Compare the2022 Volvo S90VS 2022 BMW 7 Series

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volvo S90 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW 7 Series doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Volvo S90 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW 7 Series doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the S90 and 7 Series have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S90 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The 7 Series’ child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Volvo S90 offers optional built in child booster seats. They’re more crash worthy than an added child seat because of their direct attachment to the seat. BMW doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the 7 Series. Their owners must carry a heavy booster seat in and out of the vehicle; S90 owners can just fold their built-in child seat up or down.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the S90. But it costs extra on the 7 Series.

Both the S90 and the 7 Series have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the S90 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 76 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The 7 Series has not been tested, yet.

On the EPA test cycle the S90 T8 running on electricity gets better mileage than the 745e xDrive running on electricity (62 city/64 hwy vs. 52 city/61 hwy MPGe).

On the EPA test cycle the S90 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the 7 Series running its gasoline engine:

The S90 T8’s maximum driving range in pure electric mode is 21 miles, 24% further than the 745e’s 17-mile electric range.

The S90 has 3.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the 7 Series Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (15.9 vs. 12.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The S90 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 7 Series doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volvo S90 higher (7 out of 10) than the BMW 7 Series (3). This means the S90 produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 7 Series every 15,000 miles.

The S90 stops much shorter than the 7 Series:

The S90’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 7 Series’ standard 50 series tires. The S90’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the 7 Series’ optional 40 series front tires.

The S90 T6 Inscription handles at .88 G’s, while the 745e xDrive pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the S90 18” wheels’ turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the 740i’s (38.7 feet vs. 42 feet). The S90 19” wheels’ turning circle is 2.4 feet tighter than the 7 Series xDrive’s (40 feet vs. 42.4 feet).

The S90 is 6.6 inches shorter than the Alpina B7, making the S90 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces. The S90 is 7.3 inches shorter than the 7 Series.

The S90’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The 7 Series doesn’t offer folding rear seats, only a ski pass-through.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the S90 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The 7 Series doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The S90 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The 7 Series doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The S90 has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The 7 Series doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Insurance will cost less for the S90 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the S90 will cost $3080 to $13350 less than the 7 Series over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Volvo S90 will be $37017 to $83302 less than for the BMW 7 Series.

The S90 was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine’s “All Stars” in 2017. The 7 Series has never been an “All Star.”