Toyota RAV4 vs Volvo XC60 – Choosing the Best SUV

Actually, the Toyota RAV4 and the Volvo XC60 are not much of the competitors. They have absolutely different markets and different types of buyers. But it doesn't mean that a person who potentially wants to buy the RAV4 will not think of adding some money to their budget and having advantages of the premium-class Volvo XC60 offering them many more wonderful features than the affordable Toyota.

Today, we'll look at the RAV4 and the XC60 new and compare them in terms of prices, technologies, engines, and also other important features that will help you choose between them. We'll also look at what exactly you can get for certain money in a RAV4 and why you may want to pay more to get Swedish excellence in the XC60.

Here's what we are going to compare:

• Prices and trims of the new Toyota RAV4 and Volvo XC60
• Engines and transmission in the trims we are comparing.
• Features you will get in the RAV4 and the XC60 for your money.
• What else can you choose for this money?
• Our verdict and prediction on what we would buy.

Let's get started!

What are the prices for the Toyota RAV4 and the Volvo XC60?

So, the starting price for the RAV4 today is about $28,000 while the Volvo XC60 will start at approximately $43,500. Not even close and you may wonder why on Earth we compare these vehicles? We'll explain: a lot of Toyota buyers will go for the TRD Off-Road trim of the RAV4 that costs almost $39,000 as of now and it allows us to say that the most expensive RAV4 version actually competes with the cheapest Volvo XC60 version.

Please bear in mind that we compare gasoline-powered versions. Both models have hybrid versions but they are much harder to compare due to huge price differences.

Surprisingly, we now see that these two SUVs from different worlds can be competitors. So, we'll pay attention exactly to these two trims: the Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road and the Volvo XC60 B5 Core. The price difference is not so huge - just about $4,500. But maybe you will get much more in a starter-trim Volvo than in a top-trim Toyota? Let's see!

Engines and transmissions in the comparing trims

The Toyota RAV4 offers the only gas engine for all trims and this is a pretty simple 2-liter 4-cylinder powerplant. It offers just 203 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque which is not considered a lot today.

The engine is paired with the 8-speed automatic transmission - a good option for this engine. The powerplant is really durable and can go about 200K miles, we estimate, with no major issues. The TRD Off-road trim comes with AWD and some additional settings for safe driving on a slippery and wet road.

The Volvo XC60 B5 Core comes equipped with a 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine offering 247 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. You may wonder why the torque is so cool. The reason for this is the mild-hybrid system with a battery pack that helps in achieving a little better gas mileage thanks to its enhanced start-stop features and some help to the gas engine. This is not a full-hybrid and it can't be charged from a grid of course, but still, it's a great advantage over the Toyota.

So, the powerplant comes with an 8-speed automatic transmission, and the FWD standard, AWD is optional.

Engine verdict: the Volvo is much more powerful, has higher torque, and offers a more up-to-date mild-hybrid system. The XC60 obviously is a winner in this section.

How much fuel will Toyota and Volvo burn?

If you are buying a compact SUV, you most likely want to have good gas mileage. Both cars come with 2-liter engines that don't seem to be heavy fuel consumers. And we obviously expected the more technological Volvo engine to be much more economical. But things are different.

The Toyota RAV4 will show about 25 MPG in city traffic and 32 MPG on highways. Of course, this is the consumption in idyllic conditions, but reviews say it's possible to achieve.

The Volvo XC60 will offer 23 MPG in the city and 30 MPG on highways. On average, the more technological mild-hybrid Volvo will go 2 miles less per each gallon of fuel. While it seems not so significant, it will play a huge role, in the long run, in driving costs.

So, in terms of fuel consumption, the Toyota RAV4 is a clear winner. Although the difference is not that big, it adds some points to the RAV4 in our comparison.

Features and technologies in the RAV4 and the XC60

We guess you think that Volvo will beat the RAV4 in this section. But hold your horses. We are talking about the comparison of the most expensive trim of the Toyota SUV and the cheapest trim of the Volvo XC60, so it's too early to make a certain conclusion.

So, the Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road will offer the following cool features:

• the suspension is off-road tunes and the vehicle also has an adjustable AWD with a couple of modes and automatic adjustments;
• superior 18-inch wheels come with off-road tires and they look really cool;
• the trim offers some unique black design elements in the exterior of the SUV;
• the trim also has a superior infotainment system, much better than in cheaper trims;
• there is a sunroof and also the power liftgate for comfort;
• the seats and some other elements are covered with synthetic leather that looks and feels really good.

We don't talk about keyless entry, automatic climate control with dual-zone adjustment, and adaptive cruise control - they are all here standard and this is quite obvious for an expensive Toyota trim. So, it's a decently packed car, we should say.

When it comes to the most affordable Volvo XC60 B5 Core, you will get the following:

• all lighting is LED which is the same as in the RAV4;
• panoramic sunroof, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control - these are all there;
• the upholstery is combined cloth and simulated leather - worse the in the RAV4;
• the instrument panel is digital;
• there is a wireless charging pad;
• the super-cool infotainment system was developed in cooperation with Google;
• cool safety features like road sign reader, collision mitigation system, lane keeping system, blind-spot monitor, etc.

It will shock you to know that the Volvo XC60 will only have heated seats in the AWD version while the more affordable FWD version comes without this pretty wanted feature. And this is for well over $40K!

We would say that the RAV4 looks better inside and offers not much less comfort and safety features than the Volvo XC60 when you compare the trims that can compete in terms of price. Of course, Volvo will still have better materials in the interior, and the overall design of the driver's environment seems to be better in the Swedish SUV.

Features verdict: It's hard to say which one is better in terms of offered features. To us, the RAV4 TRD Off-Road and the XC60 B5 Core look more or less the same in terms of technologies and features. We even think the RAV4 gives more for the money you pay for it.

What else can you look at to compare with these SUVs?

If you are about to buy the Toyota RAV4, we would also recommend you have a look at the Nissan Rogue, Honda CR-V, and also Mazda CX-5. These SUVs are all Japanese, they are cool in terms of design and offer a lot of advantages over the RAV4. Of course, they all have their own flaws and problems to consider before buying, so the choice is still not clear.

If the Volvo XC60 draws your attention after you read our comparison, you should also look at the BMW X3, Genesis GV70, and Mercedes-Benz GLC. In our opinion, these 3 SUVs from Germany and Korea may be decent competitors for the Volvo. But the eventual choice will highly depend on your personal opinion about a certain brand and your experience during test-driving these cars.

What would we buy: Toyota RAV4 or Volvo XC60?

Although we still think it's a little weird to compare these vehicles, we should answer the question that we asked at the beginning of this article. So, for us, the choice is unclear. We would still go for the Toyota RAV4 because of the following:

• better gas mileage;
• quite a rich list of features and technologies;
• premium look thanks to add-ons;
• great off-road preparation as for the compact SUV;
• reliability and durability of the engine and transmission;
• better availability of parts, maintenance services, and a better network of dealerships.

Unexpectedly, the Volvo XC60 made us hesitate about our choice when we got deeper into the technologies and technical specifications of the vehicle. For relatively good money, the vehicle offers great comfort, safety, and a lot of advantages over some other cars you can buy at this price.