Hey @BillZ welcome to the forum! Thanks a lot for sharing this about your bZ4X. I pretty much agree with your pros and cons about it overall. When you were choosing between the bZ and the Model Y, what was the deciding factor that won it for the bZ as your first EV?After three years of looking for a new vehicle for my wife, we finally took the plunge and bought a BZ4x two weeks ago. The final choice came down to the Model Y and the BZ, and after doing our research (thanks in part to this forum) and building a checklist of what was important to us, we finally pulled the trigger on the BZ. This is our first EV and also first car that is part of the digital age, and the last couple of weeks have been an adventure.
The Good.....
- The BZ drives like a dream. The acceleration, handling and sure-footedness of the car makes it fun to drive and it's super comfortable.
- The heads up display. We checked out a bunch of Youtube reviews and many critics panned the BZ for not being able to see through the steering wheel. My wife is 5' and I'm 6'1". Without adjusting the steering column between drivers, we can both easily see the instrument cluster without taking our eyes off the road.
- The entertainment system and center console. Configuring the entertainment system is a work in progress, but we really like the 12 inch screen and the layout of the buttons for the climate control etc.
- Styling, fit and finish. We looked at the Mach and VW EV early on, and the quality of both were far below the Toyota.
- Golf Cart Mode. This feature was a head scratcher at first, but I was stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic for 5 miles the other day it it was great not to need to keep switching between brake and accelerator.
- Glass Roof. The glass roof brings a ton of natural light into the car which makes the interior feel more spacious.
The Head Scratchers...
- Please, for the love of God Toyota, come out with a software update to turn off the back-up buzzer. I know the car is in reverse because since I just shifted it in reverse. When I'm parallel parking I also have multiple censors buzzing and chirping and I don't need another one.
- The wireless charger doesn't work when your phone is in a case. Come on Toyota, I have a half dozen $10 Amazon wireless chargers around the house and none of them an issue with my phone case.
- The climate control/range guestimate.. Huh? So you're telling me if I need to stay warm I lose 20%ish of my range? Toyota needs to either figure out how to estimate range better or design a more efficient heat pump.
Things I need to figure out...
Granted, I didn't read the owners manual, but it would be nice if Toyota put out a tips and tricks video to get people started.
The parking brake in the center console - I press it and nothing seems to happen.
The Sync button - I don't know what it's for and nothing happens when I press it.
"Hold" in the center console- ????
Overall the vehicle has been great and we're super happy with the purchase. We tend to keep vehicles for 10+ years and hope to keep our first EV for just as long.
New BZ4X Owner - 500 Mile Review
After three years of looking for a new vehicle for my wife, we finally took the plunge and bought a BZ4x two weeks ago. The final choice came down to the Model Y and the BZ, and after doing our research (thanks in part to this forum) and building a checklist of what was important to us, we finally pulled the trigger on the BZ. This is our first EV and also first car that is part of the digital age, and the last couple of weeks have been an adventure.
The Good.....
The Head Scratchers...
Things I need to figure out...
Granted, I didn't read the owners manual, but it would be nice if Toyota put out a tips and tricks video to get people started.
The parking brake in the center console - I press it and nothing seems to happen.
The Sync button - I don't know what it's for and nothing happens when I press it.
"Hold" in the center console- ????
Overall the vehicle has been great and we're super happy with the purchase. We tend to keep vehicles for 10+ years and hope to keep our first EV for just as long.
The Good.....
- The BZ drives like a dream. The acceleration, handling and sure-footedness of the car makes it fun to drive and it's super comfortable.
- The heads up display. We checked out a bunch of Youtube reviews and many critics panned the BZ for not being able to see through the steering wheel. My wife is 5' and I'm 6'1". Without adjusting the steering column between drivers, we can both easily see the instrument cluster without taking our eyes off the road.
- The entertainment system and center console. Configuring the entertainment system is a work in progress, but we really like the 12 inch screen and the layout of the buttons for the climate control etc.
- Styling, fit and finish. We looked at the Mach and VW EV early on, and the quality of both were far below the Toyota.
- Golf Cart Mode. This feature was a head scratcher at first, but I was stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic for 5 miles the other day it it was great not to need to keep switching between brake and accelerator.
- Glass Roof. The glass roof brings a ton of natural light into the car which makes the interior feel more spacious.
The Head Scratchers...
