Are Volvos Good Cars?

Volvos are innovative, luxurious, and safe as all get-out. What else would you expect from the automaker that brought you the passenger side airbag and the seatbelt?
Written by Matt Nightingale
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
With a high number of safety awards and top-of-the-line luxury, Volvos are pretty darn good cars. And car gurus Edmunds and Car and Driver agree, giving the current Volvo fleet an average rating of 7.8/10 and 8.6/10 respectively.
So what makes these Swedish cars so likable? Well,
Jerry
—the
car insurance
comparison super app and licensed broker—has looked into it. In this article, we take a closer look at Volvo. We’ll look at how they rate for safety and fuel efficiency, how much they cost to maintain, and we’ll even highlight a way to lower your
Volvo insurance costs
.
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Are Volvos good cars?

Volvo was founded in Sweden in 1927 and has become synonymous with vehicle safety. The Scandinavian automaker is the brains behind many of the industry’s top safety features, including possibly the most important one of all time: the seatbelt. The company was purchased by the Ford Motor Company in 1999 and sold 11 years later to the Chinese multinational Geely Group
who remains Volvo's current owner
today.
Here are the Volvo models on the market today.
Model
Starting price
Years
Vehicle type
Edmunds.com rating
Car and Driver rating
XC40
$35,195
2019–present
SUV
7.8/10
9.5/10
XC40 Recharge
$55,300
2019–present
SUV
7.9/10
8/10
XC60
$42,650
2017–present
SUV
N/A
9/10
XC90
$49,900
2017–present
SUV
N/A
9.5/10
XC90 Recharge
$63,800
2022
SUV
7.8/10
9.5/10
C40 Recharge
$58,750
2022
SUV
N/A
7.5/10
V60 Recharge
$67,300
2022
SUV
N/A
8.5
V60
$46,200
2017–present
Station wagon
N/A
8.5/10
V90
$56,200
2017–present
Station wagon
7.6/10
8.5/10
S60
$39,250
2017–present
Sedan
7.6/10
8/10
S90
$52,850
2017–present
Sedan
8.1/10
8/10

Are Volvos reliable?

When it comes to reliability, Volvo trails the pack. In its 2022 dependability report, JD Power ranked Volvo third worst of the 32 brands included in their study, beating only Ram and Land Rover. According to their findings, Volvos experience 256 problems per 100 vehicles compared to the industry average of 192 per 100 vehicles.
If you’re wondering,
Kia
took the top spot again for the second year in a row with a rating of 145 problems per 100 vehicles. And, among luxury brands, Genesis is once again the top dog with 155 problems per 100 vehicles.
While Volvo may not have a great reputation for reliability on the whole, there are some Volvo models that break the mold. The
S60
, for example, has a Consumer Reports score of 75% and a 4/5 predicted reliability rating. Models like the
XC40
and
XC70
have been rated on the higher end of average by JD Power—not great, but far from the company’s overall reputation as a dependability basement-dweller.
So, while Volvo doesn’t come to mind when you hear the word “reliable”, if you do your research and shop around, you can find Volvos that are acceptably dependable.

Are Volvos safe?

Volvos are quite possibly the safest cars
money can buy. The company has solidified itself as a leader in safety innovation, which is no surprise coming from the inventor of the seatbelt. The Swedish carmaker has received a whopping 94 Top Safety Picks from the IIHF since 2007, including 28 in the last two years alone.
Volvo has always had safety at the forefront when designing their vehicles, pioneering such safety features as:
  • Side impact protection system (1991)
  • Rear-facing child seats (1972)
  • Whiplash protection system (1998)
  • Inflatable curtain airbags (1996)
  • The 3-point seatbelt (1959)
  • Exterior pedestrian airbags (2013)
Since 2011, no Volvo vehicle has received anything lower than the top five-star safety rating from the NHTSA.
The
XC90
in particular has been heralded as one of the safest vehicles available with features such as electronic stability control, blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and brake assist, just to name a few.
Here is a list of the safest vehicles Volvo—and the world—has to offer.
Model
NHTSA rating
Recalls
IIHS rating
XC90
5 stars
N/A
Good
XC40
5 stars
3
Good
XC60
5 stars
3
Good
XC90 Recharge
Not rated
3
Good
XC40 Recharge
Not rated
3
Good
V60
5 stars
2
Good
V60 Rechargel
Not rated
N/A
Good
V90
Not rated
2
Good
S60
5 stars
1
Good
S90
Not rated
1
Good

Are Volvos expensive to maintain?

