Compare the2025 Volvo EC40VS 2024 Mercedes EQB

Both the EC40 and EQB 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 EQB’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.

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 EC40 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The EQB doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 EQB doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The EC40 has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The EQB doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The EC40 has standard Post-impact braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The EQB doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The EC40 has standard CTA Auto Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The EQB doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The EC40’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the EQB.

Both the EC40 and the EQB 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, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The EC40’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the EQB’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the EC40 for 3 years and 30,000 miles. Volvo will pay for tire rotations, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the EQB.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Volvo vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Volvo 4 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The EC40 has more powerful engines than the EQB:

As tested in Car and Driver the Volvo EC40 electric motors is faster than the EQB 350:

On the EPA test cycle the EC40 gets better mileage than the EQB 350 (105 city/88 hwy vs. 89 city/85 hwy MPGe).

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

For better stopping power the EC40’s brake rotors are larger than those on the EQB:

The EC40’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the EQB are solid, not vented.

The EC40 Core’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the EQB’s standard 55 series tires. The EC40’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the EQB’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the EC40 Core has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the EQB.

The EC40 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The EQB’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For better maneuverability, the EC40’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the EQB’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

The EC40 is 9.6 inches shorter than the EQB, making the EC40 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The EC40 has .8 inches more front shoulder room and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the EQB.

The EC40 has a much larger cargo volume than the EQB with its rear seat up (15 vs. 10.7 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the EC40’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The EQB 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 EQB 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. Heated windshield washer nozzles cost extra on the EQB.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the EC40 has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the EQB only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

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 EQB doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The EC40 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the EQB. The EC40 also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated second row seats aren’t available in the EQB.