This is the vehicle GM should have built and named the Volt back in 2010. Instead they chose to go with a low slung hatchback limited to four seats and never expanded the offering to a format with greater mainstream appeal. People loved the fact that they could drive forty-something miles without using the gasoline engine at all but if they did need it to travel further, it was there and ready to go. Toyota then did something similar (yes, yes, the actual mechanicals were different, I mean conceptually) a couple of years later when they introduced the first Prius Plug-In Hybrid, one with a larger battery allowing it to run on electric power alone for real distances, but not as far as the Volt.
However Toyota learned and progressed from its second generation of that car in 2016 (named Prius Prime) by now for 2021 introducing what would seem to be the real missing link between gasoline hybrids and the fully electric cars that a good portion of the populace just isn’t ready for yet. A vehicle that combines a well-regarded company’s top seller, offers AWD in a CUV format, is nominally a Hybrid but packs a large enough battery to provide 42 miles of legit, usable, electric-drive-only range via a standard household plug overnight. Oh, and the cherry on top? When both propulsion systems are used in unison, it provides a combined 302hp and ends up as Toyota’s second quickest car on sale here (behind the Supra).
Toyota has a long history of electrifying its RAV4, starting with a homegrown first generation fully electric version of it sold in California in very limited numbers (a good number of which are apparently still in operation). Following that, a version of the third generation RAV4 was equipped with a drivetrain and battery provided by Tesla back when Toyota was still invested in them (I’ll bet they wish they hung on to some of those shares), also in somewhat limited numbers starting in 2012.
But with the fourth and fifth (current) generations, a hybrid version has been a popular and commonly seen part of the mix. Now, this one builds on the Hybrid by going one step beyond with the Prime, that being Toyota’s moniker for hybrid cars able to run on electric power alone for a useful distance without babying the throttle or other considerations.
What it really does is enable those that may be “EV-curious” to get their feet wet with a vehicle that looks completely normal/familiar, runs on gasoline whenever you’d want or need it to, however can be plugged in and fully charged overnight in a standard 120V wall outlet, and thus gives the full electric feel when in EV mode along with all of its benefits, i.e. no gas station visits, silent operation, bags of instant torque, and zero pollution, all lasting easily the distance of an average commuter’s day.
We’ve reviewed the current generation RAV4 twice already, once by Petrichor who sampled an XLE Hybrid version as well as Ed Snitkoff who sampled an XSE Hybrid version last year. Both liked the car in general while both had a few nits to pick in their respective reviews, but the Hybrid part of the deal found favor with both.
As with Ed’s tester, mine was an XSE model as well, this is the “sportier” top model in the range. The styling was butched up significantly a couple of years ago and has apparently found favor with the buying public. Available in various trim levels, gasoline or hybrid forms, the RAV4 has grown a bit over the years and is now at the point where it is a real entrant as a family car.
With plenty of space for a family as well as their cargo needs it is refined enough to now be taking business away from historically somewhat larger vehicles such as the Highlander, it’s certainly worth comparing and contrasting to see if it might fit the need.
In XSE trim, the cabin is filled with conveniences and quality materials of a higher level than in the lower trims. In this pretty much fully loaded model, the seats are covered in Softex (Toyota’s name for its vegan leather option), they are heated as well as ventilated, powered and equipped with memory settings for multiple drivers.
While supportive and very adjustable, the seats weren’t the most comfortable for me, the width was fine, however I found the bottom cushion a little short and the backrest didn’t provide as much support as I prefer even with the lumbar support engaged all the way. This is a very subjective issue though, and best sampled by oneself instead of taking anyone else’s (i.e. my) word for it.
The dashboard is covered in soft materials as is the majority of the door panels’ surfaces (at least the parts that you’d realistically ever want or need to touch), all the controls are arranged in a format that quickly becomes familiar, the now ubiquitous touchscreen but in a 9″ format mounted near the top of the center stack can display multiple menu items at once, just like in most other Toyotas, and all knobs and buttons operate in silky smooth fashion.
The knobs on the audio and HVAC systems are topped with a rubber surface that ensures a solid grip, and at the bottom of the stack is a wireless charger. A very normal shifter is placed where one would expect along with a couple of cupholders as well as a small button bank to control operational modes (EV, HV (Hybrid) or auto EV/HV). There’s also a knob to engage Sport, Economy or leave it in Normal drive mode.
The dashboard also features a handy shelf ahead of the passenger and a very small version of the same on the driver’s side, however it could maybe hold a few coins on that side, it’s not large enough for a smartphone (but not meant to be, either). In general it’s overall a significantly nicer place to be than the prior generation of RAV4, the soft materials across the dashboard and doors have far better texturing and feel much thicker and richer.
The touchscreen has the same interface seen across most of the Toyota line with graphics that are perfectly acceptable if not cutting edge, especially the camera resolution at night could be better and even in the daytime is on the lower side of high resolution compared to some other makers’ systems.
