Toyota bZ4X review: running costs & insurance

It may be one of the more expensive electric family SUVs on the market, but the bZ4X’s decent efficiency bodes well for running costs in an era of increasingly pricey public rapid charging and rising domestic energy costs. Company-car tax rates will remain super-low for all electric cars for the foreseeable future, too, while Toyota’s ‘Relax’ warranty is one of the bZ4X’s top selling points.

Toyota bZ4X insurance group

For what is a fairly run-of-the-mill electric family car, the Toyota bZ4X demands relatively high insurance premiums. Depending on which model you choose, the bZ4X occupies insurance groups 36-40, making it pretty expensive to cover compared with the likes of the Skoda Enyaq, which starts in group 23. The Toyota should be cheaper to insure than a Tesla Model Y, though.

Warranty

Like all Toyotas sold in the UK, the bZ4X benefits from the Japanese brand’s ‘Relax’ warranty scheme, which is arguably the most comprehensive out there. This consists of a standard three-year/60,000-mile manufacturer warranty, which is automatically topped-up by a year/10,000 miles each time you have your annual service at your Toyota dealer, up to a maximum of 10 years and 100,000 miles.

Servicing

Unfortunately, while some electric cars require less-frequent servicing than their petrol equivalents, Toyota says the bZ4X requires inspection every year or 18,000 miles, whichever comes soonest. Toyota’s ‘Service Plan Plus’ can help spread the cost of servicing via monthly interest-free payments, while all bZ4X models come as standard with three years of free roadside assistance.

Road tax

Aside from saving the polar bears, one of the biggest reasons to opt for an electric car are the huge tax savings – especially for company car drivers. All EVs occupy the lowest 2% Benefit-in-Kind bracket until 2025, which means you could be paying as little as £184 per year to run the bZ4X as a company car.

Electric cars are also exempt from road tax (VED) until 2025 and can enter London’s Congestion Charge and Ultra-Low Emissions (ULEZ) zones for free, too.

Depreciation

Thankfully, for what is such an expensive car, the Toyota bZ4X handles depreciation relatively well. Over three years and 36,000 miles, owners can expect the electric Toyota to retain anything between 57-60% of its value over three years and 36,000 miles, according to the latest industry forecasts. This is slightly better than the equivalent Enyaq and a lot stronger than the Volkswagen ID.4, likely due to the Toyota’s long warranty.