Compare the2024 Volvo V90 Cross CountryVS 2022 Lexus RX

The V90 Cross Country’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The RX doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the V90 Cross Country and RX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The V90 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 RX’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 V90 Cross Country offers optional built in child booster seats. They’re more crash worthy than an added child seat because of their direct attachment to the seat. Lexus doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the RX. Their owners must carry a heavy booster seat in and out of the vehicle; V90 Cross Country owners can just fold their built-in child seat up or down.

The V90 Cross Country 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 RX 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the V90 Cross Country. But it costs extra on the RX.

Both the V90 Cross Country and the RX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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 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, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the V90 Cross Country its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The RX is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

The V90 Cross Country’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the RX’s (12 vs. 6 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the V90 Cross Country for 2 years and 26000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the RX (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 V90 Cross Country’s warranty.

The battery on the V90 Cross Country is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the V90 Cross Country’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The RX’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

The V90 Cross Country’s 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 42 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 268) than the RX 350’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Volvo V90 Cross Country is faster than the Lexus RX:

On the EPA test cycle the V90 Cross Country gets better mileage than the RX:

Both the V90 Cross Country and the RX 450h have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All V90 Cross Country’s have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The V90 Cross Country 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 RX doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volvo V90 Cross Country higher (7 out of 10) than the Lexus RX (5 to 7). This means the V90 Cross Country produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the RX every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the V90 Cross Country’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the RX:

The V90 Cross Country stops shorter than the RX:

For better traction, the V90 Cross Country’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the RX (245/45R20 vs. 235/65R18).

The V90 Cross Country’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RX’s standard 65 series tires. The V90 Cross Country’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the RX’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the V90 Cross Country has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the RX. The V90 Cross Country’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the RX.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the V90 Cross Country’s wheelbase is 6 inches longer than on the RX (115.8 inches vs. 109.8 inches).

The V90 Cross Country Plus handles at .87 G’s, while the RX 350 F Sport AWD pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The V90 Cross Country Plus executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the RX 450h (26.4 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 27.5 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the V90 Cross Country’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the RX’s (38.1 feet vs. 38.8 feet).

The V90 Cross Country is 7.2 inches shorter in height than the RX, making the V90 Cross Country much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

The V90 Cross Country has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the RX with its rear seat up (25.2 vs. 16 cubic feet). The V90 Cross Country has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the RX with its rear seat folded (69 vs. 32.6 cubic feet).

The V90 Cross Country’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RX’s (2000 vs. 0 pounds).

A Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) is standard on the V90 Cross Country, using the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the RX.

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional at extra cost in the RX, the V90 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 optional on the V90 Cross Country to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The RX doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The V90 Cross Country offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The RX doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The V90 Cross Country has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the RX.

The V90 Cross Country Ultimate has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the RX.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volvo V90 Cross Country has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the RX.

The V90 Cross Country’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 RX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.