2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs. 2023 Toyota bZ4X: Small EV SUVs Compared!
We go into every comparison test with an open mind, but in this electric SUV matchup between Hyundai's Ioniq 5 and Toyota's newer bZ4X, the Hyundai was the heavy favorite. After all, it already won a comparison test against its corporate cousin, the slick Kia EV6, and is currently our top pick among electric SUVs in our Ultimate Car Rankings. Turns out we were both right and wrong: Right about which EV would win but wrong about the reasons why. What we found were two exceptionally useful electric cars with their own distinct strengths.
Meet the Players: Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Toyota BZ4X
The Ioniq 5 is a talented and stylish EV, and it's the first vehicle from Hyundai's all-electric Ioniq subbrand. Although the bZ4X is Toyota's first modern-day battery electric vehicle, Toyota introduced an electric RAV4 back in 1997 and has been selling the Mirai FCEV (an electric car powered by a hydrogen fuel cell instead of a battery) since 2016. Given that experience, we thought it was fair to match the bZ4X against the best in the field.
For this comparison, we went with top-of-the-line all-wheel-drive models. Our Hyundai Ioniq 5 Limited AWD came with a set of accessory floormats that raised its price to $55,920. The bZ4X's top trim level is also called Limited, and our test AWD EV came with a cold-weather package, premium stereo, spoiler, and extra-cost paint that raised the sticker price to $52,050.
Are These Electric SUVs or Electric Hatchbacks?
Although both vehicles are pitched as compact sport-utilities, they blur the line between SUV and hatchback car. Both are just an inch or two shorter in length than Toyota's ubiquitous RAV4 and about the same width as it. But the BZ4X's roofline is some 2 inches closer to the ground than the RAV4's, and the Hyundai checks in 2 inches lower still. Consider that both carry their batteries under their bellies, which raises their floor height, and you can understand why they feel more like cars than SUVs from behind the wheel.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the head-turner of this duo. Its nifty '80s-hatchback styling was inspired by Hyundai's first mass-produced vehicle, a dreadfully unreliable rustbucket called the Pony; despite those questionable roots, it drew universal acclaim: Throughout our test drive we could see the points and smiles directed at the Ioniq 5, and thanks to the Toyota's inferior sound insulation, we could sometimes hear the compliments, as well. The bZ4X is pretty enough in its own way, with its bold, grilleless styling and rakish roofline reminiscent of Toyota's own Venza. The black fender surrounds are questionable but do set the bZ4X apart—or at least they would if the Toyota didn't look so much like its fraternal twin, the Subaru Solterra.
Inside the Ioniq 5 and the bZ4X
Inside, the Hyundai has the edge: We love the EV rethink of the cabin. With no need for a center tunnel to house driveshafts or exhaust pipes, Hyundai has given the Ioniq 5 a completely flat floor, so there's no center pedestal where front passengers can smack their knees. It's a smart layout that reminds us of minivans and bench-seat sedans of yore. The control layout is fairly straightforward, and the cabin has plenty of storage space, but the instrument panel takes time to interpret, and there's a definite learning curve to the infotainment system. The Ioniq 5 is not a car for those who never RTFM.
The Toyota, in contrast, is refreshingly simple. Despite an all-digital dash, the controls and displays look like they could have been pulled from any Toyota model, and that simplicity is the bZ4X's hallmark, or at least it is once you get used to the driving position. The bZ4X's instrument panel is placed close to the windshield and meant to be viewed over the steering wheel rim rather than through it, blurring the line between a traditional gauge panel and a head-up display. It takes some getting used to, but once we adapted, we rather liked it.
Both cars have adequate room in the back seat, but the Toyota has a short cushion that sits too close to the floor. The Hyundai's back seat is positioned higher and is more comfortable by an order of magnitude, with no shortage of headroom despite its lower roofline, and the full-length sunroof lets in more daylight than the twin-pane job on the BZ4X.
The two cars run neck and neck on cargo space, with about 27 cubic feet behind the rear seats; only the Ioniq 5 has a sliding rear seat to adjust between passenger and luggage space, however. Neither car has a proper frunk, as both cars concentrate their electrical control gear under the hood. Hyundai does have a vestigial storage locker up front, but it's too small to be of much use.
Driving: Surprises and Disappointments
Out on the open road, the Toyota took us by surprise: Although it's not as quick as the Hyundai (we timed the bZ4X to 60 in 5.8 seconds versus 4.4 for the Ioniq 5), it feels very zippy and responsive, with a strong midrange punch that always made us smile. The Hyundai's accelerator is set up so that, outside of Sport mode, one must dip more deeply into its travel to access its best acceleration. Nothing wrong with that, but we preferred the Toyota's always-eager feel.
The Toyota had the better ride, too; it's comfortable and steady, whereas the Hyundai is busier and more jittery, even while being appreciably quieter. On the curviest section of our test route, the Hyundai exhibited better grip, but the suspension felt underdamped. The Ioniq 5 leans more in the turns than the bZ4X, and midcorner bumps set it bounding, often to the detriment of traction. Speaking of which, if you turn off traction control and punch the throttle coming out of the turns, the Ioniq 5 is happy to get a little sideways. (Stability control will keep it from going too far out of line.) It's good fun if a bit ragged. The Toyota wasn't as up for this sort of silly fun, but it showed more serious skills: Its better damping kept all four wheels in good contact with the pavement, allowing it to rocket out of turns that left the Hyundai scrabbling for grip.
Both of our cars had cruise control and lane centering, and both systems worked well. We like that the Hyundai's lane centering can be switched on independent of cruise control. The Hyundai has automated lane changing, but we couldn't figure out how to get it to work—that's our fault and not the car's, as we never did, um, RTFM. But it underscores a point we made earlier: The Ioniq 5 has a steeper learning curve, while the Toyota is simplicity defined.
At this point in our test, the cars were running relatively neck and neck: The Hyundai Ioniq 5 led on style and interior comfort, but we appreciated the Toyota bZ4X's ease of use and—much to our surprise—judged its road manners superior. But once we factored in range and charging speed, the Hyundai pulled ahead by several EV lengths.
Range and Charging: Hyundai Pulls Ahead of Toyota
The AWD version of the Ioniq 5 has an EPA-rated range of 256 miles, while the BZ4X Limited AWD is rated at 222 miles (which you can increase to 228 by opting for the cheaper XLE model). A 34-mile delta isn't much, but the difference in charge times is significant, particularly at DC fast chargers of the type you'd most likely use on a road trip. The Hyundai has an 800-volt charging system that can take advantage of high-speed 350-kW chargers. Hyundai says the Ioniq 5 can charge from 10 to 80 percent capacity in 18 minutes, and our experience bears that out. The all-wheel-drive bZ4X can't charge at more than 100 kW, which means that same charge can take the better part of an hour. During our test, we stopped for lunch at a supermarket with the batteries similarly depleted, plugged both cars into 150 kW chargers, and went upstairs to wait in line at the busy deli counter. The Hyundai hit 80 percent as we were paying for our sandwiches; the Toyota didn't get there until well after we had finished eating.
Does charging speed really matter? Maybe not, if you install a 240-volt home charger—and you'll want to, as the convenience of having one beats the stuffing out of relying on the public charging network—and mainly use the EV for commuting while also owning another car for long-distance trips. Remember, home charging means leaving every morning with a full "tank," and few Americans routinely drive more than 200 miles in a day. (That said, even on the slower Level 2 household plugs, the Hyundai's 10.9-kW charging gear takes power faster than the Toyota's 6.6-kW unit.) But if you're an inveterate road-tripper and/or a single-car household, the Hyundai's high-speed charging abilities will make a significant difference.
Let's Consider the Coin
We were ready to name Hyundai as the winner, but we hadn't yet considered the price difference: The Hyundai we were driving cost $4,390 more than the Toyota. The higher charge speeds might justify that extra cost, but what if we were homebodies to whom charging speed wasn't important? Is the Toyota the better value?
We debated this point and decided it wasn't. The Ioniq 5 has better accommodations and looks, and opting for the midrange SEL version will run $50,995. That means living without the big sunroof, the nifty head-up display, and a few other goodies, but we think that's a worthwhile sacrifice for the better overall car and experience.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 Wins—But Don't Count Out the Toyota bZ4X
Although the Toyota emerged as our second-place finisher, we can make a good use case for it. The bZ4X's simplicity and approachability should not be undervalued: For someone who isn't a tech geek, who doesn't want to have to read the manual or watch a bunch of YouTube videos, who just wants to get in the damn car and drive it, the Toyota bZ4X is the way to go. With every automaker seeming to want to emulate Tesla and turn their EVs into high-tech showcases, the Toyota is refreshingly easy to use. It's the flip phone of electric cars, and we mean that as a compliment. We also can't ignore that the Toyota is the better-riding and better-driving of these two EVs.
Still, after extensive back-to-back evaluation, the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 emerged as the winner. It's a marvelous electric SUV that is both practical and futuristic, and its employment of better electrical hardware makes it a long-legged, fast-charging adventurer. Nonetheless, the margin of victory over the Toyota was narrower than we expected. The 2022 bZ4X is a competent electric car with many of the attributes that have made Toyota one of the world's most popular car brands. It exits this competition with its head held high—or at least it will once it finishes charging.
2nd Place: 2022 Toyota bZ4X
Pros: Zippy acceleration, sure-footed handling, easy to operate.
Cons: Low back seat, moderate range, slow charging performance.
Verdict: An easy-to-approach EV for the layperson but not a great traveling companion.
1st Place: 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5
Pros: Handsome and stylish looks, roomy interior, superfast charging.
Cons: Underdamped suspension, steeper learning curve, a little pricier.
Verdict: One of the best overall electric SUVs on the market right now.
POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 HTRAC Specifications 2023 Toyota bZ4x Limited AWD Specifications DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Front- and rear-motor, AWD Front- and rear-motor, AWD MOTOR TYPE Permanent-magnet electric Permanent-magnet electric POWER (SAE NET) 99 hp (fr), 221 hp (rr), 320 hp (comb) 107 hp (fr), 107 hp (rr), 214 hp (comb) TORQUE (SAE NET) 105 lb-ft (fr), 321 lb-ft (rr), 446 lb-ft (comb) 124 lb-ft (fr), 124 lb-ft (rr), 248 lb-ft (comb) WEIGHT TO POWER 14.6 lb/hp 20.6 lb/hp TRANSMISSIONS 1-speed automatic 1-speed automatic AXLE RATIO 4.71:1/10.65:1 13.80:1/13.80:1 SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar STEERING RATIO 14.3:1 14.1:1 TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 2.7 2.8 BRAKES, F; R 12.8-in vented disc; 12.8-in disc 12.9-in vented disc; 12.5-in vented disc WHEELS 8.0 x 20-in cast aluminum 8.0 x 20-in cast aluminum TIRES 255/45R20 105V Michelin Primacy Tour A/S (M+S) 235/50R20 100V Bridgestone Turanza EL450 (M+S) DIMENSIONS WHEELBASE 118.1 in 112.2 in TRACK, F/R 64.2/64.6 in 63.0/63.4 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 182.5 x 74.4 x 63.0 in 184.6 x 73.2 x 65.0 in TURNING CIRCLE 39.3 ft 40.0 ft CURB WEIGHT (DIST F/R) 4,684 lb (51/49%) 4,402 lb (54/46%) SEATING CAPACITY 5 5 HEADROOM, F/R 39.1/37.5 in 38.6/37.1 in LEGROOM, F/R 41.7/39.4 in 42.1/35.3 in SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 57.7/57.7 in 57.8/56.0 in CARGO VOLUME, BEH F/R 59.3/27.2 cu ft 50.7/25.8 cu ft TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 1.6 sec 2.1 sec 0-40 2.3 3.1 0-50 3.3 4.3 0-60 4.4 5.8 0-70 5.8 7.7 0-80 7.6 10.0 0-90 9.7 12.7 0-100 12.3 16.0 PASSING, 45-65 MPH 2.3 3.1 QUARTER MILE 13.2 sec @ 102.7 mph 14.5 sec @ 95.9 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 123 ft 125 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.88 g (avg) 0.77 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 25.7 sec @ 0.71 g (avg) 27.4 sec @ 0.62 g (avg) CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE $48,745 $49,995 PRICE AS TESTED $56,440 $52,050 AIRBAGS 6: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain 8: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, front knee BASIC WARRANTY 5 years/60,000 miles 3 years/36,000 miles POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 10 years/100,000 miles (including battery) 5 years/60,000 miles (8 years/100,000 miles battery) ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 5 years/Unlimited miles 2 years/25,000 miles BATTERY CAPACITY 77.4 kWh Li-Ion 72.8 kWh Li-Ion EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 110/87/98 mpg-e 112/92/102 mpg-e (mfr est) EPA RANGE, COMB 256 miles 222 miles (mfr est) RECOMMENDED FUEL 240-volt electricity, 480-volt electricity 240-volt electricity, 480-volt electricity ON SALE Now Now Show AllYou may also like
