2026 Volvo XC90 vs. the Competition

The Volvo XC90 sets a high bar for midsize luxury SUVs. Whether you’re looking for comfort, style, or great fuel economy, the XC90 easily stands out across a huge range of categories. With seating for seven, standard all-wheel drive, and elegant Scandinavian design, the XC90 delivers what its competitors can’t. To demonstrate, we’ll take a closer look at how the competition stacks up to the XC90.

Volvo XC90 VS BMW X5

For our first comparison, we’re looking at the BMW X5. The first thing to say about the X5 is that it’s expensive, quite expensive. It starts off noticeably pricier than the XC90, but this is compounded by the fact that the XC90 has standard all-wheel drive but the X5 doesn’t, meaning that price gap grows even more if you want AWD, which most luxury SUV buyers do. The BMW does come with a more powerful engine, but the price difference is so vast that you can upgrade to the more powerful B6 drivetrain in the XC90 and the X5 will still cost several thousand dollars more. The cost to drive around in the XC90 is lower as well, as it gets better fuel economy, particularly on the highway.

The XC90 and X5 are nearly identical in overall size, but the way that size is utilized is quite different. The XC90 seats seven, whereas the X5 doesn’t come with a third row of seats, and thus can only seat five. And if you’re worried about what effect those extra seats have on cargo space, folding down the third row of seats in the XC90 actually gives you more space than you get behind the second row in the X5. It’s a zero-compromises advantage for the XC90. One of the biggest problems with the X5, and really, all of Volvo’s German competitors in general, is a tendency to nickel-and-dime you on every feature. So things like four-zone climate control or an engine remote start are standard on the XC90, but cost extra on the already more expensive X5. And to top it off, while looks might be subjective, it wouldn’t be easy to find many people who think the X5 looks better than the XC90.

Volvo XC90 VS Acura MDX

At first glance, the Acura MDX looks like it has a price advantage over the XC90, but a closer look tells a different story. Like the X5, the MDX doesn’t come with standard all-wheel drive, and quite a few of the other features that are standard on the XC90, like remote engine start or LED interior ambient lighting, are optional extras on the MDX. The XC90 comes with four-zone climate control, compared to the three zones in the MDX, and there’s no optioning up to four. And while the standard rear liftgate in the MDX is power-operated, it’s a hands-free power liftgate in the XC90. Neither of these are huge differences when taken on their own, but the difference in the approach to equipment adds up quickly. In reality, the MDX isn’t a bargain, it’s just poorly equipped.

Both the XC90 and the MDX offer a high-performance drivetrain as an option, and the price is nearly identical. What isn’t so similar is the power output, which comes in at 355 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque for the MDX, while the top-spec XC90 drivetrain delivers 455 horsepower and 523 lb-ft of torque. This high-output drivetrain in the XC90 is also a plug-in hybrid, so you get a huge bump in fuel efficiency too. In fact, every drivetrain offered for the XC90 is more efficient than every drivetrain you can get in the MDX.

Volvo XC90 VS Lexus RX

For our last comparison, we’re looking at the Lexus RX, yet another competitor that doesn’t offer standard all-wheel drive. Much like the MDX, a base model with front-wheel drive is part of the reason why the starting price of the RX seems so low. The RX also comes with smaller wheels, two fewer seats, and even the full-size infotainment touchscreen doesn’t become standard until you upgrade to a trim that’s much closer in price to the XC90. Even more egregious is the panoramic glass roof, which is standard on the XC90, but the lowest-price trim of the RX to come with one is several thousand dollars more than the XC90. Once again, the base price alone tells an incomplete story of what you get for the money.

The base model RX comes with a more powerful engine than the base XC90, but the XC90 actually delivers a quicker 0-60 time. This might seem odd, but performance is clearly not a priority for Lexus. For example, the RX front suspension uses a strut configuration, which saves the automaker money, but gives you less precise handling than what you would get from the double-wishbone setup in the XC90. Both vehicles offer a plug-in hybrid drivetrain option, and once again, the price is very similar. But the power output isn’t, with the 455-horsepower XC90 offering a clear advantage over the 304-horsepower RX. This time the 0-60 times are what you would expect, 6.2 seconds for the RX and 5 seconds even for the XC90, a big enough difference to be obvious.