Bethany_Hawke
New member
I just picked up my 2023 Toyota bZ4X XLE AWD today, black on black, from a dealer here in the Pacific Northwest. My previous ride is an '07 Ford Ranger pickup. This is a great upgrade!
The drive is smooth, and I really like the regenerative braking mode. It reminds me of downshifting in a manual. The controls feel a bit overwhelming at first, lots of buttons and lights to figure out, but it still feels familiar overall.
For charging, I started with my 110v circuit at home, and it worked fine without tripping the GFI. But I got impatient and went to a nearby Level 3 charger, which took me from 20% to 80% in under 45 minutes. The charging stopped automatically at 80%, so I’m wondering, is that a preset limit for Level 3 chargers?
I’ll be installing a Level 2 charger in my garage next week, which should make things even easier. I also asked the dealer if the software update allowing multiple Level 3 charges has been installed, but they weren’t familiar with it. They admitted they don’t sell many bZ4Xs and promised to look into it and get back to me.
On the financial side, I planned to pay in cash, but the dealer offered a $7,500 rebate if I leased the car. After doing the math, I realized that even with lease costs, I’d save about $5,500 overall. So, I went with the lease and plan to pay it off after the first payment. The total cost before tax and license came to about $42,500, including the winter package, heated seats, and floor mats. Not bad!
The staff at the dealership were great, friendly, helpful, and patient with my endless questions. My only gripe so far is that there’s a lot of plastic in the interior. But that’s probably just me being old school and comparing it to my trusty Ranger, which I’ll keep for hiking and fishing trips.
Overall, I’m pretty happy with the bZ4X so far. Any tips for a new owner or thoughts on the 80% charge limit?
The drive is smooth, and I really like the regenerative braking mode. It reminds me of downshifting in a manual. The controls feel a bit overwhelming at first, lots of buttons and lights to figure out, but it still feels familiar overall.
For charging, I started with my 110v circuit at home, and it worked fine without tripping the GFI. But I got impatient and went to a nearby Level 3 charger, which took me from 20% to 80% in under 45 minutes. The charging stopped automatically at 80%, so I’m wondering, is that a preset limit for Level 3 chargers?
I’ll be installing a Level 2 charger in my garage next week, which should make things even easier. I also asked the dealer if the software update allowing multiple Level 3 charges has been installed, but they weren’t familiar with it. They admitted they don’t sell many bZ4Xs and promised to look into it and get back to me.
On the financial side, I planned to pay in cash, but the dealer offered a $7,500 rebate if I leased the car. After doing the math, I realized that even with lease costs, I’d save about $5,500 overall. So, I went with the lease and plan to pay it off after the first payment. The total cost before tax and license came to about $42,500, including the winter package, heated seats, and floor mats. Not bad!
The staff at the dealership were great, friendly, helpful, and patient with my endless questions. My only gripe so far is that there’s a lot of plastic in the interior. But that’s probably just me being old school and comparing it to my trusty Ranger, which I’ll keep for hiking and fishing trips.
Overall, I’m pretty happy with the bZ4X so far. Any tips for a new owner or thoughts on the 80% charge limit?
