TAKING A SHOT

TOYOTA CHALLENGES OUR FAVORITE ELECTRIC SUV-AND DOES BETTER THAN WE EXPECTED

- AARON GOLD

We go into every comparison test with an open mind, but in this matchup between Hyundai's Ioniq 5 and Toyota's newer bZ4X, the Hyundai was the heavy favorite. After all, it already won a comparison test against its corporate cousin, Kia's slick EV6, and it's our top pick among electric SUVs. Turns out we were both right and wrong: Right about which EV would win but wrong about the reasons why. What we found were two exceptionally useful electric cars with their own distinct strengths.

The Ioniq 5 is a talented and stylish EV and the first vehicle from Hyundai's all-electric Ioniq subbrand. Although the bZ4X is Toyota's first modern-day battery electric vehicle, Toyota introduced an electric RAV4 back in 1997 and has been selling the Mirai FCEV (an electric car powered by a hydrogen fuel cell instead of a battery) since 2016. Given that experience, we thought it was fair to match the bZ4X against the best in the field.

For this comparison, we went with top-of the-line all-wheel-drive models. Our Ioniq 5 HTRAC Limited came with accessories that raised its price to $56,440. The bZ4X's top trim level is also called Limited, and our test AWD EV came with a cold-weather package, premium stereo, spoiler, and extra-cost paint that raised the sticker price to $52,050.