts fail or fall apart, electronics fail, wind noise is pronounced, the power steering has leaked, the electreonic key will not hold a code - countless trips to the dealer, bulbs constantly burn out, the upholstery peels. Nice looking but pure, unmitigated junk.

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  Great fun and reliable car to drive! - 1996 Volvo 850
  By loveswedcars25 - July 19 - 12:19 am

  I bought my car a year ago from one of my brothers friends. It had been sitting in his garage barely used and barely ran. When I got it, it had 140,000 miles on it, now the odometer reads 150,800 miles. I havent had any real problem with it. Except for a fuel filter going out, but thats a cheap fix. It has always ran strong and never left me completely stranded on the side of the road. The interior is great, very roomy and comfortable. The engine is like the energizer bunny, it just keeps going and going. And the fact that the car come stock with a underbelly cover makes driving on rocky roads way less worry-some. When this car dies, if it ever does, I will own another Volvo!