I am like a morbillion percent sure all of the engineers developing this car had this exact mindset because there is no fucking way Toyota even put the slightest of effort into this vehicle bro 💀🙏
In Vancouver (Canada) gas is expensive, electricity is cheap and people are stinking rich... almost any EV will be snapped up no matter what. We seem to have gotten the lion's share of the allocation, because there are a number of these (and the Solterra) on the road. Same probably for Quebec I imagine.
@@jerkopatrik Didnt the CEO or whatever of Toyota effectively say they don't believe the technology for pure EVs is panning out the way people expect it to and they would much rather focus their attention on hybrids?
@@JPR3D yep, exactly what they said. They prolly only made this car to lower their fleet CO2 average but it's clear as day Toyota gives less than zero fucks about this automobile lol
You know, I worked at a toyota dealership up until recently. We had a service advisor that would try and sell oil change packages and fuel additives on these things.
The last aerodynamic vent you show is supposed to be an 'air curtain' which is to increase aerodynamic efficiency. Studies do show that they very marginally seal the wheel wells to make the car a smidge more slippery (drag reduction up to around 1% depending on design) so its not completely pointless.
Toyota has a history of using every trick in the book just to get that last 0.1% increase in efficiency, even at a detriment. Just ask us gen3 Prius owners about our weak piston rings.
@@zachwhalen7079 Nearly every decent car, gas or electric has these air curtains now, including most SUVs, and they don't add style (many aren't obvious unless you are looking for them), so I'm going to guess there's a reason every manufacturer has independently come to the same conclusion that they are, in fact, not pointless. That's to say nothing of the fact that race cars have been taking the same approach for a long time, too. Anything that can be done to curtain off the spinning wheel is beneficial to both drag and lift. Win win.
@@HyperVanilo Beyond Zero - trying to appear as a leader while you cast doubt on electrification efforts by lobbying California legislators and tout your Solid State batteries coming out next year.
I sell Toyotas. They made this car basically because the govt. made them have a full EV. The plug in RAV4 is a WAY better car. Way better. The hybrids overall are excellent. Toyota doesn’t give a shit about full electrics. They do have a new one coming down the pipe that will be an actual good car, but this is all they got for now. lol.
@@UmmYeahOk intermittently as required, the first one was for the CARB ZEV mandate, the second one was only made because toyota owned a part of tesla and had a battery supplying deal with them
“Compliance car” is the term, for those who’ve not heard it before! 😂 It used to be that they wouldn’t even design a new vehicle and chassis, just shoehorn an EV powertrain into an existing car like the little Honda Fit, and then act surprised that people wouldn’t buy a car with deeply sub-par range and performance.
Sophmoric humor, nods to a South Park episode and The Simpsons, comentary on the zeitgeist of the car industry, and a review of the car. Regular Car Review in a nutshell. Don't ever change you magnificent bastards.
Those front bumper vents are for aerodynamics. They basically make a sheet of air covering the tire, like an invisible fender skirt. This helps fuel/ range stats, but anywhere rural they clog with mud.
Hydrogen should have won the "alternate fuel" battle IMO. Fuel cells are cool, and hydrogen ICEs can be dropped into any car like a normal ICE without any trouble.
@@Majima_Nowhere FYI why it failed because it insanely inefficient and crazy expensive. Fuel Cell with 60% efficiency would still have trouble beating gas price even if industry kept on growing. But buring H2 in Piston Engine would HALVE 50% the efficiency of FC. No it can not be dropped into a Normal ICE as it would cause Lubrication Starving and fuel pumping problems with H2 Gas. While Liquified H2 is way too difficult to handle, but doesn't require complex sealing pumping. Yamaha is basically pissing away millions of USD equivalent to develop H2 specialized engines. Your entire comment is bad assumptions and rumors.
Not just the center console but the door handles where you pull the door closed too… it was a horrible design decision. I think Toyota/Subaru gave this one to the “special design team”
Accurate review. I test drove a Solterra and actually liked it a lot. I got tripped up by the gear shift for the reasons mentioned, but once you know how to use it it's fine. The 200ish hp feels like more than it is, especially if you're used to gas econoboxes. Ultimately charging speed was the deciding factor and I got an Ioniq 5.
I had a Santa Fe plug in hybrid rental recently. It's only 90 horsepower in EV mode with 188 lb/ft torque and it definitely felt like far more than that. Damn thing weighed close to 4600 lbs and could easily spin the front wheels on dry pavement if you weren't careful. EV torque is no joke. While the bZ4X itself is a joke (and I say that as a loyal Toyota customer), the amount of power is perfectly sufficient for the vast majority of the population.
@@jblyon2 Sounds like my experience driving my parents Ford Fusion PHEV. Not particularly fast, but because of the more-than-typical torque it just *feels* like youre scootin when driving in the 0-35 mph range. Going off memory the EV motor is only like 40HP but I still have to feather the pedal otherwise the front wheels regularly break loose. Its more fun to drive a slow car fast than the other way around anyway
@sergeantbigmac Yeah, it definitely petered out at highway speeds. I think having a regular geared transmission helped, but it was absolutely capable of getting to the 75-80 MPH speed limits in EV mode. If I was only driving it up to about 50 and you told me the electric horsepower was that low I'd never believe it.
I leased a Solterra and agree that the power delivery feels acceptable because EVs provide instant torks meanwhile every other POS on the road with a 4 cylinder 2.0 turbo takes 2.5 minutes to build up enough pressure to move the speed needle. The dual motor must help considerably too because I find it a calm and comfortable driver (had a Polestar 2 before it and it was like continuously having a grenade beat into your ass with a spiked jackhammer)
idk do you like (quite literally) burning away nearly $5000 a year in gas? nevermind how expensive as hell it is to fix a porsche. dude wanted a daily that gave him the least amount of trouble as possible and he got one. not everyone has the same wants/needs/etc. as you do.