- Please, for the love of God Toyota, come out with a software update to turn off the back-up buzzer. I know the car is in reverse because since I just shifted it in reverse. When I'm parallel parking I also have multiple censors buzzing and chirping and I don't need another one.
- The wireless charger doesn't work when your phone is in a case. Come on Toyota, I have a half dozen $10 Amazon wireless chargers around the house and none of them an issue with my phone case.
- The climate control/range guestimate.. Huh? So you're telling me if I need to stay warm I lose 20%ish of my range? Toyota needs to either figure out how to estimate range better or design a more efficient heat pump.
Things I need to figure out...
Granted, I didn't read the owners manual, but it would be nice if Toyota put out a tips and tricks video to get people started.
The parking brake in the center console - I press it and nothing seems to happen.
The Sync button - I don't know what it's for and nothing happens when I press it.
"Hold" in the center console- ????
Overall the vehicle has been great and we're super happy with the purchase. We tend to keep vehicles for 10+ years and hope to keep our first EV for just as long.
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
Hey @BillZ welcome to the forum! Thanks a lot for sharing this about your bZ4X. I pretty much agree with your pros and cons about it overall. When you were choosing between the bZ and the Model Y, what was the deciding factor that won it for the bZ as your first EV?
The sync will set the temperature of driver and passenger sides to the same settings (temperature).After three years of looking for a new vehicle for my wife, we finally took the plunge and bought a BZ4x two weeks ago. The final choice came down to the Model Y and the BZ, and after doing our research (thanks in part to this forum) and building a checklist of what was important to us, we finally pulled the trigger on the BZ. This is our first EV and also first car that is part of the digital age, and the last couple of weeks have been an adventure.
The Good.....
- The BZ drives like a dream. The acceleration, handling and sure-footedness of the car makes it fun to drive and it's super comfortable.
- The heads up display. We checked out a bunch of Youtube reviews and many critics panned the BZ for not being able to see through the steering wheel. My wife is 5' and I'm 6'1". Without adjusting the steering column between drivers, we can both easily see the instrument cluster without taking our eyes off the road.
- The entertainment system and center console. Configuring the entertainment system is a work in progress, but we really like the 12 inch screen and the layout of the buttons for the climate control etc.
- Styling, fit and finish. We looked at the Mach and VW EV early on, and the quality of both were far below the Toyota.
- Golf Cart Mode. This feature was a head scratcher at first, but I was stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic for 5 miles the other day it it was great not to need to keep switching between brake and accelerator.
- Glass Roof. The glass roof brings a ton of natural light into the car which makes the interior feel more spacious.
The Head Scratchers...
- Please, for the love of God Toyota, come out with a software update to turn off the back-up buzzer. I know the car is in reverse because since I just shifted it in reverse. When I'm parallel parking I also have multiple censors buzzing and chirping and I don't need another one.
- The wireless charger doesn't work when your phone is in a case. Come on Toyota, I have a half dozen $10 Amazon wireless chargers around the house and none of them an issue with my phone case.
- The climate control/range guestimate.. Huh? So you're telling me if I need to stay warm I lose 20%ish of my range? Toyota needs to either figure out how to estimate range better or design a more efficient heat pump.
Things I need to figure out...
Granted, I didn't read the owners manual, but it would be nice if Toyota put out a tips and tricks video to get people started.
The parking brake in the center console - I press it and nothing seems to happen.
The Sync button - I don't know what it's for and nothing happens when I press it.
"Hold" in the center console- ????
Overall the vehicle has been great and we're super happy with the purchase. We tend to keep vehicles for 10+ years and hope to keep our first EV for just as long.
Hold: after coming to a stop if the hold button is on then you can take your foot off the brake and the car won’t move forward until you hit the accelerator
What is the Golf Cart mode?After three years of looking for a new vehicle for my wife, we finally took the plunge and bought a BZ4x two weeks ago. The final choice came down to the Model Y and the BZ, and after doing our research (thanks in part to this forum) and building a checklist of what was important to us, we finally pulled the trigger on the BZ. This is our first EV and also first car that is part of the digital age, and the last couple of weeks have been an adventure.
The Good.....
- The BZ drives like a dream. The acceleration, handling and sure-footedness of the car makes it fun to drive and it's super comfortable.
- The heads up display. We checked out a bunch of Youtube reviews and many critics panned the BZ for not being able to see through the steering wheel. My wife is 5' and I'm 6'1". Without adjusting the steering column between drivers, we can both easily see the instrument cluster without taking our eyes off the road.
