Compare the2024 Cadillac XT5VS 2023 BMW X3

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Cadillac XT5 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 X3 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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 XT5 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The X3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The X3 doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the XT5 and the X3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Cadillac XT5 is safer than the BMW X3:

	XT5	X3
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Stress	188 lbs.	202 lbs.
Neck Compression	11 lbs.	64 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	37%	38%
Neck Compression	53 lbs.	72 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	22/17 lbs.	183/114 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 Cadillac XT5 is safer than the BMW X3:

	XT5	X3
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Abdominal Force	151 lbs.	153 lbs.
Hip Force	184 lbs.	275 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	45 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	13 inches
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	43 G’s

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

Warranty

Cadillac’s powertrain warranty covers the XT5 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X3. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the X3 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 60 percent more Cadillac dealers than there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the XT5’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the XT5 third among midsize premium suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The X3 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac above average in initial quality. With 22 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac above average in long-term dependability. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, BMW is rated lower.

Engine

The XT5’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 62 more horsepower (310 vs. 248) and 13 lbs.-ft. more torque (271 vs. 258) than the X3 s/xDrive30i’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Cadillac XT5 V6 is faster than the X3 s/xDrive30i 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

	XT5	X3
Zero to 60 MPH	6.4 sec	6.7 sec
Quarter Mile	15 sec	15.1 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the XT5 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder AWD gets better fuel mileage than the X3 M40i (21 city/27 hwy vs. 21 city/26 hwy).

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the XT5’s fuel efficiency. The X3 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Cadillac XT5 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine for maximum performance). The X3 requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The XT5 FWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the X3 (19.4 vs. 17.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The XT5 AWD’s standard fuel tank has 4.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the X3 (21.7 vs. 17.2 gallons).

The XT5 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The X3 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Cadillac XT5 higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the BMW X3 (5 to 7). This means the XT5 produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X3 every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Cadillac XT5, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the X3.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the XT5’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the X3:

	XT5	X3
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	13 inches

The XT5 stops much shorter than the X3:

	XT5	X3
60 to 0 MPH	111 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Cadillac XT5’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The BMW X3 only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the XT5 is 1.3 inches wider in the front and .8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the X3.

The XT5 AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the X3 xDrive30i pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The XT5 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the X3 xDrive30i (27 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the XT5’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the X3’s (38.7 feet vs. 39.4 feet). The XT5 w/20” wheels’ turning circle is .4 feet tighter than the X3’s (39 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the XT5 AWD is quieter than the X3 M40i xDrive (77 vs. 80 dB).

Passenger Space

The XT5 has 3.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the X3 (104.5 vs. 101.4).

The XT5 has .9 inches more front legroom, .7 inches more front shoulder room, 2.6 inches more rear legroom and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the X3.

Cargo Capacity

The XT5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the X3 with its rear seat up (30.2 vs. 28.7 cubic feet). The XT5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the X3 with its rear seat folded (63 vs. 62.7 cubic feet).

The XT5’s cargo area is larger than the X3’s in almost every dimension:

	XT5	X3
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	41.5”/75”	36.5”/69”
Max Width	51”	47”
Min Width	41.6”	43.3”
Height	30”	30.1”

Towing

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the XT5 uses the StabiliTrak® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The X3 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Cadillac service is better than BMW. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac second in service department satisfaction. With a 14% lower rating, BMW is ranked 7th.

Ergonomics

The XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The X3 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The XT5’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 X3 does not have an oil pressure gauge.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the XT5 has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X3 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the XT5 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the XT5 will cost $950 to $3010 less than the X3 over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the XT5 is less expensive to operate than the X3 because typical repairs cost much less on the XT5 than the X3, including $356 less for a water pump, $242 less for a muffler, $47 less for front brake pads, $339 less for a starter, $115 less for fuel injection, $233 less for a fuel pump, $350 less for front struts, $26 less for a timing belt/chain and $738 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Cadillac XT5 will be $1933 to $7474 less than for the BMW X3.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Cadillac XT5 and the BMW X3, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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