@@re4796 Crossovers are the perfect daily. That's literally why they were made. Its your jack of all trades car, almost the same fuel economy as a sedan with way more storage and you're up higher. Nobody cares about handling in a commuter
@dawsongranger4940 crossovers don't have nearly the same fuel economy as a sedan they're higher which makes them worse as a daily driver, they're SUVs so they're also less safe, and the amount of storage is not significantly more than a hatchback, I can't see how this would be better than a Porsche
16:20 That hole is for aerodynamic, is is called " Air Curtains ", it reduced turbulence around the wheel a bit, improving efficiency at highway speed. So many cars do this, they are slightly different in how they hide it, but they're fundamentally the same.
Toyota, Mazda, Honda saying: "Meh..Evs, we don't' care!!" Reality: "We missed out greatly by not caring about it in the last decade, now we have fallen behind so bad, that we can't catch up anymore."
My best friend leased a new EV just last week. He got a 2024 Kia EV6 Light Long Range. He loves it to pieces. It is so well equipped for being a base model (heated/power seats, power-folding mirrors, parking sensors, full LED lighting just to name a few) It really puts the Japanese to shame when it comes to features-per-dollar value and build quality. Kia/Hyundai have really stepped up their game within the last five years or so. Going from the laughing stock of the automotive world to now being one of the most innovative and recommended brands out there. Sure, they're not perfect by any means, but no company is. Not even Toyota who, according to their diehard/cultist loyalists, can do no evil.
Still slow, ugly, and the range is nothing special. The Koreans kill this thing. An Ioniq5 is quicker and more stylish, is roomier and better equipped, has less inert handling, has a longer range, and charges much faster. I can't think of any good reason to buy the BZ4X, unless the dealer has it marked down dramatically and all you need is a basic commuter vehicle.
@ well in Australia the BZ4X is better equipped than the Ioniq5 and EV6 for the same price and charges faster than the Kia EV5, also the BZ4X plus this car is anything but basic, like in what world is this basic? Also who needs a 4sec 0-100km time 6.9 is adequate plus it’s the 0-60km acceleration that is more useful in day to day life. And in Australian Roads this car is not gonna bottom out on roads as it is the ev suv with one of the best ride hight.
@@SecretAsianMan2222 right.... and the Camry, GR86, Land Cruiser, Hilux GR, GR Corolla, GR Yaris, GR Supra, Literally any Lexus, are... what, exactly? you do realize the fact that RCR made that remark is because EVERY Toyota is fast, well-handling, revolutionary, stylish, and the BZ4x is disappointing - because it isn't, its a letdown from what one would expect from Toyota.
@16:00 High speed aero - it smooths the airflow along the side of the car. Every little helps for EV range. Although a bigger battery would've helped more...
This was one of the best reviews I’ve seen in awhile. Maybe I was just paying closer attention or maybe my meds kicked in, I really don’t know but really enjoyed this one! Thanks guys!
Thank you for the Ioniq 6 shoutout at the beginning! I just bought the long range RWD version (which in the US is lowest trim level for whatever reasons) and it is a road tripping machine! Really nice to deal with, smooth as silk and easy to operate, and should rightly put the Japanese automakers to shame for dragging their feet for 15 years.
If you wanted to get your toddler to actually look at the photographer during the photo session, you had to go see Stephanie at the Sears Portrait Studio in Santa Monica.
I bought a Toyota a few months ago, and by all indications Toyota Europe is just as resentful of this car as Toyota USA. The showroom was full of Corollas and Yarises (Yarii?) and Yaris Crosses and Prii, all dolled up in some very impressive displays. The single BZ4x was hidden over on one end of the showroom, around a corner in a little alcove away from the windows. I would never have even known it was there if I hadn't had to walk past it on the way to the toilet. I ended up buying a Corolla.
The official car of "FINE, I'm doing it, but I'm half-assing it like hell so you never EVER ask me to do this crap again! It's done, you happy, huh? Now get outta my face, you!"
Also, I wanna complain I can't sell enough of these but I also won't sign the waiver that allows me to count national sales in exchange for following CARB even if it's being litigated.
The reason this car "sucks" is that if they made it any better it would cannibalize their hybrid sales which they make boatloads of profit on (unlike the ev that probably loses money)
Seeing the Solterra version of this sent us right to the Rivian R2 😂 We're going to wait for something good. Although we might go Scout now that the Traveler is coming out. That's a hell of a car.
The vents on the front bumper create "wind curtains to break up the wake of the front tires on the side of the car. It aids aerodynamics. The Veloster N has them as well.😊
I don't care what others think I love my Subaru version (Solterra) I got a great deal on it and unlike some of the other EVs you listed it starts everytime. Yeah they put much more effort into their Hybrids yet it's still better than anything American automakers can come up with.
45 grand for a sea of cheap plastic trim, about the same range as a Nissan Leaf, and no Lexus badge? This must be a California compliance car, because this is really phoning it in. You could recommend almost any of its competitors and end up with a better car.
The only problem is that it still has to sell in California for them to get credits. I have only seen these things a few times, and I live in SF, surrounded by EVs.
As a BZ4X owner, I fully agree with you about the car. I bought it so I could financially justify owning a 4Runner as a weekend car. It was by far the cheapest EV where I live in Canada, and the gas savings over the few years is somehow greater than the insurance, vehicle and electricity cost of the BZ4X.
You bought it for the right reasons. If all you need is a basic commuter vehicle and the dealer is discounting it, it's not a ridiculous buy. Too bad it could have been so much better with even a little bit of effort.
Vents in the bumper facia aren't for cooling, they are to pull in the wake from the tire closer to the body when the car is moving at highways speeds. It's one of the many ways modern vehicles eak out a little more efficiencey to meet mileage targets.
The side vents by the wheels are for aero. Unless it's a race car with ducting pointed directly at the brakes, the wheel "vents" are just there to manage airflow across the wheel well. (Reduce that parasitic drag and boost range!)
