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.
04:12There'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.
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