I’m not sure if this is the right place to post this, but here it is. I came across what looked like a great deal: a 2024 Toyota bZ4X XLE AWD listed for $27,374 at Jerry’s Toyota in Baltimore, MD. That price was shown on both their website and Toyota.com, with no mention that it required leasing or included any incentives.
I was planning to lease the car, so I called to confirm price and availability. They refused to discuss numbers over the phone and kept pushing for me to come in. So I made the drive.
Once there, the quote they provided used the full MSRP of $48,089 as the selling price and only applied the $19,000 TFS Lease Cash after the fact. I asked where the $27K price came from; they told me it was “after lease cash,” even though that was never disclosed online. No footnotes. No asterisk. Nothing.
They also told me that if I wanted to buy the car at that price, I’d have to lease it first and then buy it out, which felt shady and like a workaround to justify the pricing.
I walked away, but this bothered me. It felt like textbook bait-and-switch.
First and foremost, this is one of the worst EV options out there. Have you driven it and its competitors?
This has been a thing for years with EVs, yes. If it and you qualify for the purchase credit, buy it. Many EVs doesn’t qualify for any credit on purchase but do a lease. Many EV shoppers — and all Toyota cheapskates — want to immediately buy after leasing to capture any extra incentives, ignoring they are are buy quickly evolving tech. The brand with the best car quality has some of the oldest EV tech on the market. Don’t buy hyper-depreciating assets, please. Rent them, abuse them, return them.
I’m not offering much for the OP but I ran into this recently when emailing with an Internet Sales Manager on a vehicle to lease.
They told me they only discuss numbers in person. I was tempted to ask why his title was Internet Sales Manager if I couldn’t do anything on the Internet.
This right here, that means they are just going to waste your time and will not be transparent when you get there. Avoid these dealers, there’s a reason they still have a 2024
It’s the worst EV crossover, and that’s why I thought I’d endure it for two years if I’m only paying under $100 a month. I believed this would be feasible since they are not selling. And yes! The plan was to rent them, abuse them, and return them.
Difference in advertised price = $29,089 - $27,374 = $1,715. @ceazgraphics - Can you post a screenshot of the advertised deal you saw? Feel free to zoom in on the fine price.
Did you do any research before reaching out to the dealer to confirm the price?
As someone stated earlier, that should have been your sign to move onto another dealer. I am pretty sure there are dozens of Toyota dealerships in the DMV area.
Why did it sound shady? In case you were not aware, cars that are manufactured overseas do not qualify for the $7500 EV federal rebate on a purchase. I currently lease a 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5. When I leased it last year, I qualified for about $10k in manufacturer incentives + $3500 in MA EV rebates. I do not plan to purchase it at lease end. Given the high depreciation on EVs right now, it does not make sense to purchase one.
@ceazgraphics - May I suggest checking out online reviews.
Makes no sense to me. Why drive a car for 2 years you hate? Have you checked with your insurance company how much it will cost to insure? EVs tend to attract high premiums.
EDIT: Would you have access to charging at home or at work? Or would you be reliant on public charging? Makes a big difference when leasing an EV for the first time, IMO.
This may be correct and not a “shady” tactic. Some rebates/incentives are only available if you lease. Others may only be available if you purchase. This stipulation is not on the dealer. It is dictated by the lender and/or manufacturer.
If it is a lease only incentive then yes, you’d have to lease the vehicle, then buy it from the lender to capture that incentive.
I called them regarding this deal a couple of weeks ago and they immediately told me that their online lease estimator is incorrect, lease cash cannot be combined with any other rebates, and gave me an estimate of something like $500 per month. I guess I talked to a better salesman .
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