I bought a BX4X because it is the only affordable and available EV that actually has existent storage. Me and my wife have a small business and we haul lumber and materials, and dressers that we deliver. With car critics they just don't seem to understand utility. I don't understand how people would say the bz4x looks and drives terribly - your equivalent choice is a Hyundai Kona which looks and rides like a Barbie car. Not everyone wants to drive something that looks like it should be a talking character in an anime show. Alternatively, not everyone needs a car that is as fast and (un)reliable as an Alibaba RC car. I've worked at Hyundai and Kia, and the longevity of their too good to be true Evs is questionable. I would prefer to have something that doesn't go at the speed of light and lasts more than 8 years. All these cars with pop out door handles and wrap LCD screens are literally going to be hell when parts start falling off. Also why are you comparing all EVS to a Tesla - saying that any EV slower than a Tesla is too slow is like saying any gas car slower than a Lamborghini is too slow. The BZ4X is faster than literally 90% of the cars at an intersection. When I take the ECO mode off it gives my passengers vertigo. What kind of sane and logically minded person needs to go faster than that. I'm not obsessed with Toyota, it's just literally the only vehicle that could fit my needs because everyone else wants to have the trunk space of a handbag. I guess most people use pickup trucks and SUVs to move bottles of water and soccer bags nowadays so functionality is pretty much irrelevant, but anyone who needs a functional vehicle that's a balanced compromise of reliability, drivability and utility will love the BZ4X. Throw some matte black plasti dip on all the silver trim and paint your plastic rim covers and it actually looks really sexy too. Yes it's true that Toyota didn't want to make this car, but the slower charging speeds and conservative performance are not indicative of poor quality - they are the result of Toyota taking an approach that prioritizes product longevity instead of new market share. Car manufacturers are going to have an awful time when a lot of these newer models start having issues within their warranty time frames.
A bit late to the party but the vents may be for aerodynamic reasons, the wheels represent a big portion of the drag so maybe the vents make some kind of "shield" that reduces drag ?
I have a 2023 Solterra with the AWD system. ~160 mile range. Car is entirely adequate, nothing really stands out about it as a car. The lack of a glovebox is probably my biggest complaint because that means the title & reg are in the center console. Not complaining, got the '23 for like $30k
I distinctly remember Toyota announcing a global strategy refocus towards hybrids almost on the day this car launched. It seems evident this was a compliance car. Regarding those front bumper vents, I've read that they're there to reduce drag by smoothing airflow around the wheels. Tons of cars have them.
I think that vent on the front bumper is to create an air curtain around the front wheels at speed. So the air will move past them instead of turbulently going into the wheels? Totally speculation tho.
I got stuck renting the Subaru version on a business trip back in September. I ended up actually kinda liking it. It has paddles behind the steering wheel that let you step up and down the regen braking. That made it kinda fun, if not at least a little more engaging to drive. I definitely liked it better than the Mach-E. The ford just screamed 'okay boomer'.
Evie‘s makes sense for exactly one type of driver only and that is a homeowner who can plug in at their own house who commute to the same office or workplace every day and therefore has no need for being able to refuel anytime any place it’s perfect for the person who doesn’t want to deal withgas pump oil change a lot of maintenance issues and doesn’t have to drive across country or across the state and pull a boat and possibly be hours away from the nearest charging station
That's a whole lot of potential customers, most from household with multiple vehicles. In that situation you're absolutely right. An EV makes for a great commuter vehicle and for short trips around the area. Those people probably have an ICE crossover they can use for heavier jobs and road trips. The faster-charging Korean EVs work for some road trips, as long as you're not going out into the boonies. We badly need fast-charging stations on highways besides the Interstates to make longer trips realistic.
The no glove box is because the Limited has radiant heaters in that spot to get better range, but then is only available with the larger wheels that get worse range. The FWD Limited is the best trim available anyway, and that's the one I've got on order, because the incentives are good. Maybe I can find someone with an XLE who wants big wheels to swap with. Yeah, it's bland. Honestly... The BZ4X is the epitome of a "Regular Car". It's not fancy. It's got some weird design choices. Most of those design choices (like the steering wheel style and position) were made to grab people coming to an EV from the 4th Gen Prius, and it shares a lot (displays, the vanity mirror covers, etc) with the 5th gen Prius, but the 5th gen Prius is MUCH better laid out and I'd have picked a 5th gen Prius Prime if I hadn't gotten such an amazing deal on the BZ4X. It's the base model Corolla of EVs. It's Fine, it will Do what it Needs to Do, and it will last for way longer than it has any real reason to need to last for considering 90% of customers are going to be leasing these and the next model will inevitably have many improvements.
The normal or more common behavior is that a vehicle should NOT respond to keyless entry if it is on. Its mostly General Motors and some chrysler that do this. I never understood it
The little front vent? High chances it's for anti-buffeting around the wheels or the door. Block it and have a drive, window down and window up. OK, Wait for spring,
The turning off requirement is probably some regulatory requirement, or driver babysitting. Some jurisdictions explicitly forbidding leaving a running car alone, so preventing you from locking it while running might "suggest" a change of your customs.
So go ahead and roast me, but I have the Solterra and love it. Cars are like spouses, you have to be able to live with their faults. As hot and as nice as they are to you and as good in bed as someone may be, if you can’t get over the fact that they scream at wait staff and pick their nose in public, the relationship will never last. Biggest faults of this vehicle are the range and charge time. But both my wife and daughter have a car so if I gotta do a long trip, I can always switch cars. So for me this is just a comfortable, reliable, efficient, cheap to run commuter car that saves me a $150-$200 per month compared to my last car. I imagine there’s lots of folks that are similarly situated and would find the car to be….fine. Just fine. Also I should add that on my daily drive cycle, before it got cold in upstate NY, I was averaging 4.5 mi/kWh which given a 64kWh usable battery would yield me 288 mi on a full charge. Car is rated at 227, so if you don’t do much highway driving and don’t take advantage of the EV acceleration (your tires will thank you) the range isn’t nearly as bad as is listed. They give them away too. Sticker on mine was $46K+. I leased to get the $7500 rebate and with total of lease payments and buyout I’ll end up paying $32K. Might not be the best $46K deal, but at $32K it’s a bargain. But keep bashing it please. You’ll just lower the resale value more which will help me negotiate the buyout so that I save even more.
The only time this vehicle should be bought is with a dirt cheap lease still under warranty. I wouldn’t want to spend a penny more than I had to on this car.
The most revolutionary thing in the car industry is not even hybrids and electric cars. In my opinion it is still back in the early 70's where Toyota and Datsun invaded Europe with cars that would start every time you turned the key. Can you imagine, A car that actually starts every time... Now thats car revolution. I am still amazed when i turn the key in MY 1996 TOYOTA CARINA E no matter how many degrees below zero, and it is still like experincing a show room fresh car.
