Compare the2023 Volvo V60 Cross CountryVS 2023 BMW X4

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volvo V60 Cross Country 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 X4 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Volvo V60 Cross Country 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 X4 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the V60 Cross Country and X4 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The V60 Cross Country 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 X4’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.

Both the V60 Cross Country and the X4 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, all wheel drive, 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, 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 V60 Cross Country its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 106 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The X4 has not been tested, yet.

The X4’s redline is at 7000 RPM, which causes more engine wear, and a greater chance of a catastrophic engine failure. The V60 Cross Country has a 6000 RPM redline.

On the EPA test cycle the V60 Cross Country gets better mileage than the X4:

For better stopping power the V60 Cross Country’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the X4:

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the V60 Cross Country is 1.3 inches wider in the front than the average track on the X4.

For better maneuverability, the V60 Cross Country’s turning circle is 2.7 feet tighter than the X4’s (37.1 feet vs. 39.8 feet).

The V60 Cross Country has 1.6 inches more front legroom and .6 inches more rear headroom than the X4.

The V60 Cross Country has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the X4 with its rear seat up (23.2 vs. 18.5 cubic feet). The V60 Cross Country has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the X4 with its rear seat folded (60.5 vs. 50.5 cubic feet).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the V60 Cross Country 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 X4 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the X4, the V60 Cross Country Ultimate has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the V60 Cross Country to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The X4 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the V60 Cross Country has a standard rear wiper. The X4 doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The V60 Cross Country offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The X4 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the V60 Cross Country to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The X4 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The V60 Cross Country offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the X4.

The Volvo 60 Series outsold the BMW X4 by 28% during 2021.