Tom's Guide's John Velasco test-drove the 2024 Toyota bZ4X for a week to find out how the company’s first EV performs after perfecting the hybrid car. The Toyota bZ4X is a crossover SUV with an estimated range of 236 miles and 201hp performance, so it's the kind of thing that should get you from place to place with ease. Its futuristic look makes it a stark contrast on the road, while the driver’s seat has a unique cockpit style design.
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00:00It's like a video game, arcane machine.
00:03Toyota's legendary when it comes to reliability and they're one of the pioneers of hybrid
00:08cars, but they've been noticeably absent in the EV space.
00:12They're hoping to change that with this, the BZ4X.
00:15It's their first all electric vehicle.
00:22This is the Toyota BZ4X.
00:24It starts at $48,000, the limited version that I'm driving here, but they also make
00:28a base version, the XLE, which is at $41,000.
00:32They both have a 201 horsepower electric motor and they have also a 74.1 kilowatt hour battery.
00:39For comparison, the Kona has a 64.8 kilowatt hour battery.
00:43So the XLE has a range of 252 miles versus this one, which has 236.
00:48There could be a couple of reasons why that's the case because this one has larger wheels,
00:5320 inch wheels versus 18, and it's also heavier.
00:57Even though it has less range, you still get a lot more features with the limited.
01:01For example, you have the multi-LED projector headlights.
01:05You have the power liftgate with foot activation.
01:08You have powered seats with lumbar support with the driver's seat only.
01:12You also have cooling ventilation with the seats, power moonroof, 20 inch alloy wheels,
01:18heated and ventilated front seats, auto-dimming rear view mirror, and you also get a backup
01:24camera with 360 degree views.
01:34I'm headed to the charging station right now because I've been driving for most of the
01:37afternoon.
01:38I'm roughly at 15% battery left, giving me a range of 31 miles, so really low.
01:44Once it gets close to 10%, it's going to notify me with a warning.
01:56While it's great that you can charge an EV at home with just an ordinary 120 volt outlet
02:01that's level one charging, the more practical thing to do is invest into a level two charger
02:06because for overnight, you charge it up roughly around eight hours, you'll have a full battery
02:10by the time you wake up.
02:12We started at 15% battery and right now after 30 minutes, it's showing 67%.
02:17To put that into perspective, when I was charging this at home with level one charging, it gave
02:22back 17% battery in over 10 plus hours, but here we got 52% in 30 minutes.
02:28You can probably get by with level one charging if your commute is short, but if you plan
02:33on doing a lot of long distance driving, it's not really practical.
02:36In the week I've been driving this, it's given me an efficiency of 3.1 miles per kilowatt
02:41hour, which I think is average for an EV.
02:43Again, there are some EVs that get better efficiency like the Lucid Air Pure, which
02:48gets closer to four miles per kilowatt hour, but to me, I think it's good enough here.
02:53This efficiency is better than I expected given the larger size because it is a crossover
02:57SUV.
02:58When it comes to efficiency, three miles per kilowatt hour is the sweet spot for most EVs.
03:03If you get anything more greater than four, that's great, but anything less than three
03:08is pretty bad.
03:09I didn't quite get the peak I got with the Kona, which got a little bit above four miles
03:14per kilowatt hour.
03:15One of the things I do like about this is the design.
03:17It has those RAV4 cues, but in a more sleeker, more futuristic look.
03:22When you see the front, it has a really nice grill, sleek lines.
03:26You have also the projector LED lights that stand out, and just the way the angles are
03:30cut.
03:31You could see how it's very angular with its design.
03:33The two-tone finish of the car also makes it pop.
03:36You could see it here near the wheels and also around the back.
03:40For being a futuristic vehicle, it has some antiquated features.
03:44For example, the handlebars, usually they're flush and hidden inside, but not here.
03:48It's a regular, standard handlebar.
03:51And with the charging port, it's a manual operation.
03:53Doesn't open up by itself.
03:54I got to press it and open it like that.
03:57And on the inside, it has a tiny screen.
03:59Kind of reminds me of the original Prius, which came out over 10 plus years ago.
04:07In the week that I've been driving, and I really like the performance and handling of
04:11the BZ4X, there's only one mode here, which is Eco Mode.
04:15You could turn it on or off.
04:17Even when I have it turned on, though, the acceleration is pretty responsive and zippy.
04:24I will give Toyota credit, it has one of the better implementations of smart cruise control
04:29because it's very soft with its acceleration and braking.
04:33It anticipates also what's ahead.
04:35When I had someone actually cut me off a little bit, it didn't apply the brakes really
04:39hard.
04:40It was subtle.
04:42It also comes with many of the standard safety features that I enjoy.
04:45For example, you have parking assist, you have the blindside sensors to notify if someone's
04:51there, smart cruise control that I already mentioned, and lane assist.
04:55On the flip side, the cabin space could be a lot quieter.
04:59I'm disappointed that the passenger seat has manual adjustment.
05:03And for the price, I was expecting more features like blind spot cameras.
05:07Oh, and a final note, the most irritating I've had with the BZ4X is the infrared camera
05:13that's built into the steering wheel.
05:15It's a safety feature, so I keep my eyes on the road, but it's just way too nagging.
05:20One of the really cool features it has, though, is self-parking.
05:24So basically, it'll automatically park for me, whether it's parallel parking or parking
05:29lot parking.
05:30Let's try, I guess, hit that one.
05:33Okay, hit start.
05:37Okay, it's going to do it all hands-free.
05:55There we go.
05:56In between the lines, perfect parking.
05:59Not better than me, though.
06:03Toyota's first EV is in a home run.
06:05I think it's on the pricier side, and it's also shorter on range.
06:08For a little bit less, there are some other EVs I've tested that have better range, like
06:13the Kona.
06:14But knowing that, there's always the better reliability and resale value down the road.
06:18What do you guys think?
06:20Let me know in the comments below.
06:21Make sure to watch my other videos, like my Kona review and the other EVs I've tested
06:25on the channel.
06:26Follow us on social, Atom's Guide.
06:28I'm John B., and I'll see you in my next video.