If they either knocked $10K off the price tag, or, added 100 miles of range, it would be a lot more competitive. There aren't really any _new_ budget EVs, or, reasonably priced EVs with enough range to compete with a gas tank. I assume this will be easy to repair, which I think would be a decent selling point. However, I do see this (and the Subaru equivalent) to just be a placeholder until their own battery tech is refined and completed.
That would make them attractive as basic commuter vehicles, at least. The Leaf is still around (and still bad), and the new Equinox EV is replacing the Bolt EUV and claiming to be the cheapest EV. I suspect Nissan will be having to discount the ho-hum Ariya, too. At least it looks nice. If the BZ4X were priced like the Bolt EUV was, it would sell some. No way it should be trying to compete with the much better Hyundai and Kia EVs.
@@markmiller3279 For the most part, that's what Toyota is known for - commuter vehicles. Toyota traditionally has been rather simple with their tech. Being an EV doesn't mean you need to be fancy. In fact, I would argue that EVs are the best vehicles to be simplified because all that extraneous tech just adds weight and drains your total range. Should Toyota release a simple, user-maintainable EV that's affordable and robust, it will sell well. Of course, that's not to say that's the only things they should release, but currently nobody else is doing that in the US market. The Nissan Leaf is perhaps the best example of this, but the range for that sucks.
I only realized this car existed when I saw a current gen land cruiser and realized how not land cruiser they were. Only to lead me down a rabbit hole that showed me Toyota had a dozen SUV right now and gun to my head I could maybe name 4 before hand and would identify fewer by sight. Being said, the ability for someone to go from Porsche Cayanne Turbo to this is wild to me. I can get the 400 dollar gas bill a month if you daily a 40 mile one way mixed commute is a bit much to choke down but to go full appliance from a turbo porsche is very give up on life levels of lifestyle change. And thats beside the thought that your commute is 20k miles a year and what lease can stand to that distance?
Yeah, if you're not giving me performance or lots of cargo space, give me great range. I need to be able to make it from Phoenix to the New Mexico state line, at minimum.
Toyota BZ4x. The official car of Toyota saying "There. We made an EV now fuck off."
I am like a morbillion percent sure all of the engineers developing this car had this exact mindset because there is no fucking way Toyota even put the slightest of effort into this vehicle bro 💀🙏
YEP
In Vancouver (Canada) gas is expensive, electricity is cheap and people are stinking rich... almost any EV will be snapped up no matter what. We seem to have gotten the lion's share of the allocation, because there are a number of these (and the Solterra) on the road. Same probably for Quebec I imagine.
@@jerkopatrik Didnt the CEO or whatever of Toyota effectively say they don't believe the technology for pure EVs is panning out the way people expect it to and they would much rather focus their attention on hybrids?
@@JPR3D yep, exactly what they said. They prolly only made this car to lower their fleet CO2 average but it's clear as day Toyota gives less than zero fucks about this automobile lol
This is basically the ‘FINE, I’LL DO IT MOOOOOOOOOOOM’ of EVs
They made the Rav4 EV ages ago, and it’s even lazier lmfao. That’s the true “Fine, I’ll do it mom” of EVs
Just like Honda with the Prologue being a rebadged Chevy as a stop-gap while they finally make their own
Unfortunately all that does is pose the question "so why do we even still have all these brands if they all serve the exact same unseasoned buffet?"
@@vincentpapaleo4803 They called it the Prologue because it’s the Prologue to them making their own EV
@@E46SedanGaming
Honda e: Am I a joke to you?
You know, I worked at a toyota dealership up until recently. We had a service advisor that would try and sell oil change packages and fuel additives on these things.
@@VwR28 EOTM material
Does it come with free blinker fluids?
@@alankingchiu No need. It's 'lifetime'...
Sounds about right given what I hear about Toyota dealers.
LOL
Toyota BZ4x. The official car of doing the dishes wrong so you won't be asked again
Sounds like a real weaponized incompetence-mobile
The last aerodynamic vent you show is supposed to be an 'air curtain' which is to increase aerodynamic efficiency. Studies do show that they very marginally seal the wheel wells to make the car a smidge more slippery (drag reduction up to around 1% depending on design) so its not completely pointless.
sounds pointless
Toyota has a history of using every trick in the book just to get that last 0.1% increase in efficiency, even at a detriment. Just ask us gen3 Prius owners about our weak piston rings.
Rear feel vents and skirts however don't get any look in
@@zachwhalen7079 Nearly every decent car, gas or electric has these air curtains now, including most SUVs, and they don't add style (many aren't obvious unless you are looking for them), so I'm going to guess there's a reason every manufacturer has independently come to the same conclusion that they are, in fact, not pointless. That's to say nothing of the fact that race cars have been taking the same approach for a long time, too. Anything that can be done to curtain off the spinning wheel is beneficial to both drag and lift. Win win.
Doesn't Mr. Regular's own Kia Niro EV have these air curtains too? I was a little surprised that he was surprised.
Toyota BZ4x - the car named after a part in a laser printer or a washing machine. Proves that car names are picked using a Scrabble bag.
At least BZ stands for Beyond Zero, which is the new brand for their electrification, previously Hybrid Synergy
I was going to say they asked ChatGPT for a car name, but your idea is more inspired
THIS. The headache I got the last time I was researching printers. We're lucky that Toyota has made only one
@@HyperVanilo Beyond Zero - trying to appear as a leader while you cast doubt on electrification efforts by lobbying California legislators and tout your Solid State batteries coming out next year.
I sell Toyotas. They made this car basically because the govt. made them have a full EV. The plug in RAV4 is a WAY better car. Way better. The hybrids overall are excellent. Toyota doesn’t give a shit about full electrics. They do have a new one coming down the pipe that will be an actual good car, but this is all they got for now. lol.
in all fairness, the RAV4 phev sells itself.......
@@saeedhossain6099they have been making EV RAV4s since the 90s. Time for a third generation.
Basically akin to the Aston Martin Cygnet. Purely slapped together to meet government contacts & CAFE regulations.
