Compare the2022 Toyota Highlander HybridVS 2022 BMW X5

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload and Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Highlander Hybrid 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 X5 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 Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The X5 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Highlander Hybrid has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The X5 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the Highlander Hybrid and the X5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and 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 Highlander Hybrid is safer than the BMW X5:

	Highlander Hybrid	X5
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Compression	55 lbs.	112 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	321/243 lbs.	636/584 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	328	342
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.8 inches
Neck Injury Risk	28.4%	35%
Neck Stress	179 lbs.	220 lbs.
Neck Compression	90 lbs.	91 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	545/323 lbs.	527/418 lbs.

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 Highlander Hybrid is safer than the BMW X5:

	Highlander Hybrid	X5
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	55	72
Chest Movement	.3 inches	.6 inches
Abdominal Force	79 G’s	130 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	152 lbs.	584 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	44 G’s
Hip Force	664 lbs.	796 lbs.

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 Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 73 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The X5 has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Highlander Hybrid 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X5. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X5 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 Hybrid’s warranty.

Reliability

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 Hybrid’s reliability 23 points higher than the X5.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Highlander Hybrid third among upper midsize suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The X5 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.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Highlander Hybrid gets better mileage than the X5:

			MPG
Highlander Hybrid
	FWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	36 city/35 hwy
	AWD	LE 2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	35 city/35 hwy
		2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	35 city/34 hwy
X5
	RWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	21 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	21 city/25 hwy
		4.4 turbo V8	16 city/22 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid uses regular unleaded gasoline. The X5 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Highlander Hybrid higher (7 out of 10) than the BMW X5 (3). This means the Highlander Hybrid produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X5 every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Highlander Hybrid has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The X5 doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Highlander Hybrid stops shorter than the X5:

	Highlander Hybrid	X5
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Highlander Hybrid’s turning circle is 3.9 feet tighter than the X5’s (37.4 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

Chassis

The Toyota Highlander Hybrid may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 to 650 pounds less than the BMW X5.

Passenger Space

The Highlander Hybrid has standard seating for 8 passengers; the X5 can only carry up to 7.

The Highlander Hybrid has .5 inches more front headroom, 2.2 inches more front legroom, .7 inches more rear headroom, 3.6 inches more rear legroom and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the X5.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Highlander Hybrid’s middle and third row seats recline. The X5’s middle row seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Highlander Hybrid’s cargo area provides more volume than the X5.

	Highlander Hybrid	X5
Third Seat Folded	48.4 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	33.9 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	84.3 cubic feet	72.3 cubic feet

The Highlander Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the X5’s in almost every dimension:

	Highlander Hybrid	X5
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	17.8”/48”/80.7”	n.a./40.7”/70”
Max Width	50”	49”
Min Width	45.8”	44”
Height	31”	31.5”

The Highlander Hybrid’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The X5’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

Payload and Towing

Standard Trailer Sway Control (TSC) on the Highlander Hybrid 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 X5 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Highlander Hybrid has a much higher standard payload capacity than the X5 (1495 vs. 1014 lbs.).

The Highlander Hybrid has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the X5 (1535 vs. 1030 lbs.).

Ergonomics

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Highlander Hybrid has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X5 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Highlander Hybrid’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the X5’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE/Bronze/Limited/Platinum has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The X5 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Highlander Hybrid Bronze/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 X5 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and the BMW X5, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Highlander outsold the BMW X5 by almost five to one during the 2021 model year.