Compare the2023 Subaru Crosstrek HybridVS 2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Crosstrek Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Crosstrek Hybrid and the XC40 Recharge have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

Subaru’s powertrain warranty covers the Crosstrek Hybrid 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volvo covers the XC40 Recharge. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the XC40 Recharge ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 2 times as many Subaru dealers as there are Volvo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Crosstrek Hybrid’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. With 65 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Subaru higher than Volvo.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Volvo With 30 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Subaru higher than Volvo.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 10 places higher in reliability than Volvo.

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Crosstrek Hybrid lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

On the EPA test cycle the Crosstrek Hybrid running on electricity gets better mileage than the XC40 Recharge (99 city/80 hwy vs. 92 city/79 hwy MPGe).

The Crosstrek Hybrid’s maximum EPA estimated range on a full tank and a full charge is 492 miles, after which it can be refueled at any gas station in minutes. The XC40 Recharge’s range is only 223 miles, after which the minimum time to recharge is 40 minutes for only an 80% charge at a specially configured quick charge station not available in most areas. A full recharge at a professionally installed 220-volt charging station can take up to 8 hours.

For better maneuverability, the Crosstrek Hybrid’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the XC40 Recharge’s (35.4 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1000 pounds less than the Volvo XC40 Recharge.

The front grille of the Crosstrek Hybrid uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Crosstrek Hybrid has 2.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the XC40 Recharge (100.8 vs. 98).

The Crosstrek Hybrid has 2.2 inches more front headroom, 2.2 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front hip room and .6 inches more rear legroom than the XC40 Recharge.

The Crosstrek Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the XC40 Recharge’s in almost every dimension:

The Crosstrek Hybrid 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 XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Crosstrek Hybrid’s exterior PIN entry system. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Volvo On Call can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Crosstrek Hybrid has standard extendable sun visors. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Subaru Crosstrek outsold the Volvo XC40 by almost 9 to one during the 2022 model year.