Turns out, you can have it all with luxury SUVs, even if you want a German one. While Japanese luxury SUVs have garnered a reputation for being sleek, comfortable, and dependable, and German ones have earned a reputation for being high-maintenance, there are a fair few 2025 BMW SUVs that stack up well against their Lexus and Acura rivals in terms of dependability.
We are taking a look at these Bavarian beasts and have found the most reliable BMW SUV models you can buy this year. This is how they compare to their Acura and Lexus counterparts for reliability. Gone are the days when you had to opt for a Japanese luxury SUV for the highest reliability ratings.
2025 BMW X1 & 2025 BMW X3 Vs. 2025 Lexus UX
2025 BMW X1 Reliability Rating: 76/100
As the small German SUV that is sorely overlooked, the 2025 BMW X1 brings a very impressive J.D. Power dependability rating of 76 out of 100 and a 5 out of 5 owner rating on Kelley Blue Book (KBB) to the luxury market. It is relatively cheap to buy, with a starting price of $42,500, and it is available with two impressively powerful turbo-fours: a 241-horsepower 2.0-liter TwinPower turbocharged inline-four in the xDrive28i, and a 312-horsepower 2.0-liter TwinPower turbocharged inline-four under the hood of the M35i.
RepairPal says that it will cost you $915 a year to maintain a BMW X1, while CarEdge estimates that it will cost you approximately $18,000 over 10 years to maintain — all in all, not bad for a stylish and useful luxury German SUV.
2025 BMW X3 Reliability Rating: 74/100
The BMW X1 is a subcompact SUV, while its slightly bigger sibling, the BMW X3, is classified as a compact SUV. The 2025 BMW X3 is slightly more expensive, with an MSRP of around $51,000, but you do get more room than you would in the X1 (61.7 cubic feet of cargo space vs. 57.2 cubic feet in the X1). Both engine choices you get for the X3 are mild-hybrid turbo-fours and are both more powerful than what the X1 can offer. Available are a 2.0-liter B48 inline-four mated to a 48-volt rig, good for 255 horsepower in the X3 30 xDrive, and a 393-horsepower 3.0-liter B58 turbocharged inline-six paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid setup under the hood of the X3 M50.
The X3 has been rated as slightly less reliable than the X1, with a J.D. Power reliability rating of 74 out of 100, and a RepairPal annual maintenance estimate of $1,034, but due to its size and more powerful engine options, we can make a good presumption that it is why it will cost a little more money to keep maintained in the long run.
2025 Lexus UX Reliability Rating: 80/100
As the smallest Lexus SUV available in the U.S.A., the 2025 Lexus UX beats both the subcompact and compact BMW offerings for reliability this year. According to owner reviews on J.D. Power, a rating of 80 out of 100 puts it some way ahead of its German luxury rivals. If there isn’t a better perk to being the luxury arm of the bulletproof Toyota than low maintenance costs and dependability, we don’t know what is. According to RepairPal, the Lexus UX is rated as 4 out of 5 for reliability, and will only cost you $551 a year for maintenance, making it a lot cheaper than the average maintenance bill for all models ($652 a year), let alone luxury SUVs.
This year’s Lexus UX is available with one engine choice: a hybrid 2.0-liter inline-four that shifts out 196 horsepower. While it is somewhat less powerful than its small BMW SUV counterparts, where the UX takes the win is in fuel efficiency, with FuelEconomy.gov estimating that it can achieve a maximum combined mpg rating of 43 mpg (45 in the city and 41 mpg on the highway), and will cost you an estimated $1,050 a year to fill up.
2025 BMW X7 Vs. 2025 Lexus TX Vs. 2025 Acura MDX
2025 BMW X7 Reliability Rating: 81/100
This time, it is BMW’s turn to be the most reliable. The 2025 BMW X7 has been rated 81 out of 100 for dependability on J.D. Power and 4.6 out of 5 for reliability by owners on KBB, though a historical RepairPal reliability rating of 2.5 out of 5 takes the shine off a little. The full-size BMW X7 can also be seen to have relatively impressive annual maintenance costs, with RepairPal estimating that it will cost you $968 a year. While that may seem like a lot, considering its caliber and the fact that RepairPal has ranked full-size luxury SUVs 19th out of 19 vehicle types for reliability with an average annual repair cost of $1,127, we think it is doing quite well.
This year’s lineup is available with a plethora of meaty engines to get the gargantuan X7 moving. You get a choice of a 375-horsepower 3.0-liter Twin Power inline-six under the hood of the base-level xDrive40i, a 523-horsepower 4.4-liter TwinPower V8 under the hood of the M60i, and an outrageous 630-horsepower V8 under the hood of the ALPINA XB7. It is worth noting, though, that the more powerful you get, the more you are likely to spend on maintenance in the long run.
