Compare the2022 Land Rover Range Rover SportVS 2022 BMW X5 M

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Land Rover Range Rover Sport have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW X5 M doesn’t offer pretensioners for the middle seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Land Rover Range Rover Sport 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 M doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Range Rover Sport and X5 M have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Range Rover Sport has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The X5 M’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

Both the Range Rover Sport and the X5 M have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

On the EPA test cycle the Range Rover Sport gets better mileage than the X5 M:

The Range Rover Sport has 5.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the X5 M (27.5 vs. 21.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Range Rover Sport has a standard full size spare (not available on 7-Passenger/P400e) so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the X5 M; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

The front and rear suspension of the Range Rover Sport uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the X5 M, which uses coil springs in front. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The Range Rover Sport has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Range Rover Sport’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The X5 M doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For better maneuverability, the Range Rover Sport’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the X5 M’s (40.7 feet vs. 42 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Range Rover Sport SVR has a 2.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the X5 M (10.8 vs. 8.3 inches), allowing the Range Rover Sport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Range Rover Sport’s minimum ground clearance is 2.5 inches higher than on the X5 M Competition (10.9 vs. 8.4 inches).

The Land Rover Range Rover Sport may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 50 to 600 pounds less than the BMW X5 M.

The Range Rover Sport offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the X5 M can only carry 5.

The Range Rover Sport has .7 inches more front shoulder room and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the X5 M.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Range Rover Sport’s middle row seats recline. The X5 M’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Range Rover Sport’s cargo area is larger than the X5 M’s in almost every dimension:

The Range Rover Sport’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The X5 M’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.

The Range Rover Sport has a 7716 lbs. towing capacity. The X5 M has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the Range Rover Sport uses the Dynamic 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 M doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Range Rover Sport has a much higher standard payload capacity than the X5 M (1631 vs. 1080 lbs.).

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

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Range Rover Sport has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The X5 M doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Optional air conditioned the front and second row seats keep the Range Rover Sport’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The X5 M doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The Range Rover Sport offers an optional 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 M doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Range Rover Sport was selected by Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine as their 2014 4x4 of the Year. The X5 M has never been chosen.