2021 Toyota 4Runner vs 2021 Volvo XC40

The 2021 Volvo XC40 had a traditional SUV styling with a tall, flat roof and an upright rear hatch, fitting nicely with the rest of the Volvo lineup. It featured “Thor’s Hammer” LED headlights and a simple oval grille, with gasoline models offering a white contrasting roof for a retro look. The XC40 Recharge was distinguished by a blanked-off grille, subtle “Recharge” badging, and model-specific alloy wheels. It also had a gloss black roof and mirror caps, a slightly different rear bumper, and a model-exclusive color—Sage Green Metallic. The interior was minimalist with high-quality materials, including real metal trim and a combination of Nappa leather and Nubuck textile upholstery. The design was coherent, with elements like the portrait-oriented touchscreen and air vents melding together seamlessly.

In contrast, the 2021 Toyota 4Runner had not seen a redesign in 12 years, maintaining a rugged, utilitarian look. Most versions had a gape-mouthed and angry visage, except for the chrome-festooned 4Runner Limited. Despite its age, the two-box body with flared fenders and trapezoidal wheel arches gave it balanced proportions and timeless styling. The 4Runner was available in multiple trims, including SR5, TRD Off-Road, Limited, and TRD Pro, with special editions like the Trail Special Edition. The Trail Special Edition featured black cloth upholstery with tan stitching, all-weather floor mats, a sliding rear cargo tray, and a custom-made 40-quart cooler. The interior had hard plastic materials, big knobs, and manual air conditioning, reflecting its durable and straightforward nature.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 offered a three-tiered powertrain lineup, with the electric Recharge on top. The gasoline options included a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The base FWD T4 had 187 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, while the AWD T5 had 248 hp and 258 lb-ft. The Recharge shared its powertrain with the Polestar 2, featuring one electric motor for each axle, providing AWD and a combined 402 hp and 486 lb-ft. The 78-kilowatt-hour battery pack enabled a 0-60 mph time of 4.7 seconds for the Recharge, 6.1 seconds for the T5, and 8.1 seconds for the T4. All versions were electronically limited to 112 mph. The Recharge emphasized quiet and comfort, with excellent ride quality even on rough roads, and was capable of one-pedal driving. It also had a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds.

The 2021 Toyota 4Runner, powered by a 4.0-liter V6 engine, produced 270 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 278 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm. A five-speed automatic transmission powered the rear wheels, with part-time 4WD available. The Trail Special Edition, priced at $38,565 MSRP for the RWD model, added features like a premium audio upgrade, a cargo cover, and a TRD front skid plate, bringing the total price to $43,729. The 4Runner excelled off-road, with features like A-Trac, a locking rear differential, Multi-Terrain Select, and Crawl Control available on higher trims. However, on pavement, it felt slow, heavy, and clunky, with a combined fuel economy of 17 mpg. The 4Runner's truck-like driving characteristics were part of its charm, but frequent stops at gas stations were necessary.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge had no difference in passenger or cargo space compared to gasoline models. However, it had less legroom and headroom than competitors like the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E, and a smaller cargo area. The frunk was also small, with much of the space occupied by powertrain hardware. The gasoline XC40 was more competitive on interior space compared to rivals like the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. Volvo compensated for the lack of space with clever storage solutions, including a removable trash bin in the center console, a bag hook in the glovebox door, and extra-large door bins. A wireless charging pad was optional, while a single USB-C port was standard.

The 2021 Toyota 4Runner sat high off the ground, which could be challenging for shorter individuals without running boards. Once inside, the 4Runner offered comfortable seating with proper support, generous legroom, good visibility, air conditioning vents, and USB charging ports in the rear. A third-row seat was available, but the test vehicle had a sliding cargo deck instead, which could hold up to 440 pounds. Cargo space measured up to 47.2 cubic feet behind the back seat and 89.7 cu.-ft. with the rear seat folded down. The Trail Special Edition's big roof rack added to the storage capacity, making it suitable for various adventures.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge featured the Android Automotive OS infotainment system, with Google apps like Google Assistant and Google Maps. It included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity. The standard hardware setup included a 9-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The Recharge also had OTA update capability, allowing for updates to the infotainment system and other vehicle functions. It lacked a start button, with the car starting automatically when the driver shifted out of park.

The 2021 Toyota 4Runner Trail Special Edition had limited technology features. It included a windshield wiper de-icer system and a 120-volt AC power outlet in the cargo area. The standard 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system offered Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa compatibility, SiriusXM satellite radio, and five USB ports. The premium audio upgrade added dynamic navigation, dynamic point-of-interest search, dynamic voice recognition, and a one-year subscription to Destination Assist concierge services. The system had physical shortcut buttons and knobs, making it easy to use even with gloves.

The gasoline 2021 Volvo XC40 received the highest “Top Safety Pick+” rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall crash-test rating from the NHTSA. It came with a long list of standard safety features, including lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, rear parking sensors, hill-start assist, and hill-descent control. Optional features included traffic-sign recognition, reverse automatic emergency braking, a driver-alertness monitor, run-off road mitigation, oncoming lane mitigation, and Volvo’s Pilot Assist driver-assistance system. The Recharge model had Volvo’s latest sensor suite, scalable for future advanced driver aids.

The 2021 Toyota 4Runner came with Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P), which included adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic forward emergency braking, lane departure warning, and automatic high-beam headlights. However, it lacked a blind-spot warning system with rear cross-traffic warning. The 4Runner received a three-star rollover resistance rating from the NHTSA and a top rating of "Good" for roof crush strength from the IIHS. However, it had a Marginal rating for driver protection in a small overlap frontal-impact collision and a three-star rating for front passenger protection in a frontal-impact crash.