Zander Drives Cars

Here’s the deal, everyone and their mothers have read about the bz4x. Countless long-faced Youtubers will point and tell you that it sucks because it doesn’t have “Tesla range” or whatever other noise they throw out on the screen, and Instagram comments sections will repeat the same wheel jokes. I’m here to set the record straight: the bz4x doesn’t suck. This car so wrought with opinions and articles is, dare I say “misunderstood.” You just have to look at it the way buyers do: it’s an EV for people who don’t really want to drive, don’t want the Tesla badge baggage, and want it to stick out more than a Bolt EUV. Guys, the bz4x isn’t for cross-country road trips. It’s a car for people who live in cities. It’s an Urban Adventure Vehicle.

When creating an EV, automakers tend to go in two different directions. There’s the “almost ICE” route which just means it looks like any other gasoline-powered car sold next to it, stuff like the BMW i4 and F-150 Lightning, and there’s the “we want you to know this is an EV” route. Guess which one the bz4x follows? Listen, I’ve seen complaints about how this looks but I don’t really get them. It isn’t a Testarossa, but it’s not a Multipla either. I think the different colored panels are pretty sweet and definitely help get this car to stand out. Also, speaking of “standing out,” the rear quarter panel where the rear lights wrap around looks very Lexus.

Let’s get this out of the way here: this interior is weird. It isn’t a “bad” weird, it’s just, weird. It looks like no other Toyota product on sale today by a country mile. I would say this looks closer to something that Kia or Hyundai would put together. It looks modern and premium while keeping the same materials that we have come to know. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, this isn’t trying to be a premium car, but it does leave some to be desired. For example, the center console. It is coated in this smooth piano black material that looks very nice until you start touching it. Again, my issue isn’t the chosen materials, but the way they’re presented. It feels like this car is trying to punch above its weight a little bit and while it does show positively in some ways (the big screen, touch controls, leather seats) it strives to reach that goal in others. So, if we’re going to look at it as a Toyota product, it’s perfectly serviceable. The materials are expected, they probably won’t break, and they aren’t offensive. Also not offensive is the rear seat room. You can be at least 6’4 before you start having issues, at least. So, yea, the interior is a mixed bag but sometimes mixed bags can be okay, and this one is in my book.

There isn’t much to talk about with the center screen. It is large, easy to navigate, and has every single function you need with the exception of navigation. Yes, Toyota makes you pay unless you use CarPlay. What there is a lot to talk bout, however, is the drives screen. Really, just that whole part of the cabin needs talking about. In theory, this Knight Rider setup works quite well. It alleviates space taken up on the dashboard and gives you a clearer view of the road while making the cabin funkier. I don’t hate the way this whole system works. The screen has plenty of functions and is easy to configure, and honestly, its distance from the steering wheel isn’t that bad. But, big but, the steering wheel doesn’t go up or down far enough to not obstruct your view of the screen. This is kind of a tall people problem, as when I put that query on Instagram, I was told that people under 5’10 have no issue with it. Regardless, it feels like a system that has good intentions but could have been executed much better.

Given that this AWD Limited model costs $51,000, it would be unfortunate if this car didn’t have the creature comforts to back the price up. Thankfully, it does. You get heated and cooled seats, a heated steering wheel, heated front, and rear windshield, USB-A/C ports, wireless charging, dual-zone climate control, radar-guided cruise control, lane keep assist, blind spot, a 360 view camera, CarPlay and Android Auto, hands-free Bluetooth, and the aforementioned heated outboard seats with USB-C ports. This is all on par, equipment and price-wise, with the IONIQ 5, and a bit less expensive than a similarly equipped ID4.

The Toyota bz4x Limited comes with a 74.1 kWh battery that produces 215 hp and 248lb-ft of torque sent to an optional AWD system, which gets you an EPA-estimated… 228 miles of range. (the FWD model gets 201 hp) So, here is the deal: this isn’t a cross-country cruiser. This doesn’t want to be a Model Y or IONIQ 5 competitor. This car is for someone who lives in the city and drives 150 miles every two weeks. It makes sense if you think about it. Look at a commercial for this car. Driving is almost always done in cities. It is a car for urbanites or an “urban adventure vehicle.” Yes, this doesn’t excuse the range entirely, but when you look at it as a car for short-distance driving, it becomes a little more apparent that this car might not be as bad as one thinks it is.

This goes for the driving experience as well, it’s fine! I haven’t heard glaringly positive reviews on how this thing drives, so I’ll be the first to say that it feels pretty good. The initial acceleration (7.2 seconds) is plenty for commuting, and not once did I ever not feel in control of the car. It can feel a little heavy through the bends, but I’ve yet to drive an EV CUV that isn’t. Nothing rattled or shook too badly, the wheels didn’t fall off (har har har), and the seats were comfortable. This is a perfectly serviceable car. One thing I can knock it on was wind noise. This is an issue for a lot of EVs to tackle, and I’ve seen varying degrees of success at masking it, but you could definitely hear some wooshing at highway speeds. Other than that, I was pleasantly surprised by this car.

The bz4x is one of those cars that you have to know what you’re getting into before you buy it. You need to know what its limitations are. It’s like flying premium on a low-cost airliner. You’re not going to get the full indulgence of a mainline business class, but if you read what they give you, and don’t expect a lie-flat seat, you’ll be perfectly happy with what you end up getting. Plus, with a new EV-driven CEO on the way in, make no mistake that this is probably not this car’s final form. What that could entail? I don’t know. I’ll just be cautiously optimistic.

Huge thank you to Brian, Jason and Joshua of Antwerpen Toyota for letting me come down and drive the new bz4x. They’re a great dealer and they let me drive a Supra a few months back, so they’re good in my book. Click here to view their inventory.