Toyota BZ4X vs Aston Martin DBX

What's the difference?

I like the bZ4X a lot more than I thought I would, owing mostly to the fact that it felt – and still feels – like Toyota had been dragged kicking and screaming to the EV party, and so my expectations for their first effort were low.

But in a lot of ways – style, familiarity, driving dynamics – I like the bZ4X better than the Model Y, and it paints a pretty rosy picture of Toyota's electric future.

As with all Aston Martins the DBX is a seriously beautiful car with that high-end exotic but restrained exterior styling for which the brand is known. As with all Astons, too, the busy interior design may put some minimalism fans off and those high-placed shifting buttons pose a functionality problem.

As an SUV the DBX is spacious and practical. You could use this daily as a family car. I did and found it easy to adapt to.

The driving experience left me disappointed. I didn’t feel the same close connection with the DBX while driving that I have had with other super SUVs, such as the Lamborghini Urus and more affordable models offered by Porsche and Mercedes-AMG.

But then, you see those other cars everywhere, unlike the DBX which is a rare and beautiful creature, despite the flaws.

First things first, the bZ4X looks like a car, and not a spaceship, which is a good thing in my opinion. And really, about the only thing that will differentiate this from the Subaru Solterra is its design, so it’s probably important that Toyota gets it right.

Side note: I think the Tesla Model Y looks bloated and shapeless, and I think the Toyota has it beat.

Both bZ4X models get 20-inch alloys, but this AWD model gets the fancier exterior treatment, with gloss-black highlights, a glass roof and roof rails.

There are some quirks, though. For one, I'm not in love with the mutli-coloured approach taken to the exterior design. All the grey and body-coloured bits patched together make the bZ4X look a bit like it has been built out of Lego.

There's also a plastic-feeling component towards the top of the bonnet, which actually looks pretty sharp in the gloss black of the AWD model, but looks – and feels – the opposite in the flat, matt grey of the FWD model.

Step into the bZ4X and that familiar car-like feeling continues. Unlike the Model Y, the bZ4X has a more traditional layout, with a 7.0-inch screen in front of the driver that gives you your speed and battery use and those other EV things.

In the middle, there’s the big 12.3-inch central touchscreen with wireless phone mirroring, and it works a treat, but there are still some physical, tactile buttons, which I like.

I also love the materials used on the dash, but I’m not as convinced by the tunnel-like view of the driver display screen, which is pushed way back towards the bonnet and can end up being blocked a bit by the steering wheel.

Curiously, there’s no glove box, instead your manuals live in a little space between the driver and passenger seats.

I'm not one to name drop but I was having a chin wag with Marek, that's Marek Reichman, Aston Martin's Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, the fellow who has designed every Aston from the past 15 years, that Marek. Anyway, before the DBX came out he told me any SUV he designed would be unmistakably an Aston Martin.

I think he nailed it. The gaping Aston Martin grille is unmistakably the same as the DB11's and the tailgate, which although is the back hatch to a large SUV, is absolutely the same as the rear end of the Vantage.

Everything in between has all the family hallmarks. There are those oval headlights and the huge beak of a bonnet, the chiselled side panels with wheel arches that push up towards the sky and those rear haunches.

Not a fan of minimalist design? Then you'll love the DBX's cabin and its dashboard cluttered with dials, buttons, and switches.

It's like the cockpit of a plane and it's a very Aston Martin thing – just look at the layout of the DB5 from the 1960s, it's a mess, a beautiful mess though. The same goes for current models such as the DB11, DBS and Vantage.

Seriously, if there was one area where Marek may have decided not to make the DBX unmistakably Aston Martin, I wish it had been the interior.

Still, I think the DBX has the best cabin design of any current Aston, with its large media screen built into the centre console and more modern styling.

But regardless of what it looks like the feel of the materials is outstanding. There's a thick leather coating on just about every surface, apart from those which are solid, cold metal, like the paddle shifters and door handles.

It's a plush, sporty place, like Batman's suit only it smells a lot nicer.

The DBX is a large SUV at 5039mm long, 2220mm wide with the mirrors unfurled and 1680mm tall. Yep, this thing fills up an entire space in a car park.

The DBX comes in a choice of 53 colours. Yes, fifty three.  There's the 'Onyx Black' my test car wore, but also 'Royal Indigo', 'Supernova Red' and 'Kermit Green.'

The bZ4X stretches 4690mm in length, 1860mm in width and 1650mm in height, and Toyota says its actually bigger inside than a RAV4 (though there’s more than 100 litres less boot space), and it rides on a wheelbase that’s about the same as the LC300, given the wheels have been pushed to the furthest corners.

And that’s a boon for backseat riders, where there was a heap of space in front of my knees, and, at 175cm, I found there was ample headroom, too.

There are some quirks, though. There’s no frunk, for example. And nor is there a proper power point like you find in so many EVs these days. Toyota says the latter will likely arrive with future updates to the bZ4X.

There is seating for five, and at the boot, you'll find up to 421L (VDA) of luggage space. Towing is capped at 750kg.

