Featured Practically No One Purchases the bZ4X*

$18,000 and up for used.

The fun part is that cars stopped putting the link directly to the carfax report on bz listings.

Toyota should have named these something else.

Gotta wonder what kind of reliability these will have long term considering how non-Toyota they are

 

Wow, you're right about the price drops. One of our local Toyota dealers has eight 2024 bZ4X in stock and all are $45-47,000. They have four 2025 bZ4X's in the build phase and they are $40-42,000! So folks wanting to buy might as well wait for the 2025's and save $5,000! (The 2024's do have "dealer adjustments" of -$1,200 to -$1,400 but I doubt it will work, make it $5,000 less!)

 

Subaru is the minor partner in that relationship.

They had plug ins in mind when they developed their Subaru Global Platform. "The Subaru Global Platform has been developed with electrification in mind, and in the long run, it will help the automaker cut back on the four platforms it uses today to one architecture that’ll underpin everything in the lineup." https://www.autoevolution.com/news/subaru-electric-vehicles-coming-in-2021-phev-in-2018-121907.html "Subaru is developing a full-electric vehicle, due in 2021. The EV, built on Subaru's flexible platform, likely will be a variant of an existing nameplate, but it is unclear which one." Subaru adds models to global platform When they ended up partnering with Toyota, the resulting models ended up on the EV derivative of TNGA. Toyota New Global Architecture - Wikipedia

Subaru's electrification experience is limited to one model with a mild hybrid system. They had assistance from Toyota on the Crosstrek PHEV, and it used the electric motors from the Prius. Toyota handled the drive train for these EVs. The biggest thing Subaru brought to the partnership was AWD expertise, and the bZ4X got to use the X-mode name in the AWD model. Beyond style, the differences between the EVs are minor ones that can appear between trims of other models.

They are mostly Toyota. Their rep and the warranty likely plays a big part in range and low DC charging rates, so the battery will last as long as the rest of the car. I'd have no problem buying a used one for a commuter.

The wheel issue is cause Toyota wanted to save cost by moving everything to wheel bolts. They just didn't have the experience to know what to test for on the mass produced parts.

 

Funny thing is, nobody leases busy fourex’s either.
I wonder if he’s laughing about that

 

That made me laugh thinking of Jay-Lo as she stays busy & has four X's.

.

 

Toyota isn't what they were 10 years ago. Look at all the issues they're having with the new TT V6. And prior to that, the sludge issues.

The bzx4 is just another way they tried to cheap out and paid for it with a subpar product.

 

And multiple cases of rusting Tacomas, and 12V batteries catching fire in Rav4's, and the hybrids that would only take a few gallons of gas...
Toyota is not infallible. They have some issue come time to time. The sludge issue was almost 20 years ago. Overall, their track record is better than most.

Which doesn't mean they can't turn into old GM. Too big to think they could fail.

 

Yea ... that article incorrectly states a 100 mile range. They lied as it was more like 80. Nissan claimed they never said it had 100 miles - which was pretty stupid - considering all the swag / mousepads they gave out - emboldened with the words "100 Miles"
Thus - they settled out of court.





Then the battery started to fail, and they claimed there was no warranty on them. Bam another class action.
.

 

If they wait just a little longer the industry switch to Sodium will make it way easier to continue to avoid active thermal management...

 

Darn, they used that in the Ariya.

 

I didn’t even know that.

I did know several cars had but never specific models.

Would love to see folks start grey market importing the Nissan Sakura, even if it needs dot glass, a governor and an NEV title

 

Subaru has always been known for their all-wheel drive, so it makes sense that this is the technology they bring to the partnership. It would be cool to see an all-electric Subaru with X-Mode and true off-road capabilities

 

It just seems so odd that having experience in designing 4-wheel drive gas powered cars would qualify someone to build 4-wheel drive electric cars. Toyota and Subaru thinking they will be successful in EV without re-tooling the factories and re-designing from the ground up to reduce parts and costs in the long run makes no sense to me.

 

You mean like Toyota did t=with the Gen 1a & Gen 1b Prius? They were not re-designed from the ground up.

 

Because it's a gas engine with an electric motor there's no necessity to build from the ground up. Electric cars are an entirely different animal and every manufacturer of EV did that ground up design work with new factory tooling.

Meanwhile Toyota has spent all its innovation funding on misinformation and denial of a fast approaching future: Toyota the largest auto industry funder of climate deniers in US - report | Electrek

 

No one seems to be buying them Japan either. The BYD Atta 3 outsold it 2024, the first full year of its sales. We are talking maybe a hundred more for models selling just over 2000, but it isn't a good look for Toyota.

Well yeah, Subaru hasn't built an EV AWD system, but how to tune the power distribution at various speeds and conditions isn't going to change with the drive train.

It is a decent short term plan when you got plenty of ICE car factories and the EV market is just starting. It worked for the Bolt, Ioniq Electric, Leaf, and other first EVs from traditional automakers. Toyota just didn't come out with their own first EV when those others did. Now it is a poor plan when trying to sell your EV at the same price as the better specced ground up BEVs now on the market.

 

I'd argue that given the difference in Torque and less need for transmisisons that cater to ICE's very narrow power range it absolutely IS an entirely different type of 4-wheel drive tuning that has nothing to do with ICE 4-wheel drive tuning. Electric motors can adjust torque hundreds of times a second and ICE is entirely unable to come anywhere near that.

 

notice though, that Toyota claims more climate impact for less money & resources my using HEV & PHEV vehicles. Are they really funding climate deniers or just those that oppose EV mandates?

 

They're supposed to keep making the very best most reliable vehicles ever built at scale. But instead they've degenerated into lobbyists and PR departments with not substantive relationship with the actual people designing their vehicles.

 

It's becoming increasingly clear that Toyota couldn't go any faster in the wrong direction when it comes to their failing dominance among most makes and models in the US: