Compare the2025 Volvo EC40VS 2025 BMW i5

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volvo EC40 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 EC40 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 EC40 and i5 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The EC40 Ultimate 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 EC40 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The i5 doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the EC40’s standard Hill Descent Control allow you to creep down safely. The i5 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the EC40 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, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

As tested in Car and Driver the Volvo EC40 electric motors is faster than the i5 eDrive40 electric motor:

On the EPA test cycle the EC40 gets better mileage than the i5:

The EC40 can travel longer on a full charge than the i5 on a full charge:

For better maneuverability, the EC40’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the i5 eDrive40’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.4 feet). The EC40’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the i5 M60 xDrive’s (37.4 feet vs. 39 feet).

The EC40 is 2 feet shorter than the i5, making the EC40 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the EC40’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The i5 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the EC40 uses the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The i5 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the EC40 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.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the EC40 has a standard rear wiper. The i5 doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The EC40 offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The i5 doesn’t offer headlight washers.