2025 Lexus TX Reliability Rating: 80/100
Boasting just one less point for reliability than the X7, the 2025 Lexus TX is all sorts of plush and useful. With a rating of 80 out of 100, it is effectively on par, reliability-wise, with the BMW X7. There is no repair-cost data on RepairPal, but CarEdge has estimated that it will cost you, on average, $8,029 over 10 years for maintenance. Compared to the X7’s CarEdge 10-year maintenance estimate of $20,040, the TX’s can be seen as pocket change in comparison. While the X7 may be pulling ahead slightly in terms of owner-rated reliability, there is no escaping the high labor and parts costs associated with German brands.
The 2025 Lexus TX is available with three engine options: a 275-horsepower turbo-four for the TX 350, a 366-horsepower turbocharged hybrid inline-four under the hood of the TX 500h F SPORT PERFORMANCE, and a 404-horsepower 3.5-liter plug-in V6 under the hood of the TX 550h+ PHEV.
2025 Acura MDX Reliability Rating: 77/100
As Acura’s largest SUV in 2025, the three-row mid-sized Acura MDX may be slightly lower rated than its Lexus and BMW counterparts, with a reliability rating of 77 out of 100, but it makes up for it in terms of maintenance costs, which RepairPal estimates will cost you $571 a year at the garage, and with an overall RepairPal reliability rating of 4 out of 5.
Where the 2025 Acura MDX is impressing for many is because it only comes equipped with V6s. Plus, with a starting price of just over $51,000, it does make for a real thorn in the side of the more established Lexus and BMW. As standard, the MDX (Base, Technology, A-Spec, and A-Spec Advance trims) comes equipped with a naturally aspirated V6 good for 290 horsepower, while if you go for the MDX Type S or MDX Type S Advance, you benefit from a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 that sends out 355 horsepower.
“There’s just always torque available, and turbo lag is always relatively quelled. There’s also fantastic throttle response here, making this engine almost feel naturally aspirated. I also never got tired of hearing a Honda engine revving up to redline.”
Top Speed review of the Acura MDX Type S by William Clavey
2025 BMW X4 Vs. 2025 Lexus NX Vs. 2025 Acura RDX
2025 BMW X4 Reliability Rating: 83/100
The 2025 BMW X4 is available from just over $56,000 for the base-level xDrive30i and for just under $68,000 for the more potent M40i. The xDrive30i comes equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four good for 248 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, and the more expensive M40i benefits from a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six that kicks out 382 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque. The BMW X4 M40i can reportedly hit 60 mph in as little as 4.2 seconds, which isn’t bad for something that tips the scales at 4,403 pounds.
What makes this year’s X4 even better is that it has also been rated very highly by owners on J.D. Power for dependability, with a rating of 83 out of 100. These sentiments have been echoed by owners who have left their reviews on KBB (4.6 out of 5), and RepairPal has given it an overall reliability rating of 3.5 out of 5. It is also estimated that it will cost you $988 a year for maintenance and just over $19,000 over 10 years.
2025 Lexus NX Reliability Rating: 85/100
Once again, though, Lexus is creeping ahead for reliability in this size category. The 2025 Lexus NX has been given a slightly higher dependability score than its X4 rival, and is estimated by RepairPal and CarEdge to cost you less for maintenance, with estimates of $690 per year and $7,684 over 10 years, respectively. The Lexus NX also does exceptionally well at holding its value, with CarEdge saying that, on average, it will lose around $25,000 over five years, while the X4 will lose around $32,400 over the same period.
There are four engine flavors for this year’s Lexus NX, all of which are reasonably powerful for everyday use, and reasonably fuel-efficient considering the NX’s size. As standard, you get a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-four good for 203 horsepower in the NX 250; a 275-horsepower 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-four sits under the hood of the NX 350; a 240-horsepower hybrid inline-four motivates the NX 350h, and the most powerful engine option you can get is a 2.5-liter plug-in hybrid inline-four under the hood of the NX 450h+. Average combined mpg ratings for the 2025 Lexus NX are as follows:
- 2025 Lexus NX 250. Combined mpg rating: 28 mpg
- 2025 Lexus NX 350. Combined mpg rating: 24 mpg
- 2025 Lexus NX 350h. Combined mpg rating: 39 mpg
- 2025 Lexus NX 450h+. Combined mpg rating: 36 mpg/84 mpge
2025 Acura RDX Reliability Rating: 81/100
Despite being the luxury brand owned by the famously hardy Honda, the 2025 Acura RDX represents another model that is rated lower than some of its BMW counterparts for reliability. A rating of 81 out of 100 is by no means bad at all, but it is clear that the German marque has upped its game lately. In fact, according to the 2025 Initial Quality Survey, Acura is ranked one place lower than BMW for problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a reported average of 198 PP100 versus BMW’s 196 PP100. Still, here, there is no beating Lexus, which has a reported 166 PP100 and is placed at the top of the table.
