Compare the2026 Toyota Highlander VS 2027 BMW X5

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Highlander 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 BMW X5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Highlander 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 Highlander 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 Highlander and the X5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, all-wheel drive, 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.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Highlander 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 Highlander’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 27 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 9th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2026 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. BMW is ranked fifth.

For better maneuverability, the Highlander’s turning circle is 4.6 feet tighter than the X5’s (37.4 feet vs. 42 feet).

The Toyota Highlander may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 750 to 850 pounds less than the BMW X5.

The Highlander offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the X5 can only carry 5.

The Highlander has 2.2 inches more front legroom, 1.3 inches more rear legroom and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the X5.

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

	Highlander	X5
Third Seat Folded	48.4 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	27.3 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	84.3 cubic feet	67.7 cubic feet

The Highlander’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.

The Highlander has a higher standard payload capacity than the X5 (1638 vs. 1477 lbs.).

The Highlander has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the X5 (1715 vs. 1477 lbs.).

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Highlander 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.

The Highlander Limited/Platinum has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, 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.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Highlander, based on reliability, safety and performance.