Compare the2026 Toyota bZVS 2025 Tesla Model 3

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the bZ are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the bZ AWD’s standard Downhill Assist Control allows you to creep down safely. The Model 3 doesn’t offer Downhill Assist Control.

The bZ Limited has a standard Bird’s Eye View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model 3 only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The bZ has standard Safety Connect™, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the bZ and the Model 3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota bZ is safer than the Tesla Model 3:

	bZ	Model 3
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	227	235
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.5 inches
Neck Stress	130 lbs.	190 lbs.
Neck Compression	25 lbs.	101 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota bZ is safer than the Tesla Model 3:

	bZ	Model 3
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.4 inches	.5 inches
Abdominal Force	86 lbs.	158 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	315	384
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	41 G’s

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Toyota bZ has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Model 3 has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the bZ for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for tire rotations, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Tesla doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Model 3.

There are almost 6 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the bZ’s warranty.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota third in overall reliability. Tesla is ranked 17th.

For better stopping power the bZ’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the Model 3:

	bZ	Model 3
Front Rotors	12.9 inches	12.6 inches

The bZ stops shorter than the Model 3:

	bZ	Model 3
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

The bZ has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the bZ flat and controlled during cornering. The Model 3’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the bZ is .6 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Model 3.

The bZ has 1.4 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear legroom and 1.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Model 3.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the bZ’s rear seats recline. The Model 3’s rear seats don’t recline.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the bZ’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the bZ to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model 3.

The bZ’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model 3 doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the bZ has standard extendable sun visors. The Model 3 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The bZ is equipped with both FM and AM stereo radios, offering access to more content and better coverage than the Model 3, which solely provides FM radio. With AM radio, you can enjoy a wider variety of stations featuring news, talk shows, sports commentary, native language programing, automated traffic guidance, and emergency broadcasts. AM waves travel further and penetrate buildings and obstacles more effectively than FM signals, especially at night. Having both FM and AM stereo radios the bZ offers a more comprehensive listening experience compared to only FM in the Model 3.

HD Radio boasts several benefits over conventional radio: superior sound quality with clearer and consistent FM broadcasts, CD-quality audio, and Multicast Channels offering up to four streams from a single station, adding programming choices. Cars like the bZ equipped with HD Radio provide an improved in-car entertainment experience. The Model 3, devoid of this technology, foregoes these benefits. Selecting the Toyota bZ empowers drivers to enjoy a more immersive and enjoyable listening experience while on the go.

Compared to the Tesla Model 3’s traditional radio, the Toyota bZ equipped with standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks.