Compare the2026 Volvo XC60 VS 2026 BMW X3

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Volvo XC60 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X3 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the XC60 and X3 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The XC60 Plus/Ultra/Polestar 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 X3’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 Volvo XC60 offers optional built in child booster seats. They’re more crash worthy than an added child seat because of their direct attachment to the seat. BMW doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the X3. Their owners must carry a heavy booster seat in and out of the vehicle; XC60 owners can just fold their built-in child seat up or down.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the XC60 deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The XC60’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The X3’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Both the XC60 and the X3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, all-wheel drive, 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 and available 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 Volvo XC60 is safer than the BMW X3:

	XC60	X3
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	22%	32.2%
Neck Stress	198 lbs.	262 lbs.
Neck Compression	15 lbs.	30 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	489/470 lbs.	546/448 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.8 inches
Neck Injury Risk	28%	40.2%
Neck Compression	55 lbs.	71 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	329/351 lbs.	495/536 lbs.

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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Volvo XC60 is safer than the BMW X3:

	XC60	X3
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Abdominal Force	126 lbs.	148 lbs.
Hip Force	190 lbs.	214 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	45 G’s	48 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	13 inches
Spine Acceleration	29 G’s	37 G’s
Hip Force	410 lbs.	472 lbs.

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the XC60 is 2.2% less likely to roll over than the X3.

The battery on the XC60 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the XC60’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The X3’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Volvo XC60’s reliability 13 points higher than the X3.

The XC60 T8’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 62 more horsepower (455 vs. 393) and 95 lbs.-ft. more torque (523 vs. 428) than the X3 M50 xDrive’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the XC60 T8 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the X3 30 xDrive 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid:

	XC60	X3
Zero to 60 MPH	4.2 sec	6.2 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	10.2 sec	16.3 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	4.7 sec	6.8 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	2.5 sec	3.6 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	3.2 sec	4.4 sec
Quarter Mile	12.6 sec	14.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	111 MPH	95 MPH

On the EPA test cycle the XC60 running on electricity gets better mileage than the X3:

			MPGe
XC60
	AWD	T8 Electric Motor	66 city/60 hwy
X3
			MPG
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	27 city/33 hwy
		3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	25 city/30 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the XC60 T8 Extended Range 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder Hybrid running its gasoline engine gets better fuel mileage than the X3 M50 (28 city/28 hwy vs. 25 city/30 hwy).

The XC60 T8 Extended Range can travel with zero emissions for 35 miles. The X3 can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

The XC60 has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the X3 (18.8 vs. 17.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The XC60 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 X3 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

For better stopping power the XC60’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the X3:

	XC60	XC60 T8 Polestar Engineered	X3 30 xDrive	X3 M50 xDrive
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	15.7 inches	13 inches	13.7 inches

For better traction, the XC60’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the X3 (265/35R22 vs. 255/40R21).

The XC60’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the X3’s optional 40 series front tires.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the XC60 is 1.4 inches wider in the front and .6 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the X3.

The XC60 B5 Core handles at .87 G’s, while the X3 M50 xDrive pulls only .86 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the XC60’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the X3’s (37.4 feet vs. 40 feet).

For greater off-road capability the XC60 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the X3 M50 xDrive (8.5 vs. 8.3 inches), allowing the XC60 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The XC60 has 1.3 inches more front legroom, .3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.7 inches more rear legroom and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the X3.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the X3, the XC60 Ultra/Polestar has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the XC60 has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X3 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 XC60 offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The X3 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The XC60 Ultra offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the X3.

The XC60 has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the X3.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2026 Volvo XC60 retains 46.33% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 46.09% resale value of the 2026 BMW X3 after five years, which can save the Volvo’s owner up to $2189 in depreciation.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Volvo XC60 and the BMW X3, based on reliability, safety and performance.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the XC60 as the 2018 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The X3 has never been chosen.