Where each one leads
BMW 3 Series
- Against cars of the same age, the BMW 3 Series comes out better at its first MOT test (passes 9% more often than average) than the Volvo V90 (passes 1% more often than average).
- Measured by the cars' own fuel meters, the diesel hybrid BMW 3 Series uses 6.3 l/100 km on the road, the Volvo V90 6.7.
- Measured by the cars' own fuel meters, the diesel BMW 3 Series uses 6.0 l/100 km on the road, the Volvo V90 7.6.
Volvo V90
- Fewer Volvo V90 cars in the Netherlands carry an illogical odometer record (2.4% against 5.4%).
- Measured by the cars' own fuel meters, the petrol hybrid Volvo V90 uses 8.7 l/100 km on the road, the BMW 3 Series 9.8.
Too close to call: official CO₂ of new cars in Europe (g/km).
Only measures that do not depend on how many cars were sold: pass and failure rates against cars of the same age, ratings, fuel use and CO₂. How we compare
At a glance
| BMW 3 Series | Volvo V90 | |
|---|---|---|
| Model years in the US safety record | 1986–2023 | 1985–2024 |
| New cars registered in Europe | 1,714,816 (2010–2022) | 158,767 (2012–2022) |
| Licensed in the United Kingdom | 472,359 | 17,825 |
| On the road in the Netherlands | 127,670 | 9,428 |
| In traffic in Finland | 41,048 | 14,097 |
EEA new-car registrations (CC BY 4.0) · DVLA licensed vehicles (OGL v3.0) · RDW (CC0) · Traficom (CC BY 4.0) · generations: Wikidata (CC0).
Reliability and problems
| BMW 3 Series | Volvo V90 | |
|---|---|---|
| UK MOT first-time pass rate | 75% | 85% |
| … against cars of the same age | +9% | +1% |
| New York safety inspections failed | — | 1.0% |
| … against cars of the same year | — | −26% |
| Illogical odometer records (NL) | 5.4% | 2.4% |
| US owner complaints | 843 | 17 |
| Most complaints about | Air bags | Exterior lighting |
| Model year with most complaints | 2006 (202) | 1998 (10) |
| US recall campaigns | 8 | 8 |
| Manufacturer service bulletins | 1,116 | 2,118 |
| NHTSA defect investigations | 23 | 3 |
Complaint, recall and bulletin counts grow with the number of cars sold and are not adjusted for it. UK MOT: DVSA anonymised MOT results (OGL v3.0); New York: DMV inspections; complaints, recalls, bulletins and investigations: NHTSA (public domain); odometer: RDW (CC0).
Safety
| BMW 3 Series | Volvo V90 | |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA overall rating | 5★ (2022) | — |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program, most recent rated model year (public domain).
Fuel, emissions and price
| BMW 3 Series | Volvo V90 | |
|---|---|---|
| Official combined fuel use, Canada | — | 9.3 l/100 km (2026) |
| Real-world use in Europe, diesel hybrid | 6.3 l/100 km | 6.7 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, petrol | 7.9 l/100 km | — |
| Real-world use in Europe, petrol hybrid | 9.8 l/100 km | 8.7 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, diesel | 6.0 l/100 km | 7.6 l/100 km |
| Official CO₂ of new cars in Europe | 98 g/km | 101 g/km |
| Average power of new cars in Europe | 137 kW (184 hp) | 172 kW (231 hp) |
| Average mass in running order | 1,790 kg | 2,003 kg |
| Dutch list price when new (median) | €50,742 | €71,748 |
| Average odometer in Finland | 226,000 km | 181,000 km |
Canada: NRCan Fuel Consumption Ratings, most frugal version of the latest year (OGL Canada). Europe: EEA monitoring of new-car CO₂ and on-board fuel meters (OBFCM), CC BY 4.0. Price: RDW catalogue price (CC0). Finland: Traficom (CC BY 4.0).