The flagship sedan of the Volvo fleet, the S90 demonstrates what makes the whole brand so appealing. An outstanding safety record, sophisticated Scandinavian design, and advanced drivetrain options all make the S90 stand out from the crowd. But there is a crowd, a number of competitors to the S90 that you might also be considering. So we put together this guide to show how the competition stacks up to the S90.
Volvo S90 VS Mercedes-Benz E-Class
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|---|---|---|
| 2024 Volvo S90 Plus | VS | 2024 Mercedes-Benz E 350 4MATIC |
| $59,695 ✓ | MSRP | $62,300 |
| 295 HP / 310 LB-FT TQ ✓ | Horsepower / Torque | 255 HP / 295 LB-FT TQ |
| 42.2 inches / 40.4 inches ✓ | Legroom (front / rear) | 41.3 inches / 35.8 inches |
| 13.5 cubic feet ✓ | Trunk Space | 12.7 cubic feet |
| 19 inches ✓ | Wheels | 18 inches |
| Four Zone ✓ | Climate Control | Dual Zone |
| 10 ✓ | Speakers | 6 |
| Standard ✓ | Heated Steering Wheel | Optional |
| Standard ✓ | Heated Back Seats | Optional |
| Standard ✓ | Leather Upholstery | Optional |
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We're starting this comparison with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, a longstanding nameplate that just got a ground-up redesign this year. The E-Class starts a bit pricier than the S90, but offers up less power. The E-Class isn't quite as spacious as the S90 either, and while this is noticeable with things like trunk space and front legroom, it is an especially huge difference when it comes to rear legroom.
The price difference between these two becomes even more stark when you start to look at standard equipment. You get bigger wheels with the S90, and a much more sophisticated climate control system. The E-Class comes with a surprisingly unimpressive stereo, and while there is an upgrade option available, it adds more than a thousand more to the already higher price of the E-Class. This is something we see with quite a few other features, much of what's standard on the S90 is an optional extra on the E-Class. This wouldn't be such a big deal if the E-Class offered some other advantage, like price, size, or power, but it just doesn't.
Volvo S90 VS BMW 5-Series
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|---|---|---|
| 2024 Volvo S90 Plus | VS | 2024 BMW 530i |
| $59,695 | MSRP | $57,900 |
| 295 HP / 310 LB-FT TQ ✓ | Horsepower / Torque | 255 HP / 295 LB-FT TQ |
| All-Wheel Drive ✓ | Drivetrain | Rear-Wheel Drive |
| 42.2 inches / 40.4 inches ✓ | Legroom (front / rear) | 41.3 inches / 37 inches |
| Standard ✓ | Heated Seats | Optional |
| Standard ✓ | Leather Upholstery | Optional |
| Standard ✓ | Panoramic Roof | Optional |
| Standard ✓ | Remote Start | Optional |
| Standard ✓ | Metallic Paint | Optional |
| 3 years / 36,000 miles ✓ | Included Maintenance | None |
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Up next is the BMW 5-Series, which also comes with less power than the S90, but at least is a bit less expensive than the Mercedes. However, the 530i comes with standard rear-wheel drive, in a segment where standard all-wheel drive is increasingly normal, not to mention appreciated in those snowy Cleveland winters. In fairness, all-wheel drive is available for the 5-Series, but just adding this one option makes it more expensive than the S90, and it's a long way from being the only example of this. But even adding optional extras won't get you more legroom, an area where the S90 consistently holds a solid lead over the competition.
Standard equipment on the 5-Series is even more abysmal than the E-Class, which at least gave you heated front seats as standard equipment. The heated front and rear seats that come standard in the S90 add several hundred dollars to the price of the BMW. Leather upholstery, a panoramic roof, remote start, and even metallic paint all cost extra on the BMW, but are standard on the Volvo. You even get three years / 36,000 miles of maintenance included with the S90, handily beating the nothing that comes with the 5-Series. The 5-Series simply doesn't offer any advantages, even the price only appears to be lower.
Volvo S90 VS Genesis G80
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|---|---|---|
| 2024 Volvo S90 Recharge Plus | VS | 2024 Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Advanced |
| $67,045 ✓ | MSRP | $67,200 |
| 455 HP / 523 LB-FT TQ ✓ | Horsepower / Torque | 375 HP / 391 LB-FT TQ |
| 66 MPGe ✓ | Fuel Economy (combined) | 19 MPG |
| 38 miles ✓ | All-Electric Range | None |
| 42.2 inches / 40.4 inches ✓ | Legroom (front / rear) | 42.2 inches / 38.7 inches |
| 13.5 cubic feet ✓ | Trunk Space | 13.1 cubic feet |
| 4 zone with ionic air cleaner ✓ | Climate Control | 3 zone |
| 12 inches ✓ | Digital Instrument Panel | 8 inches (12.3 inches optional) |
| Optional ✓ | Crystal Gear Selector | Not Available |
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The Volvo S90 is available with two different drivetrains, for the other comparisons, we looked at the mild hybrid drivetrain, but the high-performance plug-in hybrid Recharge drivetrain starts at an almost identical price to the high-performance version of the Genesis G80, so this seemed like a perfect opportunity to compare the two.And right from the start, though the G80 3.5T has a much bigger engine than the base G80, its power output falls well short of the highly advanced plug-in hybrid drivetrain of the S90. The difference in fuel economy is even greater, and, of course, only the S90 offers any all-electric driving option at all.
The G80 is a bit bigger than the German competitors in this segment, and the front legroom is actually identical to the front legroom in the S90, but the Volvo wins once again when it come to rear legroom. And in case you were worried that this rear legroom comes at the expense of trunk space, the S90 offers more of that too. With the extra space in the S90 comes a more refined interior, with things like 4-zone climate control with an ionic air cleaner, as well as a 12-inch fully digital and customizable instrument panel as standard equipment. Lastly, genuine crystal has become the latest luxury material to be employed by automakers to add a sophisticated touch to interiors. Only a handful of manufacturers offer crystal gearshifts so far, but Volvo has been leading the charge, with crystal supplied by the Swedish glassworks Orrefors.
Winner - Volvo S90
The Volvo S90 competes with some big names in luxury sedans. But while other manufacturers might be happy to rest on the laurels associated with those names, Volvo offers superior performance and far better equipment. Factor in the elegantly clean Scandinavian design, and it's obvious that the Volvo S90 is the standout in this segment. Let Motorcars Volvo Cars help you find yours today.