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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  Beautious! - 2003 Volvo XC90
  By Abelaine - July 9 - 2:00 am

  What other vehicle out there cleans the air when it drives ? I quote from my XC90 brochure The radiator of the XC90 has a special coating, PremAir, which converts up to 75% of the ozone it encounters into oxygen. Volvo had waited in the wings for a decade and observed all the SUV dos and donts and then BAM! they came out with the XC90.

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  My 2nd Volvo - 2004 Volvo S80
  By Francis - July 9 - 1:30 am

  The S80 was my second Volvo.What influenced my purchase was the Edmunds information which said the 2004 had 700 enhancements, most of which you could not see. This was the first model year that Volvo replaced the 2.9 6cyl with their famed 2.5T/ 5cyl engine. The recommended fuel is premium but the cars computer consistently shows 25-26 mpg combined city/hwy driving. Almost no perceptible Turbo lag when you press on the gas.This is great considering the car weighs 3,600 lbs.

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  Sexy just like me! - 2001 Volvo C70
  By Sweet Sexy Ride - July 8 - 1:26 pm

  I Absolutely love this car! My honey purchased for me. He loves me! I always loved Volvo for safety but when I saw her I fell in love. This car has saved my life and is so dependable! It has the best "get out of the way" I have ever seen! Tractor coming down the road something extended on my side of the road, I couldnt see it until the last second. Cut the wheel at 70 and back. Never Lost Control! Im still here kids too! Yes a bit rough at times. So what! This is the Only issue I will gladly live with! The top is almost always down. And I can park without worrying about theft. Misplaced the keys once. Could not open the car even by reaching in and hitting the locks. It totally shut down. WOW!

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  Second Volvo and Even Happier - 2015 Volvo XC60
  By Lisa - July 8 - 2:33 am

  This is my second Volvo and I traded in my Volvo S60 to buy the XC60. I was looking for more space without sacrificing good looks and performance. I love the XC60. Volvo makes a great quality product for a good price. And since the car takes 87 octane and 5 years free maintenance, the cost of ownership is really good. Also the service department at the dealership that I purchased both my Volvos from is phenomenal. The service staff is very professional and always helpful. I would encourage anyone in the market for a car to take a look at the Volvo.

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  Not great, but solid in most ways - 2000 Volvo S40
  By Darren Miles - July 7 - 10:16 pm

  The S40 is a great way for Volvo to reach a new crowd of drivers, the car is solid, but there are some minor annoyances. Seems as though I have the same likes/issues as most of the others on the list. I have replaced both the front and rear brakes (car only has 31,000 miles), the check engine light comes on/off constantly (its an emissions fault, but does not affect the car in anyway, but would make it difficult to sell if the light came on), and I have replaced the front bulbs 3 times, though the latest set have lasted over a year.

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  8th volvo and last volvo, sadly. - 2001 Volvo V70
  By gav - July 6 - 7:33 am

  The cup holders are handy whilst waiting for the tow truck! Gearbox has new surprises every time you drive it. ETM is an affront to our collective dignity, electrics are poor, fuel system must have been designed at Lada by the accounts lady after a bit night on the Stolle! Maintenance costs are quite severe and plentiful. After 7 previous volvos all with outstanding reliability, function and longevity it saddens me that a company could transmogrify into producing such a failure of a vehicle. When not being repaired or diagnosed, its fast and safe with ample room and functionality, but it now drains my wallet, energy and faith in what i considered to be the best manufactured vehicles ever.

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  Worth every penny - 2010 Volvo XC90
  By jenniferdr - July 6 - 6:56 am

  After MANY years of wanting this car, we finally took the plunge and I LOVE IT!! I feel so safe in it. I traded in a Yukon and feel that I have gained more storage space since the third row folds flat. LOVE the body style, DON"T EVER CHANGE IT. That was the first thing that made me fall in love with it. LOve the 5 year free maintenance!! Do wish though that for the money, navigation or even blue tooth were standard.

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  No Problem(s) - 2008 Volvo XC70
  By melalbert - July 5 - 12:45 pm

  Purchased 3-year old 2008 XC-70 with only 39K on odometer and just absolutely love the vehicle. I have been able to transport my wife and I and two teens in absolute comfort all over the East Coast, racking up over 10K miles in six months. Everyone sleeps in comfort in their leather seats as I tool along smoothly over those miles. If this isnt my dream car yet, then dont wake me when it shows up.

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  Not the best, not the worst - 2006 Volvo S60
  By Hit-s60r - July 4 - 12:13 pm

  I was sitting at a red light – behind 2 cars when a 27 year old woman (on the cell phone, looking over her shoulder) slammed into the back of me going 45, again I was at a dead stop. The impact sent me into the car ahead and broke my seat (Volvo safety design, break-away front seats). The Honda Insight which hit me square on the back bumper was totaled, and unless you looked at the rear deck of the Honda, you wouldn’t know what it was that hit me. The Volvo trunk, bumper was smashed back to the rear wheels and some damage was found in the bracing, not the frame. The car wasn’t totaled since the damage was about 24K and the value was north of 32K. The main thing was I walked away!

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  66% Unhappy With This Cae - 2003 Volvo S80
  By Two Out Of Three - July 4 - 10:00 am

  Leased three S80 T6s in Jan, 01. Two of us would never buy one again. Quality isnt there for a car in this price range. Electronics have been terrible: numerous bulbs replaced, shorts in one car, bad seals around the headlamps, the drivers seat on one rocks during acceleration or braking. The cars have high cost of ownership: never had a visit under $500, unless it was for a recall,which weve had three or four. Mileage makes us believe this is prevelant throughout, after three years we have one with 70K, another with 55K and the last one has 45K. BTY: Consumer Reports in April of 2002 ranks the S80 and the S60 as "do not buy"!