@@UmmYeahOk intermittently as required, the first one was for the CARB ZEV mandate, the second one was only made because toyota owned a part of tesla and had a battery supplying deal with them
“Compliance car” is the term, for those who’ve not heard it before! 😂 It used to be that they wouldn’t even design a new vehicle and chassis, just shoehorn an EV powertrain into an existing car like the little Honda Fit, and then act surprised that people wouldn’t buy a car with deeply sub-par range and performance.
13:15 Toyota BZ4X, the only car where the gearshift has a cockring
🤣
U fool for that one 😝
Sophmoric humor, nods to a South Park episode and The Simpsons, comentary on the zeitgeist of the car industry, and a review of the car.
Regular Car Review in a nutshell.
Don't ever change you magnificent bastards.
Those front bumper vents are for aerodynamics. They basically make a sheet of air covering the tire, like an invisible fender skirt. This helps fuel/ range stats, but anywhere rural they clog with mud.
This car looks like something made for a low budget sci-fi movie that has no happy ending.
“In a future world where every vehicle is a grayscale Toyota…”
Click but adam sandler never wakes up
The perfect car for people who go 65 in the passing lane holding up the entire highway for miles
I've seen two of these and that's exactly what they were busy doing.
slow person in the left lane - the car commenter's boogeyman. doesn't exist IRL but people swear it does.
Bingo!
@@NotTehJonif you don't see the slow person in the left lane I've got bad news man
@@guitguy66 ah shit
"Its like they gave their homework to the dog for dinner, but instead the dog decided to finish it and turn it in" that is such a gem of a sentence.
Toyota built their own Bravada.
Yes.
How. Bravada was fine
@@DankcatvacsIt was fine and nothing more.
@@MariosTabajen Complete with pockets large enough to hold ninja stars!
I don’t approve of this vehicle
Neither did Toyota, really..
Didn't ask
@@ericbinder2165 but you did care enough to comment :)
@@DeathtrapQ60 they sure did and that’s why they’ll be ignored :)
@@ericbinder2165 I asked.
I work at a Toyota dealership. These things are always on our lot because nobody wants them, I wonder why...
They are actually not bad for what you can get them for.
By me they are/were very difficult to find. The cab drivers bought them up like crazy for the incentives.
Haha “i wanna keep working on hydrogen.” That intro was hilarious
Hydrogen should have won the "alternate fuel" battle IMO. Fuel cells are cool, and hydrogen ICEs can be dropped into any car like a normal ICE without any trouble.
@@Majima_Nowhere FYI why it failed because it insanely inefficient and crazy expensive. Fuel Cell with 60% efficiency would still have trouble beating gas price even if industry kept on growing. But buring H2 in Piston Engine would HALVE 50% the efficiency of FC.
No it can not be dropped into a Normal ICE as it would cause Lubrication Starving and fuel pumping problems with H2 Gas. While Liquified H2 is way too difficult to handle, but doesn't require complex sealing pumping. Yamaha is basically pissing away millions of USD equivalent to develop H2 specialized engines.
Your entire comment is bad assumptions and rumors.
Race to the bottom is Roman’s gig……
What do you expect from a company that has actively lobbied against EVs in the past
Based and gaspilled
All of that shiny black plastic on the center console is going to be scratched and smudgy by 6000 miles of use.
Or covered in adhesive-backed sandpaper. lol
Piano black, the cheapest of the cheap plastics
Not just the center console but the door handles where you pull the door closed too… it was a horrible design decision. I think Toyota/Subaru gave this one to the “special design team”
Toyota put exactly as much effort into this car as it deserved. None
When these first came out, my local dealer already had 3 of them in their used car inventory because people brought them back.
Accurate review. I test drove a Solterra and actually liked it a lot. I got tripped up by the gear shift for the reasons mentioned, but once you know how to use it it's fine. The 200ish hp feels like more than it is, especially if you're used to gas econoboxes. Ultimately charging speed was the deciding factor and I got an Ioniq 5.
I had a Santa Fe plug in hybrid rental recently. It's only 90 horsepower in EV mode with 188 lb/ft torque and it definitely felt like far more than that. Damn thing weighed close to 4600 lbs and could easily spin the front wheels on dry pavement if you weren't careful. EV torque is no joke.
While the bZ4X itself is a joke (and I say that as a loyal Toyota customer), the amount of power is perfectly sufficient for the vast majority of the population.
@@jblyon2 Sounds like my experience driving my parents Ford Fusion PHEV. Not particularly fast, but because of the more-than-typical torque it just *feels* like youre scootin when driving in the 0-35 mph range. Going off memory the EV motor is only like 40HP but I still have to feather the pedal otherwise the front wheels regularly break loose. Its more fun to drive a slow car fast than the other way around anyway
@sergeantbigmac Yeah, it definitely petered out at highway speeds. I think having a regular geared transmission helped, but it was absolutely capable of getting to the 75-80 MPH speed limits in EV mode. If I was only driving it up to about 50 and you told me the electric horsepower was that low I'd never believe it.
I leased a Solterra and agree that the power delivery feels acceptable because EVs provide instant torks meanwhile every other POS on the road with a 4 cylinder 2.0 turbo takes 2.5 minutes to build up enough pressure to move the speed needle.
The dual motor must help considerably too because I find it a calm and comfortable driver (had a Polestar 2 before it and it was like continuously having a grenade beat into your ass with a spiked jackhammer)
@Brett2 Note to self: Test drive a Polestar 2...
When even the non-luxury/sports car companies start just giving stuff letters and numbers for names, you know they've stopped caring.
Writing for this review was excellent. Great combo of rcr weirdness/analogies and “normal” car review info
This is definitely an S-tier review. Most I've laughed at one of these videos in a while.
Going from a Porsche to a Toyota compact suv is one of the saddest automotive shifts I think I’ve heard yet.
idk do you like (quite literally) burning away nearly $5000 a year in gas? nevermind how expensive as hell it is to fix a porsche. dude wanted a daily that gave him the least amount of trouble as possible and he got one. not everyone has the same wants/needs/etc. as you do.
Which makes it less sad how? Also a crossover is never a good daily
@@re4796 Crossovers are the perfect daily. That's literally why they were made. Its your jack of all trades car, almost the same fuel economy as a sedan with way more storage and you're up higher. Nobody cares about handling in a commuter
@@NotTehJon If it's a fun car like a Porsche, I'll happily burn $5000/year in gas.
