Compare the2025 Volvo S60VS 2024 Mercedes E-Class Sedan

Both the S60 and E-Class Sedan have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S60 Plus/Ultra 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 E-Class Sedan’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 S60 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 E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The S60’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 E-Class Sedan.

Both the S60 and the E-Class Sedan 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, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The S60’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the E-Class Sedan’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the S60 for 3 years and 30,000 miles. Volvo will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the E-Class Sedan.

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 S60 T8’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 80 more horsepower (455 vs. 375) and 154 lbs.-ft. more torque (523 vs. 369) than the E 450 Sedan’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the S60 running on electricity gets better mileage than the E-Class Sedan:

On the EPA test cycle the S60 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the E-Class Sedan:

The S60 T8 can travel with zero emissions for 41 miles. The E-Class Sedan can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

The S60 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 E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

For better traction, the S60 has larger tires than the E-Class Sedan (235/45R18 vs. 225/55R18).

The S60’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the E-Class Sedan’s standard 55 series tires.

The S60 has a standard space-saver spare (not available on T8) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the E-Class Sedan; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed. Some tire options on the E-Class Sedan don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

The S60 Plus AWD handles at .94 G’s, while the E 350 Sedan pulls only .93 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the S60’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the E 350 Sedan’s (37.1 feet vs. 38.1 feet). The S60’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the E 450 Sedan’s (37.1 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

The Volvo S60 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 400 pounds less than the Mercedes E-Class Sedan.

The S60 is 6.8 inches shorter than the E-Class Sedan, making the S60 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the S60 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 E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The S60 offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The S60 is available in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Volvo S60, based on reliability, safety and performance.