Compare the2023 Volvo XC90VS 2023 Lexus LX

The XC90’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The LX doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Volvo XC90 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 Lexus LX doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

Both the XC90 and LX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The XC90 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 LX’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 Volvo XC90 offers an optional built in child booster seat. It’s more crash worthy than an added child seat because of its direct attachment to the seat. Lexus doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the LX. Their owners must carry a heavy booster seat in and out of the vehicle; XC90 owners can just fold their built-in child seat up or down.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the XC90 deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The XC90’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The LX’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The XC90 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 LX doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the XC90 uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The LX uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the XC90 and the LX 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, 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, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the XC90 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The LX has not been tested, yet.

The XC90’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the LX’s (12 vs. 6 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the XC90 for 2 years and 26000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the LX (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 XC90’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the XC90 has a standard 800-amp battery. The LX’s 776-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

The battery on the XC90 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the XC90’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The LX’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

The XC90 T8’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 46 more horsepower (455 vs. 409) and 44 lbs.-ft. more torque (523 vs. 479) than the LX’s 3.4 turbo V6.

On the EPA test cycle the XC90 running on electricity gets better mileage than the LX:

On the EPA test cycle the XC90 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the LX:

The XC90 can travel with zero emissions for 18 to 36 miles (dependent on model). The LX can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the XC90’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The LX doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The XC90 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 LX doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

For better stopping power the XC90’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the LX:

The XC90 stops much shorter than the LX:

For better traction, the XC90’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the LX (275/45R20 vs. 265/55R20).

The XC90’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the LX Premium/Luxury’s 65 series tires. The XC90’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the LX’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the XC90 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the LX Premium/Luxury.

For superior ride and handling, the Volvo XC90 has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Lexus LX has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The XC90 has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the XC90 flat and controlled during cornering. The LX base model’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the XC90’s wheelbase is 5.3 inches longer than on the LX (117.5 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

The XC90 B6 Core handles at .84 G’s, while the LX 600 F Sport pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the XC90 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the LX Base/Premium (8.8 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the XC90 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The XC90 w/Air Suspension’s minimum ground clearance is 1.6 inches higher than on the LX Luxury/Ultra Luxury/F Sport (9.9 vs. 8.3 inches).

The Volvo XC90 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 850 to 1050 pounds less than the Lexus LX.

The XC90 is 5.5 inches shorter than the LX, making the XC90 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the XC90’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The LX uses body-on-frame design instead.

The design of the Volvo XC90 amounts to more than styling. The XC90 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .33 Cd. That is significantly lower than the LX (.376) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the XC90 get better fuel mileage.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the XC90 B6 Core is quieter than the LX 600 F Sport (71 vs. 73 dB).

The XC90’s cargo area provides more volume than the LX.

The XC90’s cargo area is larger than the LX’s in almost every dimension:

The XC90’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The LX Ultra Luxury doesn’t offer folding rear seats, only a ski pass-through.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the XC90 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The LX doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The LX’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The XC90’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

The XC90 Ultimate offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the LX.

The Car Book by Jack Gillis recommends the Volvo XC90, based on economy, maintenance, safety and complaint levels.

Motor Trend selected the XC90 as their 2016 Sport Utility of the Year. The LX has never been chosen.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the XC90 as the 2016 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The LX has never been chosen.

The Volvo XC90 outsold the Lexus LX by over 9 to one during 2022.