Compare the2026 Ford ExplorerVS 2026 Volvo XC90

Both the Explorer and the XC90 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, plastic fuel tanks, 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford Explorer is safer than the Volvo XC90:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Ford Explorer is safer than the Volvo XC90:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Ford Explorer is safer than the XC90:

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Explorer is .8% to 4.4% less likely to roll over than the XC90.

Ford’s powertrain warranty covers the Explorer 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volvo covers the XC90. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the XC90 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 10 times as many Ford dealers as there are Volvo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Explorer’s warranty.

The Explorer has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The XC90 doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. With 65 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Ford higher than Volvo.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Volvo With 34 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Ford higher than Volvo.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Ford 2 places higher in reliability than Volvo.

The Explorer has more powerful engines than the XC90:

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford Explorer turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the XC90 B6 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the Explorer gets better mileage than the XC90 running its gasoline engine:

Both the Explorer and the XC90 have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Explorers have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The XC90 T8 doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Ford Explorer uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The XC90 requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Explorer 3.0L EcoBoost V6’s standard fuel tank has 1.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the XC90 (20.2 vs. 18.8 gallons).

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Ford Explorer, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the XC90.

The Explorer stops much shorter than the XC90:

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires available on the Explorer can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The XC90 doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

The front and rear suspension of the Explorer uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the XC90, which uses transverse leafs springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

The Explorer’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The XC90 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Explorer’s wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer than on the XC90 (119.1 inches vs. 117.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Explorer is 1.2 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than the track on the XC90.

The Explorer ST 4WD handles at .86 G’s, while the XC90 T8 Ultra pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Explorer ST 4WD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the XC90 B6 Ultra (26.4 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 27.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Explorer’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the XC90’s (38.4 feet vs. 39.7 feet).

The front grille of the Explorer uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The XC90 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Explorer offers available computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The XC90 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Explorer Active 4WD is quieter than the XC90 B6 Core:

The Explorer has 46.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the XC90 (150.3 vs. 103.8).

The Explorer has 1.8 inches more front headroom, 2.1 inches more front legroom, 3.2 inches more front hip room, 4.4 inches more front shoulder room, 2 inches more rear headroom, .5 inches more rear legroom, 2.6 inches more rear hip room, 5.4 inches more rear shoulder room, 2.6 inches more third row headroom and 7.7 inches more third row shoulder room than the XC90.

The Explorer’s cargo area provides more volume than the XC90.

The Explorer’s cargo area is larger than the XC90’s in almost every dimension:

The engine in the Explorer is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the XC90. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Explorer’s available exterior PIN entry system. The XC90 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Volvo On Call can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Explorer has standard extendable sun visors. The XC90 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Explorer is equipped with both FM and AM stereo radios, offering access to more content and better coverage than the XC90, which solely provides FM radio. With AM radio, you can enjoy a wider variety of stations featuring news, talk shows, sports commentary, native language programing, automated traffic guidance, and emergency broadcasts. AM waves travel further and penetrate buildings and obstacles more effectively than FM signals, especially at night. Having both FM and AM stereo radios the Explorer offers a more comprehensive listening experience compared to only FM in the XC90.

HD Radio boasts several benefits over conventional radio: superior sound quality with clearer and consistent FM broadcasts, CD-quality audio, and Multicast Channels offering up to four streams from a single station, adding programming choices. Cars like the Explorer optionally equipped with HD Radio provide an improved in-car entertainment experience. The XC90, devoid of this technology, foregoes these benefits. Selecting the Ford Explorer empowers drivers to enjoy a more immersive and enjoyable listening experience while on the go.

The Explorer is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The XC90 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2025 Ford Explorer retains 47.11% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 41.32% resale value of the 2025 Volvo XC90 after five years, which can save the Ford’s owner up to $12497.96529 in depreciation.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Explorer is less expensive to operate than the XC90 because it costs $136 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Explorer than the XC90, including $503 less for a water pump, $92 less for front brake pads, $420 less for a starter, $220 less for fuel injection, $250 less for a fuel pump, $184 less for front struts and $64 less for a power steering pump.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Ford Explorer and the Volvo XC90, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Ford Explorer outsold the Volvo XC90 by almost five to one during 2024.