When when Toyota wanted to enter the luxury market, they spent a billion dollars and came up with the LS400. And it was perfect right out the gate.

The bz4x does not show the same level of serious intention that the LS400 had. It’s borderline a compliance car.

Oh, I agree. I can only afford cheap cars myself. (Happy Honda Fit owner).

But I also understand how low interest rates and fat pandemic-era profits gave automakers an excuse to chop the affordable products off their lineups.

They still put their eggs in one basket. Hybrids.

They do not have a serious BEV product. I do think they could probably put one together in a pinch, but they aren’t positioned if they’re suddenly was a huge shift in market demand (like, heaven forbid, a world war in the Middle East or something).

Unfortunately, this is true.

Cars that normal people can afford have thin margins.

The fat pandemic days of product scarcity and low interest rates are gone. Cheap cars will be back, but not without a lot of kicking and screaming first.