Compare the2024 BMW i5VS 2024 Toyota Mirai

The i5’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Mirai 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 i5 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Mirai doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The i5 M60 has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Mirai doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the i5 has standard Cross Traffic Warning with Brake Intervention, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Parking Support Brake costs extra on the Mirai.

Both the i5 and the Mirai 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, 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 i5 weighs 581 to 992 pounds more than the Toyota Mirai. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The i5 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Mirai’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The i5’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Mirai’s (12 vs. 5 years).

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.

The i5 eDrive40’s standard electric motor produces 153 more horsepower (335 vs. 182) and 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 221) than the Mirai’s electric motor. The i5 M60’s standard electric motors produces 411 more horsepower (593 vs. 182) and 365 lbs.-ft. more torque (586 vs. 221) than the Mirai’s electric motor.

On the EPA test cycle the i5 gets better mileage than the Mirai:

The i5’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 Mirai doesn’t offer launch control.

For better traction, the i5 has larger standard tires than the Mirai (245/45R19 vs. 235/55R19).

The i5’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 Mirai’s standard 55 series tires. The i5’s optional 245/35R21 front and 275/30R21 rear tires have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile than the Mirai Limited’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the i5 offers optional 21-inch wheels. The Mirai’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The i5 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 Mirai; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The i5 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 Mirai doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The i5 offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Toyota doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Mirai.

The i5 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. The Mirai’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the i5’s wheelbase is 3 inches longer than on the Mirai (117.9 inches vs. 114.9 inches).

The i5 has .7 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front shoulder room, 3.4 inches more rear legroom and 2.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Mirai.

The i5 has a much larger trunk than the Mirai (17.3 vs. 9.6 cubic feet).

The i5’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Mirai doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the i5’s power trunk can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Mirai doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

A Condition-Based Service Display is standard on the i5 to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for brake fluid replacement 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. Toyota doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Mirai.

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.

The i5’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 Mirai XLE’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the i5 offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Mirai doesn’t offer cornering lights. The i5 also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The i5’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 Mirai has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

On extremely cold winter days, the i5’s optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Mirai doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The i5 offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Mirai.

The i5’s Parking Assistant Plus can parallel park by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Optional Remote Control Parking will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Mirai Limited’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.