CARS OF THE WORLD

Toyota bZ4X 2023.

In the spring, Toyota launched sales of the new electric crossover bZ4X.

It took Toyota a long time to produce a mass-produced electric car. One would hope that the bZ4X was worth the wait.

The bZ4X is comfortable and equipped with many technological features. But its modest range, performance, and interior design reduce its status in the field of electric cars.

Good or bad, the bZ4X looks more like a regular SUV like the Toyota RAV4 than a real electric car.

It is faster than most small gasoline SUVs, but slower than most competing electric cars like the Tesla Model Y or Ford Mustang Mach-E.

The power is enough to drive around town or accelerate to highway speeds, but in numbers the bZ4X is objectively slower than other electric cars.

Even on paper, the Toyota bZ4X was worse than most electric cars in the same price segment.

Considering that this model has already turned out to be defective, there is a question about the necessity of buying it.

The Toyota bZ4X, judging by the comments, is not capable of offering anything more than its direct competitors.

The brakes provide adequate braking power, but we found the pedal to be a bit soft and erratic, making it difficult to stop smoothly every time.

Another drawback is the lack of full one-pedal driving.

Many electric cars can use their regenerative braking to slow down (rather than just coasting) and come to a complete stop when you release the accelerator pedal.

The steering and handling are average. The steering wheel itself is surprisingly small for a crossover SUV, though that doesn’t make the bZ4X itself small or maneuverable.

It’s light and fast enough that it’s not hard to park, but the lack of road feel and soft suspension don’t provide any noticeable engagement.

Notably, the Toyota bZ4X is notable for its awkward handling.

It’s as if the car is trying to replace the driver, but it doesn’t allow you to disconnect from the road for even a little while.

The bZ4X has a smooth ride, and it handles bumps quite comfortably.

The front seats are also good, thanks to soft padding, enough support to make you feel safe when cornering, and enough adjustments to suit the preferences of most people behind the wheel.

The BZ4X also goes overboard with all types of warning signals. And unfortunately, you can’t turn them off.

Even in terms of noise isolation, the Japanese novelty is inferior to many of its competitors.

These disadvantages are even more noticeable if we remember that Toyota produces the most popular car for today — the crossover RAV4.

This model by many parameters surpasses its competitors. As a result, it turns out that Toyota’s first attempt to create a mass electric crossover failed.