Compare the2024 Cadillac LyriqVS 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 Lyriq 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 Cadillac Lyriq 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 Lyriq and the XC40 Recharge have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front 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 and available around view monitors.

The Cadillac Lyriq weighs 878 to 1357 pounds more than the Volvo XC40 Recharge. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Cadillac’s powertrain warranty covers the Lyriq 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Volvo covers the XC40 Recharge. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the XC40 Recharge ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 2 times as many Cadillac dealers as there are Volvo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Lyriq’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac above average in initial quality. With 80 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volvo is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac above average in long-term dependability. With 24 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 Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Cadillac 9 places higher in reliability than Volvo.

The Lyriq’s standard electric motor produces 92 more horsepower (340 vs. 248) and 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (325 vs. 310) than the XC40 Recharge Single Motor’s standard electric motor. The Lyriq’s optional electric motors produces 98 more horsepower (500 vs. 402) than the XC40 Recharge Twin Motor’s optional electric motors.

The Lyriq can travel longer on a full charge than the XC40 Recharge on a full charge:

The Lyriq’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 better traction, the Lyriq has larger standard tires than the XC40 Recharge (265/50R20 vs. 235/50R19). The Lyriq Luxury/Sport’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the XC40 Recharge (275/40R22 vs. 235/50R19).

The Lyriq Luxury/Sport’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the XC40 Recharge Ultimate’s 45 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Lyriq has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the XC40 Recharge. The Lyriq Luxury/Sport’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the XC40 Recharge Ultimate.

The Cadillac Lyriq’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Volvo XC40 Recharge only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires standard on the Lyriq can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Lyriq’s wheelbase is 15.4 inches longer than on the XC40 Recharge (121.8 inches vs. 106.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Lyriq is 2.9 inches wider in the front and 2.3 inches wider in the rear than on the XC40 Recharge.

For greater off-road capability the Lyriq has a greater minimum ground clearance than the XC40 Recharge (7 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the Lyriq to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Lyriq Luxury/Sport offers available computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Lyriq has 7.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the XC40 Recharge (105.1 vs. 98).

The Lyriq has 1 inch more front headroom, 3.4 inches more front legroom, 1.8 inches more front hip room, 2.2 inches more front shoulder room, 3.5 inches more rear legroom and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the XC40 Recharge.

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

The Lyriq has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the XC40 Recharge with its rear seat up (28 vs. 16 cubic feet). The Lyriq has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the XC40 Recharge with its rear seat folded (60.8 vs. 57.5 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Lyriq easier. The Lyriq’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.5 inches, while the XC40 Recharge’s liftover is 29.7 inches.

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

Maximum trailer towing in the Volvo XC40 Recharge is limited to 2000 pounds. The Lyriq offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

Trailer Sway Control is standard on the Lyriq, using the StabiliTrak® 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 XC40 Recharge.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Cadillac service is better than Volvo. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac second in service department satisfaction. With a 26% lower rating, Volvo is ranked 12th.

The Lyriq 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.

The Lyriq’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Lyriq 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 Lyriq Luxury/Sport offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the XC40 Recharge.

The Lyriq offers an optional 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 XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Lyriq’s optional Enhanced Automatic Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Auto Parking will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer an automated parking system.