We’ve highlighted greedy dealer markup practices before. We’ve also talked about how bad they make the parent automaker look and how some CEOs have even condemned the practice but one Toyota dealer in Maryland has a bZ4X marked up more than $25,000. And they’re not the only ones trying to milk customers for arbitrary profits.
The bZ4X isn’t necessarily the most desirable new electric vehicle. It’s not the cheapest, it doesn’t have the best range, and it might not charge when it gets really cold outside. Despite that, customers across the nation who want a new car are struggling to find dealers with full lots. The result of that is markups that seem to go unchecked.
Driven: The 2023 Toyota bZ4X Is A Quirky, But Comfortable EV With Up To 252 Miles Of Range
Not long ago we found another Toyota dealer that was asking $10,000 for a spot in line for the new GR Corolla. Back then, a spokesperson for Toyota told us the following:
“Toyota has established a Manufacturers’ Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) that is, as it sounds, a retail price suggested by the manufacturer. Because our dealers are independent business owners, the final transaction price will be the result of interactions between the customer and the dealer. Our sales group has consulted with our regional offices to ask them to be aware of transaction prices and consult with dealers as needed.”
If that feels like a weaksauce answer to you, you’re not alone, and it’s that kind of half-hearted attempt to sound customer-focused that emboldens some dealers to do what Koons Toyota Westminster does when they list a bZ4X for $77,278. Keep in mind that MSRP for a bZ4X Limited without any additional options is $47,625 for the FWD and $48,780 for the AWD. We get it that MSRP stands for “Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price”, but this is just plain ludicrous.
Another dealer in Portland is openly charging an additional $9,999 on top of every bZ4X. While that’s certainly more attractive than a markup that’s almost $30,000, let’s consider exactly what we’re talking about here.
Related: Toyota’s bZ4X Is Priced Below Subaru Solterra But Could Cost You A Lot More
The bZ4X isn’t exactly groundbreaking for anybody but Toyota itself. We can’t imagine anyone with any common sense would be willing to pay for either of these marked-up vehicles when rivals offer more well-sounded vehicles for the prices these dealers are asking or for even less.
If you hate markups as much as we do it’s important that you avoid paying over MSRP whenever possible. Multiple dealers are vying for your business and especially in cases like this where the vehicle in question probably won’t be flying off of the shelf, don’t be afraid to go somewhere else for the car you want.
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