acura nsx Full OverviewProsThe most satisfying modern NSX, Engine pulls hard, Strong lateral grip. ConsIt's dying just as it gets good, Needs a price-appropriate interior, Lacks ultimate steering feel. For decades, General Motors was notorious among its own loyalists for underfunding and underdeveloping a promising new car, expressing shock when initial sales excitement evaporated, reluctantly spending the money it should have in the first place to make the car as good as it should have been from the start, wondering why sales didn't rebound despite the tarnished reputation, then canceling the car once that it was finally good (see: Pontiac Fiero). Acura's parent company, Honda, has collaborated with GM in the past and continues to collaborate with GM today, and this is one tradition it shouldn't adopt. Case in point: the 2022 Acura NSX Type S. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the Type S is what the NSX should've been from day one. The reborn NSX held such promise, and Acura engineers benchmarked the right cars. Their insistence in thinking like Honda engineers, though, and worrying about how practical their mid-engine supercar was and how it drove in Ohio winters, compromised its final form. They studied the Ferrari 458 Italia but built a car that didn't drive anywhere near as well or as viscerally.The limited-edition Type S makes great strides toward righting that wrong. It's far more engaging to drive than any NSX before it. Much of the feel and feedback missing from the standard car has finally broken through in the Type S.Test Numbers Trail Regular NSX'sUnfortunately, it seems to have come at the cost of some performance. Despite driving better than any other NSX we've tested, the Type S is also the slowest NSX we've ever tested. At 3.4 seconds to 60 mph, it's 0.4 second behind the quickest we've evaluated, and it doesn't get any better by the quarter-mile mark. To get there, the Type S needs 11.6 seconds, and it's traveling at 120.7 mph by the finish line, 0.4 second and 3.3 mph slower than the quickest one. It's not down to a bad launch, either, because the Type S is 0.2 second slower accelerating from 45 mph to 65 mph than the quickest NSX we've tested. This despite the Type S being the most powerful NSX ever at 600 hp and 492 lb-ft, 27 hp and 16 lb-ft more than any other.It's worth saying, though, that the NSX Type S experience is delightful. The engine revs very quickly and has a broad powerband thanks to the pancake electric motor mounted between the engine and transmission. It pulls hard all the way to redline, and the transmission, in Track mode, won't upshift until you've actually reached the redline, so you get every last pony. It's also happy to not upshift and let the engine wind back down if you lift off the throttle, helpful on a twisty road with short straights between tight corners. And despite all the electrification, the powertrain even manages to sound pretty good for a V-6. The engine noise is surprisingly melodious, and the turbo flutter is icing on the cake.Back to the instrumented testing results, it wasn't any better going the other way. Stopping the Type S from 60 mph required 103 feet, a massive 8 feet longer than the best one we've tested. On a mountain road, that translated to several instances of standing on the brakes and not getting the stopping power a 600-hp car ought to have. Making the experience somehow worse, the squishy, spongy brake pedal response provides no feedback. Better brakes would let this car go down the road considerably faster.There is a bright spot in the Type S' numbers, and it's shining on the handling results. Pulling 1.03 average lateral g on the skidpad ties it with the stickiest NSX, as does its 23.2-second figure-eight lap time, though the 0.89 average g it pulled on in the figure eight was 0.03 g off the leader.And you know what? We're OK with all of that. We're willing to give up a tenth here and two tenths there for a car that drives better. Still, this should've been the starting point six years ago, not the swan song.You do still have to drive it like an NSX, though. To get the most out of this powertrain, you need to treat it the way your high-performance driving instructor told you not to. Brake early, point it at the apex, and then get back on the power as soon as possible. Before the apex if you