- The entertainment system and center console. Configuring the entertainment system is a work in progress, but we really like the 12 inch screen and the layout of the buttons for the climate control etc.
- Styling, fit and finish. We looked at the Mach and VW EV early on, and the quality of both were far below the Toyota.
- Golf Cart Mode. This feature was a head scratcher at first, but I was stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic for 5 miles the other day it it was great not to need to keep switching between brake and accelerator.
- Glass Roof. The glass roof brings a ton of natural light into the car which makes the interior feel more spacious.
The Head Scratchers...
- Please, for the love of God Toyota, come out with a software update to turn off the back-up buzzer. I know the car is in reverse because since I just shifted it in reverse. When I'm parallel parking I also have multiple censors buzzing and chirping and I don't need another one.
- The wireless charger doesn't work when your phone is in a case. Come on Toyota, I have a half dozen $10 Amazon wireless chargers around the house and none of them an issue with my phone case.
- The climate control/range guestimate.. Huh? So you're telling me if I need to stay warm I lose 20%ish of my range? Toyota needs to either figure out how to estimate range better or design a more efficient heat pump.
Things I need to figure out...
Granted, I didn't read the owners manual, but it would be nice if Toyota put out a tips and tricks video to get people started.
The parking brake in the center console - I press it and nothing seems to happen.
The Sync button - I don't know what it's for and nothing happens when I press it.
"Hold" in the center console- ????
Overall the vehicle has been great and we're super happy with the purchase. We tend to keep vehicles for 10+ years and hope to keep our first EV for just as long.
Thanks!, and good question...Hey @BillZ welcome to the forum! Thanks a lot for sharing this about your bZ4X. I pretty much agree with your pros and cons about it overall. When you were choosing between the bZ and the Model Y, what was the deciding factor that won it for the bZ as your first EV?
First off, range and charging time wasn't on the top of our priority list. This would be our second, around town vehicle with only occasional trips of 200 miles for my wife to visit family. We also already have a 240v outlet conveniently located in our garage so charging is simple.
The Model Y was nice, but we couldn't get past the spartan interior, in particular just having the single monitor for all controls. Also, The Tesla exterior styling is dated and every model, except the S, looks basically the same. We live in the greater Seattle area and here it seems every other car is a Tesla and I need to look closely to figure out of it's a Model X, Model Y or Model 3. Here in the Pacific Northwest they remind me of the Soviet era Lada.
One pedal driving...What is the Golf Cart mode?
Thanks!!The sync will set the temperature of driver and passenger sides to the same settings (temperature).
Hold: after coming to a stop if the hold button is on then you can take your foot off the brake and the car won’t move forward until you hit the accelerator
But it will only hold for a few minutes before it shifts to park, so be aware, and be ready if you were expecting to just press the accelerator and go. There is a warning message. Handy for waiting in a line that creeps, until it doesn’t creep for a while and parks itself.
Regeneration booster. Similar to "one-pedal" drive. Note that you MUST use the brake pedal to stop.What is the Golf Cart mode?
Page 240-241 of the owner manual:
Regeneration Boost Switch
Acceleration/deceleration control can be performed only by operating the accelerator pedal, and the frequency of switching to the brake pedal can be greatly reduced. Since the deceleration when the accelerator pedal is released is stronger than that of a conventional vehicle, the vehicle can be decelerated smoothly by slowly releasing the pedal the accelerator pedal without completely releasing it.
When the Regeneration Boost switch is pressed, the regenerative braking force, when the accelerator pedal is released, becomes stronger than usual.
■When Regeneration Boost cannot be used :
In the following cases, the system does not operate.
●When “X-MODE” is activated (If equipped)
●When the brake system or EV system is malfunctioning
●When regenerative braking is limited Regenerative braking may be restricted in the following situations:
• When the amount of charge of the traction battery is high
• When the temperature of the traction battery is low or extremely high
• When the temperature of the electric motor or power control unit is extremely high
• When regenerative braking is continually used for a long time
■Regenerative Braking
●The vehicle cannot be stopped by just releasing the accelerator pedal. Step on the brake pedal when the vehicle is stopped.
●If the power switch is turned off and then the EV system is restarted, the Regeneration Boost will be turned off.
●When driving at high speeds, the feeling of deceleration due to regenerative braking is smaller than in a normal car.
