Compare the2023 BMW X3VS 2023 Toyota Venza

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload and Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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The X3’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Venza doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The BMW X3 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Venza doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The X3 has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Venza doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the X3’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Venza doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the X3 and the Venza have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the BMW X3 is safer than the Toyota Venza:

	X3	Venza
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	102	152
Neck Injury Risk	21%	29.3%
Neck Stress	202 lbs.	306 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	116/280 lbs.	400/388 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	176	284
Neck Stress	139 lbs.	258 lbs.
Neck Compression	72 lbs.	95 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	183/114 lbs.	340/190 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 BMW X3 is safer than the Toyota Venza:

	X3	Venza
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	64	83
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.5 inches
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	133	146
Spine Acceleration	45 G’s	49 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
HIC	281	299
Hip Force	624 lbs.	835 lbs.

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

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the X3 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 136 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Venza is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Warranty

The X3 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Venza’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The X3’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Venza’s (12 vs. 5 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the X3 for 1 year and 11000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the Venza (3/36,000 vs. 2/25000).

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the X3 first among compact premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Venza isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in initial quality. With 7 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated lower.

Engine

The X3 s/xDrive30i’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 29 more horsepower (248 vs. 219) than the Venza’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The X3 M40i’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 163 more horsepower (382 vs. 219) than the Venza’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the X3 s/xDrive30i 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Toyota Venza:

	X3	Venza
Zero to 60 MPH	6.7 sec	7.5 sec
Quarter Mile	15.1 sec	15.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.5 MPH	87.8 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

Both the X3 and Venza have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The X3 has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The X3 has 2.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Venza (17.2 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

The X3 M40i’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Venza doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the X3’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Venza:

	X3	X3 M40i	Venza
Front Rotors	13 inches	13.7 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	13.5 inches	11.1 inches

The X3’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Venza are solid, not vented.

The X3 stops much shorter than the Venza:

	X3	Venza
70 to 0 MPH	158 feet	179 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	112 feet	121 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	147 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the X3 has larger standard tires than the Venza (245/50R19 vs. 225/60R18). The X3’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Venza (F:245/45R20 & R:275/40R20 vs. 225/60R18).

The X3’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Venza LE’s standard 60 series tires. The X3’s optional 245/40R21 front and 275/35R21 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the Venza XLE/Nightshade/Limited’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the X3 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Venza LE. The X3’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the Venza XLE/Nightshade/Limited.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the X3 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Venza doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The X3 offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Venza’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The X3 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Venza doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the X3’s wheelbase is 6.9 inches longer than on the Venza (112.8 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

The X3’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (49% to 51%) than the Venza’s (56% to 44%). This gives the X3 more stable handling and braking.

The X3 M40i xDrive handles at .88 G’s, while the Venza Limited pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The X3 M40i xDrive executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.8 seconds quicker than the Venza Limited (25.9 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The X3 has 3.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Venza (101.4 vs. 98.3).

The X3 has 2.5 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more front shoulder room and .1 inches more rear headroom than the Venza.

Cargo Capacity

The X3 has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Venza with its rear seat folded (62.7 vs. 55.1 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the X3’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Venza doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Payload and Towing

The X3 has a 4400 lbs. towing capacity. The Venza has no towing capacity.

The X3 has a higher maximum payload capacity than the Venza (941 vs. 900 lbs.).

Servicing Ease

The X3 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Venza uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The engine in the X3 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Venza. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than Toyota. J.D. Power ranks BMW 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 18% lower rating, Toyota is ranked 20th.

Ergonomics

The X3 offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Venza doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The X3’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Venza’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The X3’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Venza’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the X3 offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Venza doesn’t offer cornering lights. The X3 also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the X3 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Venza doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the X3 is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Venza’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The X3’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Venza offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the X3 and the Venza offer available heated front seats. The X3 also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Venza.

The X3’s optional Parking Assistant Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Venza doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The X3 is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Venza doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the BMW X3 and the Toyota Venza, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The BMW X3 outsold the Toyota Venza by almost two to one during 2022.