Compare the2025 Toyota Land CruiserVS 2025 BMW X3

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics

Safety

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The Land Cruiser’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The X3 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Land Cruiser 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 X3 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 Land Cruiser are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The X3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Land Cruiser has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The X3 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.

The Toyota Land Cruiser offers an optional Multi-Terrain Monitor and it also offers an optional rear camera washer to make backing always safe, regardless of road dirt or grime, while the BMW X3 doesn’t offer a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.

Both the Land Cruiser and X3 have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Land Cruiser has Parking Support Brake (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The X3’s Cross Traffic Warning doesn’t automatically brake.

The Land Cruiser’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 X3 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Land Cruiser and the X3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, 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 Toyota Land Cruiser weighs 825 to 1269 pounds more than the BMW X3. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Land Cruiser is safer than the BMW X3:

	Land Cruiser	X3
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Leg Forces (l/r)	393/328 lbs.	546/448 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.7 inches	.8 inches
Neck Injury Risk	38.5%	40.2%
Leg Forces (l/r)	414/404 lbs.	495/536 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, results indicate that the Toyota Land Cruiser is safer than the BMW X3:

	Land Cruiser	X3
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	25	60
Chest Movement	.3 inches	.6 inches
Abdominal Force	82 lbs.	148 lbs.
Hip Force	109 lbs.	214 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	19	108
Spine Acceleration	20 G’s	48 G’s
Hip Force	217 lbs.	866 lbs.

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

Warranty

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Land Cruiser 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X3. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X3 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 Land Cruiser’s warranty.

Reliability

The battery on the Land Cruiser is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Land Cruiser’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The X3’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in initial quality. With 14 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 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 second in reliability, above the industry average. With 43 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 9th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota third in overall reliability. BMW is ranked 8th.

Engine

The Land Cruiser’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 71 more horsepower (326 vs. 255) and 170 lbs.-ft. more torque (465 vs. 295) than the X3 30 xDrive’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The Land Cruiser’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (465 vs. 428) than the X3 M50 xDrive’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Land Cruiser uses regular unleaded gasoline. The X3 M50 xDrive requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Land Cruiser’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the X3 (265/60R20 vs. 255/40R21).

The Toyota Land Cruiser’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The BMW X3 only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Land Cruiser has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the X3; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

Suspension and Handling

The Land Cruiser (except 1958) has an active front sway bar, which helps keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnects 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 X3 doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Land Cruiser is 1.9 inches wider in the front and 1.1 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the X3.

For better maneuverability, the Land Cruiser’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the X3’s (39.4 feet vs. 40 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Land Cruiser has a greater minimum ground clearance than the X3 30 xDrive (8.7 vs. 8.5 inches), allowing the Land Cruiser to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Land Cruiser has .6 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom and 3.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the X3.

Cargo Capacity

The Land Cruiser has a much larger cargo volume than the X3 with its rear seat up (37.5 vs. 31.5 cubic feet).

The Land Cruiser’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The X3’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

Ergonomics

The Land Cruiser (except 1958)’s optional easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The X3 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Land Cruiser’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The X3 does not have an oil pressure gauge.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Land Cruiser has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X3 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Land Cruiser has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the X3.

The Land Cruiser has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the X3.

The Land Cruiser 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 X3 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

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