Toyota kicks off its all-electric vehicle lineup with the bZ4X, joining the rapidly growing EV market with a popular SUV size slotting between the RAV4 and the larger Venza. We share our first impressions of the 2023 Toyota bZ4X and discuss its modest electric range, the recent recall involving wheels detaching while in motion, Toyota already running out of EV tax credits, and why CR will not be buying one for its test program.
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SHOW NOTES
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00:00 – Introduction
00:14 – First Impressions: 2023 Toyota bZ4X
17:25 – Question: Why automatic folding side view mirrors are rare in the US?
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2023 Toyota bZ4X
Roomy 2023 Toyota bZ4X Impresses on the Road
Toyota Becomes 3rd Automaker to Reach Electric vehicle Tax Credit Limit
2023 Subaru Solterra EV Has Lots of Room but Its Battery Is Too Small
Guide to Car Safety
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bZ means “more than just zero emission” trying to differentiate by just naming.
It still makes it sound like a Subaru. It reminds me of the BRZ.
I wish I too have power folding mirrors on my 4Runners as it would be easy to walk pass them going to the back yard though the back door in my garage.
Beezee for ex .
Which sounds like working hard to pay alimony. 🤪
How come you are doing this episode wearing shorts – appropriate for mid-July – but when you show us some video of the Toyota “you were driving this week” on your track it was clearly shot in the early spring?
This new Toyota/Subaru is a total fail in my opinion. I am NOT against EVs, but where I live in Texas, the closest charging station is about 100 miles. It’s over 200 miles in any direction, for me to be in another state. Having a 200 mile range is pathetic, in comparison to gasoline vehicles. Add to that, auto makers seem to want to make EVs as ugly as possible, both inside & outside. To me, the best looking EVs on the market are the Ford F-150 Lightning & the larger Tesla models.
Yeah I don’t believe it’s 100 miles away lmao
14 minutes into the review to mention the recall because the wheels fall off? How long has Toyota been making cars? 101 car manufacturing, the wheels shouldn’t fall off…
Would like to know about SUVs that have ‘driver assist’, or are self driving…
The Battery powered electric vehicle may not be the final solution. Toyota thinks Fuel cell electric vehicle is the way to go.
My older Prius has the instrument panel closer to the windshield but in the center of the dash. However, it doesn’t put a whole lot of info up there. It works fine for me with my bad eyes which do not change focus easily. What is really great is that my Prius also has a color head-up display, putting some of the same information like speed and navigation arrows on the windshield itself. That seems like a better option than the bZ4X’s (hard to type as well as say) distant instrument panel.
That’s one hideous looking electric golf cart. Electric cars are not the future.
Yes. Glad to see you all together again
Thank you
Looks like a solid little car but the slow charging speed is more of an issue for me than the range of 250
miles.
Looks like they took inspiration from a 1995 Toyota tercel for that interior. Very dated
Given the dashboard gauge display, Toyota can use a software fix for the display issue you identified. You said the dashboard gauge is too far from the driver’s face, as the gauges display information (speed, etc.) using standard sized fonts. If Toyota updates the gauge cluster software, they could show fewer items (e.g., speed, remaining range, and one other item) but using a larger font. If they change the color of the font or background (e.g., green/amber/red) to signal how fast the battery is being drained, they don’t need a separate gauge for this information. Any emergency message can be flashed in red, centered near the top of the screen.
I had a Scion with the centre gauge cluster, and my slow to refocus eyes loved it.
This car is hideous. What is wrong with Asian auto designers? It’s like they all just discovered acid.
Really weird that the AWD version charges slower than the FWD.