Compare the2024 Volvo XC90VS 2024 Toyota Sequoia

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 Sequoia 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 Toyota Sequoia doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

Both the XC90 and Sequoia 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 Sequoia’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. Toyota doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the Sequoia. 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 Sequoia’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Full-time four-wheel drive is standard on the XC90. Full-time four-wheel drive gives added traction for safety in all conditions, not just off-road, like the only system available on the Sequoia. Four-wheel drive of any type costs extra on the Sequoia.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the XC90 uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Sequoia uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the XC90 and the Sequoia 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 Volvo XC90 achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Sequoia has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

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 Sequoia’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 Sequoia’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the XC90 for 2 years and 15000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the Sequoia (4/40,000 vs. 2/25000).

The XC90 T8’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 18 more horsepower (455 vs. 437) than the Sequoia’s 3.4 turbo V6 hybrid.

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

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

The XC90 T8 Extended Range can travel with zero emissions for 32 miles. The Sequoia can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Both the XC90 and Sequoia have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The XC90 (except XC90 Recharge) has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

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

For better stopping power the XC90 T8’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Sequoia:

The XC90 stops much shorter than the Sequoia:

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 Sequoia’s standard 70 series tires. The XC90’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Sequoia Capstone’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the XC90 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Sequoia.

The XC90 has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the XC90 flat and controlled during cornering. The Sequoia’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The XC90 B6 Core handles at .84 G’s, while the Sequoia Capstone 4x4 pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the XC90’s turning circle is .5 feet tighter than the Sequoia’s (39.7 feet vs. 40.2 feet). The XC90’s turning circle is 4.9 feet tighter than the Sequoia TRD Pro’s (39.7 feet vs. 44.6 feet).

For greater off-road capability the XC90 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Sequoia (8.8 vs. 8.6 inches), allowing the XC90 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The XC90 w/Air Suspension’s minimum ground clearance is .8 inch higher than on the Sequoia TRD Pro (9.9 vs. 9.1 inches).

The Volvo XC90 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 900 to 1050 pounds less than the Toyota Sequoia.

The XC90 is 1 foot, 1.1 inches shorter than the Sequoia, making the XC90 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the XC90’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Sequoia doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

The XC90 has .1 inches more rear headroom and .7 inches more third row headroom than the Sequoia.

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

The XC90 has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Sequoia doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Sequoia Limited/TRD Pro/Platinum/Capstone, 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 Keyless Entry allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Smart Key System standard on the Sequoia doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

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 Sequoia’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 Sequoia 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 Sequoia doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the XC90 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Sequoia doesn’t offer cornering lights. The XC90 also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

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 Sequoia.

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 Sequoia and isn’t available on the Sequoia SR5.

Insurance will cost less for the XC90 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the XC90 will cost $1425 less than the Sequoia over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Volvo XC90 will be $2753 to $6177 less than for the Toyota Sequoia.

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 Sequoia 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 Sequoia has never been chosen.

The Volvo XC90 outsold the Toyota Sequoia by 80% during 2023.