Compare the2023 Volvo V90 Cross CountryVS 2023 Audi A4 Allroad

The Volvo V90 Cross Country 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. Audi doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the A4 Allroad. Their owners must carry a heavy booster seat in and out of the vehicle; V90 Cross Country owners can just fold their built-in child seat up or down.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The V90 Cross Country has standard CTA Auto Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The V90 Cross Country has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the A4 Allroad’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the V90 Cross Country has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the A4 Allroad.

The V90 Cross Country’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 A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the V90 Cross Country and the A4 Allroad have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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 and rearview cameras.

The Volvo V90 Cross Country weighs 430 pounds more than the Audi A4 Allroad. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 V90 Cross Country its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 95 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The A4 Allroad is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the V90 Cross Country for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Volvo will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the A4 Allroad.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the V90 Cross Country has a standard 800-amp battery. The A4 Allroad’s 420-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

The V90 Cross Country’s 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 34 more horsepower (295 vs. 261) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 273) than the A4 Allroad’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

Regenerative brakes improve the V90 Cross Country’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The V90 Cross Country 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 A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volvo V90 Cross Country higher (7 out of 10) than the Audi A4 Allroad (5). This means the V90 Cross Country produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the A4 Allroad every 15,000 miles.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Volvo V90 Cross Country, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the A4 Allroad.

For better stopping power the V90 Cross Country’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the A4 Allroad:

The V90 Cross Country’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the A4 Allroad’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the V90 Cross Country has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 18-inch wheels are available on the A4 Allroad. The V90 Cross Country offers optional 21-inch wheels.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the V90 Cross Country’s wheelbase is 4.9 inches longer than on the A4 Allroad (115.8 inches vs. 110.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the V90 Cross Country is 3 inches wider in the front and 3 inches wider in the rear than the track on the A4 Allroad.

The V90 Cross Country Plus handles at .87 G’s, while the A4 Allroad Prestige pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the V90 Cross Country has a 1.4 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the A4 Allroad (7.9 vs. 6.5 inches), allowing the V90 Cross Country to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The V90 Cross Country has 6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the A4 Allroad (98 vs. 92).

The V90 Cross Country has 1.3 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front legroom, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom, .2 inches more rear legroom and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the A4 Allroad.

The V90 Cross Country has a larger trunk with its rear seat folded than the A4 Allroad with its rear seat folded (69 vs. 58.5 cubic feet).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the V90 Cross Country uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The V90 Cross Country has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors optional at extra cost in the A4 Allroad, the V90 Cross Country 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.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the V90 Cross Country has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the A4 Allroad only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The A4 Allroad’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The V90 Cross Country’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.

The V90 Cross Country 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 A4 Allroad.

The V90 Cross Country Ultimate has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the A4 Allroad.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volvo V90 Cross Country has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the A4 Allroad Premium Plus/Prestige offers wireless charging.

The V90 Cross Country offers an optional 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 A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.