Compare the2023 Volvo XC40VS 2023 Lexus UX

Safety
Warranty
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The XC40’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The UX doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the XC40 and UX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The XC40 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 UX’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 XC40 offers an optional 360-Degree Surround View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The UX 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 XC40 and the UX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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 and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Volvo XC40 is safer than the Lexus UX:

	XC40	UX
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	30%	33%
Neck Stress	209 lbs.	371 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	361/380 lbs.	376/433 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	31%	36%
Neck Stress	156 lbs.	163 lbs.
Neck Compression	66 lbs.	94 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	397/411 lbs.	345/566 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 XC40 is safer than the Lexus UX:

	XC40	UX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	320 lbs.	323 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	237	292
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	44 G’s
Hip Force	411 lbs.	919 lbs.

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

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 “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the XC40 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 101 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The UX is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Warranty

The XC40’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the UX’s (12 vs. 6 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the XC40 for 2 years and 26000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the UX (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 XC40’s warranty.

Engine

The XC40 B4’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 13 more horsepower (194 vs. 181) and 221 lbs.-ft. more torque (221 vs. ) than the UX’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The XC40 B5’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 66 more horsepower (247 vs. 181) and 258 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. ) than the UX’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

The XC40 has 3.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the UX (14.2 vs. 10.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The XC40 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 UX doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the XC40’s brake rotors are larger than those on the UX:

	XC40 B4	XC40 B5	UX
Front Rotors	12.7 inches	13.6 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	11.9 inches	13.4 inches	11.1 inches

The XC40 stops much shorter than the UX:

	XC40	UX
60 to 0 MPH	111 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	135 feet	143 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the XC40 has larger standard tires than the UX (235/55R18 vs. 225/50R18). The XC40’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the UX (245/45R20 vs. 225/50R18).

The XC40’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the UX’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the XC40 offers optional 20-inch wheels. The UX’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The XC40 has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the UX; 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.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the XC40’s wheelbase is 2.5 inches longer than on the UX (106.4 inches vs. 103.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the XC40 is 2 inches wider in the front and 3 inches wider in the rear than on the UX.

The XC40 B5 Plus AWD handles at .86 G’s, while the UX 250h F Sport Handling AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The XC40 B5 Plus AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the UX 250h F Sport Handling AWD (27.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The XC40 has 7.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the UX (98 vs. 90.4).

The XC40 has 1.7 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front hip room, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, 2.8 inches more rear headroom, 3 inches more rear legroom, 2.3 inches more rear hip room and 3.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the UX.

Cargo Capacity

The XC40 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the UX (20.4 vs. 17.1 cubic feet).

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the XC40’s optional rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The UX doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The XC40 has a 3500 lbs. towing capacity. The UX has no towing capacity.

Optional Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the XC40 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 UX doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The XC40 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The UX uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the XC40 and the UX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the XC40 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The UX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The XC40’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 UX’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Consumer Reports rated the XC40’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the UX’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

The XC40 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the UX. The XC40 also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the UX.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volvo XC40 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the UX.

The XC40’s optional 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 UX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Volvo XC40 and the Lexus UX, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the XC40 second among small premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The UX isn’t in the top three.

The Volvo XC40 outsold the Lexus UX by 49% during the 2022 model year.