USB charge points are all accounted for in the front and back, and likewise there some practicality perks, too, like the multi-stage storage options between driver and passenger.

Until the DBX came along the most practical Aston Martin was the five-door, four-seater Rapide which had a huge rear hatch and a boot big enough to swallow an entire matching five-piece luggage set – I saw it with my very own eyes.

Now there's the DBX which seats five (well, four comfortably, because nobody wants to be in the middle) and has a boot with a luggage capacity of 491 litres under the leather cargo cover.

As you can see it fit our three-piece CarsGuide luggage set, and I also used it to pick up some compost – very likely the first time anybody has done this to a DBX ever in Australia, and probably the last.

Cabin storage is impressive. The floating centre console is suspended like a hammock and under it is a huge bunk for a phone, wallet, and small bags. The split-opening armrest houses a large box, too.

The door pockets are on the small side but there are two cupholders up front and another two in the fold-down armrest in the second row.

Talking of rows, there's no third row. The DBX comes as a two-row, five-seater only.

It’s a roomy second row, with more than enough space for me at 191cm (6'3") tall to sit behind my driving position and headroom is excellent, too.

There is only one type of Aston Martin DBX and it wears a list price of $357,000, so it resides in the price range above the Porsche Cayenne, which tops out at $336,100, but below the Lamborghini Urus, which starts at $390,000.

The Bentley Bentayga V8 is its closest price rival, starting less than $10K higher than the DBX.

And while we're marvelling at the emergence of these super SUVs don't discount the original luxury SUV brand. The Range Rover SV Autobiography Dynamic is $351,086, and superb.

Let's take a look at the Aston Martin DBX's features.

Coming standard is leather upholstery, heated front and rear seats, three-zone climate control, a 10.25-inch media display with sat nav, Apple CarPlay and digital radio, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a panoramic glass sunroof, power tailgate, proximity key with push-button start, LED headlights and tail-lights, and 22-inch forged alloy wheels.

For this high-end corner of the market the value is good, but there are a couple of misses such as the lack of a head-up display and Android Auto isn't supported.

But if you wanted a shopping trolley packed with value you'd go to a supermarket, right? Maybe. What you really want to know is what it's like to drive, right? Let's start with horsepower.

The front-wheel-drive bZ4X models produce 150kW and 266Nm, while AWD (dual-motor) models up the grunt to 160kW and 337Nm.

The power is fed though a single-speed gearbox, and Toyota reckons you should see 100km/h in 7.5secs in FWD models, or 6.9secs in the AWD.

When it came to giving the DBX an engine Aston Martin chose the same 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that's in the Vantage only they made it more powerful – 25kW more at 405kW (542hp). There's 15Nm more torque as well, at 700Nm.

Shifting through a nine-speed automatic transmission the DBX's 0-100km/h time is 4.5 seconds, which is almost a second slower than the Vantage's 3.6 seconds.

That said, the DBX weighs more than 2.2 tonnes, has a maximum ground clearance of 190mm, can wade rivers to a depth of 500mm and has a braked towing capacity of 2700kg. Oh yeah, and it's all-wheel drive.

That engine is one of the world's best V8s. It's light, compact, efficient and can produce enormous grunt. It's also made by Mercedes-Benz. Yup, it's the same (M177) 4.0-litre V8 found in the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S and a stack of other AMG-badged beasties.

There's just one thing, the V8 in the DBX doesn't sound as good to me as the one in a Mercedes-AMG. Aston's version has a less guttural and breathy exhaust note.

Sure, it still sounds amazing and when pushed hard it screams like Boudica charging into battle, but how often will you drive like that?

Most of the time we're in traffic in the suburbs and city trundling around at 40km/h. But even with the ‘loud’ exhaust mode set the note is still not as deep and brash as the AMG, which sounds delicious even at a standstill.

You probably already know why Aston Martin uses Mercedes-Benz engines. But just in case, it's because the brand with the star has been a part owner since 2013. Aston saves money and in return gets some of the best engines in the world.

Both bZ4X models are fitted with the same 71.4kWh lithium-ion battery that delivers 436km on the WLTP cycle for front-drive models, while AWD models will travel 411km between charges.

The bZ4X is set up for DC fast charging, but it's limited to 150kW. Still, that should see you go from 10-80 per cent charged in 30 minutes, under ideal conditions.

At home, the bZ4X can accept 11kW AC charging, which will mean a seven-hour charge time. Most home chargers are more like 7kW, though, which will stretch that time, as will plugging it into a regular power point.

In my fuel test of the DBX I took in open roads and city streets and measured 20.4L/100km at the pump.

On the same test loop the Urus I drove used 15.7L/100km and the Bentley Bentayga consumed 21.1L/100km.

It's not surprising these super SUVs are thirsty, but if you're spending all your time on city roads you can expect the consumption to be even higher.

What is surprising is Aston Martin thinking anyone could really get 12.2L/100km, but then all carmakers tend to claim overly ambitious fuel economy figures.

Just think, your next car after this will probably be electric, so enjoy the petrol while it lasts.

