Toyota bZ4X vs Chevy Bolt EUV | Which Should be Your First EV?

Shopping for your first electric car but don't know where to turn? Both the recently refreshed 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV and the all-new 2023 Toyota bZ4X are excellent choices...but with a big price discrepancy. I've spent a week with both of them and will help you choose.

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2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV vs 2023 Toyota bZ4X

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[daniellelouise]

We went with the 2023 Bolt EUV for the price!!

[berry]

52k is a no go when I have a 30k option.

[wtDrake]

Could Toyota have picked a worse name?

[laura-ann.]

Very good comparison review. One thing to note that wasn't mentioned, is that the $14, 000 lower MSRP of the Bolt means that the sales tax you pay on purchase is $1, 100 dollars less than the sales tax on the BZ4X (in California), and for the first 7 or 8 years of ownership, the annual DMV "use tax" (or licensing fee) on the Bolt would be about $175 less than for the BZ4X (after about 8 years, all cars reach some minimum DMV fee level, of about $200/year, that never gets any less). The free included installation of a home Level 2 charger with the Bolt is worth somewhere between $600 and $1000, which is what you would have to pay to have an electrician do this if you bought a BZ4X.
Another item not mentioned in the video: battery pre-conditioning. This typically takes the form of an electrical heating grid in the battery tray, to warm the battery cells before starting a charging session. In extreme cold weather, pre-conditioning can mean the difference between the car accepting a fast charge at 50 to 100 kilowatts, or being forced to slow charge at 6 kilowatts on an L2 charger. The BZ4X has a pre-conditioning heater, the Bolt does not. This should definitely be taken into account by anyone who lives anywhere with extended periods of winter temps below 32°F, especially if they don't have a garage and have to park the vehicle outside. Any EV without a battery pre-conditioning heater will suffer from both substantial loss of range, and very slow charging speeds in below-freezing winter weather.

[EattheApple]

Had a '19 Bolt for 4 yrs, just move to '23 EUV Premier with Sun\Sound package. It feels huge just sitting inside the cabin and rides so nice. Not a fool, I enjoy driving and the electric cars are much more fun to drive. You can only use Super Cruise on some highways, I can always put on the adaptive cruise control.

[Davran]

My Bolt EUV Lt gets built this week, as to me it's the best EV deal available. I'll be charging mostly from home, an my commute is 30-miles each way, so the slower charging and range aren't a problem for my use. I didn't want the premier, and there's no lidar mapping where I live, so super cruise wasn't even a thought. One big advantage to the Bolt is that it's actually available.

[bob]

I _really_ like the Bolt! I think it's a great 'little' commuter car. It's a shame it never make it to AUS.

[TheTradosaurus]

I have a 2021 Bolt. Bought i new in May of 2022. After $5k rebate a few months later from GM my top trim Bolt was $27K. That alone sets the Bolt apart from the nearest competitor.

[Rubo]

The lt2 version of the bolt euv which is almost 32k is best value. You get heated cooled seats. Leather seats and other safety tech that 60k cars offer.

[phillipalv]

The bolt euv is the better buy and is proven and tested for years!

[BTC]

Can be difficult to get either Bolt. When the Equinox EV shows up it might be easier. I'd go with a Bolt EV and pocket the savings over the EUV.

[HygienistDentist]

I have a bolt and I absolutely love it!

[hamzaismail]

Steve got the best professional reviews in the business.. I can't get enough of your videos

[lawnmowerdude]

Great review and just subscribed. One thing that is my only real gripe is how you described charging times 10:47. Yes, It would take you a couple of days to charge a completely dead battery from a standard North American wall outlet. But if you’re charging up from your trip to the grocery store or your local errands. Your car could easily be recharged to full overnight. The BZ4X has a 120volt charging rate for about 4 miles an hour. So if your trip to the store and back was 20 miles your car would be back to full in 5 hours with the existing plug in your garage.

[edthelazyboy]

I got the BZ4X Limited FWD in December. It's my first EV ever and I really enjoy it so far. It's so smooth and quiet compared to the Toyotas I drove before. The acceleration is very responsive and smooth as well. It feels a lot more than 200 hp and more than plenty for me. I think this car should have a Lexus badge instead. The only things missing are memory seats and mirrors. In the past, I always wanted to own a Lexus. However, the BZ4X and my wife's 2021 Venza XLE are so good now that I'm satisfied for now. I might own a Lexus someday.

