Compare the2024 Volvo S90VS 2024 BMW i5

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volvo S90 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 BMW i5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Volvo S90 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 BMW i5 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the S90 and i5 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S90 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 i5’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 S90 offers optional built in child booster seats. They’re more crash worthy than an added child seat because of their direct attachment to the seat. BMW doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the i5. Their owners must carry a heavy booster seat in and out of the vehicle; S90 owners can just fold their built-in child seat up or down.

The S90 has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The i5 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the S90. But it costs extra on the i5.

Both the S90 and the i5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 and driver alert monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the S90 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 131 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The i5 has not been tested, yet.

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the S90 for 1 year and 4000 miles longer than BMW pays for maintenance for the i5 (4/40,000 vs. 3/36,000).

The S90 B6’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 295) than the i5 eDrive40’s standard electric motor.

The S90 T8’s maximum EPA estimated range on a full tank and a full charge is 563 miles, after which it can be refueled at any gas station in minutes. The i5’s range is only 240 to 295 miles, after which the minimum time to recharge is 30 minutes for only an 80% charge at a specially configured quick charge station not available in most areas. A full recharge at a professionally installed 220-volt charging station can take up to 8 hours.

For better traction, the S90 has larger tires than the i5 (255/35R20 vs. 245/45R19). The S90’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the i5 (255/35R20 vs. 245/40R20).

The S90’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the i5’s standard 45 series tires.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the S90’s wheelbase is 2.6 inches longer than on the i5 (120.5 inches vs. 117.9 inches).

For better maneuverability, the S90’s turning circle is .3 feet tighter than the i5 M60 xDrive’s (38.7 feet vs. 39 feet). The S90’s turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the i5 eDrive40’s (38.7 feet vs. 40.4 feet).

The Volvo S90 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 600 pounds less than the BMW i5.

The S90 has 4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the i5 (102 vs. 98).

The S90 has .9 inches more front legroom and 3.9 inches more rear legroom than the i5.

Pressing a button automatically lowers the S90’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The i5 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the S90 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The i5 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 S90 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The i5 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The S90 Ultimate has standard front air conditioned seats and offers them optionally in the rear. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The i5 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The S90 has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the i5.

The S90 has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The i5 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.