I know the AWD model is essentially the flagship here, but it's actually not the one I'd buy. Sure, it's better off road – in fact, its chief engineer, who also worked on the new Prado, tells me the bZ4X is better off-road than that iconic 4WD, in some ways at least.

And to be fair to Toyota, we did take the AWD models off the tarmac, tackling nothing too challenging, but at least up some steep rocky inclines. But I was left with the nagging question of who the hell is going to take this off the beaten track?

I'll call on the Chief Engineer, Masaya Uchiyama, to answer that one: "Not many people".

And the reality is, the FWD offers more than enough power to satisfy almost anyone, and it's cheaper to boot, without sacrificing much in the way of kit.

No matter which one you choose, though, it's pretty clear pretty quickly that the bZ4X is of the new-generation of Toyota product, one where driving dynamics are finally a priority again.

Which is why, even on the tighter and twister stuff, the electric Toyota steers and grips impressively, with the low-down weight ensuring minimal body movement, and a ride that is definitely tuned on the firmer/sportier side.

It properly engaging to drive, the bZ4X, with its dynamics complemented by that smooth and steady power flow from the EV motors.

So far, so good.

Surprisingly, though, it's in the city (where the Toyota will surely spend the vast majority of its time) where the bZ4X formula begins to fall apart a little bit, where the ride on those 20-inch alloys is just too jarring to be properly comfortable when not on smooth road surfaces. Also, coarse-chip roads interrupt the otherwise quiet cabin experience with a little too much tyre noise.

Not massive issues, though, and I reckon the bZ4X is a genuine competitor to Australia's top-selling EV, the Model Y.

The DBX is a circa 550 horsepower giant that can reach out and almost touch 300km/h. But testing it on Sydney's roads is like having a champion racehorse in your backyard and your neighbour asking you what it's like to ride.

A racetrack wasn't handy at the time and I'd signed a form saying I'd not put any more than 400km on the clock during its stay with me, which meant having to choose my test loop carefully.

Fortunately, this was before Sydney was plunged into the current COVID lockdown, which makes that 400km now seem vast.

First, the DBX is an SUV anybody could drive, every day. Visibility is great and the ride is fine considering it rolls on 22-inch wheels and wears rubber as wide as some doorways and as thin as my socks (285/40 front and 325/35 rear Pirelli Scorpion Zero). Power delivery is smooth and predictable.

I did drive it every day, doing the shopping, school pick ups, a trip to the garden centre to fill it with plants and (ahem) compost, and it performed exactly as a large SUV should.

A source of frustration was the location of the shifting buttons high on the dashboard. Have a look at the images. Even with my chimpanzee-like long arms I had to stretch to change from Drive to Reverse. And with a not so small turning circle of 12.4m, three-point turns were a bit of an arm workout.

But the bigger frustration was the driver-car connection which didn't feel quite right. A good car-driver connection is essential for any great performance car.

Yes, there wasn't a race circuit where I could get to know the DBX quickly. But a good road, driven often with test cars, reveals a lot, too.

And the DBX didn't feel as good as the Lamborghini Urus, which is not only more comfortable but feels more dynamic and offers a superb connection between the driver and the machine.

The DBX is fast, it's powerful, the huge brakes pull it up quickly (almost violently so, if required) and handling is incredibly good.

It's just that I didn't really feel a part of it much at all. You know, the whole driver and car becoming one, thing. I felt like the third wheel on a date.

That connected feeling has been mastered by Porsche with its SUVs, but I feel the DBX needs more work. It felt unfinished.

I was told at the start that the DBX I was testing was a pre-production vehicle, but I'm sure that doesn't cover the shortcomings in the way it drove.

It's disappointing. I was hoping for better, but I think further development will see that come later.

The DBX hasn't been given an ANCAP crash safety rating and it's unlikely it ever will, which is often the case with low-volume, high-end models.

Still, the DBX comes standard with seven airbags, AEB, lane keeping assistance with lane-change warning, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot warning, traffic sign recognition, auto parking and adaptive cruise control.

For child seats there are three top tether anchor points and two ISOFIX mounts across the second row.

I found it easy and quick to fasten my son’s car seat into the DBX.

Slightly complicated, this one. Toyota reckons it targeted 90 per cent battery health after 10 years for the bZ4X, which would be impressive, except that they will only actually guarantee 70 per cent after eight years.

Elsewhere, Toyota's five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty applies, with servicing required every 12 months or 15,000kms – capped at $180 per visit for the first five years.

The DBX is covered by Aston Martin's three-year-unlimited kilometre warranty. Also included is roadside assistance.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 16,000km.

Aston Martin doesn't have have capped price servicing for the DBX nor can owners purchase a maintenance plan for the SUV.

We asked Aston Martin for an estimate of how much owners can expect to pay for servicing over the life of the warranty, but a spokesperson told us, "We are unable to provide an estimate on the cost of servicing over three years."

With Aston Martin unable or unwilling to give us any guidance on servicing costs, maybe there are recent model Aston owners out there who can. Let us know in the comments section below.