In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Avalon are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The S60 doesn't offer a back seat reminder.

The Toyota Avalon has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The S60 doesn't offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Both the Avalon and the S60 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Avalon is safer than the Volvo S60:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Avalon is safer than the Volvo S60:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Toyota's powertrain warranty covers the Avalon 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volvo covers the S60. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the S60 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 4 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Volvo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Avalon's warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates' 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota 13th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 53 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volvo is ranked 29th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates' 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 45 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volvo is ranked 25th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports' January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Volvo is ranked 18th.

The Avalon's 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 54 more horsepower (301 vs. 247) and 9 lbs.-ft. more torque (267 vs. 258) than the S60 B5's standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Avalon uses regular unleaded gasoline. The S60 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The front and rear suspension of the Avalon uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the S60, which uses transverse leafs springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

The Avalon offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The S60's suspension doesn't offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Avalon Touring uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The S60 doesn't offer active noise cancellation.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Avalon a Mid-size car, while the S60 is rated a Compact.

The Avalon has 8.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the S60 (104.3 vs. 96).

The Avalon has .5 inches more front hip room, 2.2 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom, 5.1 inches more rear legroom, 1.4 inches more rear hip room and 2.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the S60.

The Avalon has a much larger trunk than the S60 (16.1 vs. 11.6 cubic feet).

The Avalon Limited/Touring's standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver's seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The S60 doesn't offer an easy entry system.

To shield the driver and front passenger's vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Avalon has standard extendable sun visors. The S60 doesn't offer extendable visors.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Avalon is less expensive to operate than the S60 because it costs $45 less to do the manufacturer's suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Avalon than the S60, including $88 less for a water pump, $296 less for a muffler, $34 less for front brake pads and $389 less for a fuel pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Toyota Avalon will be $4446 to $24116 less than for the Volvo S60.

The Toyota Avalon has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

The Toyota Avalon outsold the Volvo 60 Series by 44% during the 2021 model year.