Nissan Juke vs Toyota BZ4X

What's the difference?

The Juke is a fun little car. It looks cool, it packs most of the important features and safety equipment, but while it can be fun to drive, it’s also a little clunky around town.

It’s so frustrating, because there is a great car in there somewhere, and it would take only small tweaks and enhancements to bring it out.

The Toyota bZ4X base variant is an uncomplicated car to drive. It has some decent features for its grade level and it is plenty big enough for my little family of three but it doesn’t always come out ahead of its rivals.

It would be an easy EV to dip your toes in if you’re wanting something economical to maintain yet able to fit the family. But it's expensive for what it is.

My seven-year old likes the cool looks but has been confused about Mummy is reviewing the same car again.

Urban style is clearly what the Juke is about. It’s always been about this, but the original incarnation, while unusual, was a bit bulbous and awkward. The current version is a razor-sharp re-interpretation of the original.

Ugly duckling no more, the Juke blends the elements of Nissan’s current design language with its own unique take, in a clever way.

The roofline and bulbous face of the original car, complete with its ‘eye’ headlights are all maintained, but this time they look more contemporary with a splash of chrome and gunmetal plastic in the face, offset by gloss blacks running down the doorline.

The new light fittings look great and the curviness is also gently off-set with some sharp angles. The massive 19-inch wheels finished in a two-tone gloss black and aluminium brush keep this car looking like a concept come to life. Just don’t crash them into the curb. It would be very easy to.

The cool elements continue inside, with rotary air vents, a blend of textures, including a gloss grey for the vent claddings, with white stitching for the wheel, seat, and into the door cards, too.

There are touches of chrome about the place, and an ambient red LED light surrounding the shifter, which sits on its own little pedestal thing.

It’s quirky and punches above its weight when it comes to soft trims in the doors. Like most higher-grade Nissans the seats are pretty comfy, too, clad in a hard-wearing synthetic leather material.

But it won’t be for everyone, and it’s not without its downsides. The abundance of grey plastic down the centre console is a bit cheap, and the tech offering doesn’t match the youthful style.

The centre screen is adequate, but compared to many rivals it’s a bit small and dull, and the Juke is still missing a digital overhaul for its instrument cluster.

The black headlining, usually reserved for sportier cars, makes the cabin feel smaller than it is.

There’s not much separating the bZ4X from its Subaru twin other than badging and ever-so-slightly different front and rear fascias. The differences are so small only diehard enthusiasts will be able to tell them apart. To me, they look the same on the outside!

The overall look is sporty and fun with lots of pleating in the panelling to give it a futuristic vibe and sharply defined tail-lights for some edginess.

Against our test model's 'Liquid Metal' paintwork the heavy black plastic moulding wrapping around the base of the car doesn't stand out too much but will on a lighter colour.

The internals do differ somewhat and the best change is the more traditional round steering wheel. I prefer the look and feel of it compared to the squared-off shape of its twin's.

The 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster is set a fair way back on the dashboard and looks disjointed from the rest of the tech. The steering wheel also cuts into my vision of the screen and while I could shift my seating position to better accommodate, I'd be compromising my driving comfort to do so. A head-up display would be welcome here.

The dashboard, doors and seats all feature a grey knit-like fabric that looks warm and inviting but the cabin is elevated by synthetic leather trims throughout. Overall, the cabin is quite pleasant but wouldn’t be out of place on a much more affordable car.

The Juke is a small SUV in the true sense of the word, sitting below the Qashqai which is more like a mid-sizer these days in terms of dimensions.

However, it’s quite cleverly packaged on the inside and is more useful than it first appears.

The front seats, for example, offer heaps of headroom and a surprising amount of width, and while the seats are manual, they’re pretty adjustable. I was able to find a great seating position.

There are big pockets in the doors with an integrated bottle holder suitable for even the largest bottles, although the centre console area is a bit less versatile, choosing its funky design over additional storage.

It features two good bottle holders, but a tiny armrest box and a shallow tray with one 12V socket and a USB-A outlet, as well as an auxiliary audio input under the climate controls.

On the topic of climate controls, I love the fact the Juke maintains a dedicated ventilation panel complete with buttons and dials for all the core functions. No touchscreen nonsense here.

The media screen, as mentioned, is a tad small, and falls victim to glare easily.

The stock Nissan software is a massive upgrade on the brand’s previous-generation products, but while it’s functional it’s far from the prettiest or the fastest on the market.

The back seat offers more space than you might assume, but it’s not as well thought-out as the front of the cabin. At 182cm tall I fit behind my own driving position with just enough space for my knees and just enough headroom.

There are decent bottle holders in the doors, and a further two small ones in the drop-down armrest. The backs of the front seats are clad in that synthetic leather material, which is nice, and have soft pockets, too.

The back of the front centre console offers just a single USB-A outlet and a small cubby. There are no adjustable air vents for rear passengers. It also feels a little claustrophobic back there thanks to the black trim on everything and smaller windows.

