Compare the2023 Toyota 4RunnerVS 2023 BMW X3

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Toyota 4Runner 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 4Runner 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 4Runner and the X3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available four-wheel drive and around view monitors.

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, results indicate that the Toyota 4Runner is safer than the BMW X3:

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

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the 4Runner 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 4Runner’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 4Runner’s reliability 24 points higher than the X3.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 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 above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, BMW is rated lower.

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 overall reliability. BMW is ranked 12th.

The 4Runner’s 4.0 DOHC V6 produces 22 more horsepower (270 vs. 248) and 20 lbs.-ft. more torque (278 vs. 258) than the X3 s/xDrive30i’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota 4Runner uses regular unleaded gasoline. The X3 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The 4Runner has 5.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the X3 (23 vs. 17.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the 4Runner’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the X3:

For better traction, the 4Runner’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the X3 (265/70R17 vs. 245/45R20).

The Toyota 4Runner’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The BMW X3 only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The 4Runner has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the X3; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare or run-flat tires, either of which has mileage and speed limitations.

The 4Runner TRD Off-Road offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The X3 doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

For better maneuverability, the 4Runner’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the X3’s (37.4 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the 4Runner has a 1.6 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the X3 (9.6 vs. 8 inches), allowing the 4Runner to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the 4Runner TRD Off-Road is quieter than the X3 M40i xDrive:

The 4Runner offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the X3 can only carry 5.

The 4Runner has 26.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the X3 (128 vs. 101.4).

The 4Runner has 1.4 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front shoulder room and 1.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the X3.

The 4Runner’s cargo area provides more volume than the X3.

The 4Runner 5-Passenger’s optional sliding cargo floor is capable of supporting 440 pounds, to make loading and unloading cargo easier and safer. The X3 doesn’t offer a sliding load floor.

The 4Runner’s cargo area is larger than the X3’s in almost every dimension:

The 4Runner’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The X3’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The 4Runner’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the X3’s (5000 vs. 4400 pounds).

The 4Runner has a much higher standard payload capacity than the X3 (1625 vs. 902 lbs.).

The 4Runner has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the X3 (1700 vs. 941 lbs.).

Consumer Reports rated the 4Runner’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the X3’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The 4Runner has a 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 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the 4Runner is less expensive to operate than the X3 because it costs $690 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the 4Runner than the X3, including $263 less for a water pump, $650 less for a muffler, $111 less for front brake pads, $156 less for a starter, $174 less for fuel injection, $387 less for front struts and $1219 less for a power steering pump.

The TRD Pro was selected by Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine as their 2015 4x4 of the Year. The X3 has never been chosen.

The Toyota 4Runner outsold the BMW X3 by almost two to one during the 2021 model year.