Toyota Mirai 2020 Review

If you keep score of your green points and absolutely love to talk about your car to total strangers, the 2020 Toyota Mirai should be on your short list. A hydrogen-powered electric vehicle, the Mirai is sort of a rolling science experiment that you can buy — provided you live in the states of California or Hawaii. Those are the only states with enough of a hydrogen fueling infrastructure to keep you rolling.

All of the Mirai's futuristic technology is wrapped in styling that's, well, unusual-looking. But the driving experience is one that electric car owners will be familiar with. It's not fast, but it is smooth and plenty comfortable even after hours of rush-hour traffic.

Not a lot of other manufacturers are tackling fuel cell vehicles on this scale. Honda's Clarity sedan is the Mirai's closest competitor. Hyundai, for its part, has recently introduced its Nexo SUV. Compared to the Mirai and Clarity, the Nexo offers a longer range and more traditional styling both inside and out. It's also worth knowing that Toyota is introducing an all-new Mirai for the 2021 model year that's sleeker-looking and promises more than 400 miles of range.

What's it like to live with?

To learn more about the Toyota Mirai of this generation, read about our experiences from six months of living with a 2016 Toyota Mirai. We cover everything from seat comfort to real-world fuel economy, especially important given the Mirai's hydrogen fuel cell powertrain. Is a fuel cell vehicle worth the expense and inconvenience? Read through our Toyota Mirai long-term test to see what we think.

Which Mirai does MatoCar recommend?

The 2020 Mirai isn't offered with any trim levels. And other than exterior paint and interior color choices, there are no options. It comes fairly well equipped with many features you'd expect at this price. Hydrogen is stored in onboard tanks, converted to electricity via a fuel cell, stored in a small battery and run through an electric motor making 151 horsepower. With its tanks full, the Mirai can go about 300 miles before you'll need to refuel.

Mirai Highlight features include:

• LED headlights with automatic high beams
• 17-inch wheels
• JBL audio system
• Wireless phone charging
• Real-time navigation
• Dual-zone climate control

The Mirai also comes standard with:

• Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
• Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the Mirai and the car in front)
• Blind-spot monitor (alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot)