2023 Toyota Mirai Sedan

2023 Toyota Mirai Review

　　Dan spent many years covering the go-fast, look-good, get-loud corners of the automotive universe. First, he served as editor of enthusiast magazines AutoSound and Honda Tuning, then as executive editor at SEMA News, the publishing arm of the trade group that produces the annual SEMA Show (yes, that show). As a contributor to zzdcar, he now likes to keep the volume low and the speed limit legal, providing expert car-shopping advice to drivers looking for the perfect match.

　　, rating written byDan FrioDirector, Vehicle Testing

　　Jonathan Elfalan has worked in the automotive industry since 2005. As a director of vehicle testing at zzdcar, Jonathan has tested and reviewed thousands of cars and written thousands of car-related articles over the course of his career. Jonathan got his start testing cars for Road & Track magazine as a newly minted mechanical engineer grad from University of California, Irvine, and has also contributed to Motor Trend and the Associated Press. He likes to say he learned to drive a manual transmission in a rear-wheel-drive mid-engine vehicle but often omits it was his family's 1991 Toyota Previa minivan.

　　People looking for alternatives to gas-powered cars are limited to a few options. Hybrids use gasoline but reduce consumption by having an electric motor take over at low speeds. Plug-in hybrids do the same, but let you recharge the electric motor's battery for increased electric operation. And fully electric cars, of course, run solely on electricity stored in battery cells.

　　There's another alternative: hydrogen. A hydrogen-powered car stores the gas inside high-pressure tanks and uses it to generate power for an onboard electric motor. No gasoline, no plugging into a wall outlet or charger. And the only emission coming out of the tailpipe is water.

　　The 2023 Toyota Mirai is one of only two publicly available hydrogen-powered cars and even as a regular midsize sedan, it's fairly impressive. But the Mirai represents a commitment even more than it does a car. The asking price is substantial, and hydrogen fueling stations are few and far between. Toyota also limits new sales of the Mirai to California and Oahu, Hawaii. The cost of hydrogen itself is something to be aware of, but you won't have to worry about it for a while. Toyota includes a hydrogen "gas card" with the purchase or lease of a Mirai good for $15,000 or six years, whichever comes first.

　　For the 2023 model year, the Mirai will be equipped with Toyota's new multimedia system. It's the same system we've seen in Toyota's other, larger offerings like the Sequoia and Tundra. The new infotainment software is housed in the same 12.3-inch screen but sports a new, more modern look, is capable of receiving over-the-air updates, and supports standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Wi-Fi Connect, a subscription service that turns the Mirai into a 4G hotspot, is also available and offers connectivity for up to five devices. The subscription also allows buyers to link other streaming services like Apple Music and Amazon Music and control them straight from the car's interior screen.

　　Overall, we like the Mirai. It sports a luxuriously smooth ride, pleasantly trimmed cabin and solid build quality. It's also surprisingly composed to drive through corners thanks to its rear-wheel-drive architecture and excellent weight balance. But passenger and cargo space is limited, and you'll have to factor in whether the lifestyle of a hydrogen-fueled car is really for you.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Please note that this rating is based on a prior year and may change slightly once we test the Mirai's updated infotainment interface for 2023.

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Average

　　7.2

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

Performance

　　How does the Mirai drive? Hydrogen fuel cell cars are comparatively mild when you measure them against their battery electric vehicle counterparts. The Toyota Mirai leads the fuel cell field in acceleration, needing only 8.1 seconds to reach 60 mph, but that's unremarkable by gasoline-propelled vehicle standards, and laughable by EV standards.

　　While the Mirai's braking performance (120 feet from 60 mph) and steering feedback are also most unremarkable, it displays surprisingly good composure turning a corner thanks to its rear-wheel-drive layout and near 50:50 weight distribution. We wouldn't call it sporty, but the Mirai moves with a surprising amount of grace for such a heavy vehicle. And because it's an EV, there's no transmission, which means smooth, shiftless acceleration. We do wish it had stronger regenerative braking and that we could permanently select the stronger setting and not have it reset after each stop.

Comfort

　　How comfortable is the Mirai? The Mirai's best quality, by far, is its ride comfort. Underneath, the Mirai is based on the full-size Lexus LS, and though its proportions have been shortened quite a bit, it rides like a full-size Lexus. Bumps of mostly any size don't seem to faze the Mirai, and we're not quite sure how Toyota pulled that off. Couple this with a quiet cabin, as long as you don't have the synthesized Active Sound Control effects turned on, and the Mirai feels convincingly luxury-esque.

　　The seats, unfortunately, aren't quite as impressive. We like the soft cushioning, but the front seats in particular lack support and enough adjustments and don't seem designed to accommodate taller folks either. Our Limited trim featured heated and ventilated seats, which were relatively weak in both heating and cooling. Thankfully, the climate system is more effective (as long as it isn't in Eco mode) and is easy to use thanks to its redundant touchscreen and physical controls.

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