Compare the2023 Toyota HighlanderVS 2023 BMW X5

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload and Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Highlander 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 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Highlander 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 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 Highlander are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The X5 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Highlander and the X5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Highlander is safer than the BMW X5:

	Highlander	X5
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Compression	55 lbs.	112 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	321/243 lbs.	636/584 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	328	342
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.8 inches
Neck Injury Risk	28.4%	35%
Neck Stress	179 lbs.	220 lbs.
Neck Compression	90 lbs.	91 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	545/323 lbs.	527/418 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 Toyota Highlander is safer than the BMW X5:

	Highlander	X5
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	55	72
Chest Movement	.3 inches	.6 inches
Abdominal Force	79 lbs.	130 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	152 lbs.	584 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	44 G’s
Hip Force	664 lbs.	796 lbs.

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Highlander its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The X5 was last a “Top Safety Pick Plus” in 2019 but no longer qualifies.

Warranty

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Highlander 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X5. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X5 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 Highlander’s warranty.

Reliability

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 Highlander’s reliability 11 points higher than the X5.

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 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. BMW is ranked third.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Highlander gets better mileage than the X5:

			MPG
Highlander
	FWD	2.4 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.4 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
X5
	RWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	21 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	21 city/25 hwy
		4.4 turbo V8	16 city/22 hwy

Both the Highlander and the X5 have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Highlanders have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. A disable switch for start/stop is only offered on the X5 M50i.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Highlander uses regular unleaded gasoline. The X5 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Highlander’s turning circle is 3.9 feet tighter than the X5’s (37.4 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

Chassis

The Toyota Highlander may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 to 800 pounds less than the BMW X5.

Passenger Space

The Highlander has standard seating for 8 passengers; the X5 can only carry up to 7.

The Highlander has .5 inches more front headroom, 2.2 inches more front legroom, .7 inches more rear headroom and 1.3 inches more rear legroom than the X5.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Highlander’s middle and third row seats recline. The X5’s third row seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Highlander’s cargo area provides more volume than the X5.

	Highlander	X5
Third Seat Folded	48.4 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	33.9 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	84.3 cubic feet	72.3 cubic feet

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

Payload and Towing

Standard Trailer Sway Control (TSC) on the Highlander uses the Enhanced 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 X5 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Highlander has a much higher standard payload capacity than the X5 (1330 vs. 827 lbs.).

The Highlander has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the X5 (1390 vs. 1030 lbs.).

Ergonomics

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

The Highlander Limited/Platinum has a 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 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Toyota Highlander and the BMW X5, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Highlander outsold the BMW X5 by almost three to one during 2022.