Toyota 4Runner vs BMW X3

After a very long 15 years, we finally got a new Toyota 4Runner with more capabilities, power, comfort, and technology. It's also more efficient thanks to a new hybrid option and more composed on pavement, but it remains a solid all-terrain vehicle to extend your adventures further.

Verdict: Toyota doesn't throw out the fomula with its newly redesigned 4Runner. Instead, the 2025 model keeps many of the features shoppers have loved for over a decade, while also adding a more contemporary selection of four-cylinder powertrains.

BMW offers the 2026 X3 in two flavors: 30 xDrive and M50. The latter is tuned for performance, but the base X3 30 xDrive is so good that you might be happy trading the M50’s outright speed and sheer capability for significant savings. BMW redesigned this compact luxury crossover in 2025, and the only tweaks for 2026 make the base model look and feel a little more upscale inside.

Verdict: For this review, we evaluated the BMW X3 M50. It was terrific, but with a sticker price more than $15,000 higher than the rewarding X3 30 xDrive, it’s hard to justify the extra money.