Compare the2023 Toyota VenzaVS 2023 Volvo XC40

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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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 Venza are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The XC40 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Venza. But it costs extra on the XC40.

Both the Venza and the XC40 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, 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 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 Toyota Venza is safer than the Volvo XC40:

	Venza	XC40
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	284	343
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.5 inches
Leg Forces (l/r)	340/190 lbs.	397/411 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, results indicate that the Toyota Venza is safer than the Volvo XC40:

	Venza	XC40
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	138 lbs.	156 lbs.
Hip Force	246 lbs.	320 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	508 lbs.	755 lbs.

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Venza is safer than the XC40:

	Venza	XC40
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	120	129
Neck Tension	134 lbs.	312 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.47 in	1.46 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	290 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.34 in	1.65 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	9 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	1093 lbs.	1182 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.94 in	1.1 in
Torso Max Deflection	.83 in	1.5 in
Torso Deflection Rate	8 MPH	10 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Venza the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The XC40 has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Venza 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volvo covers the XC40. 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 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 4 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Volvo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Venza’s warranty.

Reliability

The battery on the Venza is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Venza’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The XC40’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Venza’s reliability 14 points higher than the XC40.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in initial quality. With 84 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volvo is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Volvo is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Volvo is ranked 14th.

Engine

The Venza’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 25 more horsepower (219 vs. 194) than the XC40 B4’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Venza gets better mileage than the XC40:

			MPG
Venza
	AWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	40 city/37 hwy
XC40
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	24 city/32 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/30 hwy

The Venza can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 1.6 miles. The XC40 can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Venza uses regular unleaded gasoline. The XC40 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Venza higher (7 out of 10) than the Volvo XC40 (5). This means the Venza produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the XC40 every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Venza has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The XC40 doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Venza stops shorter than the XC40:

	Venza	XC40
70 to 0 MPH	179 feet	185 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

The Venza’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (56% to 44%) than the XC40’s (57.9% to 42.1%). This gives the Venza more stable handling and braking.

The Venza Limited handles at .80 G’s, while the XC40 B5 Plus AWD pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Venza Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the XC40 B5 Plus AWD (27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Venza LE’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the XC40’s (36.1 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Venza has a greater minimum ground clearance than the XC40 (8.2 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Venza to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The front grille of the Venza 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 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Venza has .7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.7 inches more rear legroom and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the XC40.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Venza’s rear seats recline. The XC40’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Venza has a much larger cargo volume than the XC40 with its rear seat up (28.8 vs. 20.4 cubic feet).

The Venza’s cargo area is larger than the XC40’s in almost every dimension:

	Venza	XC40
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	39.2”	34.9”/65.7”
Max Width	49.8”	41.7”
Min Width	39.7”	39.5”
Height	27.6”	29.4”

Ergonomics

The Venza’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The XC40 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Venza Limited has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning 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 XC40 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Venza Limited keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The XC40 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Recommendations

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

The Toyota Venza outsold the Volvo XC40 by 82% during 2022.