00:00It's like a video game, arcane machine. Toyota's legendary when it comes to
00:05reliability and they're one of the pioneers of hybrid cars but they've been
00:09noticeably absent in the EV space. They're hoping to change that with this,
00:13the BZ4X. It's their first all-electric vehicle.
00:21This is the Toyota BZ4X. It starts at 48,000, the limited version that I'm
00:26driving here but they also make a 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
00:38kilowatt-hour battery. In comparison, the Kona has a 64.8 kilowatt-hour battery. So
00:43the XLE has a range of 252 miles versus this one which has 236. There could be a
00:49couple of reasons why that's the case because this one has larger wheels, 20
00:53inch wheels versus 18 and it's also heavier. Even though it has less range,
00:58you still get a lot more features with the limited. For example, you have the
01:02multi-LED projector headlights, you have the power liftgate with foot activation,
01:07you have powered seats with lumbar support with the driver's seat only, you
01:12also have cooling ventilation with the seats, power moonroof, 20-inch alloy wheels,
01:17heated and ventilated front seats, auto-dimming rear view mirror, and you
01:22also get a backup camera with 360-degree views.
01:33I'm headed to the charging station right now because I've been driving for most of
01:37the afternoon. I'm roughly at 15% battery left, giving me a range of 31 miles so
01:42really low. Once it gets close to 10%, it's going to notify me with a warning.
01:55While it's great that you can charge an EV at home with just an ordinary 120 volt
02:01outlet, that's level one charging, the more practical thing to do is invest into a
02:05level two charger because for overnight, you charge it up roughly around eight hours,
02:09you'll have a full battery by the time you wake up. We started at 15% battery and
02:14right now after 30 minutes, it's showing 67%. To put that into perspective, when I was
02:19charging this at home with level one charging, it gave back 17% battery in over
02:2410 plus hours. But here we got 52% in 30 minutes. You can probably get by with
02:29level one charging if your commute is short, but if you plan on doing a lot of
02:33long distance driving, it's not really practical. In the week I've been driving this,
02:37it's giving me an efficiency of 3.1 miles per kilowatt hour, which I think is
02:42average for an EV. Again, there are some EVs that get better efficiency like the
02:46Lucid Air Pure, which gets closer to four miles per kilowatt hour. But to me, I think
02:51it's good enough here. This efficiency is better than I expected given the larger
02:56size because it is a crossover SUV. When it comes to efficiency, three miles per
03:01kilowatt hour is the sweet spot for most EVs. If you get anything more greater than four,
03:06that's great, but anything less than three is pretty bad. I didn't quite get the peak I
03:10got with the Kono, which got a little bit above four miles per kilowatt hour. One of
03:15the things I do like about this is the design. It has those RAV4 cues, but in a
03:20more sleeker, more futuristic look. When you see the front, it has a really nice
03:24grille, sleek lines. You have also the projector LED lights that stand out, and just
03:30the way the angles are cut. You could see how it's very angular with its design. The
03:33two-tone finish of the car also makes it pop. You could see it here near the wheels, and
03:38also around the back. For being a futuristic vehicle, it has some antiquated features. For
03:44example, the handlebars, usually they're flush and hidden inside, but not here. It's a regular
03:49standard handlebar. And with the charging port, it's a manual operation. It doesn't open
03:54up by itself. I got to press it and open it like that. And on the inside, it has a tiny screen.
03:59It kind of reminds me of the original Prius, which came out over 10-plus years ago.
04:07In the week that I've been driving it, I really like the performance and handling of the BZ4X.
04:13There's only one mode here, which is Eco Mode. You could turn it on or off.
04:16Even when I have it turned on, though, the acceleration is pretty responsive and zippy.
04:21I 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. It anticipates also what's ahead.
04:35When I had someone actually cut me off a little bit, it didn't apply to brakes really hard. It
04:40was subtle. It also comes with many of the standard safety features that I enjoy. For example, you have
04:47parking assist. You have the blindside sensors to notify someone's there. Smart cruise control that
04:52I already mentioned and lane assist. On the flip side, the cabin space could be a lot quieter. I'm
04:59disappointed that the passenger seat has manual adjustment. And for the price, I was expecting
05:05more features like blind spot cameras. Oh, and a final note, the most irritating I've had with the
05:11VZ4X is the infrared camera that's built into the steering wheel. It's a safety feature. So I keep my eyes on the road,
05:17but it's just way too nagging. One of the really cool features it has, though, is self-parking.
05:24So basically, it'll automatically park for me. Well, whether it's parallel parking or parking lot parking.
05:30Let's try. I guess hit that one. Okay. Hit start.
05:37Okay, it's gonna do it all hands-free.
05:41There we go. In between the lines, perfect parking. Not better than me, though.
06:02Toyota's first EV is in a home run. I 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,
06:12like the Kona. But knowing that, there's always the better reliability and resale value down the road.
06:18What do you guys think? Let me know in the comments below. Make sure to watch my other videos,
06:22like my Kona review and the other EVs I've tested on the channel. Follow us on social at Tom's Guide.
06:28I'm John B., and I'll see you in my next video.
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