Compare the2023 Volvo V60VS 2023 BMW X4

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 X4 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 X4 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the V60 and X4 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 X4’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.

Both the V60 and the X4 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, all wheel drive, 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, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the V60 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 95 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The X4 has not been tested, yet.

The X4’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 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 X4 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 X4 M40i’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the V60 running on electricity gets better mileage than the X4:

On the EPA test cycle the V60 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the X4:

The V60 T8 Polestar Engineered Extended Range can travel with zero emissions for 41 miles. The X4 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 X4 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

For better stopping power the V60’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the X4:

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 X4’s standard 50 series tires.

For better maneuverability, the V60’s turning circle is 2.7 feet tighter than the X4’s (37.1 feet vs. 39.8 feet).

The V60 is 7.4 inches shorter in height than the X4, 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 X4 (.29 to .35) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the V60 get better fuel mileage.

The V60 has 1.6 inches more front legroom and .6 inches more rear headroom than the X4.

The V60 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the X4 with its rear seat up (23.2 vs. 18.5 cubic feet). The V60 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the X4 with its rear seat folded (60.5 vs. 50.5 cubic feet).

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 X4 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the X4, 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 X4 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the V60 has a standard rear wiper. The X4 doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

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 X4 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 X4.

The Volvo 60 Series outsold the BMW X4 by 28% during 2021.