Compare the2024 BMW X5 MVS 2023 Tesla Model X

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The X5 M’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Model X doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

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 X5 M are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Model X doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The X5 M 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 Model X doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The X5 M has a standard PostCrash iBrake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Model X doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The X5 M has a standard Active Park Distance Control that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Model X doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the X5 M’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Model X doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The X5 M offers an optional Surround View to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model X only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the X5 M’s standard Cross Traffic Warning with Braking uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and automatically engage the brakes. The Model X doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The X5 M has standard BMW Assist, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model X doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the X5 M and the Model X have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.

Warranty

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the X5 M for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for oil changes, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Tesla doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Model X.

There are over 2 times as many BMW dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the X5 M’s warranty.

Reliability

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 Tesla vehicles. With 65 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks BMW higher than Tesla.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW third in overall reliability. Tesla is ranked 19th.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the X5 M’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Model X:

	X5 M	Model X
Front Rotors	15.6 inches	15 inches
Rear Rotors	15 inches	14.4 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the X5 M has larger tires than the Model X (F:295/35R21 & R:315/30R22 vs. F:265/45R20 & R:275/45R20). The X5 M Competition’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Model X (F:295/35R21 & R:315/30R22 vs. F:265/35R22 & R:285/35R22).

The X5 M’s 295/35R21 front and 315/30R22 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Model X’s standard 45 series tires. The X5 M’s tires are lower profile than the Model X’s optional 35 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the X5 M has standard 21-inch front and 22-inch rear wheels. Smaller 20-inch wheels are standard on the Model X.

The X5 M 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 Model X; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

The X5 M has 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 Model X doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The X5 M offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Tesla doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Model X.

For greater off-road capability the X5 M has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Model X (8.4 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the X5 M to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The X5 M is 4.3 inches shorter than the Model X, making the X5 M easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Cargo Capacity

The X5 M has a much larger cargo volume than the Model X with its rear seat up (33.9 vs. 15 cubic feet).

The X5 M’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Model X 6-Passenger doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the X5 M’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Model X doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The X5 M’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the tailgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Model X’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the X5 M’s tailgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Model X doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Servicing Ease

A Condition-Based Service Display is standard on the X5 M to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes and vehicle inspections based on actual driving conditions. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model X.

Ergonomics

The X5 M’s entire steering wheel hub sounds the horn, facilitating hitting the horn in an emergency. The Model X has a small, single button on the steering wheel spoke that can be hard to find quickly in an emergency.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Model X, the X5 M 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 X5 M has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Model X doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The X5 M’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Model X’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the X5 M has a standard rear wiper. The Model X doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The X5 M’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model X doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the X5 M has standard extendable sun visors. The Model X doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The X5 M’s sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The Model X’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the X5 M to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Model X doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The X5 M has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Model X doesn’t offer a middle row seat center armrest.

The X5 M offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Model X.

Recommendations

The BMW X5 outsold the Tesla Model X by over three to one during 2022.