Compare the2024 Volvo XC90VS 2023 Ford Explorer

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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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 Explorer 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 Ford Explorer doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

Both the XC90 and Explorer 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 Explorer’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. Ford doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the Explorer. 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 Explorer’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 Explorer doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the XC90. But it costs extra on the Explorer.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the XC90 has standard Cross Traffic Alert with Braking Intervention, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Cross Traffic Braking costs extra on the Explorer.

Both the XC90 and the Explorer 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, four-wheel antilock brakes, 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.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Volvo XC90 is safer than the Ford Explorer:

	XC90	Explorer
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Compression	18 lbs.	26 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	217	318
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.4 inches
Neck Stress	177 lbs.	187 lbs.
Neck Compression	25 lbs.	129 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	383/334 lbs.	380/405 lbs.

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 XC90 is safer than the Ford Explorer:

	XC90	Explorer
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	51	65
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	153 lbs.	161 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	12 inches
HIC	209	288
Spine Acceleration	29 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	383 lbs.	573 lbs.

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

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 Explorer is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2023.

Warranty

The XC90 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Explorer’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The XC90’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Explorer’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the XC90 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. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Explorer.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the XC90 has a standard 800-amp battery. The Explorer’s 760-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the XC90’s reliability 12 points higher than the Explorer.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Volvo vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Volvo 4 places higher in reliability than Ford.

Engine

The XC90 has more powerful engines than the Explorer:

	Horsepower	Torque
XC90 T8 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid	455 HP	523 lbs.-ft.
Explorer 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder	300 HP	310 lbs.-ft.
Explorer 3.3 DOHC V6 hybrid	318 HP	322 lbs.-ft.
Explorer 3.0 turbo V6	400 HP	415 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the XC90 B6 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder is faster than the Ford Explorer V6 hybrid gas:

	XC90	Explorer
Zero to 60 MPH	6.7 sec	7.7 sec
Quarter Mile	15.1 sec	15.7 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPGe
XC90
	AWD	T8 Electric Motor	59 city/57 hwy
Explorer
			MPG
	RWD	3.3 V6 Hybrid	27 city/28 hwy
		Platinum 3.3 V6 Hybrid	25 city/26 hwy
		2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
		3.0 turbo V6	18 city/25 hwy
	AWD	3.3 V6 Hybrid	23 city/26 hwy
		2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/27 hwy
		Platinum 3.3 V6 Hybrid	23 city/24 hwy
		3.0 turbo V6	18 city/24 hwy
		Timberline 2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	19 city/22 hwy
		3.0 turbo V6	17 city/24 hwy
		Timberline 2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	19 city/21 hwy

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

			MPG
XC90
	AWD	2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cyl. Hybrid	26 city/27 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy
		2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cyl.	20 city/26 hwy
Explorer
	RWD	Platinum 3.3 V6 Hybrid	25 city/26 hwy
		2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
		3.0 turbo V6	18 city/25 hwy
	AWD	3.3 V6 Hybrid	23 city/26 hwy
		2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/27 hwy
		Platinum 3.3 V6 Hybrid	23 city/24 hwy
		3.0 turbo V6	18 city/24 hwy
		Timberline 2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	19 city/22 hwy
		3.0 turbo V6	17 city/24 hwy
		Timberline 2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	19 city/21 hwy

The XC90 T8 Extended Range can travel with zero emissions for 33 miles. The Explorer has to start its internal combustion engine after only 3 miles.

The XC90 has almost a gallon more fuel capacity than the Explorer 2.3-liter’s standard fuel tank (18.8 vs. 17.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

The XC90’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the Explorer ST are solid, not vented.

The XC90 stops much shorter than the Explorer:

	XC90	Explorer
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	170 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	137 feet	139 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

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 Explorer’s standard 65 series tires. The XC90’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Explorer’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the XC90 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Explorer. The XC90’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 21-inch wheels optional on the Explorer.

Suspension and Handling

The XC90 offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Explorer’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The XC90 Ultimate has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The XC90’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Explorer doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The XC90 B6 Core handles at .84 G’s, while the Explorer XLT 4WD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The XC90 B6 Core executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Explorer Limited 4WD (26.8 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the XC90 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Explorer ST (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 1.2 inches higher than on the Explorer Timberline (9.9 vs. 8.7 inches).

Chassis

The XC90 is 3.8 inches shorter than the Explorer, making the XC90 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the XC90 B6 Core is quieter than the Explorer ST 4WD (71 vs. 77 dB).

Towing

The XC90’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Explorer’s (5000 vs. 3000 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The XC90 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Explorer uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional at extra cost in the Explorer (except Base/XLT/ST-Line), the XC90 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.

The XC90’s standard Easy Ingress and Egress Seat glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the Explorer, and is not available on all models.

The XC90 offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Explorer doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

If the windows are left open on the XC90 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Explorer can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The XC90’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 Explorer’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

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 Explorer 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 XC90 offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Explorer doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The XC90’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Ford only offers heated mirrors on the Explorer XLT/Limited/ST-Line/Timberline/King Ranch/ST/Platinum.

When the XC90 is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Explorer’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volvo XC90 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Explorer and isn’t available on the Explorer Base.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the XC90 is less expensive to operate than the Explorer because typical repairs cost much less on the XC90 than the Explorer, including $264 less for a muffler and $315 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

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 Explorer 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 Explorer has never been chosen.

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