Toyota spent the last decade watching the electric market from a distance, which was always odd for the company that made hybrids ordinary. The 2026 bZ Woodland is the first real sign that has changed. In his review, Doug DeMuro puts the starting price at around $47,000 for a two row, all wheel drive electric wagon with 375 horsepower and a 0 to 60 time in the low four second range. Toyota markets it as a midsize SUV. DeMuro stands it next to a Subaru Outback and finds the two within an inch of each other in height and length, which is no accident. He reports the Woodland was developed alongside Subaru, which sells its own version as the Trail Seeker.

Toyota's first attempt at this, the bZ4X, landed without much of an audience, and DeMuro is blunt that it was not competitive at launch. The Woodland arrives into a different fight. He places it against the Chevrolet Blazer EV and Honda Prologue on price, and against the Outback on shape and purpose, noting the electric version costs roughly ten thousand dollars more than a base Outback. The obvious weak point is range. DeMuro reports 280 miles, dropping to 260 miles with the optional all terrain tires, while he says most rivals sit at or above 300. Worth flagging for anyone shopping: the video covers price, power and packaging but does not give a battery capacity or a DC fast charging speed, and on a vehicle sold on the idea of getting somewhere far away, peak charging rate matters more day to day than the horsepower figure does. Check both before ordering. The all terrain tire option is the other thing to think through, since taking it costs 20 miles of the rated range in exchange for a look most of these cars will never need, and DeMuro says the knobby tires do not really suit the styling anyway.

The quirks are where the car gets interesting. DeMuro points out black plastic cladding that runs from the wheel arches all the way to the front bumper, a gauge cluster set deep in the dash to be read over the steering wheel rather than through it, and a dedicated headlight washer button of the sort that mostly disappeared from mainstream cars decades ago. There is no glove box and no front trunk, which he calls unusual for a car this practical, though he likes the household power outlet in the cargo area, the storage under the floor, the seat release latches in the back and a center console that opens from either side. On the road he says it feels more solidly built than an Outback or a RAV4, with the all terrain tires actually softening the ride at the cost of noise. It is quick in a straight line and not remotely sporty. His DougScore came out at 54 out of 100. Inside, he rates the infotainment screen highly, largely because the climate controls live permanently in the bottom third of it rather than buried in menus, and he singles out the digital rear view mirror as a genuine safety feature. The back seat gets heated cushions, two USB-C ports and a flat floor, though he notes the center console and rear vents push far enough back to eat into the middle passenger's legroom. There is no third row on either this or the Trail Seeker.

Bottom line: This is the Toyota EV people have been waiting for, and it is arriving at exactly the wrong moment. A 280 mile wagon at $47,000 would have looked strong two years ago and reads as merely fine now, which is why DeMuro's prediction of early discounts is the most useful line in the review. If you want an Outback that plugs in and you are not doing 500 mile days, wait a few months and let the incentives come to you. The buyers who get hurt here are the ones who pay sticker in month one.

Commentary on a third-party video. Figures and claims are as presented in the source and have not been independently verified. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.