Toyota began offering the Mirai in the United States for 2016. Fuel-cell vehicles like the Toyota Mirai offer the benefits of an electric car, such as zero emissions and 100% torque from a standstill, along with extended range compared to pure electric vehicles. There are only two other fuel-cell vehicles currently on the market, the 2019 Honda Clarity and the 2019 Hyundai Nexo.

If you were to strip away the menacing headlights and massive lower front grilles on either side of the front bumper, you’d end up with a similar aerodynamic shape as the iconic Prius. With cars like the Prius and Mirai, slipping through the air with minimal friction is the most important design choice.

The hydrogen-fuel-cell system creates energy for a 153-horsepower electric motor, which powers the front wheels. Energy is also stored in a 245-volt nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery pack. Due to the nature of its drivetrain, the EPA uses mile-per-gallon-equivalent (MPGe) to measure fuel economy. In this test, the Mirai earns a rating of 67 MPGe for city, highway, and combined driving conditions. All told, the Mirai has a fuel range of 312 miles.

The Mirai features a futuristic cockpit that mimics the tech-first themes of the exterior with a 7-inch touchscreen and intelligent touch controls for heated seats, climate control, and the heated steering wheel. At the heart of the dash is Toyota’s Entune infotainment system, which features large icons, easy-to-read fonts, and logical menu navigation. It comes with Bluetooth connectivity but doesn't support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. However, drivers can connect iPhones through Bluetooth to use Siri Eyes Free. Entune can be had with dynamic navigation, as well as apps that provide updates for traffic, weather, sports, stocks, and more.

The Mirai comes with features like 17-inch alloy wheels, LED automatic high beams, a heated steering wheel, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, and a windshield de-icer. Other standard features include SofTex-trimmed seats, carbon-fiber-style interior inserts, and Qi-compatible wireless charging for equipped devices.

The Mirai only takes about five minutes to refuel, which is slightly more than a typical gas refuel, but far less than the time it takes to recharge the electric vehicles with which the Mirai competes. The Mirai also qualifies as a zero emissions vehicle (ZEV), with only water vapor coming from its exhaust pipe.

The Mirai comes standard with a suite of active safety features that includes dynamic cruise control, lane-departure warning, and blind-spot monitoring. This is in addition to the standard front- and side-impact airbags, a reversing camera, a tire-pressure-monitoring system, and traction control.

While the Hyundai is only available in Orange County, CA and the Clarity can be found in select dealers in California, the Mirai is available in California and Hawaii.