Compare the2022 Toyota HighlanderVS 2022 BMW X3

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Highlander are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X3 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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 Highlander are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The X3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Highlander and the X3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, 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, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

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 Highlander is safer than the BMW X3:

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

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Highlander its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 73 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The X3 has not been fully tested, yet.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Highlander 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X3. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X3 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 4 times as many Toyota dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Highlander’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Highlander’s reliability 38 points higher than the X3.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Highlander third among upper midsize suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The X3 isn’t in the top three in its category.

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 BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota 13th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 9 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 20th, 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 BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 10th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. BMW is ranked 12th.

The Highlander’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 47 more horsepower (295 vs. 248) and 5 lbs.-ft. more torque (263 vs. 258) than the X3 s/xDrive30i’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Toyota Highlander is faster than the X3 s/xDrive30i 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Highlander uses regular unleaded gasoline. The X3 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

For better stopping power the Highlander’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the X3:

The Highlander stops much shorter than the X3:

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Highlander is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 1 inch wider in the rear than on the X3.

The Highlander XLE AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the X3 xDrive30i pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Highlander’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the X3’s (37.4 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

The Highlander has standard seating for 8 passengers; the X3 can only carry 5.

The Highlander has 39.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the X3 (141.3 vs. 101.4).

The Highlander has .1 inches more front headroom, 1.7 inches more front legroom, 1.4 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 4.6 inches more rear legroom and 2.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the X3.

The Highlander’s cargo area provides more volume than the X3.

The Highlander’s cargo area is larger than the X3’s in every dimension:

The Highlander’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the X3’s (5000 vs. 4400 pounds).

Standard Trailer Sway Control (TSC) on the Highlander uses the Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The X3 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Highlander has a much higher standard payload capacity than the X3 (1330 vs. 902 lbs.).

The Highlander has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the X3 (1330 vs. 941 lbs.).

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Highlander has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X3 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Highlander’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the X3’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Highlander Limited/Platinum has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The X3 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Highlander is less expensive to operate than the X3 because it costs $527 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Highlander than the X3, including $615 less for a water pump, $957 less for a muffler, $108 less for front brake pads, $237 less for a starter, $94 less for fuel injection, $23 less for a fuel pump, $412 less for front struts and $1175 less for a power steering pump.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Highlander, based on reliability, safety and performance. The BMW X3 isn't recommended.

The Toyota Highlander outsold the BMW X3 by almost four to one during the 2021 model year.