Compare the2024 BMW X5VS 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser

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

The X5 has standard City Collision Mitigation, which use forward mounted sensors to warn the driver of a possible collision ahead. If the driver doesn’t react and the system determines a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes at full-force in order to reduce the force of the crash or avoid it altogether. The Land Cruiser doesn't offer collision warning or crash mitigation brakes.

The X5 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 Land Cruiser 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 offers an optional 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 Land Cruiser doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The X5’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the X5 uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Land Cruiser uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the X5 and the Land Cruiser 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, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

The BMW X5 achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Land Cruiser has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

The X5 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Land Cruiser’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The X5’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Land Cruiser’s (12 vs. 5 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the X5 for 1 year and 11000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the Land Cruiser (3/36,000 vs. 2/25000).

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 X5 s/xDrive40i’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 49 more horsepower (375 vs. 326) than the Land Cruiser’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The X5 xDrive50e’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 157 more horsepower (483 vs. 326) and 51 lbs.-ft. more torque (516 vs. 465) than the Land Cruiser’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The X5 M60i xDrive’s standard 4.4 turbo V8 hybrid produces 197 more horsepower (523 vs. 326) and 88 lbs.-ft. more torque (553 vs. 465) than the Land Cruiser’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the X5 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Land Cruiser:

The X550e xDrive can travel with zero emissions for 40 miles. The Land Cruiser can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the X5’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the X5’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 Land Cruiser doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The X5 has 4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Land Cruiser (21.9 vs. 17.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The X5’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 Land Cruiser doesn’t offer launch control.

For better traction, the X5 has larger standard tires than the Land Cruiser (265/50R19 vs. 245/70R18). The X5’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Land Cruiser (F:275/40R21 & R:315/35R21 vs. 265/60R20).

The X5’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Land Cruiser 1958’s standard 70 series tires. The X5’s optional 275/35R22 front and 315/30R22 rear tires have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile than the Land Cruiser’s optional 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the X5 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Land Cruiser 1958. The X5’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Land Cruiser.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the X5 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The X5 M60i xDrive 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 Land Cruiser.

The X5 offers an available 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 Land Cruiser’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The X5 has a standard automatic load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the X5’s wheelbase is 4.9 inches longer than on the Land Cruiser (117.1 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

For better maneuverability, the X5 M60i xDrive’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Land Cruiser’s (39.4 feet vs. 40 feet).

For greater off-road capability the X5 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Land Cruiser (8.7 vs. 8 inches), allowing the X5 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The X5 is 7.1 inches shorter in height than the Land Cruiser, making the X5 much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction lowers the X5’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Land Cruiser doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

The front grille of the X5 uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The X5 has 4.6 inches more front headroom, 6.8 inches more front legroom, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, 4.1 inches more rear headroom and 10.7 inches more rear legroom than the Land Cruiser.

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

Maximum trailer towing in the Toyota Land Cruiser is limited to 6000 pounds. The X5 offers up to a 7209 lbs. towing capacity.

The X5 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Land Cruiser 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.

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.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the X5 offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer cornering lights. The X5 also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

Both the X5 and the Land Cruiser have standard heated front seats. The X5 also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Land Cruiser.

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

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the BMW X5 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Land Cruiser.

The X5’s Parking Assistant Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. 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 Land Cruiser doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The X5 is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® chose the BMW X5 as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.