Boot capacity for the Juke is impressive for an SUV in this class, with 422 litres on offer, which is close to the volume we’d expect from something a size-bracket up, and 1305L with the second row folded down. There is a space-saver spare under the boot floor.

The cabin is very spacious with generous leg- and headroom. I have plenty of room for my 168cm (5'6") height but my 183cm (6'0") father was also very comfortable in both rows.

The seats in both rows are well-cushioned and up front, the driver’s side has ample support from the two-way powered lumbar. I also like the way both front seats are heated. You could handle a long trip even as a passenger prince/ss.

Individual storage is less generous than you’d expect for the class given you don’t get a glove box but there are still enough nooks and cubbies for some items and a shelf underneath the console can fit a small handbag.

My seven-year old discovered a secret pocket underneath a removeable box in the middle console where Toyota has stored the manual and logbook.

Up front you also get two cupholders, four drink bottle holders (two in each door) and a handy cubby behind the rotary transmission shifter. In the rear you get map pockets, two cupholders and a device holder in the fold-down armrest and a large drink bottle holder in each door.

No complaints from my kid regarding the amenities in the back and he likes having his own directional air vents and reading lights. But it's the 182mm ground clearance we all love because the bZ4X is super easy to get in and out of. Definitely no grunts in this one!

There's no frunk storage but the boot's 421L capacity will suffice for your bigger grocery run or odd trip but the capacity is lower than some rivals. Underneath the level loading space there's a retractable cargo liner, two cable pouches, a first aid kit and the tyre puncture repair kit. I like the powered tailgate on the base model. I find them handy with a kid in tow.

Technology is well-rounded and upmarket. The 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system is responsive and easy to use but the customisations for internal features are a little lacking. The built-in satellite navigation is clear and there is a dedicated Toyota services app, too.

The wireless Apple CarPlay is simple to connect to and I didn't have any dropouts with calls or connections, which is great. There is also wireless connectivity for Android Auto users.

Charging options throughout the car are solid with each row getting two USB-C ports, while the front also features a USB-A port and 12-volt socket. However, there’s no wireless charging pad or V2L (vehicle-to-load) capability which might annoy over long-term use.

There are two variants for the bZ4X range, with the base model tested here being a front-wheel drive and only sporting a single motor. This entry-grade is priced from $66,000, before on-road costs, and the top AWD variant is $74,990 MSRP.

Compared to the bZ4X's single-motor rivals, this price tag positions the Toyota right in the middle for costs with the most affordable rival being the Tesla Model Y RWD for $55,900 MSRP, then the Kia EV6 Air at $72,590 MSRP.

Although very similar, Subaru is offering its base variant as a dual-motored AWD, but for price comparisons it is $69,990 MSRP.

For a base model, you get some solid features like heated front seats, built-in satellite navigation, built-in Toyota connected services app and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The upholstery also features synthetic leather accents rather than just plain black cloth and you get an upgraded JBL sound system.

Like its Subaru twin, only the driver's seat is powered with lumbar support but both feature those heat functions.

Other standard features include keyless entry, push-button start, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, a tyre puncture repair kit and digital radio.

Technology is also rounded out by the 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia screen, 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster and four fast USB-C ports.

There are a few items missing in this variant that feature in a lot of its rivals, which reminds you this is a base model. Things like heated rear outboard seats, a heated steering wheel and a sunroof, all of which would be easy to accept if the car wasn't edging close to $70K.

In the Juke’s messy engine bay lies a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine which sends 84kW/180Nm to the front wheels.

Nissan has its own 'HR10DET' engine code for this unit but it’s actually a Renault 'H5Dt' engine as evidenced by Renault logos all over the place.

Power is communicated by a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic which has been a source of strife for this car since it arrived. This very European engine and transmission combination is one which the Juke shares with its Renault Captur cousin.

I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but I would prefer a continuously variable transmission (CVT) which Nissan uses elsewhere in its range. It would solve maybe the main issue with this car, which we’ll explore up next in the driving section of this review

The bZ4X base variant is a front-wheel drive and has a single electric motor producing 150kW/256Nm - which sounds a bit schlumpy compared to its rivals but its pick up is great and you don’t feel it's underpowered, even when you’re on the open-road.

One of the reasons this car comes equipped with a dual-clutch automatic is to chase fuel efficiency as well as emissions output. On paper DCT autos don’t suffer the inherent losses of a traditional torque converter transmission.

The official combined cycle fuel consumption figure is 5.8L/100km. My week of driving, weighted slightly more towards freeway conditions, produced a marginally higher average of 6.8L/100km. It’s not the claim, but it’s pretty good.

This little engine requires mid-shelf 95RON unleaded fuel, and the Juke has a 46-litre fuel tank, suggesting a driving range of 793km using the official fuel consumption number.

