"I think Toyota did an admirable job of giving it any reasonable feel at all when in regen mode"

Exactly. This drive by wire takes getting used to. As far as braking is concerned, I always feel a slight delay under hard braking and it seems to get too grabby towards the end. I find that I can get a better feel of the brakes when I drive with my shoes off. Even then, I still have to work to come to a smooth stop.