The 2021 Volvo XC90 and 2021 Genesis GV80 are two luxury SUVs that may have you torn about which to choose. The 2021 Volvo XC90 is known for safety, but it has other things going for it, too. The 2021 Genesis GV80 is a popular newcomer to the midsize luxury SUV class. With nearly identical Consumer Reports scores, how can you decide between them?

The 2021 Volvo XC90 and 2021 Genesis GV80 have nearly identical road test scores

Both the 2021 Volvo XC90 and 2021 Genesis GV80 have very good Consumer Reports scores. The XC90 gets an 84 while the Genesis GV80 gets an 81. 

Consumer Reports gives the 2021 Volvo XC90 scores a very good 4/5 for its acceleration. It can reach 0 to 60 in 7.7 seconds. The Genesis’ acceleration is slightly better, at a 5/5. However, it’s considerably faster, going 0 to 60 in just 6 seconds.

Both the XC90 and GV80 get a 5/5 for their transmissions. Routine and emergency handling both receive a decent 3/5 in the Volvo, while the Genesis gets a 4/5 for routine handling and a 3/5 for emergency handling. 

Both the 2021 Volvo XC90 and 2021 Genesis GV80 get a perfect 5/5 for braking. The XC90’s headlights only score a 3/5, but the GV80s is even worse at a 2/5.

Comfort in the Genesis GV80 is better

As far as comfort, the 2021 Volvo XC90 gets a mediocre 3/5 for its ride. However, it’s fairly quiet: it scores a 4 for its noise. Front and rear seat comfort gets a perfect 5/5, while the third row comfort is only a 1. It’s not the ideal 3-row SUV if you’ll have kids regularly using the third row.

On the other hand, the 2021 Genesis GV80 gets a very good 4/5 for its ride. It’s quiet: it scores a perfect 5 for its noise. Front seat comfort gets a perfect 5/5, while rear seat comfort gets a respectable 4/5.

Although both the XC90 and GV80 get a 5/5 for interior fit and finish and a 3/5 for trunk and cargo space, the GV80 has slightly more storage space at 39 feet to the Volvo’s 35.

The 2021 Volvo XC90 comes standard with more safety features

Consumer Reports recommends a variety of advanced safety features that they consider important for new car shoppers to look for. Some of these include forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking at city and highway speeds, and lane-keeping assistance. Lane departure warning, pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic warning are also important to have. 

You should also look for anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, and daytime running lights. Rearview cameras are standard in all new cars. 

The 2021 Volvo XC90 comes standard with all of these features. The 2021 Genesis GV80 has slightly less. It comes with all of these features except for automatic emergency braking at highway speeds, which isn’t available for the 2021 Genesis GV80.

It’s rare that two similar vehicles will have such similar ratings across the board, but this is the case with the 2021 Volvo XC90 and 2021 Genesis GV80. Because of that, it’s really a toss-up as to which is the better SUV. They even have identical overall Consumer Reports ratings of 62. If you’re torn between the two SUVs, it’s a good idea to research the categories that are important to you and take a test drive to see which SUV you like better.