@dawsongranger4940 crossovers don't have nearly the same fuel economy as a sedan they're higher which makes them worse as a daily driver, they're SUVs so they're also less safe, and the amount of storage is not significantly more than a hatchback, I can't see how this would be better than a Porsche
16:20 That hole is for aerodynamic, is is called " Air Curtains ", it reduced turbulence around the wheel a bit, improving efficiency at highway speed. So many cars do this, they are slightly different in how they hide it, but they're fundamentally the same.
Toyota, Mazda, Honda saying: "Meh..Evs, we don't' care!!"
Reality:
"We missed out greatly by not caring about it in the last decade, now we have fallen behind so bad, that we can't catch up anymore."
"Missed belt loop of the automotive world" should be on the brochure.
My best friend leased a new EV just last week. He got a 2024 Kia EV6 Light Long Range. He loves it to pieces. It is so well equipped for being a base model (heated/power seats, power-folding mirrors, parking sensors, full LED lighting just to name a few) It really puts the Japanese to shame when it comes to features-per-dollar value and build quality. Kia/Hyundai have really stepped up their game within the last five years or so. Going from the laughing stock of the automotive world to now being one of the most innovative and recommended brands out there. Sure, they're not perfect by any means, but no company is. Not even Toyota who, according to their diehard/cultist loyalists, can do no evil.
8:14 Mr. Regular doing his best Xavier Renegade Angel impression
My parents bought a BZ4X here in Australia, and it’s surprisingly good, it’s not as bad as people but it out to be,
Still slow, ugly, and the range is nothing special. The Koreans kill this thing. An Ioniq5 is quicker and more stylish, is roomier and better equipped, has less inert handling, has a longer range, and charges much faster. I can't think of any good reason to buy the BZ4X, unless the dealer has it marked down dramatically and all you need is a basic commuter vehicle.
@ well in Australia the BZ4X is better equipped than the Ioniq5 and EV6 for the same price and charges faster than the Kia EV5, also the BZ4X plus this car is anything but basic, like in what world is this basic? Also who needs a 4sec 0-100km time 6.9 is adequate plus it’s the 0-60km acceleration that is more useful in day to day life. And in Australian Roads this car is not gonna bottom out on roads as it is the ev suv with one of the best ride hight.
Toyota should have been called this car "F-0ff OK Edition"
"Not really fast, not well handling, not revolutionary, not stylish, bland" is literally describing ALL Toyotas.
How high do you have to be to make this comment?
@re4796 Solidly on the ground. Toyota makes extremely reliable appliances. They're good cars for people who don't care about cars.
The current Prius, especially the Prime, is the exception to that. It's gorgeous, and the Prime is quick.
@@SecretAsianMan2222 right.... and the Camry, GR86, Land Cruiser, Hilux GR, GR Corolla, GR Yaris, GR Supra, Literally any Lexus, are... what, exactly?
you do realize the fact that RCR made that remark is because EVERY Toyota is fast, well-handling, revolutionary, stylish, and the BZ4x is disappointing - because it isn't, its a letdown from what one would expect from Toyota.
Had one of these as a rental recently. It's embarrassingly bad.
@16:00 High speed aero - it smooths the airflow along the side of the car. Every little helps for EV range. Although a bigger battery would've helped more...
The "I'll do my homework tomorrow before class" of cars.
This was one of the best reviews I’ve seen in awhile. Maybe I was just paying closer attention or maybe my meds kicked in, I really don’t know but really enjoyed this one!
Thanks guys!
Thank you for the Ioniq 6 shoutout at the beginning! I just bought the long range RWD version (which in the US is lowest trim level for whatever reasons) and it is a road tripping machine! Really nice to deal with, smooth as silk and easy to operate, and should rightly put the Japanese automakers to shame for dragging their feet for 15 years.
If you wanted to get your toddler to actually look at the photographer during the photo session, you had to go see Stephanie at the Sears Portrait Studio in Santa Monica.
I bought a Toyota a few months ago, and by all indications Toyota Europe is just as resentful of this car as Toyota USA. The showroom was full of Corollas and Yarises (Yarii?) and Yaris Crosses and Prii, all dolled up in some very impressive displays. The single BZ4x was hidden over on one end of the showroom, around a corner in a little alcove away from the windows. I would never have even known it was there if I hadn't had to walk past it on the way to the toilet.
I ended up buying a Corolla.
Those front air deflectors are for pushing air around the outside of the tire to lower the turbulence of the spinning tire, which reduces drag.
I really like the little post-review "review" where you just showcase little nitpicks and quirks of the car. Really interesting
The official car of "FINE, I'm doing it, but I'm half-assing it like hell so you never EVER ask me to do this crap again! It's done, you happy, huh? Now get outta my face, you!"
Also, I wanna complain I can't sell enough of these but I also won't sign the waiver that allows me to count national sales in exchange for following CARB even if it's being litigated.
The reason this car "sucks" is that if they made it any better it would cannibalize their hybrid sales which they make boatloads of profit on (unlike the ev that probably loses money)
Next level BROWN
Brown Mercedes don't look bad
Black is the new brown.
That requires a BROWN vinyl top. And cigarette lighters for the front and back seats.
Seeing the Solterra version of this sent us right to the Rivian R2 😂 We're going to wait for something good. Although we might go Scout now that the Traveler is coming out. That's a hell of a car.
impregnating the future is my favorite xavier episode
The vents on the front bumper create "wind curtains to break up the wake of the front tires on the side of the car. It aids aerodynamics. The Veloster N has them as well.😊
The holes in the bumper direct air around the tires for aerodynamics and probably stability. Gives all that ram-air somewhere gentle to go.
Would be very funny if you do the Honda Prologue, there's phoning your homework in and there's asking GM to do it for you X'D
I don't care what others think I love my Subaru version (Solterra) I got a great deal on it and unlike some of the other EVs you listed it starts everytime. Yeah they put much more effort into their Hybrids yet it's still better than anything American automakers can come up with.
The video I’ve been waiting for. It was masterful.
