2021 Toyota Venza vs 2021 BMW X5

The 2021 Toyota Venza was a sleek and stylish SUV that many critics noted looked more like a Lexus than a Toyota. Its design, from the grille to the elongated profile, blurred the lines between the two brands, resembling the Lexus LF-1 Limitless concept. The Venza was available in three trim levels—LE, XLE, and Limited—and offered seven paint colors, though not all were available on every trim. Standard features included a dual chrome-tipped exhaust, LED headlights and taillights, automatic high beams, puddle lights, and 18-inch alloy wheels. The interior boasted a wireless charging pad, dual-zone automatic climate control, and an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen, among other amenities.

The 2021 BMW X5, part of BMW's true SUV range, was unmistakably a BMW with its signature kidney grille and body shape. The X5 featured full adaptive LED headlights and a choice of matte aluminum or high-gloss black exterior elements, depending on the trim. The M Sport models had a sportier look with body-color matched trim and high-gloss black accents. The interior, while luxurious, had a sameness issue with many parts borrowed from other BMW models. Despite this, the cabin was filled with leather and soft-touch materials, and the M Sport models included unique styling elements like an M sports steering wheel and M-specific pedals.

The 2021 Toyota Venza came standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine paired with a lithium-ion battery pack and electric motors, resulting in a combined 219 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid system used an electronically-controlled continuously-variable transmission (eCVT) with a sequential-shifting feature for regenerative braking. While the Venza's acceleration was smooth, it was not rapid, and the engine noise was noticeable during acceleration. However, the Venza excelled in fuel economy, achieving an EPA-estimated 40 mpg on the highway, 37 mpg in the city, and 39 mpg combined. Toyota backed its hybrid powertrain with a 10-year/150,000-mile hybrid battery warranty and an eight-year/100,000-mile Hybrid System warranty.

The 2021 BMW X5 offered several powertrain options, all paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The base X5 sDrive40i/xDrive40i featured a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine with 335 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. The X5 M50i had a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 with 523 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, while the X5 M delivered 600 horsepower, or 617 with the Competition Package. The new X5 xDrive45e plug-in hybrid achieved 389 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque from its 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine and 24-kilowatt-hour battery, offering up to 30 miles of all-electric range. The X5's driving dynamics were less impressive, with steering issues at high speeds and a less connected drive experience compared to other BMW SUVs. Fuel efficiency varied, with the X5 M being the least efficient at 15 mpg combined, while the X5 xDrive45e achieved 50 MPGe when using both electricity and gas.

The 2021 Toyota Venza's interior was practical and unique, with premium appointments in the center stack and a deep center console featuring various controls and storage options. The front seats were accommodating, and the rear seats were comfortable for two adults. The Venza offered nearly the same passenger volume as the RAV4 but had less cargo space, with a maximum of 55.1 cubic feet. Despite this, the cargo space was sufficient for daily driving needs, and the 60/40 split-folding rear seatbacks made arranging the space easy.

The 2021 BMW X5 made good use of space, with cupholders at the front of the center console and a wireless phone charging pad. The front seats were comfortable for short trips but felt hard after a few hours. The rear seats were spacious enough for two adults, and an optional third row was available. The X5's split liftgate and vehicle height adjustment button made loading cargo easier. Without the third row, the cargo area was spacious, though the X5 xDrive45e offered slightly less space. Moving children and cargo in and out of the second row was challenging due to the narrow door openings.

The 2021 Toyota Venza featured an 8-inch infotainment system on the LE and XLE trims, while the Limited trim had a 12.3-inch touchscreen. The Entune infotainment system included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The Limited trim also had a nine-speaker JBL premium audio system. Toyota connected services included a one-year trial of Safety Connect and Remote Connect, and a 10-year trial of Service Connect. Dynamic navigation was available on models with the larger screen.

The 2021 BMW X5 came standard with a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a 10-speaker sound system, and more. Optional features included remote start, a head-up display, quad-zone automatic climate control, a wireless smartphone charger, and premium audio systems. The iDrive system required some getting used to but was easy to navigate after some practice.

The 2021 Toyota Venza came with the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 suite, which included eight airbags, a rearview camera, hill start assist, parking distance sensors, tire pressure monitoring, and adjustable front seatbelt anchors. Additional features included a pre-collision warning system with pedestrian detection, lane-departure alert with steering assist, lane-tracing assist, automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, and road sign assist. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was standard, with an upgrade to automatic braking available on the XLE and Limited trims. The Venza had two full sets of LATCH connections on the rear outboard seats.

The 2021 BMW X5 was equipped with blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, rain-sensing windshield wipers, fatigue and focus alert, lane departure warning, and automatic high-beam headlights. The Driving Assistance Professional Package included adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, but it had issues with reacting to stopped traffic and lane markings. The X5 received nearly all Good ratings from the IIHS and a four-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA.