2019 Toyota RAV4 vs 2020 Volvo XC90

The 2019 Toyota RAV4 had a bold and aggressive design, drawing inspiration from the Toyota Tacoma pickup. Its chunky exterior and sharp edges conveyed a sense of strength and modernity. The side-profile styling and taillights, reminiscent of Toyota’s luxury brand Lexus, added to its futuristic appeal. However, the character line breaking up the rear C-pillar was a common design trait that didn’t always enhance the vehicle’s aesthetics. The RAV4 offered a variety of color options, including seven two-tone schemes with contrasting roofs, which sometimes resulted in unnecessary design clutter.

Inside, the RAV4’s cabin was surprisingly simple and elegant, contrasting with its busy exterior. The floating touch screen housed many features, while the rest of the controls were neatly packaged into a “pod” spanning from the center dash to the cupholders. The RAV4 came in several trims, each adding more features and luxury touches, from the base LE with its steel wheels and LED lights to the range-topping Limited with chrome-finished alloy wheels, ambient interior lighting, and optional upgrades like a panoramic moonroof and heated/ventilated seats.

The 2020 Volvo XC90 showcased the pinnacle of Volvo design, proving that a large SUV could be as beautiful as a sleek sedan. The R-Design trim featured blacked-out, honeycomb grille treatments, black window surrounds, mirrors, a more aggressive chin spoiler, and bright 22-inch rims. The "Thor's hammer" LED headlights and tall, thin, curving LED taillights were distinctive Volvo elements. The subtle arching shoulder crease emphasized the vehicle’s width and stability. The Thunder Grey Metallic paint with a blue hue contrasted beautifully with the beige-leather and aluminum interior, creating a stunning visual impact.

The XC90’s interior was a testament to Volvo’s craftsmanship, with options like matte wood trim and wool fabric seats on Inscription models, and leather with aluminum or carbon-fiber trim on the R-Design. The seats were exceptionally comfortable, offering power-adjustable thigh extensions and optional massage. The rear seats, available as a bench or captain's chairs, were nearly as comfortable as the front. The cabin was filled with padded materials for both quality and safety, and finer details like the Swedish flag tag on the front passenger seat and the twist-action ignition knob showcased Volvo’s attention to detail. The vertical touchscreen integrated seamlessly into the dash, maintaining the theme of simplicity and quality.

The 2019 Toyota RAV4 was equipped with a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine across all trims, producing 203 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. This power was managed by an 8-speed automatic transmission, with options for front-wheel drive or two types of all-wheel drive (AWD). The base AWD setup, found in most trims, included Snow, Sand & Mud, and Rock & Dirt drive modes. The more advanced torque-vectoring AWD, available in the Adventure and Limited trims, could distribute power to the wheels that needed it in real time, enhancing off-road capability.

The RAV4’s engine performed adequately on highways but struggled with low-end power, making it feel sluggish in stop-and-go traffic. The ride quality was generally good, though the steering felt twitchy, and there was noticeable body roll. The RAV4’s fuel economy was impressive, with the front-wheel-drive model returning 26 mpg city, 35 highway, and 30 combined. The AWD version achieved 27 mpg city and 34 highway, while the torque-vectoring AWD variant returned 25 mpg city, 33 highway, and 28 combined.

The 2020 Volvo XC90 offered three powertrains with a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 engine and an 8-speed automatic transmission. The T5 model produced 250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, which felt insufficient for the vehicle’s size. The T6, with a supercharger added to the turbocharger, delivered 316 hp and 295 lb-ft, providing better performance. The Polestar tune further boosted these numbers to 330 hp and 325 lb-ft. Despite these enhancements, the XC90’s acceleration was not linear, and the engine noise was unrefined for a luxury vehicle.

Fuel economy for the XC90 was underwhelming, with the T6 AWD rated at 18 mpg city, 26 highway, and 21 combined, and the T5 AWD at 20/27/23. The T8 plug-in hybrid offered 400 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque, with an 11.6-kWh battery providing up to 18 gas-free miles. However, the added weight of the hybrid system negated the speed benefits, and the fuel economy was only slightly better at 27 mpg combined. The XC90’s handling was comfortable and quiet, but it lacked the sporty dynamics of some competitors.

The 2019 Toyota RAV4’s cabin was designed for practicality and comfort, with spacious seating in both rows and plenty of cargo space. The center stack pod housed climate controls, a large tray for small items, drive-mode controls, and a short, stocky shifter. The RAV4 offered 37.6 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up, expanding to 69.8 cubic feet with the seats folded. While this was slightly less than some competitors, it was still ample for most needs. The front row featured deep center-control trays and bins in the doors, along with a hidden tray above the glove box.

The 2020 Volvo XC90’s interior was well-organized, with the Sensus infotainment system initializing quickly and responding promptly to inputs. The system housed all climate controls, including those for the seats and steering wheel, within the touchscreen. The cabin layout was stellar, with seven seats standard and an integrated booster cushion for young children in the second row. The six-seat configuration, available on the T6 and T8 powertrains, offered generous legroom and comfort in the first and second rows, though the third row was tight and best suited for small children. The XC90 provided up to 85.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the last two rows folded, and sightlines from the driver’s seat were excellent.

The 2019 Toyota RAV4’s LE trim came with a 7-inch touchscreen running Toyota’s Entune 3.0 infotainment system, which included Apple CarPlay but not Android Auto. The XLE trim added five USB ports, while the Adventure trim featured an upgraded panoramic reversing camera, a 7-inch instrument panel display, and an 8-inch Entune screen. The Limited trim offered an optional JBL premium stereo. The infotainment system’s layout was simple and user-friendly, with hard dials for major functions and real dials for volume and tuning.

The 2020 Volvo XC90 came standard with Volvo Pilot Assist, a semi-automated driving system combining adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist. The R-Design trim featured a Bowers & Wilkins stereo with 19 speakers and 1,400 watts of power, offering an exceptional audio experience. The portrait-oriented touchscreen made navigation easier, though onboard apps were slow to load. The instrument panel could display the map between the analog-style dials but lacked major reconfiguration options. Volvo needed to improve the digital screen’s functionality and show individual tire pressures in the TPMS sensors.

The 2019 Toyota RAV4 came standard with a comprehensive suite of safety features, including front- and side-impact airbags, a reversing camera, traction control, and a tire-pressure monitoring system. Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 added forward-collision warning and avoidance, lane-departure warning, automatic high-beams, dynamic radar cruise control, traffic-sign detection, and Lane-Tracing Assist.

The 2020 Volvo XC90 received top safety ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), though the headlight test lowered its rating to a Top Safety Pick. Standard safety features included forward emergency braking, pedestrian detection, a driver-attention monitor, blind-spot monitoring, and traffic-sign recognition. Volvo’s commitment to safety was evident in its use of high-strength steels, curtain airbags, and a unique whiplash protection system.