●The maximum deceleration varies depending on the vehicle speed.
●Regeneration Boost cannot be used when the following message is displayed on the multi-information display. When decelerating, firmly step on the brake to decelerate.
• “Regeneration Boost Unavailable XMODE Activated”
• “Regeneration Boost Temporarily Unavailable Press Brake to Decelerate.”
• “Regeneration Boost Temporarily Unavailable See Owner’s Manual”
■Stop lights turning ON
When the regenerative braking force exceeds a certain level, the stop lights turns on.
which model color did you getAfter three years of looking for a new vehicle for my wife, we finally took the plunge and bought a BZ4x two weeks ago. The final choice came down to the Model Y and the BZ, and after doing our research (thanks in part to this forum) and building a checklist of what was important to us, we finally pulled the trigger on the BZ. This is our first EV and also first car that is part of the digital age, and the last couple of weeks have been an adventure.
The Good.....
- The BZ drives like a dream. The acceleration, handling and sure-footedness of the car makes it fun to drive and it's super comfortable.
- The heads up display. We checked out a bunch of Youtube reviews and many critics panned the BZ for not being able to see through the steering wheel. My wife is 5' and I'm 6'1". Without adjusting the steering column between drivers, we can both easily see the instrument cluster without taking our eyes off the road.
- The entertainment system and center console. Configuring the entertainment system is a work in progress, but we really like the 12 inch screen and the layout of the buttons for the climate control etc.
- Styling, fit and finish. We looked at the Mach and VW EV early on, and the quality of both were far below the Toyota.
- Golf Cart Mode. This feature was a head scratcher at first, but I was stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic for 5 miles the other day it it was great not to need to keep switching between brake and accelerator.
- Glass Roof. The glass roof brings a ton of natural light into the car which makes the interior feel more spacious.
The Head Scratchers...
- Please, for the love of God Toyota, come out with a software update to turn off the back-up buzzer. I know the car is in reverse because since I just shifted it in reverse. When I'm parallel parking I also have multiple censors buzzing and chirping and I don't need another one.
- The wireless charger doesn't work when your phone is in a case. Come on Toyota, I have a half dozen $10 Amazon wireless chargers around the house and none of them an issue with my phone case.
- The climate control/range guestimate.. Huh? So you're telling me if I need to stay warm I lose 20%ish of my range? Toyota needs to either figure out how to estimate range better or design a more efficient heat pump.
Things I need to figure out...
Granted, I didn't read the owners manual, but it would be nice if Toyota put out a tips and tricks video to get people started.
The parking brake in the center console - I press it and nothing seems to happen.
The Sync button - I don't know what it's for and nothing happens when I press it.
"Hold" in the center console- ????
Overall the vehicle has been great and we're super happy with the purchase. We tend to keep vehicles for 10+ years and hope to keep our first EV for just as long.
which model color did you get
White.
I suggest you read the owners manual... Your questions could have been answered if you had done so. That being said, there are areas where I've read and reread the manual but the grammar didn't make sense. I wish they would have someone proofread the manual who is a native of whatever language they are using.
Golf cart mode: Regenerative braking. Also, if the vehicle is fully charged, the regen braking will not engage as it sends electricity to the battery when engaged.
Hold: the brake stays engaged when at a full stop so you don't have to keep your foot on the brake. Useful for when waiting in line at a drive thru window, especially if on an incline.
Back up chime: I totally agree with you! I'm not sure if this can be heard outside of the car, I don't think it can, so it's not that useful for the driver.
Climate usage: it's obscene that the climate controls reduce your "estimated" driving distance by such a large amount. This of course, is one reason they put in heated seats, a heated steering wheel, and a heat panel below the steering column. Having all three of these going while having the heater/climate OFF, still won't keep you comfortable when driving in temperatures below 40 degrees. I make sure to have extra clothing and a hat available if I need the distance more than being comfortable. Of course, the estimated mileage is reduced if the terrain is hilly, or if you accelerate and drive like a speed demon, so you have to take that into consideration as well.
Phone charging: I have an iPhone in a case and it charges just fine. Look for a different type of case for your phone. What irritates me is that you have to connect your phone to the vehicle every time you get in it, and if there are two people who drive it, the BZ4X has difficulty switching from one to the other. I'd prefer setting driver preferences on the vehicle rather than rely on the vehicle connecting to your phone. It's easy though, to connect apple car play or android play.
