2026 Toyota bZ XLE | Talking Cars with Consumer Reports #493

We share our first impressions of the all-new Toyota bZ. Formerly known as the bZ4X, it shares much of its DNA with the Subaru Solterra. Our experts share the best and worst parts of the bZ and discuss how the name, powertrain, and new NACS charging port increase its appeal. We also debate how much center console is too much, and whether dual wireless phone chargers are actually an asset. Plus, we answer an audience question about the Hyundai Ioniq 9’s reliability. SHOW NOTES: 0:00 - Intro 0:17 - 2026 Toyota bZ Overview 0:55 - What we like about the Toyota bZ 8:13 - What we dislike about the Toyota bZ 18:35 - What EV would we buy? 23:19 - Audience Question: How does Consumer Reports score and weight vehicle reliability year-to-year? LINKS: Model Overview; Toyota bZ : https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/... Test Results: Toyota bZ4X: https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/... Tesla Superchargers vs. Non-Tesla TVs: https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/... 2026 Nissan Leaf: https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/... Model Overview; Hyundai Ionia 5: https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/... Test Results: Hyundai Ionia 9: https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/... Test Results: Cadillac Vistiq: https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/...