Compare the2023 Toyota bZ4XVS 2023 Tesla Model Y

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 bZ4X are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Model Y doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The bZ4X has standard post collision braking, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Model Y doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the bZ4X AWD’s standard Downhill Assist Control allows you to creep down safely. The Model Y doesn’t offer Downhill Assist Control.

The bZ4X Limited has a standard Bird’s Eye View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model Y only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the bZ4X’s standard rear cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Model Y doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The bZ4X’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Model Y doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

The bZ4X has standard Safety Connect™, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model Y doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the bZ4X and the Model Y have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems and rearview cameras.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the bZ4X for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Tesla doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Model Y.

There are over 8 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the bZ4X’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Tesla vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in initial quality. With 54 more problems per 100 vehicles, Tesla is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Tesla is ranked 19th.

The bZ4X has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the bZ4X flat and controlled during cornering. The Model Y’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For greater off-road capability the bZ4X has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Model Y (8.1 vs. 6.6 inches), allowing the bZ4X to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The bZ4X has .3 inches more front legroom, .6 inches more front hip room, 1.4 inches more front shoulder room and 2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Model Y.

The bZ4X has a much larger cargo volume than the Model Y with its rear seat up (27.7 vs. 16.9 cubic feet).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the bZ4X’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Model Y doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The bZ4X’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model Y doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the bZ4X has standard extendable sun visors. The Model Y doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the bZ4X Limited keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Model Y doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The bZ4X is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Model Y doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.