Compare the2023 Volvo S90VS 2023 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 its 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The S90 has standard CTA Auto Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The 4 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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.

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 2022, a rating granted to only 95 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 40 more horsepower (295 vs. 255) and 16 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 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 73 more horsepower (455 vs. 382) and 155 lbs.-ft. more torque (523 vs. 368) than the M440i Gran Coupe’s standard 3.0-liter 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 travel with zero emissions for 38 miles. The 4 Series Gran Coupe can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

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.

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

The S90’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s 45 series tires. The S90’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s optional 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S90 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the 4 Series Gran Coupe. The S90’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the 4 Series Gran Coupe.

The S90 B6 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 track (width between the wheels) on the S90 is 1.3 inches wider in the front and .2 inches wider in the rear than on the 4 Series Gran Coupe.

For better maneuverability, the S90’s 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 .7 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 Ultimate 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 standard 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 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 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the 4 Series Gran Coupe. The S90 also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the 4 Series Gran Coupe.

The S90 Ultimate has standard front air conditioned seats and offers them optionally in the rear. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The 4 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The S90 has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the 4 Series Gran Coupe.

The S90 Ultimate 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.”