Toyota is now leasing its one all-electric automobile, the bZ4X, for just $129/mo and $2k down.
Toyota has been dipping its toe into the EV water, mostly specializing in hybrids reasonably than electric cars.
Its first EV, the bZ4X, hasn’t been a huge success, perhaps due to concentrate on hybrids. It also faced a rocky launch with an early recall, though that has all been sorted out by now.
So in a market with a lot of great EVs, the bZ4X hasn’t attracted a whole lot of attention.
Last quarter, Toyota only sold 1,897 copies of the bZ4X within the US, a 9% increase over the previous 12 months but only accounting for .4% of Toyota’s total US sales, and far lower than the variety of EV sales from much smaller firms.
As a result, Toyota has resorted to deep discounts on its electric crossover, making it one in all the most affordable cars you can lease right now.
The steepest deal is on last 12 months’s 2023 bZ4X base “XLE” trim, which is available for just $129/mo with $1,999 due at signing, no less than here in Southern California. We also saw a deal for $119/mo and $4k down in New York. This is by far the bottom monthly price we’ve seen for the bZ4X yet, and one in all the bottom we’ve seen for any EV – not only now, but ever.
The lease deal in query has a limit of 12,000 miles per 12 months, close to the typical mileage for a US driver, and a little greater than the ~10,000 mile limits which can be common on a lot of leases. This specific offer expires April thirtieth, though something similar could possibly be prolonged after the month ends.
The 2024 model is just $169/mo (and $2k down), still a low price though not as eye-wateringly low because the 2023 model. Toyota made relatively minor changes for the 2024 model, including a mobile L1/L2 charging cord and standard power liftgate and 8-way power driver’s seat, together with some software changes.
Both of those are extremely low lease prices for a automobile with suggested retail price of $44,845 (2024 model). For example, a RAV4 LE is $369/mo with $3k down, rather more than the bZ4X lease price despite that automobile being ~$15k cheaper than the bZ4X.
Part of the explanation for these lease offers is due to the Inflation Reduction Act’s EV tax credit, which can be available (and actually, even easier to get) on a lease. In this case, the automaker files for the credit and offers lower lease payments to the shopper.
But that doesn’t cover all the discount – the lease deal accounts for a whopping $16,250 in money from Toyota ($17,750 on the 2023 model).
If you discover this deal appealing, you can use our affiliate link to contact local dealers and see in the event that they have this lease deal near you.
Electrek’s Take
This is definitely getting down into the “insane deal” category, even with my general distaste for how Toyota has managed the EV transition.
It jogs my memory somewhat of the deals on the unique Fiat 500e back in 2015 or so. At the time, Fiat’s CEO, Sergio Marchionne was one in all the loudest voices against electrification. He famously admitted admitted that the 500e was a compliance automobile (by claiming that Fiat loses money on every sale – thus suggesting that Fiat only sold them because California said so), but Fiat also leased the 500e for just $69/mo on the time.
Loads of Californians, even those that already had nice cars, decided that having a low cost runaround with extremely low fueling costs could be worthwhile, and snatched one up. Given that $69/mo is lower than half of what the typical Californian driver would spend on gas per thirty days, these cars were mainly free.
Now we’ve got a similar situation with Toyota, a company that is kind of openly anti-EV, but which is offering one in all the most affordable EV deals we’ve seen.
I can’t say I like the bZ4X – it’s pretty middling when it comes to specs, and while I’ve only driven it for a short time, it didn’t really do much to thrill me right out of the gates. I liked its cousin the Lexus RZ higher, but still, neither would go anywhere near my list of top EVs.
But in case your goal is to get a automobile with Toyota quality, aren’t particularly planning on road-tripping (one thing the bZ4X does poorly at is quick-charging performance, especially on roadtrips), and are a fan of getting good deals, well, the bZ4X is likely to be for you right now.
If you’d like, you can use our affiliate link to contact your local dealers in regards to the 2023 or 2024 Toyota bZ4X, and see what form of lease deals can be found in your area. Deal is subject to availability and participation, so contact your local dealer in the event you’re thinking about a low cost bZ4X.
Credit : electrek.co
