Compare the2023 Toyota 4RunnerVS 2022 BMW X7

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 X7 doesn’t offer height-adjustable front 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 X7 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The 4Runner has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The X7 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the 4Runner and the X7 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the 4Runner 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X7. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X7 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 26 points higher than the X7.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the 4Runner first among midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The X7 was rated third in its category.

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.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota 4Runner uses regular unleaded gasoline. The X7 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The 4Runner has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the X7 (23 vs. 21.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota 4Runner higher (5 out of 10) than the BMW X7 (3). This means the 4Runner produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X7 every 15,000 miles.

The 4Runner stops much shorter than the X7:

The Toyota 4Runner’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The BMW X7 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 X7; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare or run-flat tires, either of which has mileage and speed limitations.

For better maneuverability, the 4Runner’s turning circle is 5.4 feet tighter than the X7’s (37.4 feet vs. 42.8 feet).

For greater off-road capability the 4Runner has a greater minimum ground clearance than the X7 (9.6 vs. 8.7 inches), allowing the 4Runner to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Toyota 4Runner may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1000 to 1050 pounds less than the BMW X7.

The 4Runner is 1 foot, 1.1 inches shorter than the X7, making the 4Runner easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The 4Runner has 1.9 inches more front legroom and 9.8 inches more third row shoulder room than the X7.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the 4Runner easier. The 4Runner’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.7 inches, while the X7’s liftover is 32.5 inches.

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 X7 doesn’t offer a sliding load floor.

The 4Runner’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The X7’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 4Runner has a much higher standard payload capacity than the X7 (1625 vs. 190 lbs.).

The 4Runner has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the X7 (1700 vs. 1254 lbs.).

Consumer Reports rated the 4Runner’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the X7’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

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 X7 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The 4Runner is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The X7 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The TRD Pro was selected by Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine as their 2015 4x4 of the Year. The X7 has never been chosen.

The Toyota 4Runner outsold the BMW X7 by over six to one during the 2021 model year.