Compare the2023 Volvo XC40VS 2024 Lexus NX

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 NX doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the XC40 and NX 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 NX’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 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 NX doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The XC40 has standard Post-impact braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The NX doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the XC40 and the NX 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, 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 XC40’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the NX’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 NX (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.

As tested in Car and Driver the XC40 B5 is faster than the NX 350 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder:

On the EPA test cycle the XC40 gets better mileage than the NX running its gasoline engine:

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

For better stopping power the XC40 B5’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the NX:

The XC40 stops much shorter than the NX:

For better traction, the XC40’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the NX (245/45R20 vs. 235/60R18).

The XC40’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 NX’s standard 60 series tires. The XC40’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the NX’s optional 50 series tires.

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 NX; 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.

The XC40 B5 Ultimate AWD handles at .85 G’s, while the NX 350 AWD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The XC40 B5 Plus AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the NX 450h AWD (27.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the XC40’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the NX’s (37.4 feet vs. 38 feet).

For greater off-road capability the XC40 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the NX (8.1 vs. 7.7 inches), allowing the XC40 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The XC40 is 8.7 inches shorter than the NX, making the XC40 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The XC40 has .7 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 2.1 inches more rear hip room and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the NX.

The XC40 has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the NX with its rear seat folded (57.5 vs. 46.9 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the XC40 easier. The XC40’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29.6 inches, while the NX’s liftover is 30.8 inches.

The XC40’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the NX’s (3500 vs. 0 pounds).

The power windows standard on both the XC40 and the NX 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 NX 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 NX’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 NX’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

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 NX.

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 NX isn’t in the top three.