Compare the2024 Toyota bZ4XVS 2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the bZ4X are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Toyota bZ4X 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 XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Both the bZ4X and the XC40 Recharge have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota bZ4X is safer than the XC40 Recharge:

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the bZ4X 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volvo covers the XC40 Recharge. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the XC40 Recharge ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 4 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Volvo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the bZ4X’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. With 56 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Toyota 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 Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Volvo is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Volvo is ranked 25th.

On the EPA test cycle the bZ4X gets better mileage than the XC40 Recharge:

The bZ4X’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the XC40 Recharge are solid, not vented.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the bZ4X’s wheelbase is 5.8 inches longer than on the XC40 Recharge (112.2 inches vs. 106.4 inches).

For greater off-road capability the bZ4X has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the XC40 Recharge (8.1 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the bZ4X to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The bZ4X has 1 inch more front headroom, 1.2 inches more front legroom and 1.1 inches more front shoulder room than the XC40 Recharge.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the bZ4X’s rear seats recline. The XC40 Recharge’s rear seats don’t recline.

The bZ4X has a much larger cargo volume than the XC40 Recharge with its rear seat up (27.7 vs. 16 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the bZ4X easier. The bZ4X’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 27.9 inches, while the XC40 Recharge’s liftover is 29.7 inches.

The bZ4X’s cargo area is larger than the XC40 Recharge’s in almost every dimension:

The bZ4X has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the bZ4X has standard extendable sun visors. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the bZ4X Limited keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The bZ4X Limited’s Advanced Park can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer an automated parking system.