Compare the2024 BMW X7VS 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The X7’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the middle seat shoulder belts of the BMW X7 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 Toyota Grand Highlander doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

The BMW X7 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 Grand Highlander doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the X7. But it costs extra on the Grand Highlander.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the X7 has standard Cross Traffic Warning with braking function with automatic braking, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Only the Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum offers Parking Support Brake.

Both the X7 and the Grand Highlander 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 and available around view monitors.

The BMW X7 weighs 495 to 1686 pounds more than the Toyota Grand Highlander. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

The X7 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Grand Highlander’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The X7’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Grand Highlander’s (12 vs. 5 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the X7 for 1 year and 11000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the Grand Highlander (3/36,000 vs. 2/25000).

Reliability

The battery on the X7 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the X7’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Grand Highlander’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. With 2 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks BMW higher than Toyota.

Engine

The X7 has more powerful engines than the Grand Highlander:

	Horsepower	Torque
X7 xDrive40i 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid	375 HP	398 lbs.-ft.
X7 M60i 4.4 turbo V8 hybrid	523 HP	553 lbs.-ft.
Alpina XB7 4.4 turbo V8	631 HP	590 lbs.-ft.
Grand Highlander Hybrid 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid	245 HP
Grand Highlander 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder	265 HP	310 lbs.-ft.
Grand Highlander Hybrid Max 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid	362 HP	400 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the X7 xDrive40i 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Toyota Grand Highlander:

	X7	Grand Highlander Hybrid	Grand Highlander turbo 4 cyl.
Zero to 60 MPH	4.8 sec	7.5 sec	8.3 sec
Quarter Mile	13.5 sec	15.7 sec	16.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	101.6 MPH	88.8 MPH	86.9 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

Regardless of its engine, regenerative brakes improve the X7’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. Toyota only offers a regenerative brake system on the Grand Highlander Hybrid.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the X7’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The X7 has 4.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Grand Highlander Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (21.9 vs. 17.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The X7 has 4.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Grand Highlander’s standard fuel tank (21.9 vs. 17.8 gallons).

Transmission

The X7’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 Grand Highlander doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the X7’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Grand Highlander:

	X7 xDrive40i	X7 M Sport	Grand Highlander
Front Rotors	13.7 inches	15.6 inches	13.4 inches
Rear Rotors	13.6 inches	14.6 inches	13.3 inches

The X7’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Grand Highlander are solid, not vented.

The X7 stops much shorter than the Grand Highlander:

	X7	Grand Highlander
60 to 0 MPH	105 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the X7 has larger standard tires than the Grand Highlander (F:275/40R22 & R:315/35R22 vs. 255/65R18). The X7’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Grand Highlander (285/45R21 vs. 255/65R18).

The X7’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Highlander XLE’s 65 series tires. The X7’s optional 275/35R23 front and 315/30R23 rear tires have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile than the Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the X7 has standard 21-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Grand Highlander XLE. The X7’s optional 23-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the X7 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The X7 offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The front and rear suspension of the X7 uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the Grand Highlander, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The X7 has a standard 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 Grand Highlander’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The X7 has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The X7’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 Grand Highlander doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The X7 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 Grand Highlander doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the X7’s wheelbase is 6.1 inches longer than on the Grand Highlander (122.2 inches vs. 116.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the X7 is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Grand Highlander.

The X7 xDrive40i handles at .88 G’s, while the Grand Highlander XLE AWD pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The X7 xDrive40i executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.5 seconds quicker than the Grand Highlander XLE AWD (26.1 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the X7 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Grand Highlander (8.7 vs. 8 inches), allowing the X7 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The front grille of the X7 uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Cargo Capacity

Pressing a button automatically lowers or raises the X7’s second and third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The X7’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Grand Highlander’s (5950 vs. 5000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Toyota Grand Highlander is only 5000 pounds. The X7 offers up to a 7500 lbs. towing capacity.

While the Grand Highlander Hybrid can only tow 3500, any X7 can tow a minimum of 5950 pounds.

Servicing Ease

The X7 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Grand Highlander 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 X7 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Grand Highlander. 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

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum, the X7 has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The X7’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The X7’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Grand Highlander does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The X7’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 Grand Highlander’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The X7’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 Grand Highlander has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The X7 has standard heated front and optional heated second and third row seats, which keep the driver and passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Toyota doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the Grand Highlander.

The X7 has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum.

The X7 offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Grand Highlander.

The X7’s Parking Assistant can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Control will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the BMW X7 and the Toyota Grand Highlander, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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