Compare the2024 Audi A4VS 2024 Volvo S60

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Audi A4 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The S60 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the A4. But it costs extra on the S60.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the A4’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The S60 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the A4 and the S60 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, plastic fuel tanks, 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, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Audi A4 is safer than the Volvo S60:

	A4	S60
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	236	314
Neck Injury Risk	25%	30%
Neck Stress	119 lbs.	146 lbs.
Neck Compression	47 lbs.	114 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	324/341 lbs.	360/533 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 post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Audi A4 is safer than the Volvo S60:

	A4	S60
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	13 inches

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

Reliability

The Audi A4’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the S60’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Audi vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. With 29 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Audi higher than Volvo.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Volvo With 24 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Audi higher than Volvo.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 8 places higher in reliability than Volvo.

Engine

The A4 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 14 more horsepower (261 vs. 247) and 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 258) than the S60 B5’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the A4 45 TFSI is faster than the S60 B5 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

	A4	S60
Zero to 60 MPH	4.8 sec	6.1 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	12.9 sec	15.2 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.6 sec	7 sec
Quarter Mile	13.5 sec	14.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	102 MPH	98 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the A4 40 TFSI gets better fuel mileage than the S60 B5 AWD running its gasoline engine (26 city/35 hwy vs. 25 city/33 hwy).

Both the A4 and the S60 have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All A4s have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The S60 T8 doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi A4 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The S60 requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

Transmission

The A4 offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The S60 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The A4’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The S60 doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

The A4 stops much shorter than the S60:

	A4	S60
70 to 0 MPH	149 feet	166 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	105 feet	114 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the A4’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the S60 (245/40R18 vs. 235/45R18).

The A4’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the S60’s optional 40 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The front and rear suspension of the A4 uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the S60, which uses transverse leafs springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

The A4 Premium Plus handles at .97 G’s, while the S60 Core pulls only .92 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The A4 Premium Plus executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the S60 Plus AWD (25.3 seconds @ .74 average G’s vs. 25.8 seconds @ .71 average G’s).

Chassis

The Audi A4 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 850 pounds less than the Volvo S60.

Passenger Space

The A4 has .2 inches more rear headroom and .5 inches more rear legroom than the S60.

Cargo Capacity

The A4 has a larger trunk than the S60 (12 vs. 11.6 cubic feet).

Towing

The A4’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the S60’s (3968 vs. 2000 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The engine in the A4 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the S60. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Volvo. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 11% lower rating, Volvo is ranked 12th.

Ergonomics

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the A4 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. Heated windshield washer nozzles cost extra on the S60.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the A4 has standard extendable sun visors. The S60 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the A4 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The S60 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the A4 (except Premium) keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The S60 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the A4 is less expensive to operate than the S60 because typical repairs cost much less on the A4 than the S60, including $1 less for a muffler, $8 less for front brake pads, $40 less for fuel injection and $262 less for a fuel pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi A4 and the Volvo S60, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Audi A4/S4 outsold the Volvo 60 Series by over two to one during 2022.