Compare the2024 Toyota 4RunnerVS 2023 BMW X5

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Toyota 4Runner 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 X5 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 4Runner are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The X5 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the 4Runner and the X5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, driver alert monitors, available four-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 Toyota 4Runner is safer than the BMW X5:

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, results indicate that the Toyota 4Runner is safer than the BMW X5:

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

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the 4Runner 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X5. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X5 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 4 times as many Toyota dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the 4Runner’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the 4Runner first among upper midsize suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The X5 was rated third in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, BMW is rated lower.

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota 4Runner uses regular unleaded gasoline. The X5 requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The 4Runner has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the X5 (23 vs. 21.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota 4Runner higher (5 out of 10) than the BMW X5 (3). This means the 4Runner produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X5 every 15,000 miles.

The Toyota 4Runner’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The BMW X5 only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The 4Runner has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the X5; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare or run-flat tires, either of which has mileage and speed limitations.

For better maneuverability, the 4Runner’s turning circle is 3.9 feet tighter than the X5’s (37.4 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

For greater off-road capability the 4Runner has a greater minimum ground clearance than the X5 (9.6 vs. 8.7 inches), allowing the 4Runner to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Toyota 4Runner may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 pounds less than the BMW X5.

The 4Runner is 4.1 inches shorter than the X5, making the 4Runner easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Toyota 4Runner amounts to more than styling. The 4Runner has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .36 Cd. That is lower than the X5 (.36 to .38). A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the 4Runner get better fuel mileage.

The 4Runner’s cargo area provides more volume than the X5.

The 4Runner 5-Passenger’s optional sliding cargo floor is capable of supporting 440 pounds, to make loading and unloading cargo easier and safer. The X5 doesn’t offer a sliding load floor.

The 4Runner’s cargo area is larger than the X5’s in almost every dimension:

The 4Runner’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The X5’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

Standard Trailer Sway Control (TSC) on the 4Runner uses the Vehicle 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.

The 4Runner has a much higher standard payload capacity than the X5 (1625 vs. 827 lbs.).

The 4Runner has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the X5 (1700 vs. 1030 lbs.).

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the 4Runner 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.

Consumer Reports rated the 4Runner’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the X5’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The 4Runner has a 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, 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.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the 4Runner is less expensive to operate than the X5 because it costs $500 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the 4Runner than the X5, including $152 less for a water pump, $1597 less for a muffler, $182 less for front brake pads, $118 less for a starter, $170 less for fuel injection, $25 less for a fuel pump, $441 less for front struts, $166 less for a timing belt/chain and $1796 less for a power steering pump.

The TRD Pro was selected by Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine as their 2015 4x4 of the Year. The X5 has never been chosen.

The Toyota 4Runner outsold the BMW X5 by 47% during 2022.