I did look at other EVs in the small SUV category but excluded them for the following reasons:

Tesla Model Y (Test drove friend's car around the block): Too expensive (before the big price drop), no front instrument cluster (have to look down and to the right to see speedometer on infotainment screen), poor rear visibility, side mirrors too small, steering controls too confusing to use (needed constant mentorship and will need to memorize what they do), no physical controls for many car features (everything in infotainment system), very unnatural and tiring to drive (need to hold down accelerator to maintain speed otherwise car stops abruptly, car doesn't coast at all not even in reverse on driveway sloping backward), no 360 cameras, no ultrasonic sensors, no rear cross traffic warning, no retractable sunshade for moonroof.

ID.4: Weird controls especially for the power windows. Pro S trim for similar features even more expensive than BZ4X Limited trim.

Ford Mach E: Too expensive with dealership markups, too hard to find, no driver seat cushion thigh adjustment

Ioniq 5 / EV 6: Poor past dealership experience with Hyundai / Kia, dealership markups

Polestar 2 (Sat inside at mall display): Too narrow and too small (Arms keep hitting the driver door when pretending to steer). Poor value.

Bolt EUV: Too small and narrow. It doesn't look safe to drive on the highway.

This is not to say that the other EVs are completely bad. It's just that I don't feel they fit me. I have been driving Toyotas my whole life, so that might skew my viewpoint. I know the Tesla cars are popular and are known for their charging network. Coincidently, my friend got the Model Y a month before the big price drop and it's his first EV too. So we are both figuring out our new EVs.

[martalli]

For the price of the Toyota, just buy a Tesla model 3. You'll get the federal tax credit and Tesla cash get you one in weeks. I've been waiting over six months for GM to fulfill my bolt EUV order, but for the lower price, the Bolt is still better than the bz4x

[mars]

As you said, the Bolt is the choice for EV shoppers on a budget. The BZ4x is for shoppers who might otherwise buy a Lexus. Most people wouldn’t cross shop the two just like a man who usually shops for suits at Brooks Brothers wouldn’t shop for a bargain suit at JCPenneys. Different strokes for different folks.

[gregkramer]

Thanks for this comparison Steve. Well done again! BTW here in Murphy TX (Dallas suburb) we have a EVGO location with 2 150kw and 2 350kw chargers. I guess we are lucky!

[belavet]

Price wise they aren't even competing products. I love Toyota as a brand but the Bolt wins hands down if you don't need AWD.

[ihwhatuchooseb]

I picked up my Bolt EUV last August 1st. I went with the fully loaded Premier Trim ~ Redline Package. I looove supercruise!

It was 40k. However, -7, 500 for federal, -2, 000 for NYS - 1, 000 step dad’s discount. I paid under 30k for a brand new vehicle let alone it being a really nice featured EV.

I have driven it 10, 000 miles in 6.5 months. The vehicle drives amazing. I’ve taken it to one EV car show and have it registered for another.

I was able to survive off of a 110v outlet for 2.5 months until Chevy paid 1, 000 for a level 2 charger installation. I paid 300 more, additionally. I got about 4 miles of range per hour on the 110v outlet. I did not ever try this in the winter to see if it affected the charge rate as I didn’t need to, having the level 2.

I drive 50 miles daily. Having the level 2 charger, I gain about 32 miles of range per hour. Although this vehicle is slow on level 3 charging stations, it is worth noting, it is one of the more efficient in terms of charging on a level 2 station.

You do lose about 60 miles of range in the winter. Again, I live in Western NY. Where our average temperature is around 30 in the months of January through February, not uncommon to be much lower than that. We had several days in the teens & single digits here. I never seen a difference in my charge rate at home, as it only takes a couple hours to get 50 miles back.

I also put less efficient, however, amazing handling winter tires on my Bolt, which is also a variable in that 60 mile range reduction. The Bolt handles better than my 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4X4 did in the winter.

My electric bill went up about 60 a month. Compared to spending 80-100 per week in the Jeep. Think of that savings per month. Plus no oil changes every three months (100 bucks).

Yeah I my Bolt EUV!