Buick Envista vs Toyota bZ

The 2024 Buick Envista, while sharing its platform with the Chevy Trax, took a distinct styling path with its sloping roofline, giving it a "crossover coupe" appearance reminiscent of luxury models like the BMW X4 and X6. This design choice, while potentially compromising rear visibility, was deemed acceptable. The front-end styling, inspired by the Buick Wildcat EV concept, featured a split lighting design with thin daytime running lights above and real headlights positioned vertically beside the grille, creating a sleek, shark-nose look. The Envista was the first Buick model to be designed with this front-end treatment from the start, setting it apart from the Envision and Encore GX, which received it as part of mid-cycle refreshes.

The 2026 Toyota bZ, available in XLE and Limited trims, offered a more refined look compared to its predecessor, the bZ4X. The restyled bZ looked better with body-color trim, although some colors retained the black overfender trim. Inside, the dashboard and center console were redesigned for a cleaner appearance, enhancing the sense of quality and organization. The XLE's fabric seats featured an upscale pattern, and the center touchscreen was enlarged to 14 inches, integrating climate control with the display. However, the digital driver display remained a point of contention due to its distant placement and potential visibility issues.

The 2024 Buick Envista was powered by a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine, producing 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. This setup, shared with the Trax, delivered a surprisingly refined performance, offering smooth power delivery akin to a larger engine. Unlike its predecessor, the Buick Encore, the Envista did not offer an all-wheel-drive option, distinguishing it from the Encore GX. The suspension setup included a torsion-beam rear suspension for base models and a Buick-exclusive Watts Link rear suspension for models with 19-inch wheels, enhancing ride quality. The Envista handled bumps well but felt unsettled on less-than-perfect pavement, though it excelled in providing a quieter and more comfortable ride compared to the Trax.

The 2026 Toyota bZ offered a choice between single-motor front-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive, with two battery sizes. The XLE FWD with a 57.7-kWh battery delivered 165 horsepower and 198 pound-feet of torque, with an EPA-estimated range of 236 miles. The optional 74.7-kWh battery increased power to 224 hp and extended the range to 314 miles. Dual-motor models produced 338 hp and offered varying ranges depending on the trim. The bZ's regenerative braking system lacked one-pedal driving capability, and its traction control system was noticeable during sharp turns. While the bZ provided a comfortable and quiet highway experience, its handling on winding roads was less impressive due to the all-season tires and lifeless steering.

The 2024 Buick Envista, with its coupe-like design, was 14.2 inches longer than the Buick Encore, with a 5.7-inch wheelbase stretch. This resulted in increased rear-seat legroom and shoulder room, though headroom decreased slightly due to the roofline. The Envista's car-like design offered good outward visibility and maneuverability, but cargo space was limited to 20.7 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 42 cubic feet with them folded, less than the Trax and other entry-level crossovers.

The 2026 Toyota bZ, built on a skateboard-style EV platform, featured 8.1 inches of ground clearance, making entry and exit easy. The front seats offered eight-way power adjustment, with heated and ventilated options in the Limited trim. The bZ lacked a traditional glove compartment but compensated with ample storage solutions. Rear-seat passengers enjoyed generous legroom, though foot space was tight. The bZ provided 27.7 cubic feet of cargo space (25.8 cubic feet in the Limited trim) and 56.9 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, though the angled rear window limited maximum cargo capacity.

The 2024 Buick Envista came standard with an 11-inch touchscreen and 8-inch digital instrument cluster, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, and Wi-Fi connectivity. The interface was user-friendly, with retained buttons and knobs for climate control and audio volume. However, the center stack's tilt toward the driver made controls less accessible for the front-seat passenger. While the Envista lacked some advanced tech features, it offered a competitive amount of standard equipment for its price range.

The 2026 Toyota bZ featured a 7-inch digital driver display and a new 14-inch touchscreen infotainment display. The driver display's distant placement and cramped data presentation were drawbacks, but the infotainment system was generally easy to use. It supported wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and various connected service plans. The Drive Connect system powered the native navigation and voice assistant, which performed well in tests. However, the lack of a home screen and low-contrast daytime mode were noted as areas for improvement.

The 2024 Buick Envista's crash-test ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were unavailable at the time of publication. Standard safety features included automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-keep assist, and lane-departure warning. Optional features included adaptive cruise control, lane-change alert, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear park assist, mirroring the Chevy Trax's offerings.

The 2026 Toyota bZ came standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, which included high-beam assist, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, lane-centering assist, and adaptive cruise control. Proactive Driving Assist added subtle braking and steering inputs for extra safety. The Limited trim offered additional features like Traffic Jam Assist and Advanced Park Assist. The IIHS rated the bZ's front-crash avoidance tech as Good, but its headlights received a Poor rating, and frontal-impact crash-tests earned Acceptable ratings.