Compare the2024 Volvo XC90VS 2022 Lexus RXL

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
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 RXL 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 RXL doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

Both the XC90 and RXL 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 RXL’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 RXL. 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.

The XC90 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 RXL 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 XC90. But it costs extra on the RXL.

Both the XC90 and the RXL 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, 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 Lexus RXL:

	XC90	RXL
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
HIC	137	194
Neck Injury Risk	27%	33.2%
Neck Stress	252 lbs.	412 lbs.
Neck Compression	18 lbs.	60 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	217	305
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	31%	40.1%
Neck Stress	177 lbs.	267 lbs.
Neck Compression	25 lbs.	70 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	383/334 lbs.	403/457 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 Lexus RXL:

	XC90	RXL
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	51	53
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.7 inches
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	94	165
Spine Acceleration	40 G’s	44 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches
HIC	209	275
Spine Acceleration	29 G’s	44 G’s
Hip Force	383 lbs.	685 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 RXL last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Warranty

The XC90’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the RXL’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 RXL (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.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the XC90 has a standard 800-amp battery. The RXL’s 580-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 RXL’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

Engine

The XC90 has more powerful engines than the RXL:

	Horsepower	Torque
XC90 B6 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid	295 HP	310 lbs.-ft.
XC90 T8 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid	455 HP	523 lbs.-ft.
RX 350L 3.5 DOHC V6	290 HP	263 lbs.-ft.
RX 450hL 3.5 DOHC V6 hybrid	308 HP

As tested in Motor Trend the XC90 B6 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder is faster than the RX 350L 3.5 DOHC V6:

	XC90	RXL
Zero to 60 MPH	6.7 sec	7.6 sec
Quarter Mile	15.1 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90.4 MPH	89.3 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPGe
XC90
	AWD	T8 Electric Motor	59 city/57 hwy
RXL
			MPG
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.5 V6 Hybrid	29 city/28 hwy
		3.5 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy

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

			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
RXL
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy

The XC90 T8 Extended Range can travel with zero emissions for 33 miles. The RXL can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regardless of its engine, the XC90’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip (not available Recharge). Lexus only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the RXL Hybrid.

The XC90 has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the RXL Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (18.8 vs. 17.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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

Brakes and Stopping

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

	XC90 B5/B6	XC90 T8	RXL
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	14.4 inches	12.9 inches
Rear Rotors	12.6 inches	13.4 inches	13.3 inches

The XC90 stops much shorter than the RXL:

	XC90	RXL
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	137 feet	139 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the XC90’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the RXL (275/45R20 vs. 235/65R18).

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 RXL’s standard 65 series tires. The XC90’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the RXL’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the XC90 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the RXL. The XC90’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the RXL.

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 RXL’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 RXL doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the XC90’s wheelbase is 7.7 inches longer than on the RXL (117.5 inches vs. 109.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the XC90 is 1.3 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the track on the RXL.

The XC90 B6 Core handles at .85 G’s, while the RX 350L AWD pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The XC90 B6 Core executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.7 seconds quicker than the RX 350L (26.8 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.5 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the XC90 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the RXL (8.8 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the XC90 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The XC90 w/Air Suspension’s minimum ground clearance is 1.8 inches higher than on the RXL (9.9 vs. 8.1 inches).

Passenger Space

The XC90 has .2 inches more front hip room, 6.1 inches more rear legroom, .7 inches more rear hip room, 1.5 inches more third row headroom, 8.4 inches more third row legroom, 1.1 inches more third row hip room and 1.2 inches more third row shoulder room than the RXL.

The front step up height for the XC90 is 4.7 inches lower than the RXL (15.8” vs. 20.5”). The XC90’s rear step up height is 4.8 inches lower than the RXL’s (16” vs. 20.8”).

Cargo Capacity

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

	XC90	RXL
Behind Third Seat	12.6 cubic feet	7.5 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	35.6 cubic feet	23 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	85.7 cubic feet	58.5 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the XC90 easier. The XC90’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.8 inches, while the RXL’s liftover is 31.9 inches.

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

	XC90	RXL
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	21.8”/49.6”/80.3”	21.5”/48.5”/81”
Max Width	54.7”	51.8”
Min Width	44.5”	44”
Height	35”	30”

Towing

The XC90’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RXL’s (5000 vs. 0 pounds).

A Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) is standard on the XC90, using the Dynamic Stability and Traction 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 RXL.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional at extra cost in the RXL, 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 power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The RXL’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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 RXL 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 RXL doesn’t offer headlight washers.

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 RXL.

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 RXL.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the XC90 is less expensive to operate than the RXL because typical repairs cost much less on the XC90 than the RXL, including $160 less for a water pump, $124 less for a muffler, $111 less for a starter, $1494 less for a timing belt/chain and $1043 less for a power steering pump.

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 RXL 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 RXL has never been chosen.