Compare the2023 Volvo XC40VS 2023 Cadillac XT4

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volvo XC40 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 Cadillac XT4 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The XC40’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The XT4 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the XC40 and XT4 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The XC40 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 XT4’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 XC40 has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The XT4 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The XC40 has standard Automatic Braking After Collision, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The XT4 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The XC40’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the XT4.

The XC40’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The XT4 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the XC40 and the XT4 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Volvo XC40 is safer than the Cadillac XT4:

	XC40	XT4
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Stress	209 lbs.	218 lbs.
Neck Compression	25 lbs.	43 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	343	350
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	31%	34%
Neck Compression	66 lbs.	77 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Volvo XC40 is safer than the Cadillac XT4:

	XC40	XT4
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	78	114
Abdominal Force	156 lbs.	185 lbs.
Hip Force	320 lbs.	328 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	119	169
Spine Acceleration	48 G’s	51 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	35 G’s
Hip Force	411 lbs.	522 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

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 “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the XC40 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 87 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The XT4 has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The XC40’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the XT4’s (12 vs. 6 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the XC40 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Volvo will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Cadillac only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the XT4.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the XC40’s reliability 42 points higher than the XT4.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Volvo vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Volvo 3 places higher in reliability than Cadillac.

Engine

The XC40 B5’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 12 more horsepower (247 vs. 235) than the XT4’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the XC40 gets better mileage than the XT4:

			MPG
XC40
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	24 city/32 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/30 hwy
XT4
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/30 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/29 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the XC40’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The XT4 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the XC40 B5’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the XT4:

	XC40 B4	XC40 B5	XT4
Front Rotors	12.7 inches	13.6 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	11.9 inches	13.4 inches	12.4 inches

The XC40 stops much shorter than the XT4:

	XC40	XT4
60 to 0 MPH	111 feet	126 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	135 feet	141 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The XC40’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the XT4’s standard 60 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The XC40 B5 Plus AWD handles at .86 G’s, while the XT4 Sport AWD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the XC40’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the XT4’s (37.4 feet vs. 38 feet).

For greater off-road capability the XC40 has a 1.4 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the XT4 (8.1 vs. 6.7 inches), allowing the XC40 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The XC40 is 6.3 inches shorter than the XT4, making the XC40 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The XC40 has .2 inches more front hip room, .8 inches more rear headroom, 4.8 inches more rear hip room and 1.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the XT4.

Cargo Capacity

The XC40 has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the XT4 with its rear seat folded (57.5 vs. 48.9 cubic feet).

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the XC40’s optional rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The XT4 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The XC40’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the XT4’s (3500 vs. 2500 pounds).

Ergonomics

The XC40’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The XT4’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the XC40 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the XT4 can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The XC40 has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The XT4 doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The XC40’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The XT4 Luxury’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Consumer Reports rated the XC40’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the XT4’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

The XT4 (except Luxury)’s optional cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The XC40’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volvo XC40 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the XT4.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Volvo XC40, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Cadillac XT4 isn't recommended.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its January 2019 issue and they ranked the Volvo XC40 B5 Plus AWD higher than the Cadillac XT4 Premium Luxury AWD.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the XC40 second among small premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The XT4 isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Volvo XC40 outsold the Cadillac XT4 by almost two to one during the 2021 model year.

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