Talking Cars 522: Driving the Toyota bZ Woodland

Main theme: Has Toyota finally made a fun, adventure-ready EV? In this week’s episode, we take a look at our newly purchased 2026 Toyota bZ Woodland—a stretched-out, wagon-shaped electric SUV that packs a surprising punch: 375 hp! The Woodland trim typically offers rugged styling along with some off-road aspirations. But ours maybe doesn’t.

We’re testing it alongside some of its platform-sharing siblings from Toyota and Subaru. It offers up to 281 miles of range, as long as you opt for the all-season tires. Choosing the more aggressive all-terrain tires drops the estimated range to 261 miles: Ouch!

Our testers have spent a few weeks getting to know the bZ Woodland as we prepare to begin the more than 50 individual tests we do with all of the cars we assess. In this episode, we discuss range, off-road pedigree, usability, and infotainment. 

Read our Toyota bZ Woodland review. 

Audience question: Why do vehicles not have rain-sensing rear wipers? I have never been in a vehicle where I didn’t have to manually turn the rear wipers on and off, and I find the standard setting clears the rain too often when engaged.