- The Toyota bZ4X isn't our favorite EV, with slow charging speeds, mediocre range and under-featured software.
- Still, for the right price it's not a bad option.
- Toyota just cut its base price by $6,000, making it a far better deal.
I think that it's fair at this point to say the Toyota bZ4X has a bit of a reputation. The sole electric offering in the U.S. from Toyota, itself an electric-car skeptic, has less range and slower charging speeds than many comparable rivals. But if you want an EV from a trusted brand and you're after a good deal, the bZ4X has consistently proven to be a solid choice.
Mere days after announcing some aggressive new lease and 0% financing deals—the latter of which are nearly impossible to find in the current economic climate—Toyota revealed the 2025 bZ4X's pricing and features. While it didn't get the boost in charging speeds or range that many fans wanted, it's now quite a bit cheaper.
As before, the bZ4X comes in two trim levels: XLE or the loaded Limited. Both can be had in front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive forms with up to 252 or 228 miles of range, respectively. But now there's also a Nightshade trim in the middle that adds 20-inch black alloy wheels, available two-tone paint, a heated steering wheel and other all-black touches. This trim level "adds more standard driver assistance technology on the Limited grade including Traffic Jam Assist, Lane Change Assist and Front Cross Traffic Alert," Toyota said in a news release. The Nightshade trim is also AWD-only.
The real news here is pricing. The basic XLE FWD starts at $37,070, which is 14% cheaper than last year's model. The XLE AWD grade’s MSRP starts at $39,150 now too. That's about $6,000 less expensive than before. Moreover, the Limited grade starts at $41,800 in FWD form, cutting $5,380 off the old car's price tag.
All told, this puts the bZ4X on par with a nicely-equipped RAV4 Hybrid and slightly cheaper than a RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid, and on par with your average gas RAV4's pricing. The bZ4X has seen a series of price cuts since its debut in 2022, and now may be the best time to get one.
But that's only part of the story. We consistently see impressive lease and regional discounts and deals on the bZ4X, so if you are after one, do your homework—you could end up paying even less than the official new pricing.
The bZ4X is limited by its so-so technology and mid-tier fast-charging speeds, which max out at 150 kW. The EV should charge from "a low battery warning" to 80% in about 30 minutes, but some users have reported taking about an hour to do so. It also won't automatically add charging stops to your route on longer trips, or allow you to precondition the battery for charging. On the plus side, it's a surprisingly fun-to-drive electric crossover that's dynamically much more interesting than your average RAV4, and it's pretty capable for gear-hauling.
Keep an eye on the deals in your area if you're interested in the bZ4X. You may just be able to wrangle a solid-driving EV for not a lot of money, especially when you factor in gas savings.
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
