Used 2020 Toyota Mirai

Hybrid cars aren’t the only green alternative, and the 2020 Toyota Mirai proves the feasibility of an electric car powered by hydrogen may be a superior solution to long charging times. Contrary to what you may have heard, the Mirai doesn’t burn hydrogen. It converts it to electricity with the only emission being water. Unfortunately, hydrogen fueling stations are limited to a few markets in Southern California and Oahu, and hydrogen itself is also highly fossil-fuel-intensive to produce.

These factors have limited hydrogen fuel-cell cars to a select few. But, if you’re lucky enough to be in the right place, the Mirai, with seating for four, zero emissions, and a range of 312 miles, can be purchased for $58,550 or leased for $389 a month (36-month lease with $2,499 down).

Other fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) to consider are the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell and the Hyundai Nexo, both available only in California.

If you didn’t know hydrogen and oxygen were combining under the driver’s seat (that’s where the fuel cell is stored) to power the 2020 Toyota Mirai’s electric motor, you might easily think you were driving just another electric car. The absence of motor noise takes some getting used to, but the overall driving experience is very much like being behind the wheel of Toyota’s Prius hybrid, which is to say pleasant but not thrilling.

Push the button to “start” the Mirai, shift the console lever into Drive and press the accelerator and off you go. As electric motors are pure torque, acceleration is brisk and the 2020 Toyota Mirai’s ride and handling feel very familiar. Also familiar are Toyota mainstays, like the Entune connectivity and slider-based climate controls. A large center-mounted screen displays usage and range, and it’s placed at the base of the windshield as in the Prius.

Climbing inside the 2020 Toyota Mirai fuel-cell electric vehicle gives you a sense of déjà vu. That’s because it’s remarkably similar to the company’s Prius line of EVs and plug-in hybrids.

The center-mounted display screen dominates the dash, with controls for audio, infotainment, and navigation. Below that is another display, this one with touch-sensitive controls for the ventilation, front and rear defroster, and fan speed. The speedometer and other pertinent information is contained in a narrow display located at the windshield’s base.

Seats are firm and supportive, but there’s only room for four people due to a raised center console dividing the rear seats. Legroom is a bit snug in back as well, but four adults can fit comfortably for trips around two hours long.

The futuristic exterior of Toyota’s Mirai is partly stylistic, partly dictated by necessity. The two massive front intakes funnel cool air to the car’s three radiators (fuel cells produce a lot of heat), while the overall shape improves aerodynamics to help cheat the wind.

While Toyota says the design theme of the Mirai is flowing water (with a rear-end resembling a catamaran), many people will mistake Toyota’s FCEV for just another Prius Prime.

DYNAMIC RADAR CRUISE CONTROL
This standard system lets you drive at a constant speed on the highway while maintaining a pre-set distance to the vehicle ahead. Using radar and a front-mounted camera, it functions at speeds from 25 to 110 mph.

THE ONBOARD FUEL CELL
The fuel cell is an onboard electrical generator. In the Mirai, hydrogen from the onboard tanks combines with oxygen from the air in a chemical reaction to create electricity that powers the vehicle. Better yet, the only byproduct of this reaction is water, which exits the Mirai via a hatch beneath the vehicle.

The 2020 Toyota Mirai has numerous standard features, many of which are aimed at making hydrogen life easier. Hydrogen fill-ups are free for three years (not to exceed $15,000). Entune connectivity also comes standard, as do three years of Safety Connect (including the hydrogen-station map app). Roadside assistance, which lasts for three years and unlimited miles, also is standard.

Beyond that, other standard Mirai fare includes dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, 11-speaker JBL Premium audio with navigation, Smart Key with push-button start, and an 8-way-power driver and passenger seats with driver power lumbar support. LED headlights, along with rain-sensing wipers, adaptive cruise control, pre-collision warning, and emergency braking, a blind-spot monitor, and rear cross-traffic alert, round out the generous list of standard equipment.

As a highly specialized fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) with a premium price, the 2020 Toyota Mirai has no factory options. Dealers may have some add-ons, though.

The Toyota Mirai employs an onboard hydrogen fuel cell, a unique device that combines oxygen and hydrogen to create an electric charge. The generated electricity goes to an onboard nickel-metal-hybrid battery and the motor powering the car. The EPA range of the 2020 Toyota Mirai is 312 miles, and it takes about five minutes to refuel the car with hydrogen. FYI: Normal operating pressure inside the two tanks is very high, approximately 10,000 psi.

Fuel-cell stack, electric motor
153 horsepower
247 lb-ft of torque
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 67 MPGe, 312-mile range