45 grand for a sea of cheap plastic trim, about the same range as a Nissan Leaf, and no Lexus badge? This must be a California compliance car, because this is really phoning it in. You could recommend almost any of its competitors and end up with a better car.
The only problem is that it still has to sell in California for them to get credits. I have only seen these things a few times, and I live in SF, surrounded by EVs.
As a BZ4X owner, I fully agree with you about the car. I bought it so I could financially justify owning a 4Runner as a weekend car. It was by far the cheapest EV where I live in Canada, and the gas savings over the few years is somehow greater than the insurance, vehicle and electricity cost of the BZ4X.
You bought it for the right reasons. If all you need is a basic commuter vehicle and the dealer is discounting it, it's not a ridiculous buy. Too bad it could have been so much better with even a little bit of effort.
Vents in the bumper facia aren't for cooling, they are to pull in the wake from the tire closer to the body when the car is moving at highways speeds. It's one of the many ways modern vehicles eak out a little more efficiencey to meet mileage targets.
The side vents by the wheels are for aero. Unless it's a race car with ducting pointed directly at the brakes, the wheel "vents" are just there to manage airflow across the wheel well. (Reduce that parasitic drag and boost range!)
those vents at the end are air curtains. They're an aerodynamic device to guide air in front of the wheelarches to reduce drag.
The hole in front of the tire is to create an air curtain over the wheel well. To reduce drag.
I bought a BX4X because it is the only affordable and available EV that actually has existent storage. Me and my wife have a small business and we haul lumber and materials, and dressers that we deliver. With car critics they just don't seem to understand utility. I don't understand how people would say the bz4x looks and drives terribly - your equivalent choice is a Hyundai Kona which looks and rides like a Barbie car. Not everyone wants to drive something that looks like it should be a talking character in an anime show. Alternatively, not everyone needs a car that is as fast and (un)reliable as an Alibaba RC car. I've worked at Hyundai and Kia, and the longevity of their too good to be true Evs is questionable. I would prefer to have something that doesn't go at the speed of light and lasts more than 8 years. All these cars with pop out door handles and wrap LCD screens are literally going to be hell when parts start falling off. Also why are you comparing all EVS to a Tesla - saying that any EV slower than a Tesla is too slow is like saying any gas car slower than a Lamborghini is too slow. The BZ4X is faster than literally 90% of the cars at an intersection. When I take the ECO mode off it gives my passengers vertigo. What kind of sane and logically minded person needs to go faster than that. I'm not obsessed with Toyota, it's just literally the only vehicle that could fit my needs because everyone else wants to have the trunk space of a handbag. I guess most people use pickup trucks and SUVs to move bottles of water and soccer bags nowadays so functionality is pretty much irrelevant, but anyone who needs a functional vehicle that's a balanced compromise of reliability, drivability and utility will love the BZ4X. Throw some matte black plasti dip on all the silver trim and paint your plastic rim covers and it actually looks really sexy too. Yes it's true that Toyota didn't want to make this car, but the slower charging speeds and conservative performance are not indicative of poor quality - they are the result of Toyota taking an approach that prioritizes product longevity instead of new market share. Car manufacturers are going to have an awful time when a lot of these newer models start having issues within their warranty time frames.
A bit late to the party but the vents may be for aerodynamic reasons, the wheels represent a big portion of the drag so maybe the vents make some kind of "shield" that reduces drag ?
I have a 2023 Solterra with the AWD system. ~160 mile range.
Car is entirely adequate, nothing really stands out about it as a car. The lack of a glovebox is probably my biggest complaint because that means the title & reg are in the center console.
Not complaining, got the '23 for like $30k
8:56 Care to explain what the drive selector foreskin does? Is it just for neutral and not for an “added feeling” mode?
13:21 Question answered. I guess. Holy shit that whole shifter situation is awful.
I distinctly remember Toyota announcing a global strategy refocus towards hybrids almost on the day this car launched. It seems evident this was a compliance car.
Regarding those front bumper vents, I've read that they're there to reduce drag by smoothing airflow around the wheels. Tons of cars have them.
The bz4x was an afterthought for Toyota. Compliance car in my opinion
Honda Prologue: "Hold my beer!"
I think that vent on the front bumper is to create an air curtain around the front wheels at speed. So the air will move past them instead of turbulently going into the wheels? Totally speculation tho.
The line "I'd rather drink the backwash from a CPAP machine" made me gag. Seriously. 🤢🤮
I got stuck renting the Subaru version on a business trip back in September. I ended up actually kinda liking it. It has paddles behind the steering wheel that let you step up and down the regen braking. That made it kinda fun, if not at least a little more engaging to drive. I definitely liked it better than the Mach-E. The ford just screamed 'okay boomer'.
Evie‘s makes sense for exactly one type of driver only and that is a homeowner who can plug in at their own house who commute to the same office or workplace every day and therefore has no need for being able to refuel anytime any place it’s perfect for the person who doesn’t want to deal withgas pump oil change a lot of maintenance issues and doesn’t have to drive across country or across the state and pull a boat and possibly be hours away from the nearest charging station
That's a whole lot of potential customers, most from household with multiple vehicles. In that situation you're absolutely right. An EV makes for a great commuter vehicle and for short trips around the area. Those people probably have an ICE crossover they can use for heavier jobs and road trips. The faster-charging Korean EVs work for some road trips, as long as you're not going out into the boonies. We badly need fast-charging stations on highways besides the Interstates to make longer trips realistic.
wtf did I spot a tiny Ed Sheeran in the trunk at 10:12 !?
The hole on the bumper that you mentioned might be for the tire probably is for aerodynamics
As a Toyota technician, this is by far THE MOST ACCURATE review of the BZ4X/Solterra. Accurate by literally every single word. 😂
5:27 Even the MX-5 and my 86 have glove compartments, how does Toyota manage to put negative effort into this eShitbox?
It's called living off your reputation
The vents at the way back are the handles for the crane that will destroy it in the junkyard
One of the greatest intros ever ... 🥰
Also, I've driven the ioniq 6 last year and is incredible how good that shit is. Firm ICE defender here but that thing nearly changed my mind.
The no glove box is because the Limited has radiant heaters in that spot to get better range, but then is only available with the larger wheels that get worse range.
