California man considers buying new Toyota. Then he realizes he won’t be able to leave the state

A man says buying a Toyota Mirai can sound almost too good to be true — especially once the discounts and free fuel are added up.

Max (@timeattak), an Arizona-based content creator who jokes that he makes videos “arguing with himself about cars,” acted out what he suggests is a pretty normal experience shopping for a Mirai.

In the skit, Max plays a customer who spots a Mirai on the lot advertised with $15,000 in free fuel over six years.

Then comes the catch: the Mirai doesn't run on gasoline.

Playing the salesperson, Max explains that the $15,000 offer is for hydrogen fuel, not charging. He also jokes that the stations are effectively concentrated in Southern California.

“So what if I can't leave Southern California?” Max asks as the customer.

That's where the deal gets even stranger.

Max says the salesperson then explains that, with current cash incentives, the dealer will knock roughly $35,000 off the price. That would leave the customer paying about $15,000 for the car while also getting $15,000 in free hydrogen fuel.

In a follow-up message to Subplot News, Max said those incentives are a major part of what makes the Mirai interesting right now.

“I'd definitely say the incentives are a huge factor for driving sales on them. Would be interesting to see if they've always been offering that or it was just as of recent,” he said.

In Max's telling, that makes the Mirai practically a “free car” — as long as you're willing to live with the limitations of where you can actually fuel it. As of Saturday, his video had more than 944,400 views.

What's the catch? Hydrogen

Max isn't exaggerating the size of Toyota's current Mirai incentives.

Toyota lists the suggested retail price for the 2026 Mirai at $51,795. What's more, through Nov. 30, qualified buyers can finance one at 0% APR for 72 months with a $35,000 cash incentive included.

That puts the effective price of a base Mirai at roughly $16,800 before taxes, fees, dealer pricing, and other variables.

Buyers also receive up to $15,000 in complimentary hydrogen fuel for six years, whichever comes first. Toyota gives purchasers a fuel card to use at hydrogen stations. Lease customers get the same $15,000 cap, but only for three years.

The limitation is where drivers can actually use that fuel. Max jokes that a Mirai owner effectively can't leave Southern California, but that isn't literally true.

California's Energy Commission shows existing stations in the San Diego, San Bernardino, and Santa Barbara regions. But there are also stations further north, in Fresno County, Cupertino, and Santa Clara counties, as well as in other parts of the state. Overall, the commission's map suggests the largest concentration is in Southern California, and, overall, the network remains sparse compared with gasoline or EV charging infrastructure.

That said, a 2026 state report found that only 50 public hydrogen stations were open as of September 2025, while another 11 were “temporarily non-operational” for at least 30 days.

So there could be an accessibility issue, as Max suggests: The same reports show the network's average availability over the prior year was only about 60%, with maintenance problems, equipment failures, and hydrogen supply disruptions contributing to outages.

So yes, the discount is enormous. The tradeoff is buying a car whose usefulness still depends heavily on access to California's small and sometimes unreliable hydrogen network.

Drivers Weigh-In On Whether It's Worth It 

Many viewers thought the Mirai deal sounded better than Max made it seem—especially for someone who rarely drives outside their metro area.

“À good deal for the right person. 90% of cars never leave their metro area, let alone the state. People will make such a big deal about battery miles, then proceed to commute 30 minutes every day for the next five years, but theoretically they could drive to Alaska if they hear the call,” one commenter argued.

Another person agreed, pointing to their own driving habits.

“Exactly. My Tahoe left Washington state… once… 6 years ago… for my daughter's softball tournament…,” they wrote.

Someone else questioned why leaving the state mattered at all.

“Why would anyone leave Southern California? I'm taking that deal,” they commented.

Another viewer was even more willing to accept the limitation.

“Who cares if it can't leave Southern California if you live there? Rent a car. Fly. Think about how much money you'd save in your daily life. Errands and work make up 90% of people's driving. A lot of cars don't leave the state while people own them. You're desperately trying to make this terrible when I would do it in a heartbeat if I lived in Southern California lol,” they wrote.

Others focused less on geography and more on the economics after Toyota's incentives disappear.

“How much is the maintenance and repair for a hydrogen car? How much is it to fill up after the 15k runs out?” one person asked.

Several viewers, meanwhile, started wondering whether they could simply make the fuel themselves.

“I'm confused how expensive it is to make hydrogen when we made it in high school science class,” one commenter quipped.

“It's not. It's expensive to build the [facilities] that hold and dispense it,” another replied.

“Free car? I'll figure out how to make hydrogen lol,” someone else joked.

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