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:

• 

  9 mos retrospective - 2002 Volvo S60
  By mikepghpa - May 14 - 10:00 am

  This car is fun to drive, no doubt. It handles curves very well at good speed and the braking capacity is outstanding. It is very comfortable with probably the best leather seats in this class. Trunk room is surprising since it is square without tapering to more narrow dimensions. Fuel capacity is remarkable since the tank holds 21 gallons. At 9 mos, reliability is excellent. Only problem Ive experienced is a back seat squeak.

• 

  2016 T6 - 2016 Volvo XC60
  By Bill - May 13 - 8:20 pm

  This car is definitely one of the best when comparing price, luxury brands, as-well-as performance. Leased a 2016 Volvo XC 60 T-6 AWD for my company and it definitely doesnt lack in performance. The shifting is smooth, no lag in power, & fast is definitely the way to describe it, around 6.5 sec from 0-60. The interior has a lot of room for all the passengers and gear, especially for going out of town. Handling can use a little bit of work, but for the size & height of the vehicle it meets my expectations. Compared to my previous Audi Q5 & Mercedes ML the Volvo is an Excellent car.

• 

  Better than BMW or Mercedes - 2006 Volvo S60
  By dwightex - May 13 - 9:25 am

  Really great car. I had a 2004, drove about 78000 miles over the 4 year lease. No problems (other than I scrapped the front fascia against a parking lot curb) Also, dont drive this car in heavy snow. even with snow tires, computer couldnt deal with 6" of new snow. Handling and acceleration is very satisfying. Seat is comfortable. Nav is okay. Sport and Comfort settings are great, stereo is great. Little back seat room but we never used the back seat

• 

  Just Right - 2009 Volvo C30
  By Terri - May 12 - 12:50 pm

  I literally test drove 12 vehicles and kept coming back to the C30. I love the size after driving a station wagon for so many years. Its easy to fit in spaces and maneuver city streets. Cant understand why they arent more popular because there are so many great features. I was looking for a car with good pick up and boy does this have it. I love my new little car.

• 

  A miniature tank! - 2004 Volvo S40
  By hagimihale - May 11 - 10:00 am

  My fiancee bought the loaded showroom model (only missing item is Xenon headlights) for $25k. Solid car with the best seats ever!! OK low-end power, but passing ability on the highway is impressive. Comfortable on long trips and stable at high (75-90) speeds. Great ergonomics and a good sound system. Constantly gets compliments – most people think it’s a $40,000+ car. She test drove the BMW, Audi A4, Nissan (Maxima and Altima), Mercedes C230 (which was the winner until she drove the Volvo), etc. Of course the safety aspect lets me sleep at night – the pillars are thicker than a bodybuilder’s legs!

• 

  A Fun Ride - 2004 Volvo C70
  By Patricia in Maryland - May 11 - 10:00 am

  With the top up, i feel safe in my Volvo, with the top down, I feel like im flying!

• 

  2001 9 months old - 2002 Volvo S40
  By volvo_owner - May 7 - 4:03 pm

  This car stands out on its own. I was looking for a sporty 4 dr. sedan for under $28,000, and this was definitely the only one worth buying.

• 

  Solid Quality Vehicle - 2010 Volvo XC60
  By tekbis - May 6 - 6:23 pm

  First time Volvo owner and got our new XC60 T6 (loaded but no tech pckg - no dynaudio, LDW, CA, DAC & Nav)last wk & so far no issues & loving it. Read most reviews complaining abt gas mileage & while its not best in class it has a lot of features better than competition & after moving from a minivan theres not a lot of difference is gas mileage anyway. We narrowed choice to XC60 or Audi Q5 and both were excellent CUVs. The diff was XC60 had best value vs Q5 for same price & the XC60 drove more like a car than Q5 which felt like our minivan (a bit truck-like). Also, Volvos safety features w/c outmatched Audi in every aspect. Q5 looked bland while XC60 looked very sexy and elegant.

• 

  Volvo C70 - 2007 Volvo C70
  By ADM - May 6 - 3:46 am

  This is my second Volvo C70. I really enjoy the hardtop and the Dynaudio system. I have had to bring the car back to the dealer numerous times for the same two issues. The front windows were not going all the way up when the doors closed. It took five tries before they fixed this issue. The other issue is the full spare tire. Every time I hit a bump of any type in the road the tires rattles around in the trunk. Volvo has looked at this issue at least 5 times and still cant figure out a way to stop it. They are looking into a foam base for it to sit on. They believe it might be a recall issue down the road.

• 

  Ready for new - 2000 Volvo S70
  By Bill - May 6 - 12:36 am

  Great auto! Reliable and great gas mileage (25/30). Great exterior due to being kept in garage. All repair/inspection records available. Im ready to buy a 2007 Volvo.