With a 2.1-second or 2.2-second time to 30 mph, both cars squirt quickly off the line. By the 60-mph mark, though, the Ariya, at 5.0 seconds, is a full second ahead of the bZ4X, and the Nissan boasts a similar advantage in the quarter-mile—13.4 seconds at 108 mph to the Toyota's 14.6 at 94 mph. That plays out in highway passing maneuvers, where the Ariya accelerates from 50 to 70 mph in 2.4 seconds, versus the bZ4X's languid 3.7-second stroll.
You won't find steering-wheel paddles to control lift-off regen in either car. In the Ariya, shifting from D to B adds regen, and pressing the e-Step button on the console gets you a smidge closer to one-pedal driving. The bZ4X employs a similar strategy—a button on the console selects an additional level of regen, but that's as far as it goes.
in engagement or handling. Both ride comfortably, though the Ariya could be better damped. Both also steer reasonably well, with a fair sense of on-center and reasonable efforts, although the Ariya exhibits considerably more stick on skidpad at 0.86 g versus the bZ4X's 0.80 g.There's much greater contrast in the two cars' interiors. The Ariya goes full living room. The cabin is wide and tall, with a flat floor front and rear.