Compare the2025 BMW X3VS 2024 Toyota Venza

Safety
Warranty
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the BMW X3 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Toyota Venza doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The BMW X3 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Venza doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The X3 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Venza doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The X3 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 Venza doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the X3’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Venza doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the X3 and the Venza have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, rear cross-path warning and available 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 BMW X3 is safer than the Toyota Venza:

	X3	Venza
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	96	152
Neck Stress	262 lbs.	306 lbs.
Neck Compression	30 lbs.	56 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 BMW X3 is safer than the Toyota Venza:

	X3	Venza
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	60	83
Hip Force	214 lbs.	246 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	108	146
Spine Acceleration	48 G’s	49 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
HIC	162	299
Hip Force	472 lbs.	835 lbs.

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

Warranty

The X3 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Venza’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The X3’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Venza’s (12 vs. 5 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the X3 for 1 year and 11000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the Venza (3/36,000 vs. 2/25000).

Engine

The X3 30 xDrive’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 36 more horsepower (255 vs. 219) and 132 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 163) than the Venza’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The X3 M50 xDrive’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 174 more horsepower (393 vs. 219) and 265 lbs.-ft. more torque (428 vs. 163) than the Venza’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the X3 30 xDrive 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Toyota Venza:

	X3	Venza
Zero to 60 MPH	6 sec	7.5 sec
Quarter Mile	14.5 sec	15.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94.5 MPH	87.8 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

Both the X3 and Venza have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The X3 has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The X3 has 2.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Venza (17.2 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

The X3 M50’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 Venza doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	X3 30 xDrive	X3 M50 xDrive	Venza
Front Rotors	13 inches	13.7 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	13.5 inches	11.1 inches

The X3’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Venza are solid, not vented.

The X3 stops much shorter than the Venza:

	X3	Venza
60 to 0 MPH	108 feet	121 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the X3 has larger standard tires than the Venza (245/50R19 vs. 225/60R18). The X3’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Venza (F:255/40R21 & R:285/35R21 vs. 225/60R18).

The X3’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 Venza LE’s standard 60 series tires. The X3’s optional 255/40R21 front and 285/35R21 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the Venza XLE/Nightshade/Limited’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the X3 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Venza LE. The X3’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the Venza XLE/Nightshade/Limited.

Suspension and Handling

The X3 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 or off-road. The Venza’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The X3 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Venza doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the X3’s wheelbase is 6.9 inches longer than on the Venza (112.8 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

The X3’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50.5% to 49.5%) than the Venza’s (56% to 44%). This gives the X3 more stable handling and braking.

The X3 30 xDrive handles at .92 G’s, while the Venza Limited pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The X3 30 xDrive executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.9 seconds quicker than the Venza Limited (25.8 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the X3 M50 xDrive has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Venza (8.3 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the X3 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The X3 30 xDrive’s minimum ground clearance is .3 inch higher than on the Venza (8.5 vs. 8.2 inches).

Passenger Space

The X3 has 3.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Venza (101.4 vs. 98.3).

The X3 has 1.9 inches more front headroom and .5 inches more front shoulder room than the Venza.

Cargo Capacity

The X3 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Venza with its rear seat up (31.5 vs. 28.8 cubic feet). The X3 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Venza with its rear seat folded (67.1 vs. 55.1 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the X3’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Venza doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The X3 offers up to a 4850 lbs. towing capacity. The Venza has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stabilization Control on the X3 uses the Dynamic 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 Venza doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The X3 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Venza 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.

The engine in the X3 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Venza. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The X3’s standard Comfort Access allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Smart Key System standard on the Venza doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door. Smart Key System is not available on the Venza XLE/Nightshade/Limited.

The X3’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 Venza’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the X3 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Venza doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the X3 offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Venza doesn’t offer cornering lights. The X3 also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the X3 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Venza doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the X3 is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Venza’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The X3’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 Venza offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The X3 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats are only available on the Venza XLE/Nightshade/Limited. The X3 also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Venza.

The BMW X3 has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Homelink® is only available on the Venza XLE/Nightshade/Limited.

The X3’s Parking Assistant can parallel park by itself, with the driver only controlling the transmission and speed with the brake pedal. With its available fully controlled system, the driver just activates it and it parks autonomously, 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 Venza doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

The BMW X3 outsold the Toyota Venza by over two to one during 2024.

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