Compare the2023 Volvo V60VS 2023 BMW X3

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volvo V60 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 X3 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Volvo V60 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 X3 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the V60 and X3 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The V60 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 X3’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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the V60. But it costs extra on the X3.

Both the V60 and the X3 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.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Volvo V60 is safer than the BMW X3:

	V60	X3
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Stress	189 lbs.	202 lbs.
Neck Compression	63 lbs.	64 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 V60 is safer than the BMW X3:

	V60	X3
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	212 lbs.	275 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	575 lbs.	794 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	13 inches
Spine Acceleration	29 G’s	43 G’s
Hip Force	490 lbs.	624 lbs.

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the V60, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 7.2% to 7.3% less likely to roll over than the X3, which received a four-star rating.

Reliability

The X3’s redline is at 7000 RPM, which causes more engine wear, and a greater chance of a catastrophic engine failure. The V60 has a 6000 RPM redline.

The battery on the V60 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the V60’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The X3’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

Engine

The V60’s 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 207 more horsepower (455 vs. 248) and 265 lbs.-ft. more torque (523 vs. 258) than the X3 s/xDrive30i’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The V60’s 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 73 more horsepower (455 vs. 382) and 154 lbs.-ft. more torque (523 vs. 369) than the X3 M40i’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the V60 running on electricity gets better mileage than the X3:

			MPGe
V60
	AWD	T8 Polestar Engineered Electric Motor	74 city/73 hwy
X3
			MPG
	RWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
		3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	21 city/26 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the V60 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the X3:

			MPG
V60
	AWD	2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cyl. Hybrid	30 city/33 hwy
X3
	RWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
		3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	21 city/26 hwy

The V60 T8 Polestar Engineered Extended Range can travel with zero emissions for 41 miles. The X3 can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

The V60 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 X3 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the V60’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the X3:

	V60	X3	X3 M40i
Front Rotors	14.6 inches	13 inches	13.7 inches

Tires and Wheels

The V60’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 X3’s standard 50 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the V60’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the X3’s (37.1 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

Chassis

The V60 is 9.6 inches shorter in height than the X3, making the V60 much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

The design of the Volvo V60 amounts to more than styling. The V60 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .29 Cd. That is lower than the X3 (.32 to .35) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the V60 get better fuel mileage.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the V60 easier. The V60’s trunk lift-over height is 26.7 inches, while the X3’s liftover is 28.5 inches.

Towing

Standard Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the V60 uses the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The X3 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the X3, the V60 has standard driver and 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 V60 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The X3 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 V60 offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The X3 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The V60 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 X3.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the V60 is less expensive to operate than the X3 because it costs $127 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the V60 than the X3, including $386 less for a water pump, $649 less for a muffler, $30 less for front brake pads, $287 less for a starter, $143 less for fuel injection, $292 less for front struts, $489 less for a timing belt/chain and $1118 less for a power steering pump.