The official energy consumption figure is 16.9kWh/100km and I averaged 16.1kWh over a mix of urban and open-road driving. The consumption is good and on par with some of its rivals but the official driving range from the large 71.4kWh lithium-ion battery is up to 436km, which is lower than most of its rivals by a good portion.

The bZ4X has a Type 2 CCS charging port which means you can benefit from faster DC charging speeds, up to 150kW. On a 150kW DC system you can go from 0-80 per cent in around 40-minutes.

On a 7.0kW AC charger, you can go from 10-100 per cent in 9.5 hours and that drops to seven hours on an 11kW system. All the bZ4X figures are good enough to avoid the inconvenience zone but aren't as fast as some of its competitors.

The Juke can be fun to drive, and I wanted to like it more, but the transmission its peppy little engine is paired with is frustrating.

Outputs of 84kW/180Nm doesn’t sound like a lot, but power isn’t the problem. The little engine has a fun turbo-surge which pairs with the Juke's light frame to make for a car which is quite athletic when you push it.

The issue is a mountain of turbo-lag conspires with the clunky dual-clutch automatic to make it far too sluggish off the line.

There’s a full second (or two, at times) to wait for any power to arrive, which simply isn’t good enough at T-junctions and roundabouts, the kind of situations a little urban SUV like this will constantly be encountering.

Nissan says the transmission software was even updated after the Juke’s launch, but it’s still not where it should be.

It has good traits, too. When you’re out on the open road, it has quick, snappy and well-defined shifts, and the engine is much better when it’s being properly pushed, too.

It has a gruff, entertaining tone, and the Juke’s light frame, firm ride, and comparatively heavy steering make it a joy to throw into some corners.

The long wheelbase for such a small SUV, paired with a decent set of tyres, also keeps it confident when its predecessor was a little clumsy.

Again, though, the reasonably hard ride, not helped by the very large wheels, isn't its best trait in an urban environment. The Juke is by no means uncomfortable, it just seems like the priorities for this little SUV aren’t in the right place.

I’ve said this before but there’s a great car in here somewhere. The Juke is fun to drive in the right environment, it’s just this environment is not where most prospective buyers will primarily be looking to use it.

What could fix this issue? A different transmission perhaps. Better yet, an e-Power hybrid powertrain.

You don’t often notice this base model is a front-wheel drive until you accelerate too quickly from a standstill and tlose a bit of traction. Otherwise, power delivery is smooth and while you don’t get a tummy-sucking-sensation when you put your foot down the power satisfies for city and open-road driving.

The steering feels light and there's a fair bit of understeer when tackling winding roads. This made the handling a bit lacklustre at times but it’s not too intrusive in an urban environment. Just remind yourself it’s not a performance EV if you ever start thinking ‘fast and furious’ thoughts.

Ride comfort is very good and I’d attribute that to a well-cushioned suspension set-up. While you notice bumps, you’re not bothered by them, even in the back seat. The cabin is peaceful and quiet most of the time but road noise creeps up a lot at higher speeds.

Visibility is excellent and despite a few little things, like the steering, it’s an uncomplicated car to drive.

The bZ4X isn’t too hard to park because the reversing camera is relatively clear but this grade would benefit from the 360-degree view system which is available on the top-grade model. The 4690mm length, 1860mm width and 1650mm height makes it a happy-go-lucky friend in a small car park.

The bZ4X comes with some good standard safety features like a full suite of LED lights (including the DRLs), lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, traffic sign recognition, seatbelt warning, adaptive cruise control as well as a reversing camera supported by front and rear parking sensors.

Unfortunately, the base model misses out on items the top model features like blind-spot monitoring, 'Safe Exit Assist', driver attention monitoring, rear-occupant alert and rear cross-traffic alert. All of which are fairly big-ticket items and available on much more affordable Toyotas.

Still, the bZ4X achieved a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2022 and has seven airbags, including a front centre bag.

It has AEB with forward collision warning as well as car, pedestrian and cyclist detection which is operational from 5.0-80km/h (and up to 180km/h for car detection).

There are ISOFIX child-seat mounts on the rear outboard seats and three top-tether anchor points. Two child seats will fit best, though.

Nissan offers the Juke with a five-year, unlimited km warranty, with five-years of roadside assist included.

It requires servicing every 12 months or 20,000km and the cost is subject to a capped price servicing program for the first six years.

This averages $651.33 annually, which is not cheap for a small SUV in this class.

However, there is also the option of a pre-paid five-year service plan which brings the annual cost over five years down to a more reasonable $429.60.

But, notably, it does not include the pricy $1521 sixth-year interval. It’s worth asking yourself how long you’ll own the car for before splurging on it.

The bZ4X comes with a five-year/unlimited km warranty and the battery is covered by an eight-year or up to 160,000km warranty. Both are usual terms for the class.

There is a five-year or up to 75,000km capped priced servicing plan and annual services cost just $180, which is very competitive.

Servicing intervals are more in line with a fuel-based car at every 12-months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.