The Highlander Limited's optional pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Lincoln MKX doesn't offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Highlander has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Lincoln MKX doesn't offer a whiplash protection system.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Highlander AWD's standard Downhill Assist Control allows you to creep down safely. The Lincoln MKX doesn't offer Downhill Assist Control.

Both the Highlander and the Lincoln MKX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Highlander is safer than the Lincoln MKX:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and with its optional front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Highlander its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2016, a rating granted to only 73 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Lincoln MKX has not been fully tested, yet.

J.D. Power and Associates' 2015 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota third in reliability, above the industry average. With 7 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is ranked 6th.

On the EPA test cycle the Highlander gets better fuel mileage than the Lincoln MKX:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Highlander uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Lincoln MKX with the 2.7 turbo V6 engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

For better stopping power the Highlander's brake rotors are larger than those on the Lincoln MKX:

The Highlander stops shorter than the Lincoln MKX:

The Highlander's front to rear weight distribution is more even (53% to 47%) than the Lincoln MKX's (58.3% to 41.7%). This gives the Highlander more stable handling and braking.

For greater off-road capability the Highlander has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Lincoln MKX (8 vs. 7.8 inches), allowing the Highlander to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Highlander has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Lincoln MKX can only carry 5.

The Highlander has 36.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Lincoln MKX (144.9 vs. 108.3).

The Highlander has .8 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more front hip room, .4 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 1.5 inches more rear hip room and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Lincoln MKX.

The Highlander's cargo area provides more volume than the Lincoln MKX.

The Highlander's optional rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Lincoln MKX's rear cargo window doesn't open.

Maximum trailer towing in the Lincoln MKX is limited to 3500 pounds. The Highlander offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

The Highlander has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Lincoln MKX (1455 vs. 900 lbs.).

The Highlander has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent vandalism, such as sugar in the tank and fuel theft. The Lincoln MKX doesn't offer a locking fuel door.

The Toyota Highlander has won recognition from these important consumer publications: