Compare the2021 Cadillac XT5VS 2021 Volvo V60 Cross Country

For enhanced safety, the front shoulder belts of the Cadillac XT5 are height-adjustable, and the rear seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Volvo V60 Cross Country has only front height-adjustable seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the XT5 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The V60 Cross Country doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The V60 Cross Country doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the XT5 and the V60 Cross Country have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and with its optional front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the XT5 the rating of “Top Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 187 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The V60 Cross Country has not been tested, yet.

Cadillac’s powertrain warranty covers the XT5 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Volvo covers the V60 Cross Country. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the V60 Cross Country ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 3 times as many Cadillac dealers as there are Volvo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the XT5’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac 14th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 48 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volvo is ranked 31st, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2019 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac 23rd in reliability. With 38 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volvo is ranked 29th.

The XT5’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 60 more horsepower (310 vs. 250) and 13 lbs.-ft. more torque (271 vs. 258) than the V60 Cross Country’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Cadillac XT5 V6 is faster than the Volvo V60 Cross Country:

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the XT5’s fuel efficiency. The V60 Cross Country doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Cadillac XT5 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine for maximum performance). The V60 Cross Country requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The XT5 FWD’s standard fuel tank has 3.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the V60 Cross Country (19.4 vs. 15.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The XT5 AWD’s standard fuel tank has 5.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the V60 Cross Country (21.7 vs. 15.9 gallons).

The XT5 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The V60 Cross Country doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Cadillac XT5 higher (6 out of 10) than the Volvo V60 Cross Country (5). This means the XT5 produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the V60 Cross Country every 15,000 miles.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Cadillac XT5, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the V60 Cross Country.

For better stopping power the XT5’s brake rotors are larger than those on the V60 Cross Country:

The XT5 stops much shorter than the V60 Cross Country:

For better traction, the XT5 has larger tires than the V60 Cross Country (235/65R18 vs. 215/50R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the XT5 offers optional 20-inch wheels. The V60 Cross Country’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

The Cadillac XT5’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Volvo V60 Cross Country only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The front and rear suspension of the XT5 uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the V60 Cross Country, which uses transverse leafs springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

The XT5 offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The V60 Cross Country’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The front grille of the XT5 2.0 Turbo uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The V60 Cross Country doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The XT5 has 10.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the V60 Cross Country (104.5 vs. 94).

The XT5 has 2.3 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front hip room, 2.2 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom, 3.8 inches more rear legroom, 1.4 inches more rear hip room and 1.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the V60 Cross Country.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the XT5’s rear seats recline. The V60 Cross Country’s rear seats don’t recline.

The XT5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the V60 Cross Country with its rear seat up (30.2 vs. 23.2 cubic feet). The XT5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the V60 Cross Country with its rear seat folded (63 vs. 50.9 cubic feet).

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the XT5’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The V60 Cross Country doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Maximum trailer towing in the Volvo V60 Cross Country is limited to 2000 pounds. The XT5 offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Cadillac service is better than Volvo. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac third in service department satisfaction. With a 40% lower rating, Volvo is ranked 14th.

The XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The V60 Cross Country doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The XT5’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The V60 Cross Country has neither an oil pressure gauge nor a temperature gauge.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the XT5 has standard extendable sun visors. The V60 Cross Country doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The XT5’s optional Automatic Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting and stopping automatically, with the driver only responsible for switching from reverse to drive. The V60 Cross Country’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

The XT5 is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The V60 Cross Country doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The XT5 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the XT5 will retain 38.6% to 39.93% of its original price after five years, while the V60 Cross Country only retains 37.49%.

The Cadillac XT5 outsold the Volvo 60 Series by 87% during the 2020 model year.