Compare the2022 Volvo S90VS 2022 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe

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 4 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

Both the S90 and 4 Series Gran Coupe 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 4 Series Gran Coupe’s 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 4 Series Gran Coupe. 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.

The S90 has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The 4 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the S90. But it costs extra on the 4 Series Gran Coupe.

The S90 offers an optional 360° Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The 4 Series Gran Coupe only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the S90 and the 4 Series Gran Coupe 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 and driver alert 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 4 Series Gran Coupe has not been tested, yet.

The S90 B6’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 61 more horsepower (316 vs. 255) and 1 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 294) than the 430i Gran Coupe’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The S90 T8’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 18 more horsepower (400 vs. 382) and 104 lbs.-ft. more torque (472 vs. 368) than the M440i Gran Coupe’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the S90 running on electricity gets better mileage than the 4 Series Gran Coupe:

On the EPA test cycle the S90 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the 4 Series Gran Coupe:

The S90 T8 can drive on battery power alone for up to 21 miles. The 4 Series Gran Coupe must run its internal combustion engine to move.

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 4 Series Gran Coupe 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 4 Series Gran Coupe (5 to 7). This means the S90 produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 4 Series Gran Coupe every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the S90’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the 4 Series Gran Coupe:

For better traction, the S90 has larger standard tires than the 4 Series Gran Coupe (245/45R18 vs. 225/40R19). The S90’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 4 Series Gran Coupe (255/35R20 vs. 245/45R18).

The S90’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s optional 40 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S90 offers optional 20-inch wheels. The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

The S90 T6 has a standard space-saver spare (not available on Recharge) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the 4 Series Gran Coupe; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed. Some tire options on the 4 Series Gran Coupe don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the S90’s wheelbase is 8.1 inches longer than on the 4 Series Gran Coupe (120.5 inches vs. 112.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the S90 is 1.5 inches wider in the front and .4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the 4 Series Gran Coupe.

For better maneuverability, the S90 18” wheels’ turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s (38.7 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the S90 a Mid-size car, while the 4 Series Gran Coupe is rated a Compact.

The S90 has 11 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 4 Series Gran Coupe (102 vs. 91).

The S90 has .3 inches more front legroom, 2.3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 5.5 inches more rear legroom and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the 4 Series Gran Coupe.

With its sedan body style, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the S90 offers cargo security. The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s hatchback body style defeats cargo security.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the 4 Series Gran Coupe, the S90 Inscription/R-Design has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

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 4 Series Gran Coupe 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 4 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer headlight washers.

A power rear sunshade and rear side window sunshades are standard in the S90 R-Design/Inscription to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The 4 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer a rear or rear side window sunshades.

The S90 Inscription offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the 4 Series Gran Coupe.

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 4 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The S90 was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine’s “All Stars” in 2017. The 4 Series Gran Coupe has never been an “All Star.”