2023 Toyota bZ4X vs. 2022 Volkswagen ID.4

2023 Toyota BZ4X ・ Photo by Toyota

The 2022 Volkswagen ID.4 is an all-electric crossover available in a range of three trims. It offers either all-wheel or rear-wheel drive with a range of up to 280 miles per charge. It has a good selection of standard features and plenty of cargo room.

The 2023 Toyota bZ4X is an all-new crossover with seating for five people that adds an all-electric vehicle to the Toyota lineup. It’s available with front-wheel or all-wheel drive and a maximum range of 252 miles per charge. There’s a choice of two well-equipped trims with lots of standard features. Let’s take a closer look at these two new electric vehicles to see which is the best.

Choose Your Trim

The Toyota bZ4X has two trims with pricing starting at $42,000 and topping out at $46,700. Standard features include a 12.3-inch touchscreen with Qi wireless charging and dual-zone automatic climate control. There’s also front-wheel or all-wheel drive available on both trims.

The Volkswagen ID.4 comes in three trims with pricing from $40,760 to $46,760. All three come with the option for either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive. A 10-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless smartphone charging, and 6-way power adjustable front seats are standard. Volkswagen comes out ahead for both its lower starting price and wider range of trims.

: Volkswagen ID.4

Photo by Volkswagen

How Much Horsepower do You Want?

Front-wheel-drive versions of the bZ4X have 201 horsepower. All-wheel-drive models get a little bump up to 214 horsepower. Those are solid numbers that provide plenty of horsepower to get the bZ4X up to speed easily when it comes time to merge into highway traffic.

The Volkswagen ID.4 matches up with 201 horsepower in rear-wheel-drive models and similar solid performance. Where the difference happens is when you look at all-wheel-drive trims. These take a big jump up to 295 horsepower, making it a much more aggressive and engaging drive experience. The gives Volkswagen the win.

: Volkswagen ID.4

Photo by Volkswagen

A Refined Ride for Passengers

The Toyota bZ4X delivers a composed, comfortable ride that makes it easy for passengers to relax. There’s not a lot of road noise, even when that road surface is a pebbled or cracked section of pavement. It also handles potholes and more severe road imperfections with ease. Adding to the ride is a minimum of wind noise intruding into the cabin.

The Volkswagen ID.4 also has a smooth ride. It does well over rough pavement, but you feel a bit more vibration from those imperfect road surfaces. It’s also not as quiet with more road noise and more wind noise than the bZ4X. While the ride is good, it’s less refined than what’s offered by the bZ4X.

: Toyota bZ4X

Photo by Toyota

Over 250 miles of Range for Both

The Toyota bZ4X with all-wheel drive has a range of up to 228 miles per charge. You can go further with front-wheel drive, which offers 252 miles of range per charge. Those are solid figures that easily cover a typical day’s driving without the need to find a charger.

The Volkswagen ID.4 gets a range bump this year. It now gets up to 280 miles per charge with rear-wheel drive and 251 miles per charge with all-wheel drive. Those numbers are better in every configuration, giving Volkswagen the win no matter which you choose.

: Volkswagen ID.4

Photo by Volkswagen

Charged and Ready to Go

You can charge the Toyota bZ4X at a Level 1, Level 2, or DC fast charger. At a Level 2 charger, which is what owners install at home, it takes about 11 hours to fully charge. Out and about, you can get about 25 miles of range per hour.

The ID.4 can also use Level 1, Level 2, and DC fast charging. It takes just 7.5 hours to fully charge at a Level 2 charger. If you take advantage of fast charging, then it can go from 5 percent to 80 percent in 38 minutes with 62 miles of range added in only 10 minutes. The big difference in Level 2 charging times gives Volkswagen the win.

: Volkswagen ID.4

Photo by Volkswagen

An Interior With Room for Everyone

The Toyota bZ4X has a roomy interior with supportive front seats and a modern design. Electric vehicles tend to be more futuristic, and the bZ4X follows that trend while retaining some warmth and character. There’s seating for three in the rear seats with 35.3 inches of legroom and 37.1 inches of headroom.

The Volkswagen ID.4 also has room for five but with a more minimalist interior. It’s not unattractive, but it doesn’t feel as nicely appointed. When it comes to room, front seats are spacious and supportive. There’s also good rear seat room with 37.6 inches of legroom and 38.4 inches of headroom. If you plan to have friends along for the ride, they’ll have more room in the Volkswagen.

: Volkswagen ID.4

Photo by Volkswagen

Infotainment Where the Difference Is in the Options

Standard infotainment for the Toyota bZ4X includes a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation, wireless smartphone charging, and a 6-speaker audio system. Available on the Limited trim is a premium 9-speaker JBL audio system with a subwoofer and amplifier.

The Volkswagen ID.4 has a 10.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, navigation, wireless charging, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s a 12.0-inch screen on all but the base trim. While connectivity is good on both vehicles, the screen is larger across the lineup in the Toyota which gives it the edge when it comes to infotainment.

: Toyota bZ4X

Photo by Toyota

Excellent Standard Safety for Both

The Toyota bZ4X has the latest version of Toyota Safety Sense. It includes pre-collision with pedestrian detection, automatic high beams lane departure alert with steering assist, lane tracing assist, full-speed dynamic radar cruise control, and road sign assist. Blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert is also standard on both trims.

The Volkswagen ID.4 has standard automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot alert, lane-departure alert, lane-keeping assist, full-speed adaptive cruise control, and front collision and pedestrian warning. It also features a hands-on driver assist system that maintains speed and keeps the vehicle in its lane, which puts Volkswagen ahead when it comes safety.

: Volkswagen ID.4

Photo by Volkswagen

Cargo Room Aplenty

The Toyota bZ4X has 27.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats. Those seats do fold down to increase cargo capacity, but Toyota doesn’t have that cargo figure available. The tailgate also has a wide opening that makes it easy to store bulky items.

The Volkswagen ID.4 has 30.3 cubic feet for cargo behind the second row with 64.2 cubic feet behind the first row. Like the b4X, there’s a wide tailgate opening for large cargo. The extra few cubic feet behind the second row, which is what people use most often, give Volkswagen the win.

: Volkswagen ID.4

Photo by Volkswagen

And the Winner Is…

The Toyota bZ4X is a solid entry in the electric vehicle marketplace. It has affordable pricing, a comfortable interior, and good standard safety and infotainment. There’s also a good driving range with two well-equipped trims from which to choose.

The Volkswagen ID.4 offers a bit more overall. It has a wider range of trims, more room for cargo and people, and a longer driving range. It also charges up more quickly, which makes it our pick of the two.

: Volkswagen ID.4

Photo by Volkswagen