Compare the2024 Volvo XC40VS 2023 Buick Envision

Safety
Warranty
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volvo XC40 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 Buick Envision doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 Envision doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the XC40 and Envision 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 Envision’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 Envision 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 Envision 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 XC40. But it costs extra on the Envision.

Both the XC40 and Envision have rear cross-traffic warning, but the XC40 has Braking Intervention (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Envision’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

The XC40’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Envision doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the XC40 and the Envision have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 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 Volvo XC40 is safer than the Buick Envision:

	XC40	Envision
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Compression	25 lbs.	25 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches

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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Volvo XC40 is safer than the Buick Envision:

	XC40	Envision
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	78	128
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	119	311
Spine Acceleration	48 G’s	52 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	15 inches
HIC	237	249
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	36 G’s

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

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its standard front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the XC40 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 231 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Envision has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

The XC40 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Envision’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The XC40’s corrosion warranty is 6 years and unlimited miles longer than the Envision’s (12/unlimited vs. 6/100,000).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the XC40 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Volvo will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Buick doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Envision.

Engine

The XC40’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 19 more horsepower (247 vs. 228) than the Envision’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the XC40 T5 gets better fuel mileage than the Envision AWD (24 city/30 hwy vs. 22 city/29 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the XC40’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Envision doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The XC40 has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Envision. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	XC40	Envision
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	12.6 inches

Tires and Wheels

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 Envision’s standard 60 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The XC40 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Envision doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

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

Chassis

The XC40 is 7.7 inches shorter than the Envision, making the XC40 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The XC40 has .5 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more rear headroom, 7.2 inches more rear hip room and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Envision.

Cargo Capacity

The XC40 has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Envision with its rear seat folded (57.5 vs. 52.7 cubic feet).

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the XC40’s optional rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Envision doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the XC40. The Envision doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The XC40’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Envision’s (3500 vs. 1500 pounds).

Ergonomics

The XC40’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Envision’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the XC40 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Envision can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 Envision’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 Envision’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The XC40 has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Envision.

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. Only the Envision Avenir offers wireless charging.

Recommendations

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

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 Envision isn’t in the top three in its category.

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