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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  V70R GT - 2004 Volvo V70
  By GSHEETS - June 22 - 10:00 am

  I LIKE THE V70R VERY MUCH.THE QUALITY AND FIT -FINISH SEEMS TO BE VERY GOOD.THE ONLY COMPLAINT THAT I REALLY HAVE IS THAT VOLVO ADVERTISED THE V70R AS HAVING A BETTER PROFORMANCE RECORD THAN IT SEEM TO HAVE.A CAR THAT COST IN THE MID TO HIGH 40S AND HAS A CLAIMED 300 HP SHOULD HAVE BETTER NUMBERS.

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  S70 Volvo - 1999 Volvo S70
  By Dave Doe - June 22 - 10:00 am

  I bought this vehical in 2000 with 18,000 miles on it. For all intents and purposes it was pre-certified and in great shape. I have maintained the vehical through Volvo and a more local lube, oil, filter shop. Currently has 85,000 miles on it. Very disappointed in that I have had to buy two sets of new rotars, a power steering pump, a new air conditioning compressor, and a new radiator. The driver side door hinge is also flawed. These items were also replaced on a 1996 850 Volvo Wagon that I owned. Not impressive.

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  Run away - 1999 Volvo S70
  By ftldguy78 - June 22 - 10:00 am

  This car is not reliable. do not go near this car without a long warranty. i just had 2500 worth of repairs in the last five month and they were not wear and tear items. they should not break at 55months/40K miles. thank god they were covered from a warranty i bought over the net. I call it "hunk of junk" or "Piece" as a nick name. I think my next car will be the Mazda6 I dont have time to keep taking it to the mechanic even if it is under warranty. other than that I love it.

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  Great ride! - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By jwelsh - June 22 - 10:00 am

  If you never thought of yourself as a Volvo owner, this is the one for you. The perfect fusion of car and truck. As you would expect from Volvo, the safety features are unsurpassed. Just a great ride!

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  XC 90 review - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By arun07 - June 22 - 10:00 am

  Overall a comfortable and well engineered vehicle. Feels safe and sturdy.

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  My driving live has a new mistress - 2012 Volvo S60
  By patrick61 - June 22 - 9:39 am

  I own now my S60 D3..soon it makes me forget my previous BMW3 ! The S60 is a dream of a car. Everything a car-fan can dream. Much much much better than my very unenjoyable BMW3 320d (2008). I do not understand the fuzz about BMW and certainly not the addiction of the automobile reviewers with it. Now with my Volvo D3, I can again getting adddicted to driving after three years I told myself I was grown up and car driving was only for the necessary long distance movements and not for fun. I was so far that i though about giving up my car and travel only by public transport...such idiot ideas gave that BMW me. Now finally I experience that I am not old !

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  Great car, best looking under $80K - 2008 Volvo C70
  By Jim - June 22 - 9:30 am

  Looked at BMW convertible. BMW had better performance and name, but C70 has great (better) looks and fine handling for $10K less than BMW. Still get people to see what kind of car it is. Excellent safety/accident reports are a bonus. 49,000 miles with no problems.

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  my new s40 - 2006 Volvo S40
  By lisa - June 21 - 6:36 pm

  I thought I wanted a BMW then i looked at the volvo s40 and fell in love with it, its fun to drive, it has the speed and pick up when i want it and handles nicely, my daughter wants it, shes 13!!! I love owning a Volvo and feel safe.

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  kids, dog and I and the Volvo XC90 Momentum - 2017 Volvo XC90
  By Michelle - June 21 - 6:03 pm

  We needed a 7 seater SUV, basically to separate the two kids and give the dog some extra space. After owning the huge Mercedes GL, we decided on something a wee bit smaller but just as practical. The two contenders ended up being the new Volvo XC90 and the Audi Q7. We had an Audi Allroad which we loved to drive, but the back seat was becoming far two cramped for our nearly teenage son. We found the same to be true about the Audi Q7, as big as the car was, there wasnt a lot of leg room in the backseats. The Volvo XC90 had far more leg room in the backseats and was more comfortable to drive in for long distances. (SF to SD is 10 long hours.) And the third row was much more comfortable, according to our preteen. My hubby calls is it the perfect mom car, he drives an BMW X5 for reference, compared to his car I love the smooth comfortable ride and acceleration. The seats are comfortable to be in for long hours of driving and I dont feel like I need to see the chiropractor after going over continuous speed bumps or bumpy surfaces. He does find the find the contoured seats a bit confining at 64" with a bit a girth on the sides and it did limit us to getting the R version which I really liked. The only downfall is that our XC90 has spent a crazy amount of time in the shop. Not purely sure that is the cars fault though, as our garage gives a loaner, and sometimes I think it is just easier for them to get through the amount of work they need to get done on cars if they keep our Volvo a few more days. My husband does call me the Beta tester though. So far we have had our supercharger malfunction, which is always fun at toll booths that are slow down but please dont stop and accelerate like made when done. Our battery went before a year, if your car starts doing really crazy things it might be time for a new battery. And our USB port stopped working, not good when you have preteens. But overall, we have been really satisfied with the car. The only major complaint we have is that the back row is not electric, so it requires a bit of work to navigate the seats, including the middle row. We dont move the middle row around enough to remember exactly the sequence we need to work in to facilitate the seat doing exactly what we want. It tends to get stuck in sometimes crazy positions. At the end of the day, I have been really happy with our Volvo XC90.

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  2009 C30 great car - 2009 Volvo C30
  By scott fortune - June 21 - 4:26 pm

  My 2009 c30 is a very cool car and I have had it for almost one year. I get about 23 mph and have taken it from Jacksonville, Florida to ft. Lauderdale 2 times, for fun. The trip goes quickly and is very pleasant. My wife and I also own a 2008 Porsche Cayman s. We both often prefer the c30 because it is so much easier to drive... Easy and fun with room for groceries. I had 2 Volvo xc90s, dating back to 2004 or 2003. The c30 is much cooler and more fun. The dynaudio is an excellent option. I have automatic, leather, sunroof, Cruise, bluetooth, ipod compatible. I recommend it and would buy another one.