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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  Driving for Fun - 2008 Volvo C30
  By Kathy - April 23 - 4:40 am

  I purchased my Volvo three months ago and find myself driving around town and listening to music, not going anywhere. I love the ride and the feel and the super good looks. So many people have commented on it! I get 26 mpg around town with an automatic. I am shorter than average and thought I needed to sit high to see well, but the C30 is positively panoramic. I feel great about my choice.

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  What a surprise, a joy to drive - 2002 Volvo S60
  By Thomas - April 22 - 8:23 am

  I did not head out to the car lot expecting to drive a Volvo home. I wanted a pre-owned, luxury vehicle that was somewhat practical and that would not break the bank. After looking at a few Jags I made a comment out loud about how surprisingly uncomfortable the Jag was to drive. From that comment the sales associate mentioned how comfortable the Volvos were to ride in. In a good mode and wanting to insure I considered all options I decided to allow the Volvo to be brought around for a test drive. My first word uttered once I sat in that drivers seat was wow. Comfort is a rule when choosing Volvo. Now I have had the car a while I must say, what a value.

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  Looks good, feels great, but... - 2011 Volvo XC70
  By an0nym0us - April 21 - 8:22 am

  Comparing to 2002 V70XC I traded in for it, its a mixed bag. Interior feels much more luxurious and refined; also appears somewhat roomier. Exterior design mostly improved on the previous generation, except for those silvery things around fog lights. Actually on mine - painted Electric Silver - they look OK, but on darker cars theyre outright out of place. The engine - 3.2 inline 6 - is nominally more powerful than the T5 on previous generation, but feels not as peppy as the older one. Gas mileage is not as good, too. The transmission feels more smooth-shifting and refined. The suspension is tuned more towards ride comfort rather than spirited driving style.

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  Great little car - 2007 Volvo V50
  By piredon - April 21 - 12:23 am

  This car manages to be quick when you want it to be, cruise when you want it to, seems to work well in the snow, and holds more than enough stuff to fit our needs. Fuel mileage so far of around 25 mpg overall. Comfortable seats, great for long trips. Very progressive throttle tip in helps to drive smoothly. Engine can be a little buzzy at times, but packs plenty of punch when you want it to. Steering effort is way too light, but turn in is crisp, and its great for long highway trips, maybe not so much for back roads. Well-designed, intuitive interior with fantastic sound system. Only problem so far is a rattle in the dash, fixed under warranty.

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  Best convertible I have had - 2008 Volvo C70
  By Joel C. Hart - April 20 - 1:43 am

  Bought the car on the overseas purchase program. Saved 8% and got a free vacation. Volvo people in Sweden are great and we drove 900 miles while there. Six speed manual is a dream. Side warning system is great for blind spots. Plenty of pep with manual transmission good road stability and quiet with hard- top up. Dynasound a must for CDs and Ipod. Some understeer but mostly a good solid ride. 29MPG in Sweden but gas is 95 octane and $8.25 a gallon. Does well on mid grade in USA mileage on cruise control at 70MPH is 28MPG. City is about 26MPG. Very comfortable and smoth. My wife loves the car. We traded a 2004 BMW 325CI and I like this car better. So far so good. No mechanical problems

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  Very nice vehicle - 2005 Volvo S80
  By karl Ripple - April 19 - 3:10 pm

  This car is replacing a 2002 S-60 2.4. It out classes the S-60 in all categories except handling through turns.

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  One of the Last - 1998 Volvo S70
  By Crown - April 18 - 2:50 am

  My 1998 Volvo S70 SE has 38,000 miles on it and has been back to the dealer every 5,000 miles to have everything checked. I receved three recalls from volvo all were handled very well a loner every time. It takes time to get to understand what this car is all about.Safety it takes time to learn how to drive this car.It does not handle like a BMW.you have to drive it to understand it. It is not hipe it is not over sold. But it will keep you Safe.

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  cool - 2007 Volvo XC90
  By Yash Parulekar - April 17 - 7:13 am

  My first new car; love every minute of driving it. awesome looks, great comfort and a driving pleasure. Low noise, awesome seats, great driver position (nice and high). We love the two-piece rear gate as we have a dog who hops onto it as well as stays in on warmer days with the lower gate closed. main reason for buying was safety and looks. looked at BMW (X3 too small; X5 too expensive), Acura (tacky), Infiniti (weird), merc (unreliable?).

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  Good car, but some parts are non durable - 1998 Volvo V70
  By Michael L - April 17 - 4:13 am

  This wagon has been very useful and never let me down on the road. I have driven this wagon to different long distance journey and it treated me well. However for a 12 year car with 142,000 miles, I do expect some wear and tear, but for some reason the most critical part of this wagon went out which was the passenger door lock where I couldnt get it to lock and could not get the rear cargo door to lock in its place and I had to get it repaired otherwise there is possible internal theft. Both front driver and passenger door hinges had to be replaced because they broke of old age which was costly. There are a few more minor wear and tear items that went out.

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  New S60 T5 - 2013 Volvo S60
  By houstonjoe - April 16 - 11:48 am

  I kept my eye on the S60, since I needed a more corporate car, coming out of my 2009 C30 Ive loved for the last 3 years. The S60 hit all the marks: upscale, gorgeous inside and out; fun to drive and decent price/performance. Consumer Reports and the auto trade press seem to all like this car, and it scores well on the CR reliability ratings. Ive had mine for about 2 weeks. This is the first time in about 30 years of purchasing cars that Ive bought the same brand back-to-back. This car is a hit for Volvo.