Is the 2023 Toyota bZ4X a Good EV? 6 Things We Like and 4 We Don’t

With the launch of the 2023 bZ4X, its first electric vehicle available in all 50 states, Toyota has taken a more conservative styling and usability approach than some other electric car makers (and we mean that in the nicest possible way).

Related: 2023 Toyota bZ4X Review: Normal Toyota, Natural Step Into EVs

From its modern yet somewhat conservative styling to its largely conventional controls and interior layout, the new bZ4X looks much like any other Toyota vehicle inside and out, and lacks some of the gimmicky touches so popular with some competitors. That’s probably the right move on Toyota’s part, as EVs continue to move into the mainstream.

The result is that anyone who’s driven a new Toyota should feel right at home in the bZ4X. The oddest thing about it is its name, which looks like the result of someone in marketing dozing off on a keyboard. Awkward to say or spell, it will likely confuse parking valets and parts counter clerks for years to come.

Unfortunate name notwithstanding, there are a lot of things to like about the bZ4X, chief among them its regular-car vibes. Still, there are a couple of things beyond the name we’d change if we could.

Here are six things we like about the 2023 Toyota bZ4X, plus four things we don’t:

Things We Like

1. Decent Room for People and Stuff

The bZ4X’s cabin is a pleasantly spacious and airy place, with plenty of headroom and legroom front and rear, and seats for up to five occupants. A relatively large glass area provides good visibility all around, and interior material quality is good for the price. There’s also plenty of room for gear, with a generous cargo area.

2. Hello, Old Friend

Toyota built a huge following not by building niche market vehicles or even particularly exciting ones, but by making comfortable, hassle-free and easy-to-live-with models. The great majority of buyers put a greater priority on reliability and comfort than excitement, and the bZ4X is designed to make those same buyers happy: There’s no special learning curve to the controls or displays, nor are there any whiz-bang video game effects. Just get in and drive, like you would any other car.

3. No Offense

In much the same way that mainstream buyers will find little to gripe about with the interior controls and layout of the bZ4X, they will likely find the driving experience just as agreeable. While not one of the sportier EVs, the bZ4X goes, turns and stops pretty much like any other Toyota. The steering doesn’t offer much feedback, and the brakes are just as vague as many other all-electrics. But the overall handling, braking and steering are just fine for the bZ4X’s mission and its likely audience.

4. Plenty of Pep

Front-wheel-drive models combine a single motor with a 71.4-kilowatt-hour battery, good for a total of 201 horsepower and 196 pounds-feet of torque. That’s enough to provide quick, smooth acceleration for easy highway merging with the immediate response of an electric powertrain. All-wheel-drive models up the ante further thanks to a second motor and a larger 72.8-kWh battery. The resulting 214 hp and 248-pounds-feet of torque make the bZ4X quicker still, with the added benefit of AWD.

5. A Better Big Screen

The bZ4X gets the latest version of Toyota’s Audio Multimedia system, which is a big improvement over its old Entune system. The 12.3-inch touchscreen is mounted high where it’s easy to see and use, and the configurable system is quick and intuitive. As good as it is, we’d still prefer to have a “home” screen, and the voice controls aren’t the best. We’d also prefer conventional climate controls, though the system’s capacitive controls work well enough.

6. Competitive Pricing

A base bZ4X in XLE trim with FWD starts at $43,215 (prices include destination); AWD adds $2,080. A FWD Limited starts at $47,915, rising to $49,995 with AWD. While not pocket change, those are competitive prices for the category, and all models may still be eligible for $7,500 in tax credits. The clock is ticking on those credits, however, so act fast if you want a bZ4X in your future.

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Things We Don’t Like

1. No One-Pedal Driving

Braking feel is never a strong suit with most electric cars, but feedback from the pedal doesn’t feel as artificial in the bZ4X as it does in some competitors. One negative, however, is that there’s no one-pedal driving option, which can help maximize battery regeneration underway and is common on other EVs. The best the bZ4X can do is a slightly more aggressive regenerative-braking setting activated via a button on the center console. We get that Toyota wants to make the driving experience as much like a conventional car as possible, but buyers may be missing out here.

2. Limited Ride Comfort

Toyota offers the bZ4X in two trim levels: XLE and Limited. Among other things, the pricier Limited trim adds 20-inch wheels and tires in place of the 18-inch setup on the XLE. A big downside of the larger rims is a noticeable degradation in ride quality, with the Limited seeming to amplify every road imperfection even on smooth roads. In everyday driving on rougher surfaces, the Limited’s ride is busy and borderline harsh. The XLE trim’s ride proved to be noticeably more comfortable.

3. Instrumentation Issues

The bZ4X uses a slightly unusual dashboard design, with the gauge cluster mounted high in front of the driver. The result is that you look over the steering-wheel rim to see some instruments rather than through it. This eliminates the need for a head-up display but does take getting used to.

A bigger deal is that the gauges are not as bright and bold as we’d like, and some instruments, such as the speedometer, use a thin font that makes them harder to read.

4. Low Range

Base front-drive XLE models have the best range of any bZ4X configuration, with a 252-mile EPA rating. That’s not an insignificant distance, but it can’t match the 280-mile range of a Volkswagen ID.4 in base trim, and it’s considerably less than the 310-mile range of the long-range version of the single-motor Kia EV6. Stepping up to an AWD or Limited bZ4X means giving up even more range. Given that the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ford Mustang Mach-E extended-range version can also top 300 miles of range, the bZ4X is something of a disappointment in this regard.

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