Compare the2023 Volvo S60VS 2023 Lexus IS

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the S60 and IS 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 IS’ 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 IS doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The S60’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 IS doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the S60 and the IS 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, 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Volvo S60 is safer than the Lexus IS:

	S60	IS
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	192	220
Neck Injury Risk	25.7%	35%
Neck Stress	189 lbs.	429 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	395/518 lbs.	599/675 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	30%	41%
Neck Stress	146 lbs.	152 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Volvo S60 is safer than the Lexus IS:

	S60	IS
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	103	142
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1 inches
Abdominal Force	194 lbs.	203 lbs.
Hip Force	212 lbs.	406 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	15 inches
Spine Acceleration	29 G’s	34 G’s
Hip Force	490 lbs.	650 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The S60’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the IS’ (12 vs. 6 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the S60 for 2 years and 26000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the IS (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 S60’s warranty.

Reliability

The battery on the S60 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the S60’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The IS’ battery is in the hot engine compartment.

Engine

The S60 has more powerful engines than the IS:

	Horsepower	Torque
S60 B5 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid	247 HP	258 lbs.-ft.
S60 T8 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid	455 HP	523 lbs.-ft.
IS 300 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder	241 HP	258 lbs.-ft.
IS 300 AWD 3.5 DOHC V6	260 HP	236 lbs.-ft.
IS 350 F Sport 3.5 DOHC V6	311 HP	280 lbs.-ft.
IS 500 5.0 DOHC V8	472 HP	395 lbs.-ft.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPGe
S60
	AWD	T8 Electric Motor	74 city/73 hwy
IS
			MPG
	RWD	5.0 V8	17 city/25 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/31 hwy
		3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/28 hwy
	AWD	350 F Sport 3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
		300 AWD 3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy

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

			MPG
S60
	FWD	B5 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	26 city/35 hwy
	AWD	B5 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	25 city/33 hwy
		T8 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cyl. Hybrid	28 city/33 hwy
IS
	RWD	5.0 V8	17 city/25 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/31 hwy
		3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/28 hwy
	AWD	350 F Sport 3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
		300 AWD 3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy

The S60 T8 can travel with zero emissions for 41 miles. The IS can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the S60 T8’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The IS doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the S60’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. 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). The IS doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

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

Brakes and Stopping

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

	S60 Polestar	IS	IS 500 Performance
Front Rotors	14.6 inches	13.1 inches	14 inches

The S60 stops shorter than the IS:

	S60	IS
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	129 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	139 feet	141 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the S60’s wheelbase is 2.9 inches longer than on the IS (113.1 inches vs. 110.2 inches).

The S60 Plus AWD handles at .94 G’s, while the IS 500 Performance pulls only .89 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The S60 AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the IS 300 AWD (25.4 seconds @ .75 average G’s vs. 25.9 seconds @ .7 average G’s).

Chassis

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 IS (.29 to .3) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the S60 get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The S60 has 5.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the IS (96 vs. 90.2).

The S60 has 1 inch more front hip room, .2 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom, 3 inches more rear legroom and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the IS.

Cargo Capacity

The S60 has a larger trunk than the IS (11.6 vs. 10.8 cubic feet).

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

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the S60’s power trunk can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The IS doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

Towing

The S60 has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The IS has no towing capacity.

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 IS doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The S60 Ultimate/Polestar has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The IS doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the S60 and the IS have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the S60 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The IS prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The S60’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The IS’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 IS 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 IS doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Both the S60 and the IS offer optional heated front seats. The S60 also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the IS.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volvo S60 offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The IS doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

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 IS doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the S60 is less expensive to operate than the IS because typical repairs cost much less on the S60 than the IS, including $63 less for a water pump, $487 less for a starter, $258 less for fuel injection, $125 less for front struts, $849 less for a timing belt/chain and $950 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

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