Where each one leads
BMW X3
- Against cars of the same year, the BMW X3 comes out better in New York safety inspections (fails 32% less often than average) than the Toyota Highlander (fails 28% more often than average).
- Fewer BMW X3 cars in the Netherlands carry an illogical odometer record (2.2% against 5.8%).
- On Canada's official test the most frugal 2026 BMW X3 uses 8.1 l/100 km, the 2026 Toyota Highlander 9.9.
- New BMW X3 cars registered in Europe in 2022 average 125 g/km of CO₂ on the WLTP test, against 156 for the Toyota Highlander in 2022.
Toyota Highlander
- NHTSA rates the 2026 Toyota Highlander at 5 of 5 stars, the 2026 BMW X3 at 4.
- Measured by the cars' own fuel meters, the petrol hybrid Toyota Highlander uses 8.0 l/100 km on the road, the BMW X3 9.4.
Only measures that do not depend on how many cars were sold: pass and failure rates against cars of the same age, ratings, fuel use and CO₂. How we compare
At a glance
| BMW X3 | Toyota Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| Model years in the US safety record | 2004–2026 | 1997–2026 |
| New cars registered in Europe | 583,466 (2010–2022) | 11,164 (2010–2022) |
| Licensed in the United Kingdom | 123,964 | 1,227 |
| On the road in the Netherlands | 25,650 | 563 |
| In traffic in Finland | 4,293 | — |
EEA new-car registrations (CC BY 4.0) · DVLA licensed vehicles (OGL v3.0) · RDW (CC0) · Traficom (CC BY 4.0) · generations: Wikidata (CC0).
Reliability and problems
| BMW X3 | Toyota Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| UK MOT first-time pass rate | 80% | — |
| … against cars of the same age | +6% | — |
| New York safety inspections failed | 0.8% | 2.0% |
| … against cars of the same year | −32% | +28% |
| Illogical odometer records (NL) | 2.2% | 5.8% |
| US owner complaints | 2,015 | 5,777 |
| Most complaints about | Engine | Power train |
| Model year with most complaints | 2013 (226) | 2021 (531) |
| US recall campaigns | 60 | 51 |
| Manufacturer service bulletins | 3,868 | 5,262 |
| NHTSA defect investigations | 17 | 20 |
Complaint, recall and bulletin counts grow with the number of cars sold and are not adjusted for it. UK MOT: DVSA anonymised MOT results (OGL v3.0); New York: DMV inspections; complaints, recalls, bulletins and investigations: NHTSA (public domain); odometer: RDW (CC0).
Safety
| BMW X3 | Toyota Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA overall rating | 4★ (2026) | 5★ (2026) |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program, most recent rated model year (public domain).
Fuel, emissions and price
| BMW X3 | Toyota Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| Official combined fuel use, Canada | 8.1 l/100 km (2026) | 9.9 l/100 km (2026) |
| Real-world use in Europe, diesel hybrid | 7.3 l/100 km | — |
| Real-world use in Europe, petrol hybrid | 9.4 l/100 km | 8.0 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, petrol | 10.8 l/100 km | — |
| Real-world use in Europe, diesel | 7.6 l/100 km | — |
| Official CO₂ of new cars in Europe | 125 g/km | 156 g/km |
| Average power of new cars in Europe | 157 kW (210 hp) | 140 kW (188 hp) |
| Average mass in running order | 1,985 kg | 2,136 kg |
| Dutch list price when new (median) | €75,236 | €81,945 |
| Average odometer in Finland | 237,000 km | — |
Canada: NRCan Fuel Consumption Ratings, most frugal version of the latest year (OGL Canada). Europe: EEA monitoring of new-car CO₂ and on-board fuel meters (OBFCM), CC BY 4.0. Price: RDW catalogue price (CC0). Finland: Traficom (CC BY 4.0).