Compare the2024 Toyota bZ4XVS 2024 Fiat 500e

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Toyota bZ4X are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Fiat 500e doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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 500e doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Toyota bZ4X has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The 500e doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The bZ4X has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The 500e 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The bZ4X has a standard Parking Support Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The 500e doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The bZ4X has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The 500e doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

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 500e 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.

Both the bZ4X and the 500e have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.

The Toyota bZ4X weighs 1314 to 1512 pounds more than the Fiat 500e. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the bZ4X 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Fiat covers the 500e. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the 500e ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the bZ4X for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for tire rotations, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Fiat doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the 500e.

There are over 3 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Fiat dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the bZ4X’s warranty.

The bZ4X’s standard electric motor produces 83 more horsepower (201 vs. 118) and 34 lbs.-ft. more torque (196 vs. 162) than the 500e’s electric motor. The bZ4X’s optional electric motors produces 96 more horsepower (214 vs. 118) and 86 lbs.-ft. more torque (248 vs. 162) than the 500e’s electric motor.

The bZ4X can travel longer on a full charge than the 500e on a full charge:

For better stopping power the bZ4X’s brake rotors are larger than those on the 500e:

The Toyota bZ4X has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Only rear drums come on the 500e. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

For better traction, the bZ4X has larger tires than the 500e (235/60R18 vs. 205/45R17).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the bZ4X XLE has standard 18-inch wheels. Only 17-inch wheels are available on the 500e. The bZ4X Limited has standard 20-inch wheels.

For superior ride and handling, the Toyota bZ4X has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Fiat 500e has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the bZ4X’s wheelbase is 20.8 inches longer than on the 500e (112.2 inches vs. 91.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the bZ4X is 5.1 inches wider in the front and 5.7 inches wider in the rear than on the 500e.

The bZ4X’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (56% to 44%) than the 500e’s (58.9% to 41.1%). This gives the bZ4X more stable handling and braking.

The bZ4X has standard seating for 5 passengers; the 500e can only carry 4.

The bZ4X has .3 inches more front legroom, 4.6 inches more front hip room, 6.7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.7 inches more rear headroom, 5.8 inches more rear legroom and 8.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the 500e.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the bZ4X’s rear seats recline. The 500e’s rear seats don’t recline.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the bZ4X Limited’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The 500e doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The bZ4X’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children from operating them, but the driver can still raise and lower all of them with the lock engaged. Fiat does not offer a locking feature on the 500e’s standard power windows.

The bZ4X’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The 500e’s power windows’ switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

The bZ4X offers optional heated front and second row seats (second row heated seats on Limited) extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated seats aren’t available in the 500e.

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 500e doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the bZ4X’s optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The 500e doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The bZ4X has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The 500e doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the bZ4X has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The 500e doesn’t offer rear vents.

The bZ4X Limited’s Advanced Park can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The 500e doesn’t offer an automated parking system.