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While Honda has a long reputation for building fuel-efficient cars and trucks, it’s only now getting serious about EVs with its new 2024 Prologue. The Prologue is an all-electric SUV that seats five and is about the same length as a Honda Passport. Interestingly, Honda expedited its entry in the electric SUV arena by borrowing off-the-shelf EV know-how from General Motors. The Prologue shares its battery, motors and many of its features with the Chevrolet Blazer EV.
Toyota is in a similar situation. It co-engineered its first mass-produced EV, the bZ4X, with Subaru. The 2024 bZ4X builds on last year’s debut with a few improvements such as longer range and quicker charging. And like the Prologue, the bZ4X has two rows of seating, available all-wheel drive, and a long roster of tech features. Which one is the better buy? The auto experts at Edmunds pitted them against each other to find out.
Range and Charging
The single-motor front-wheel-drive Prologue is the one to get if range is a priority. According to EPA estimates, the Prologue’s maximum range is 296 miles on a full charge. All-wheel-drive models are slightly less at 273-281 miles, depending on trim. In the independent Edmunds EV Range Test, a dual-motor Elite model exceeded its EPA estimate, impressively going 320 miles on a full charge.
The Toyota’s range varies from a low of 222 miles in the dual-motor Limited trim with all-wheel drive to a max of 252 miles in the single-motor XLE. This figure falls short of range in the Prologue and most similarly sized electric SUVs. The bZ4X exceeded its estimated range in Edmunds’ testing, though it still came up well short of the Prologue.
Things tighten up when it comes to charging speed. Plan on approximately 30 minutes to charge either EV from a low battery up to about 80% at a public fast-charging station under ideal conditions. You should also be able to easily fully charge these EVs at home and overnight when using a 240-volt power supply. But overall the Prologue’s longer range is a big advantage.
Winner: Honda Prologue
Performance and Comfort
The Prologue and bZ4X have similar performance. Alas, this isn’t entirely good. Even in their most powerful configurations, acceleration is leisurely for an EV. Key competitors, such as the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Model Y, are considerably quicker.
Considering it wears a Honda badge, the Prologue’s ho-hum handling and firm ride are disappointing. On the plus side, the Honda’s adjustable brake regeneration allows for one-pedal driving that brings the SUV to a complete stop without touching the brake pedal.