can. Normally, this delivers guaranteed understeer, but in the NSX, the front motors go to work, the nose bites, and it pulls you through the corner while accelerating hard. You can actually correct understeer by going to the power. Once you figure this out, the car becomes far more impressive than it is when driving it like a typical all-wheel-drive car.Tips For the Next One (Which Isn't Coming)Were this car to get the next generation it deserves, there are a few other components that could be further improved, as well. Body control, for one. The Type S is stiff, which is fine, but it lacks compliance. It's bouncing around way too much on bumpy pavement, making you constantly chase it with the steering or back out of throttle. It's especially bad in big brake zones where the car starts shimmying around in its lane. It's all manageable, but it shouldn't have to be managed. Tie it down, and, again, the car could go down the road noticeably faster.The steering is better than before, but it could be even better still. In this case, it's not so much holding the car back as it isn't making it better. It's very precise, but it lacks feel. Other companies have figured out how to get steering feel out of a car with electric motors powering the front axle, and Acura could, too.Then, of course, there's the interior. It was never up to snuff, and it still isn't because it hasn't changed. It looks like an Acura interior, and Acura doesn't make $200,000 interiors. A next-generation car would need a complete interior redo with much less plastic, a much more expressive design, and for the love of all that's holy, a modern infotainment system with a volume knob. You can't put Civic parts or even TLX parts in a car priced nearly on par with an entry-level Ferrari.Hopefully, Acura will get all those details right when the NSX returns as an EV in the future—as it's promised to, after a hiatus—but this still feels like a missed opportunity for the high-performance hybrid iteration of the car. The Type S proves the current NSX formula wasn't fundamentally flawed—it was just unfinished. It's a shame this car missed the mark so widely that its sales can't support a second generation of this model to finish the job. If the NSX Type S is any indication, it could've been great. Instead, Acura is pulling a GM and canceling it just as it started to get right. Everyone loses.Looks good! More details?2022 Acura NSX Type S Specifications BASE PRICE $171,495 PRICE AS TESTED $185,995 VEHICLE LAYOUT Mid-engine, 2 front and 1 rear motors, AWD, 2-pass, 2-door hatchback ENGINE, MOTOR Twin-turbo port- and direct-injected DOHC 24-valve 60-degree V-6, plus 3 permanent-magnet electric motors POWER (SAE NET) 520 hp @ 6,500 rpm (gas), 72 hp (comb front elec), 47 hp (rear elec); 600 hp (comb) TORQUE (SAE NET) 443 lb-ft @ 2,300 rpm (gas), 108 lb-ft (comb front elec), 109 lb-ft (rear elec); 492 lb-ft (comb) TRANSMISSIONS 1-speed auto (fr), 9-speed twin-clutch auto (rr) CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3,903 lb (42/58%) WHEELBASE 103.5 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 178.5 x 76.3 x 47.8 in 0-60 MPH 3.4 sec QUARTER MILE 11.6 sec @ 120.7 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 103 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 1.03 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 23.2 sec @ 0.89 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 21/22/21 mpg EPA RANGE, COMB 328 miles ON SALE Now Show All
With the retirement of the third-generation 6 sedan, just two car models remain in Mazda's 2022 lineup, the MX-5 Miata roadster and 3 compact (and really, it's more like three cars since the 3 comes in both sedan and hatchback varieties). Model year updates for each include new exterior colors, interior materials, drivetrain technology, and even a new trim for the 3.The 6 is gone, but that might be only for now. There's a promise of something wearing the 6 badge on the horizon. Keep reading for more about that future sedan as well as what's new and different with every 2022 Mazda car.
ford f-150-lightning Full Overview How Much Can the Ford F-150 Lightning Tow?2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Towing Capacity Standard-Range Battery Extended-Range Battery Pro XLT Lariat Platinum Show AllThe Test: Towing the LineThe Results: How Far Can a Ford F-150 Lightning Tow?2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum Towing Test Forest River R Pod RP-153 Coachmen Freedom Express 246RKS Grand Design Imagine 2910BH TRAILER WEIGHT LENGTH APPROXIMATE FRONTAL AREA MT ROAD-TRIP RANGE Show AllWhat's It Like To Tow With the Ford F-150 Lightning?Looks good! More details?
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