Compare the2023 Volvo S90VS 2023 Lexus LS

Both the S90 and LS 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 LS’ 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 LS. 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 LS 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 LS.

Both the S90 and the LS 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.

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 S90 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 101 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The LS has not been tested, yet.

The S90’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the LS’ (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 LS (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.

The S90 T8’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 39 more horsepower (455 vs. 416) and 81 lbs.-ft. more torque (523 vs. 442) than the LS 500’s standard 3.4 turbo V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the S90 B6 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder is faster than the LS 500 3.4 turbo V6:

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

On the EPA test cycle the S90 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the LS:

The S90 T8 can travel with zero emissions for 38 miles. The LS has to start its internal combustion engine after only .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 LS Hybrid, and doesn’t offer a disable button.

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 LS doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The S90 stops much shorter than the LS:

For better traction, the S90 has larger tires than the LS (255/35R20 vs. 245/50R19). The S90’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the LS (255/35R20 vs. 245/45R20).

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 LS’ standard 50 series tires. The S90’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the LS 500 F Sport’s 45 series front and 40 series rear tires.

The S90 B6 has a standard space-saver spare (not available on Recharge) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the LS; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

The S90 handles at .88 G’s, while the LS 500h AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The S90 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the LS 500h AWD (26.3 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 27 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

The Volvo S90 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 pounds less than the Lexus LS.

The S90 is 6 inches shorter than the LS, making the S90 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The S90 has 2.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the LS (102 vs. 99.4).

The S90 has .5 inches more front headroom, 1.2 inches more front legroom, .9 inches more front hip room, .5 inches more rear headroom and 1.5 inches more rear legroom than the LS.

The S90’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The LS doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

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 LS doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volvo S90 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The LS doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

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