2026 Toyota bZ Woodland Base: Bristol Buyers Guide
Quick Answer: The 2026 bZ Woodland Base
The Base is the entry point to the bZ Woodland lineup at $45,300 MSRP on Toyota's website, where it is badged simply as the bZ Woodland. It already includes navigation, adaptive cruise control, a power liftgate, heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel and a power-adjustable driver's seat, and it gets the same 375-horsepower dual-motor all-wheel-drive system as the Premium. The EPA-estimated range is 281 miles on the standard all-season tires. Toyota of Bristol is at 1069 Farmington Avenue in Bristol.
What the Base includes
Many shoppers expect the lowest trim of a $45,000 vehicle to feel like a stripped-down version of the real thing, but the Base is set up differently. Both the driver's and the front passenger's seats are power-adjustable, the driver's with eight-way adjustment and lumbar support, and the front seats, the rear seats and the steering wheel are all heated. The seating surfaces are SofTex, a synthetic trim that Toyota describes as a breeze to clean, which counts for something after a muddy trailhead or a wet dog. Up front there is a 14-inch Toyota multimedia touchscreen with built-in navigation and a Wi-Fi hotspot, a smaller digital gauge display sits high on the dash so you read it over the steering wheel instead of through it, and a six-speaker audio system fills the cabin. Keyless entry and start, adaptive cruise control and a power liftgate round out the list, and the car ships with all-weather floor mats and a cargo floor cover.
Built for weather, not just for show
The Woodland's off-road look is backed by hardware. X-MODE adjusts throttle response and wheel slip for Snow/Dirt or Deep Snow/Mud conditions, and Grip Control holds a slow crawl on steep or slippery slopes so you can concentrate on steering. Matte-black cladding protects the wheel arches from the gravel and road salt that a Connecticut winter throws at them, and the 18-inch painted alloy wheels wear 235/60R18 all-season tires as standard. If you expect to spend time on unpaved roads, Toyota offers 235/65R18 all-terrain tires for the Woodland, and the EPA lists those at 260 miles of range and 109 MPGe combined, compared with 281 miles and 117 MPGe on the standard tires.
Space, towing and range numbers
Cargo space measures 33.8 cubic feet behind the second row, and the seatbacks fold to open up roughly 74 cubic feet, which is enough for a pair of bikes with the front wheels off or a weekend of camping gear. Towing is rated at 3,500 pounds when properly equipped, a figure the regular bZ does not offer. The battery is a 74.7-kWh pack, and EPA estimates are 127 MPGe city, 107 highway and 117 combined. At home, Toyota's included dual-voltage cable plugs into a 240-volt NEMA 14-50 outlet for Level 2 charging, which Toyota says takes about seven hours from 10 to 100 percent under ideal conditions.
What you give up compared with the Premium
The Premium costs $2,100 more at MSRP, and what that money adds is comfort and polish more than capability. The Base keeps the six-speaker audio system where the Premium has nine-speaker JBL sound, a conventional roof instead of the panoramic glass roof, a standard mirror in place of the digital rearview mirror, and heated seats without the ventilation and the foot-and-leg heating. Driver memory settings are also reserved for the Premium. Nothing about the powertrain, the range, the X-MODE hardware or the towing rating changes between the two, so if those items are not important to you, the Base is the efficient choice. The Premium guide goes through those extras in detail.
What buyers say
None of the dealership's Google reviews are about this particular model, so the more useful question is how shopping at Toyota of Bristol feels. Ryan M. wrote that his salesperson was "friendly, knowledgeable, and really wanted to make sure we got the right car." John G. described another team member this way: "He does not pitch the typical car sales 'pressure to buy'." Jason is one of the product specialists on the dealership's staff page.
Frequently asked questions
Does the bZ Woodland Base have all-wheel drive?
Yes, every bZ Woodland has two motors and all-wheel drive, and there is no front-wheel-drive version of the Woodland, so the Base gets the same traction hardware as the Premium.
Does the Base have heated seats?
It does, and the heating covers the front seats, the rear seats and the steering wheel, which Toyota includes as standard equipment rather than as an add-on package.
How much cargo space does the Base have?
Toyota lists 33.8 cubic feet behind the second row, and published specifications put the folded-seat figure at roughly 74 cubic feet, a bit more than the Premium because the Premium's audio equipment uses some of the space.
Is the Premium worth $2,100 more than the Base?
That depends on whether you value the panoramic roof, JBL audio, the digital rearview mirror, ventilated seats and memory settings, since the powertrain, range and off-road equipment are identical, and sitting in both trims is the quickest way to decide.
Come take a look
Seeing the Base in person is the best way to check the seat comfort and the cargo area for yourself. Visit the electrified vehicles page or current new inventory, then come by 1069 Farmington Avenue or call 860-584-7333.
MSRP excludes Toyota's delivery, processing and handling fee, taxes, title, registration and dealer-installed options, and the dealer sets the actual selling price. The price difference between trims is based on Toyota's published MSRPs for the 2026 model year. EPA-estimated range and MPGe figures are for comparison and will vary with speed, temperature, accessory use, tires and driving style. Charging times assume ideal conditions. Towing capacity applies when properly equipped, and cargo figures are published specifications that can vary by source. Equipment and availability can change with production timing; confirm current specifications with Toyota of Bristol. Customer quotes are excerpts from public Google reviews of Toyota of Bristol.
