Compare the2022 Chevrolet BoltVS 2021 Toyota Mirai

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Bolt are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Mirai doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Bolt and the Mirai have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, rear impact and roof-crush tests, with its optional front crash prevention system, its “Acceptable” rating in the new passenger-side small overlap crash test, and its headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Bolt the rating of “Top Pick” for 2019, a rating granted to only 160 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Mirai has not been tested, yet.

The Bolt’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Mirai’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 2 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Toyota dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Bolt’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 36 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 19th, below the industry average.

The Bolt’s electric motor produces 18 more horsepower (200 vs. 182) and 45 lbs.-ft. more torque (266 vs. 221) than the Mirai’s electric motor.

On the EPA test cycle the Bolt gets better fuel mileage than the Mirai:

The Bolt’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Mirai’s 55 series tires.

The Bolt has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Mirai doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires standard on the Bolt can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The Mirai doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

For better maneuverability, the Bolt’s turning circle is 3.7 feet tighter than the Mirai’s (34.8 feet vs. 38.5 feet).

The Chevrolet Bolt may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 to 750 pounds less than the Toyota Mirai.

The Bolt is 2 feet, 8.6 inches shorter than the Mirai, making the Bolt easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Bolt has 1.7 inches more front headroom, 2.1 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more rear headroom and 2.5 inches more rear legroom than the Mirai.

The Bolt has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Mirai (16.6 vs. 9.6 cubic feet). The Bolt has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded (57 cubic feet).

The Bolt’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Mirai doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

The Bolt has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Mirai doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Bolt has a standard rear wiper. The Mirai doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

On extremely cold winter days, the Bolt’s optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Mirai doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Bolt was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” in 2017. The Mirai has never been a Car and Driver “Top Ten” pick.

The Bolt was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine’s “All Stars” in 2017. The Mirai has never been an “All Star.”

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Bolt as the 2017 North American Car of the Year. The Mirai has never been chosen.