Golf cart mode: Regenerative braking. Also, if the vehicle is fully charged, the regen braking will not engage as it sends electricity to the battery when engaged.
Hold: the brake stays engaged when at a full stop so you don't have to keep your foot on the brake. Useful for when waiting in line at a drive thru window, especially if on an incline.
Back up chime: I totally agree with you! I'm not sure if this can be heard outside of the car, I don't think it can, so it's not that useful for the driver.
Climate usage: it's obscene that the climate controls reduce your "estimated" driving distance by such a large amount. This of course, is one reason they put in heated seats, a heated steering wheel, and a heat panel below the steering column. Having all three of these going while having the heater/climate OFF, still won't keep you comfortable when driving in temperatures below 40 degrees. I make sure to have extra clothing and a hat available if I need the distance more than being comfortable. Of course, the estimated mileage is reduced if the terrain is hilly, or if you accelerate and drive like a speed demon, so you have to take that into consideration as well.
Phone charging: I have an iPhone in a case and it charges just fine. Look for a different type of case for your phone. What irritates me is that you have to connect your phone to the vehicle every time you get in it, and if there are two people who drive it, the BZ4X has difficulty switching from one to the other. I'd prefer setting driver preferences on the vehicle rather than rely on the vehicle connecting to your phone. It's easy though, to connect apple car play or android play.
In my defense..... Since the owners manual is digital only, it's difficult to read through the PDF on my phone while in the car.I suggest you read the owners manual... Your questions could have been answered if you had done so. That being said, there are areas where I've read and reread the manual but the grammar didn't make sense. I wish they would have someone proofread the manual who is a native of whatever language they are using.
Golf cart mode: Regenerative braking. Also, if the vehicle is fully charged, the regen braking will not engage as it sends electricity to the battery when engaged.
Hold: the brake stays engaged when at a full stop so you don't have to keep your foot on the brake. Useful for when waiting in line at a drive thru window, especially if on an incline.
Back up chime: I totally agree with you! I'm not sure if this can be heard outside of the car, I don't think it can, so it's not that useful for the driver.
Climate usage: it's obscene that the climate controls reduce your "estimated" driving distance by such a large amount. This of course, is one reason they put in heated seats, a heated steering wheel, and a heat panel below the steering column. Having all three of these going while having the heater/climate OFF, still won't keep you comfortable when driving in temperatures below 40 degrees. I make sure to have extra clothing and a hat available if I need the distance more than being comfortable. Of course, the estimated mileage is reduced if the terrain is hilly, or if you accelerate and drive like a speed demon, so you have to take that into consideration as well.
Phone charging: I have an iPhone in a case and it charges just fine. Look for a different type of case for your phone. What irritates me is that you have to connect your phone to the vehicle every time you get in it, and if there are two people who drive it, the BZ4X has difficulty switching from one to the other. I'd prefer setting driver preferences on the vehicle rather than rely on the vehicle connecting to your phone. It's easy though, to connect apple car play or android play.
Climate Control: For right now it's only a minor annoyance that hopefully this gets fixed with the update.
Phone Charging: My case isn't overly bulky (about 1/8 inch thick) and has the cut-out over the Apple logo to allow for wireless charging. It is an older iPhone 12 so that could have something to do with it.
Oh! I received a paper copy of the manual, plus I have it on my iphone 11. The case I have has a clear plastic back on it. Got it on Amazon.
The pdf manual is handy when searching the text for a specific key word. I am surprised they didn't give you a physical book as well, though.In my defense..... Since the owners manual is digital only, it's difficult to read through the PDF on my phone while in the car.
Climate Control: For right now it's only a minor annoyance that hopefully this gets fixed with the update.
Phone Charging: My case isn't overly bulky (about 1/8 inch thick) and has the cut-out over the Apple logo to allow for wireless charging. It is an older iPhone 12 so that could have something to do with it.
Hmm, I may have to question the dealer on the paper copy. I just assumed they went 100% digital.The pdf manual is handy when searching the text for a specific key word. I am surprised they didn't give you a physical book as well, though.
Look under the removable tray in the center front armrest for the manuals.
mine were in the charge cable storage cut-out in the back.
Agree, I stumbled upon mine when digging through things. I had no idea there was a secret compartment / tray. I was so happy to find everything, including the connection package with USB cables. (I had just bought a cable for my phone too).Look under the removable tray in the center front armrest for the manuals.
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
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