Compare the2023 Volvo S60VS 2023 BMW 530e

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volvo S60 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 530e doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Volvo S60 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 530e doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the S60 and 530e have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S60 Plus/Ultimate/Polestar 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 530e’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.

The S60 has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The 530e doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The S60 offers an optional 360° Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The 530e only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the S60 and the 530e 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, driver alert monitors and available all wheel drive.

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 S60 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 112 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The 530e has not been fully tested, yet.

The 530e’s redline is at 7000 RPM, which causes more engine wear, and a greater chance of a catastrophic engine failure. The S60 has a 6000 RPM redline.

The S60 T8’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 167 more horsepower (455 vs. 288) and 213 lbs.-ft. more torque (523 vs. 310) than the 530e’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the S60 running on electricity gets better mileage than the 530e running on electricity:

On the EPA test cycle the S60 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the 530e running its gasoline engine:

The S60 can travel longer on electricity, only, on a full charge than the 530e on electricity, only, on a full charge:

The S60 has 3.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the 530e (15.9 vs. 12.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The S60 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 530e doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

For better stopping power the S60 Polestar’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the 530e:

The S60 stops much shorter than the 530e:

The S60 has a standard space-saver spare (not available on T8) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the 530e; 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. Some tire options on the 530e don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

The S60 Plus AWD handles at .91 G’s, while the 530e pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The S60 AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the 530e (25.4 seconds @ .75 average G’s vs. 26.6 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the S60’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the 530e’s (37.1 feet vs. 39.4 feet). The S60’s turning circle is 3.7 feet tighter than the 530e xDrive’s (37.1 feet vs. 40.8 feet).

The Volvo S60 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 550 pounds less than the BMW 530e.

The S60 is 7.7 inches shorter than the 530e, making the S60 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Volvo S60 amounts to more than styling. The S60 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .27 Cd. That is lower than the 530e (.29) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the S60 get better fuel mileage.

The S60 has a much larger trunk than the 530e (11.6 vs. 10 cubic feet).

Pressing a button automatically lowers the S60’s optional rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The 530e doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Optional Trailer Stability Assist on the S60 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 530e doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the S60 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The 530e 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 S60 offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The 530e doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The S60 Plus/Ultimate/Polestar’s Park Assist Pilot can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The 530e doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Volvo S60, based on reliability, safety and performance.