Compare the2023 Toyota Rav4 PrimeVS 2023 BMW iX

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 iX doesn’t offer pretensioners for its 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 iX doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Rav4 Prime and the iX 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 performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Rav4 Prime the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The iX has not been tested, yet.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Rav4 Prime 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the iX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the iX 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’ 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.

On the EPA test cycle the Rav4 Prime running on electricity gets better mileage than the iX:

The Rav4 Prime’s maximum EPA estimated range on a full tank and a full charge is 622 miles, after which it can be refueled at any gas station in minutes. The iX’s range is only 274 to 324 miles, after which the minimum time to recharge is 35 minutes for only an 80% charge at a specially configured quick charge station not available in most areas. A full recharge using a conventional 110-volt outlet can take up to 33 hours.

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 iX; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

For better maneuverability, the Rav4 Prime SE’s turning circle is 4.3 feet tighter than the iX xDrive50’s (36.1 feet vs. 40.4 feet).

The Toyota Rav4 Prime may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1400 to 1450 pounds less than the BMW iX.

The Rav4 Prime is 1 foot, 2.1 inches shorter than the iX, making the Rav4 Prime easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Rav4 Prime’s rear seats recline. The iX’s rear seats don’t recline.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Rav4 Prime easier. The Rav4 Prime’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 27.8 inches, while the iX’s liftover is 30.3 inches.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Rav4 Prime. The iX doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

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 iX doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Rav4 Prime has a much higher standard payload capacity than the iX (1295 vs. 1003 lbs.).

The Rav4 Prime has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the iX (1295 vs. 1054 lbs.).

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 iX only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Rav4 Prime has standard extendable sun visors. The iX doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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

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

The Toyota Rav4 outsold the BMW iX by almost 71 to one during 2022.