Compare the2023 Volvo S90VS 2023 Lexus ES

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

Safety

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The S90’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The ES doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the S90 and ES 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 ES’ 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. Lexus doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the ES. 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 ES 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 ES.

Both the S90 and the ES have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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.

The Volvo S90 weighs 516 to 983 pounds more than the Lexus ES. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

The S90’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the ES’ (12 vs. 6 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the S90 for 2 years and 26000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the ES (3/36,000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 15 percent more Volvo dealers than there are Lexus dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the S90’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the S90 has a standard 800-amp battery. The ES’ 603-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

Engine

The S90 has more powerful engines than the ES:

	Horsepower	Torque
S90 B6 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid	295 HP	310 lbs.-ft.
S90 T8 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid	455 HP	523 lbs.-ft.
ES 250 AWD 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	203 HP	184 lbs.-ft.
ES 300h 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid	215 HP
ES 350 3.5 DOHC V6	302 HP	267 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the S90 B6 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder is faster than the ES 300h 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid:

	S90	ES
Zero to 60 MPH	5.6 sec	7.8 sec
Quarter Mile	14.1 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	98.9 MPH	90.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the S90 running on electricity gets better mileage than the ES:

			MPGe
S90
	AWD	T8 Electric Motor	66 city/67 hwy
ES
			MPG
	FWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	43 city/44 hwy
		3.5 DOHC V6	22 city/32 hwy
		F Sport 3.5 DOHC V6	22 city/31 hwy
	AWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/34 hwy

The S90 T8 can travel with zero emissions for 38 miles. The ES has to start its internal combustion engine after only 1.6 miles.

Regardless of its engine, the S90’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip (not available T8). Lexus only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the ES Hybrid, and doesn’t offer a disable button.

The S90 has 2.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the ES Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (15.9 vs. 13.2 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 ES doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the S90’s brake rotors are larger than those on the ES:

	S90	ES
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	12.6 inches	11.1 inches

The S90’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the ES are solid, not vented.

The S90 stops much shorter than the ES:

	S90	ES
60 to 0 MPH	107 feet	140 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the S90 has larger tires than the ES (255/35R20 vs. 215/55R17). The S90’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the ES (255/35R20 vs. 235/45R18).

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 ES’ standard 55 series tires. The S90’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the ES F Sport’s 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S90 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the ES. The S90’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the ES F Sport.

Suspension and Handling

The S90 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The ES’ suspension doesn’t offer rear gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the S90’s wheelbase is 7.5 inches longer than on the ES (120.5 inches vs. 113 inches).

The S90 handles at .88 G’s, while the ES 300h pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The S90 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.1 seconds quicker than the ES 300h (26.3 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The S90 has 2.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the ES (102 vs. 99.9).

The S90 has .3 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front hip room, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear legroom, .6 inches more rear hip room and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the ES.

Cargo Capacity

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the S90’s trunk lid uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the trunk. The ES’ useful trunk space is reduced by its intrusive beam hinge.

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

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional at extra cost in the ES, 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.

The S90’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 ES’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 ES doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Consumer Reports rated the S90’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the ES’ headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

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 ES doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The S90 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the ES. 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 ES.

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 ES 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 ES.

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 ES.

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 ES doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Recommendations

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

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