Compare the2023 Land Rover Range RoverVS 2023 BMW X5

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Land Rover Range Rover have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The BMW X5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

Both the Range Rover and X5 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Range Rover has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The X5’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Range Rover. But it costs extra on the X5.

Both the Range Rover and the X5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 and driver alert monitors.

The Range Rover has more powerful engines than the X5:

As tested in Car and Driver the Range Rover P530 4.4 turbo V8 is faster than the X5 40i 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the Range Rover P400 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder Hybrid 8-speed Auto running its gasoline engine gets better fuel mileage than the X5 M50i (18 city/26 hwy vs. 16 city/22 hwy).

The Range Rover P440e can travel with zero emissions for 48 miles. The X5 can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Both the Range Rover and the X5 have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Range Rovers 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.

The Range Rover’s standard fuel tank has 1.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the X5 (23.8 vs. 21.9 gallons).

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Land Rover Range Rover higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the BMW X5 (3). This means the Range Rover produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X5 every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Range Rover’s brake rotors are larger than those on the X5:

For better traction, the Range Rover has larger standard tires than the X5 (275/50R21 vs. 265/50R19). The Range Rover’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the X5 (285/40R23 vs. 275/40R21).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Range Rover has standard 21-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the X5. The Range Rover’s optional 23-inch wheels are larger than the 22-inch wheels optional on the X5.

The front and rear suspension of the Range Rover uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the X5, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The Range Rover has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Range Rover’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The X5 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Range Rover’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The X5 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Range Rover SWB’s wheelbase is .9 inches longer than on the X5 (118 inches vs. 117.1 inches). The Range Rover LWB’s wheelbase is 8.8 inches longer than on the X5 (125.9 inches vs. 117.1 inches).

For better maneuverability, the Range Rover SWB’s turning circle is 5.4 feet tighter than the X5’s (35.9 feet vs. 41.3 feet). The Range Rover LWB’s turning circle is 3.4 feet tighter than the X5’s (37.9 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Range Rover has a 2.9 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the X5 (11.6 vs. 8.7 inches), allowing the Range Rover to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The design of the Land Rover Range Rover amounts to more than styling. The Range Rover offers aerodynamic coefficients of drag from .3 to .33 Cd (depending on bodystyle and options). That is significantly lower than the X5 (.36 to .38) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Range Rover get better fuel mileage.

The Range Rover uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The X5 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

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

Flexibility is maximized at the game, campground or a drive-in theatre in the Range Rover when its optional tailgating rear seats are deployed, allowing people to sit facing out of the tailgate. (Do not use while vehicle is in motion.) The X5 doesn’t offer tailgating seats.

The Range Rover LWB’s cargo area provides more volume than the X5.

The Range Rover SWB’s cargo area provides more volume than the X5.

The Range Rover’s cargo area is larger than the X5’s in almost every dimension:

The Range Rover’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the X5’s (7716 vs. 5952 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the Range Rover uses the Dynamic 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.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Range Rover 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.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Range Rover has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The X5 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the Range Rover has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The X5 doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

Optional air conditioned front and second row seats keep the Range Rover’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The X5 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

Both the Range Rover and the X5 offer optional massaging front seats. The Range Rover also offers optional massaging second row seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging second row seats aren’t available in the X5.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Land Rover Range Rover has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the X5.

The Range Rover offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet, 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.