Comparing Volvo vs Subaru Safety Rating
Is the safety rating of a Volvo always better than a Subaru safety rating? Which is safer, a Volvo XC90 SUV or the Subaru Outback SUV?
How to Compare Volvo to Subaru Safety Rating
Volvo cars have been historically considered “some of the safest cars.” But that reputation was earned when it was a Swedish company. Today Volvo is owned by the Chinese Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. So, it seems reasonable to ask, are Volvo’s still the safest cars?
We decided to answer this question by comparing the Auto Grades of another company that markets its cars using the safety banner, Subaru.
While we invite our site visitors to explore all the different models of these companies, we do a single side-by-side comparison for the midsize SUV’s Volvo XC90 and the Subaru Outback.
Overall, the Subaru Outback gets a slightly higher Auto Grade.
Plus, because the Outback is more popular and we have more data, we were able to give personal Auto Grades. In fact, the Subaru Outback is on our Honor Roll. A car gets to be on the Honor Roll when all ages and genders earned Top Tier safety ratings, either an A or A-. Because the Volvo XC90 is less popular, we do not have enough data to give it personal Auto Grades. See Auto Grades Explained more information on where these safety ratings come from. Also check out our earlier SUV comparison article for more on the Honor Roll.
FAQ’s
Volvo’s History
With an Overall Auto Grade of B+, the Volvo XC90 is still among the safer cars, according to our analysis. And, the reputation for safety by Volvo is well earned. Today, we take these safety devices for granted. But in the 1990’s and 2000’s, some of these could only be found on the more affordable Volvo models.
For example, a sound to remind you to buckle up was implemented by Volvo in the early 1970’s, side impact protection system in 1991 in 850, 940 and 960 models, and roof mounted inflatable curtain side airbags on the S80 in 1998. Long before electronic stability control was required in 2012, the XC90 had this rollover prevention system on its 2002 model.
However, the original culture of safety associated with Volvo may have been disrupted when it stopped being a Swedish company in 1999. Ford bought Volvo in 1999, though it was only held for about 10 years. In 2010 the Chinese Zhejiang Geely Holding Group bought Volvo. The Auto Grade for the 2018 Volvo midsize sport utility vehicle XC90 is the rating for this Chinese car.