The FWD Limited is the best trim available anyway, and that's the one I've got on order, because the incentives are good. Maybe I can find someone with an XLE who wants big wheels to swap with.
Yeah, it's bland. Honestly... The BZ4X is the epitome of a "Regular Car". It's not fancy. It's got some weird design choices. Most of those design choices (like the steering wheel style and position) were made to grab people coming to an EV from the 4th Gen Prius, and it shares a lot (displays, the vanity mirror covers, etc) with the 5th gen Prius, but the 5th gen Prius is MUCH better laid out and I'd have picked a 5th gen Prius Prime if I hadn't gotten such an amazing deal on the BZ4X.
It's the base model Corolla of EVs. It's Fine, it will Do what it Needs to Do, and it will last for way longer than it has any real reason to need to last for considering 90% of customers are going to be leasing these and the next model will inevitably have many improvements.
Those front corner bumper vents help air go around the front tire for aerodynamics.
I don't know, I'm just guessing 🤷🏽♂️
Those vents are there to create low-pressure around the car for aero
Big pop for "Go bust out that E. Honda and hundred hand slap that windshield" hahaha
those side vents probably kick air out and around the wheel arches so this thing doesn't have to ship with dorky Prius-esque aero wheel covers
The normal or more common behavior is that a vehicle should NOT respond to keyless entry if it is on. Its mostly General Motors and some chrysler that do this. I never understood it
The little front vent? High chances it's for anti-buffeting around the wheels or the door. Block it and have a drive, window down and window up. OK, Wait for spring,
The turning off requirement is probably some regulatory requirement, or driver babysitting. Some jurisdictions explicitly forbidding leaving a running car alone, so preventing you from locking it while running might "suggest" a change of your customs.
So go ahead and roast me, but I have the Solterra and love it. Cars are like spouses, you have to be able to live with their faults. As hot and as nice as they are to you and as good in bed as someone may be, if you can’t get over the fact that they scream at wait staff and pick their nose in public, the relationship will never last.
Biggest faults of this vehicle are the range and charge time. But both my wife and daughter have a car so if I gotta do a long trip, I can always switch cars. So for me this is just a comfortable, reliable, efficient, cheap to run commuter car that saves me a $150-$200 per month compared to my last car. I imagine there’s lots of folks that are similarly situated and would find the car to be….fine. Just fine.
Also I should add that on my daily drive cycle, before it got cold in upstate NY, I was averaging 4.5 mi/kWh which given a 64kWh usable battery would yield me 288 mi on a full charge. Car is rated at 227, so if you don’t do much highway driving and don’t take advantage of the EV acceleration (your tires will thank you) the range isn’t nearly as bad as is listed.
They give them away too. Sticker on mine was $46K+. I leased to get the $7500 rebate and with total of lease payments and buyout I’ll end up paying $32K. Might not be the best $46K deal, but at $32K it’s a bargain. But keep bashing it please. You’ll just lower the resale value more which will help me negotiate the buyout so that I save even more.
The only time this vehicle should be bought is with a dirt cheap lease still under warranty. I wouldn’t want to spend a penny more than I had to on this car.
my Subaru Outback also won’t let you lock/unlock the doors w the key fob when the engine is running. quite annoying
The dog finishing the home work joke needs to have royalties charged for it
It's not a vent, it's a supermarket brush guard for shopping carts.
I love RCR videos like this.
The vent creates an air curtain around the wheel reducing drag :) not performance vent - efficiency vent 🤣
' backwash from cpap' , " thressome with Siri" . classic😂😂
The most revolutionary thing in the car industry is not even hybrids and electric cars. In my opinion it is still back in the early 70's where Toyota and Datsun invaded Europe with cars that would start every time you turned the key. Can you imagine, A car that actually starts every time... Now thats car revolution. I am still amazed when i turn the key in MY 1996 TOYOTA CARINA E no matter how many degrees below zero, and it is still like experincing a show room fresh car.
Great opening !
If they either knocked $10K off the price tag, or, added 100 miles of range, it would be a lot more competitive. There aren't really any _new_ budget EVs, or, reasonably priced EVs with enough range to compete with a gas tank. I assume this will be easy to repair, which I think would be a decent selling point. However, I do see this (and the Subaru equivalent) to just be a placeholder until their own battery tech is refined and completed.
This vehicles have a $16k cash incentive for leasing already.
That would make them attractive as basic commuter vehicles, at least. The Leaf is still around (and still bad), and the new Equinox EV is replacing the Bolt EUV and claiming to be the cheapest EV. I suspect Nissan will be having to discount the ho-hum Ariya, too. At least it looks nice. If the BZ4X were priced like the Bolt EUV was, it would sell some. No way it should be trying to compete with the much better Hyundai and Kia EVs.
@@markmiller3279 For the most part, that's what Toyota is known for - commuter vehicles. Toyota traditionally has been rather simple with their tech. Being an EV doesn't mean you need to be fancy. In fact, I would argue that EVs are the best vehicles to be simplified because all that extraneous tech just adds weight and drains your total range. Should Toyota release a simple, user-maintainable EV that's affordable and robust, it will sell well.
Of course, that's not to say that's the only things they should release, but currently nobody else is doing that in the US market. The Nissan Leaf is perhaps the best example of this, but the range for that sucks.
LETS FUCKING GOOOO every time ive seen one of these (3 times) I'm like "what on earth is that...a toyota??? if you say so."
Ive NEVER seen one of these ! I'm in Texas sooo.
I only realized this car existed when I saw a current gen land cruiser and realized how not land cruiser they were. Only to lead me down a rabbit hole that showed me Toyota had a dozen SUV right now and gun to my head I could maybe name 4 before hand and would identify fewer by sight.
Being said, the ability for someone to go from Porsche Cayanne Turbo to this is wild to me. I can get the 400 dollar gas bill a month if you daily a 40 mile one way mixed commute is a bit much to choke down but to go full appliance from a turbo porsche is very give up on life levels of lifestyle change.
And thats beside the thought that your commute is 20k miles a year and what lease can stand to that distance?
Yeah, if you're not giving me performance or lots of cargo space, give me great range. I need to be able to make it from Phoenix to the New Mexico state line, at minimum.