Compare the2023 BMW X3VS 2022 Toyota Highlander

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The X3’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Highlander doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The BMW X3 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 Highlander doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The X3 has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. Only the Highlander LE/XLE/XSE/Limited/Platinum offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the X3 has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Highlander LE/XLE/XSE/Limited/Platinum has a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the X3 and the Highlander 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 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 BMW X3 is safer than the Toyota Highlander:

	X3	Highlander
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	102	292
Neck Injury Risk	21%	38.2%
Neck Stress	202 lbs.	347 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	116/280 lbs.	321/243 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	176	328
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Stress	139 lbs.	179 lbs.
Neck Compression	72 lbs.	90 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	183/114 lbs.	545/323 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 BMW X3 is safer than the Toyota Highlander:

	X3	Highlander
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	275 lbs.	300 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	15 inches
HIC	281	366
Hip Force	624 lbs.	664 lbs.

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

Warranty

The X3 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Highlander’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The X3’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Highlander’s (12 vs. 5 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the X3 for 1 year and 11000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the Highlander (3/36,000 vs. 2/25000).

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the X3 first among compact premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Highlander isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in initial quality. With 7 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated lower.

Engine

The X3 M40i’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 87 more horsepower (382 vs. 295) and 106 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 263) than the Highlander’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

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

	X3	Highlander
Zero to 60 MPH	6.7 sec	7.4 sec
Quarter Mile	15.1 sec	15.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.5 MPH	90.7 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the X3 gets better mileage than the Highlander:

			MPG
X3
	RWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
Highlander
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	21 city/29 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the X3’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Highlander doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Transmission

The X3 M40i’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Highlander doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the X3 M40i’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Highlander:

	X3 M40i	Highlander
Front Rotors	13.7 inches	13.3 inches
Rear Rotors	13.5 inches	13.3 inches

The X3 stops much shorter than the Highlander:

	X3	Highlander
60 to 0 MPH	112 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	141 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the X3 has larger standard tires than the Highlander (245/50R19 vs. 235/65R18). The X3’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Highlander (F:245/45R20 & R:275/40R20 vs. 235/65R18).

The X3’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Highlander L/LE/XLE’s standard 65 series tires. The X3’s optional 245/40R21 front and 275/35R21 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the Highlander XSE/Limited/Platinum’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the X3 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Highlander L/LE/XLE. The X3’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Highlander XSE/Limited/Platinum.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the X3 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Highlander doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The X3 offers an optional 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 or off-road. The Highlander’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The X3 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Highlander doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The X3’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (49% to 51%) than the Highlander’s (55% to 45%). This gives the X3 more stable handling and braking.

The X3 M40i xDrive handles at .85 G’s, while the Highlander Platinum AWD pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The X3 M40i xDrive executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.8 seconds quicker than the Highlander Platinum AWD (25.9 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

Chassis

The X3 is 9 inches shorter than the Highlander, making the X3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the X3 uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Highlander doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Cargo Capacity

The X3 has a much larger cargo volume than the Highlander with its rear seat up (28.7 vs. 16 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the X3 easier. The X3’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.5 inches, while the Highlander’s liftover is 31.2 inches.

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the X3’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Highlander doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Servicing Ease

The X3 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Highlander uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The engine in the X3 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Highlander. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than Toyota. J.D. Power ranks BMW 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 18% lower rating, Toyota is ranked 20th.

Ergonomics

The X3’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Highlander’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The X3’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Highlander offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The X3’s optional Parking Assistant Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Highlander doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the X3 owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the X3 with a number “5” insurance rate while the Highlander is rated higher at a number “8” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the X3 is less expensive to operate than the Highlander because typical repairs cost much less on the X3 than the Highlander, including $696 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the BMW X3 and the Toyota Highlander, based on reliability, safety and performance.