Compare the2026 Rolls-Royce CullinanVS 2026 BMW X5 M

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW X5 M doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

Both the Cullinan and X5 M have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Cullinan has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The X5 M’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Cullinan helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The X5 M doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the Cullinan and the X5 M have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Rolls-Royce Cullinan weighs 675 pounds more than the BMW X5 M. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Cullinan comes with a full 4-year/unlimited-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The X5 M’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires sooner.

Rolls-Royce pays for scheduled maintenance on the Cullinan for 1 year and unlimited miles longer than BMW pays for maintenance for the X5 M (4/unlimited vs. 3/36,000).

The Cullinan’s standard 6.8 turbo V12 produces 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (627 vs. 553) than the X5 M’s 4.4 turbo V8 hybrid. The Cullinan Black Badge’s standard 6.8 turbo V12 produces 111 lbs.-ft. more torque (664 vs. 553) than the X5 M’s 4.4 turbo V8 hybrid.

The Cullinan has 1.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the X5 M (23.8 vs. 21.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Cullinan has standard 22-inch wheels. Smaller 21-inch wheels are standard on the X5 M Competition. The Cullinan’s optional 23-inch wheels are larger than the 21-inch front wheels and 22-inch rear wheels optional on the X5 M Competition.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires available on the Cullinan can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The X5 M doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Cullinan’s wheelbase is 12.7 inches longer than on the X5 M (129.7 inches vs. 117 inches).

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Cullinan is quieter than the X5 M Competition:

The Cullinan has 1.1 inches more front headroom, 1 inch more rear headroom and 5.5 inches more rear legroom than the X5 M.

The Cullinan’s cargo area is larger than the X5 M’s in almost every dimension:

The Cullinan has a 7300 lbs. towing capacity. The X5 M has no towing capacity.

The Cullinan has a higher standard payload capacity than the X5 M (1027 vs. 970 lbs.).

The Cullinan has a higher maximum payload capacity than the X5 M (1080 vs. 970 lbs.).

The Cullinan’s power side reverse swing out doors make it much easier to load and unload kids and cargo. One touch opens the door, before you even get to the sport utility. The X5 M doesn’t offer a power rear door.

The Cullinan has standard front air conditioned seats and offers them optionally in the rear. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The X5 M doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The Cullinan has standard massaging front seats. Massaging front seats cost extra on the X5 M. The Cullinan also offers optional massaging rear seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging rear seats aren’t available in the X5 M.