This year’s Acura RDX is stylish, relatively cheap (starting price of around $49,000); it boasts a techy cabin, with a 10.2-inch HD touchscreen that takes center stage, Super Handling AWD is equipped as standard, and you get a relatively potent engine under the hood across the board. The RDX is equipped with a 272-horsepower/280-pound-foot 2.0-liter turbocharged DOHC inline-four that can get you from rest to 60 in around 6.5 seconds (plenty for zipping around and joining the highway).
The Japanese Luxury SUV That’s Outselling German Rivals In 2025
The Japanese luxury SUV market is taking on the German market in a big way already this year, with this plush SUV outselling its European counterparts
2025 BMW X6 & 2025 BMW X5 Vs. 2025 Lexus RX
2025 BMW X6 Reliability Rating: 89/100
The 2025 BMW X6 is the most reliable BMW SUV you can buy at the moment, and is more reliable than both its Lexus and Acura rivals. Owners have given it a reliability score of 89 out of 100 on J.D. Power; it has been rated 5 out of 5 for reliability on KBB, and according to RepairPal, annual maintenance costs are reasonable for its breed, at $1,206 (still below the luxury SUV average).
Starting prices are relatively high at just over $76,000 for the xDrive40i, and they stretch up to just under $97,000 for the M60i, but you do get a choice of two very powerful mills: a 375-horsepower turbocharged inline-six as standard, or a 523-horsepower 4.4-liter turbocharged V8 for the M60i. That is before you get to the $133,000 BMW X6 M, which boasts a monster of a 617-horsepower V8.
2025 BMW X5 Reliability Rating: 81/100
With a still respectable 81 out of 100 reliability rating, the slightly longer and taller 2025 BMW X5 may just be below the X6 in terms of dependability, but it is still a very useful and trustworthy BMW SUV to own. It has been rated 4.3 out of 5 for dependability on KBB, and RepairPal says it is fractionally cheaper than the X6 to maintain each year, with an estimated annual repair bill of $1,166.
There are three BMW X5 trims this year, before getting into the M models or the PHEV flavor: the RWD sDrive40i, the AWD xDrive40i, and the M60i, with prices ranging from $67,500 to $92,000. On top of its high reliability ratings, what makes the BMW X5 a proper BMW SUV is the engine options; all three are impressively powerful and can make the X5 a very fun luxury SUV to drive.
|
Spec |
2025 BMW X5 sDrive40i |
2025 BMW X5 xDrive40i |
2025 BMW X5 M60i |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Engine |
3.0-Liter Turbocharged Inline-Six |
3.0-Liter Turbocharged Inline-Six |
4.4-Liter Turbocharged V8 |
|
Horsepower |
375 Horsepower |
375 Horsepower |
523 Horsepower |
|
Torque |
398 LB-FT |
398 LB-FT |
553 LB-FT |
|
0–60 MPH |
5.3 Seconds |
5.3 Seconds |
4.2 Seconds |
2025 Lexus RX Reliability Rating: 82/100
Boasting a truly Lexus-grade reliability rating of 82 out of 100 on J.D. Power, a low annual maintenance bill estimate of $550, and a low 10-year estimated cost of $7,842, the 2025 Lexus RX is mostly what you’d expect from the famously dependable luxury marque. However, there are some discrepancies in their clean-sheet ratings; owners on KBB have only rated this year’s Lexus RX as 3.8 out of 5 for reliability, with only 50% of owners who have left a review recommending it. Where the X5 and X6 have garnered favorable dependability in multiple owner-provided places, the RX gets them in just one.
Despite this, we think the Lexus RX is still worth considering if you are in the market for a relatively affordable and impressive luxury SUV. Starting prices are just shy of $55,500 for the base trim RX 350; they are slightly lower for the base trim of the RX Hybrid lineup, at $52,775 for the RX 350h, and the most expensive model you can get is the $72,610 RX 450h+. This gets you a 304-horsepower 2.5-liter plug-in inline-four that can achieve a combined mpg rating of 83 mpge, so there are pros and cons to this year’s lineup.
Sources: BMW, Acura, Lexus, J.D. Power, RepairPal, and CarEdge.