Compare the2022 Toyota Rav4 PrimeVS 2021 BMW X3 xDrive30e

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Rav4 Prime 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 X3 xDrive30e doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Rav4 Prime 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 xDrive30e doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Rav4 Prime and the X3 xDrive30e have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, 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.

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 available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Rav4 Prime the rating of “Top Pick” for 2021, a rating granted to only 145 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The X3 xDrive30e has not been fully tested, yet.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Rav4 Prime 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X3 xDrive30e. 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 xDrive30e 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 Rav4 Prime’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 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 Rav4 Prime’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 14 more horsepower (302 vs. 288) than the X3 xDrive30e’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the Rav4 Prime running on electricity gets better mileage than the X3 xDrive30e running on electricity (105 city/84 hwy vs. 59 city/61 hwy MPGe).

On the EPA test cycle the Rav4 Prime running its gasoline engine gets better fuel mileage than the X3 xDrive30e running its gasoline engine (40 city/36 hwy vs. 21 city/27 hwy).

The Rav4 Prime’s maximum driving range in pure electric mode is 42 miles, almost twice as far as the X3 xDrive30e’s 22 mile range.

The Rav4 Prime has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the X3 xDrive30e (14.5 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Rav4 Prime 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 X3 xDrive30e doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Rav4 Prime has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the X3 xDrive30e; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

For better maneuverability, the Rav4 Prime SE’s turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the X3 xDrive30e’s (36.1 feet vs. 39.4 feet). The Rav4 Prime XSE’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the X3 xDrive30e’s (37.4 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Rav4 Prime XSE has a greater minimum ground clearance than the X3 xDrive30e (8.2 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Rav4 Prime to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Toyota Rav4 Prime may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 350 pounds less than the BMW X3 xDrive30e.

The Rav4 Prime is 5 inches shorter than the X3 xDrive30e, making the Rav4 Prime easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Rav4 Prime has .7 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom, 1.4 inches more rear legroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the X3 xDrive30e.

The Rav4 Prime has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the X3 xDrive30e with its rear seat up (33.5 vs. 27.2 cubic feet). The Rav4 Prime has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the X3 xDrive30e with its rear seat folded (69.8 vs. 59.4 cubic feet).

The Rav4 Prime’s cargo area is larger than the X3 xDrive30e’s in almost every dimension:

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Rav4 Prime uses the 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 xDrive30e doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Rav4 Prime has a much higher standard payload capacity than the X3 xDrive30e (1295 vs. 904 lbs.).

The Rav4 Prime has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The X3 xDrive30e doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Rav4 Prime has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X3 xDrive30e only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Rav4 Prime XSE offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The X3 xDrive30e doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Insurance will cost less for the Rav4 Prime owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Rav4 Prime will cost $1520 to $1665 less than the X3 xDrive30e over a five-year period.

The Rav4 Prime will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Rav4 Prime will retain 55.43% to 55.74% of its original price after five years, while the X3 xDrive30e only retains 47.2%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Toyota Rav4 Prime will be $15902 to $18280 less than for the BMW X3 xDrive30e.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Rav4 Prime, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Rav4 outsold the BMW X3 by almost six to one during the 2021 model year.