Volvos fall on the more expensive side
when it comes to maintenance. That’s par for the course when you’re talking about luxury automobiles. High-end, premium components simply cost more to fix and replace.
Add to that Volvo’s track record of being less than reliable, and you’re going to end up paying for expensive repairs more than your average car. According to RepairPal.com the average annual cost of repairs for Volvos is $769 per year, which is $117 higher than average.
The worst models as far as repair costs go are the 2004 XC90 and the 2012 S60. The 2012 S60 experienced a rash of brake problems, while the most common complaints about the ‘04 XC90 were electrical-related. Both these models have righted the ship, experiencing minimal complaints over the past decade.
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Are Volvos good on gas?

When it comes to fuel efficiency, Volvo isn’t going to turn many heads in either direction. In terms of fuel economy, their fleet of vehicles all fall in the range of 22 to 30 combined city/highway miles per gallon (MPG). To put that into perspective,
Honda’s
fleet boasts a ceiling of 52 combined MPG, found on the Honda Insight Touring.
But
Volvo is a luxury brand
, and luxury brands are not known for their efficiency. When compared to its classmates, Volvo actually fairs pretty well. BMW, Mercedes, and Audi all have an MPG floor in the teens for their respective lineups. Volvo’s lowest fuel combined efficiency is 22 MPG.
But MPG may not matter very soon. Like many manufacturers, Volvo is looking ahead to the electric age, with five new electric models planned for release over the next few years beginning in 2023. Volvo has ambitious plans to go all-electric by 2030.
But for the time being, fuel efficiency matters. Here are the five most efficient Volvos available.
Model
City
Highway
Combined
C40 Recharge
94
80
87
XC40 Recharge
92
79
85
S60 AWD Recharge ext range
N/A
N/A
74
V60 AWD Recharge ext range
N/A
N/A
74
S60 AWD Recharge
N/A
N/A
69

Are Volvos fun to drive?

There is most certainly something fun about Volvo. Just the sense of security you get by driving the safest cars ever made allows you to relax a little bit more and enjoy the ride. Add in Volvo’s new Ride Pilot self-driving suite with level three autonomous driving capabilities, and it’s hard not to get excited about driving a Volvo. 
But, beyond safety and technology, Volvos can be sporty and exciting, too. The
S90
Recharge sports a perky 2-liter 400 horsepower inline-four engine capable of reaching 60 mph in a very respectable 4.5 seconds. The
C70
is also notable for its rigid body, wide track, and delta link rear suspension which gives the C70 great handling.
For the most part, though, Volvos tend to be more luxurious than sporty. But that’s just a different kind of fun. With beautiful interiors that often feature wood trim and genuine leather upholstery, Volvos offer a very comfortable ride. 

What’s the best Volvo?

It can be difficult to say which Volvo is the best Volvo. It really depends on what you’re looking for in a car. That said, one of these cars will likely have everything you’re looking for.
C40 Recharge: If you’re looking for efficiency, the 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge is your best choice. The C40 Recharge is a hybrid electric SUV with a combined highway/city fuel economy of 87 miles per gallon
XC90: If it’s safety you fancy, the XC90 has been mentioned as one of the safest vehicles on the market. It’s loaded with self-driving safety features like lane-keeping assist, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, brake assist, and more. And of course, it also comes with Volvo’s greatest safety innovation: seatbelts.
S60 Recharge Polestar Engineered: The S60 is Volvo’s sportiest car. It’s powerful, with a 455 horsepower engine, all-wheel drive, responsive handling, and 19-inch wheels. For all that, Car and Driver gave the S60 an 8/10 rating.

How to find affordable Volvo insurance

No matter which Volvo you end up with, you’re going to need to insure it. If you want to find the best deal on car insurance, just download the
Jerry
app.
Jerry is a
trustworthy insurance shopping super app
that compares your current car insurance policy with quotes from over 55 top providers and shows you the best rates available. When you see one that you like, Jerry can help you cancel your old policy and switch providers—all inside the app.
Sign-up takes less than a minute, and the average Jerry user saves over $800 on car insurance every year.
“I thought my previous insurance rate was the best I could get, since I have a luxury SUV. After
Jerry
found me quotes, I ended up paying only $80 a month for the same exact coverage. I’ll be shopping for auto insurance through Jerry from now on!” —Petra S.
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FAQ

Although maintenance costs are a little higher than most cars, Volvos can last a long time. As long as regular maintenance schedules are adhered to, it isn’t unrealistic to think that your Volvo might last 20 years.
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