In front of the driver is a decently comprehensive gauge package with a speedometer in the middle, an eco-meter on the left, fuel and state of charge gauges on the right as well as a large center area within the speedometer where various information is displayed and can be changed to whatever is of interest via steering wheel buttons.
The left and right portions are physical gauges, but the center section is all digital – pictures seem to show the items as very distinct elements, however with real eyes looking at it everything looks seamless with a common black background and no obvious delineations.
The eco-meter on the left kind of shows how much power is being called for and how gentle one is with the throttle, it also shows if the car is regenerating power back into the battery via braking or simply letting off the throttle. Interesting but not particularly useful really. There is a function that displays how eco-friendly your driving is so I suppose the gauge helps to get that “score” higher.
The backseat area is finished as well as the front, the door panels are exactly the same as far as materials go (an area often skimped on), the two outboard seats also get seat heaters controlled by buttons in the door panels, and there is enough space for me to be comfortable behind the driver’s seat adjusted for myself (6’1″ with 32″ inseam).
Even with the panoramic sunroof (the front section can open, and all of it can be covered or left uncovered by an electric sliding sunshade) headroom was good in front and back for myself. The rear seats can be lowered in a 60/40 split but do not recline or slide. When folded down, they provide a continuous fairly flat surface to the cargo area, with no step at the junction.
The cargo area was surprisingly spacious, makers such as Toyota have gotten good at packaging the batteries where they don’t take up any space although the rear drive unit does necessarily impinge on the overall space somewhat, but not in any readily discernible way.
The floor can easily be lifted to access the full size temporary spare underneath and the left side wall features a subwoofer for the JBL Premium Audio package. The right side wall offers a standard household outlet (120V, 1500W) for powering whatever you might want when stationary. Of course the rear hatch is power operated but the rear glass is fixed in place as is the standard in this size class. All four doors are equipped with touch sensitivity for both unlocking/opening them as well as locking them without using a key.
Enough about the generalities of this RAV4 though, let’s get to the prime piece of equipment here, the powertrain. In this case it is equipped with both a 2.5l 4-cylinder engine as well as two permanent magnet synchronous electric motor generators at the front end. Using an 18.1 kWh lithium-ion battery the car powers all four wheels via yet another motor at the rear axle, albeit without all of them connected to each other mechanically.
The rear axle is electric only and comes into play as/when needed. As I experienced in snow with the recent Venza Hybrid which operates similarly in this regard, this system works very well. Transmission duties are handled by what Toyota calls an Electronic CVT system, which is nothing like a belt driven CVT with which you may be familiar, it’s really simpler and more reliable.
The gasoline engine produces 177hp and 165lb-ft of torque, the front electric motor generators combine to put out 179hp and 199lb-ft of torque and the rear motor can add another 53hp and 89lb-ft. Now, that doesn’t all occur at the same peak, hence the maximum 302hp number.
However, 302hp adds up to a vehicle that can easily chirp the tires, or do a one-wheel peel out of a corner when deliberately pushed to do so before it reins itself back in. 302hp in a RAV4 is a fun number and not something I ever would have expected to see. For reference, that’s 83hp more than the standard hybrid RAV4 and equates to an estimated 0-60 time of 5.7 seconds. Who needs a Hellcat?
To assuage those worried about the battery running out of juice, there is zero requirement for it to actually be charged, the RAV4 will simply operate as a normal hybrid vehicle it it isn’t. However to charge it there are a few options. The easiest, cheapest, and simplest way is to use the cord that comes with the car and plug it into the port located on the opposite side of the vehicle from the gasoline filler. That port has a little courtesy light that comes on in case it’s dark in your garage so that you can see what you are doing. It slots in easily and clicks/locks into place and then a small green light comes on to indicate it is charging.
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Fascinating review, sounds like an excellent automobile. Having completed the read, my first thought is the GM was incredibly foolish in dropping the Volt platform. As you mentioned, installing a more useful body would have made the car a lot more viable, and the Volt setup is a lot more useful in a lot of regions.
Case in point: Immediately after getting my Bolt, I did some research on PlugShare to look at the possibility of using the car someday to visit my old home town of Johnstown, PA. Now, Johnstown is an absolute EV black hole. You’ve got a DCFC setup in Bedford (35 miles away), the Johnstown Nissan dealer has the mandatory J-1772 Level 2 charger, . . . and that’s pretty much it. The rest of the way you’re talking the Level 1 setup that comes with the car.
So it’s charge up in Bedford and try to keep the charge up for the duration of the visit until you get back to Bedford (I’ve already learned not to count on dealer’s charging stations, they often come with restrictions that make them unavailable when you need the most – power only on when the dealership is open, charging station ICEd because it’s rarely used, etc.).
The area is also VERY politically conservative, more on the “cold, dead hands” variety when it come to that Hemi powered Ram. I seriously doubt is the Nissan dealer has moved more than one or two Leafs. The realization that the two local Chevy dealers weren’t listed on PlugShare says a lot.
A hybrid of this type wouldn’t have those problems in Johnstown.
Oops, add one charging slot at the Holiday Inn Express on Bedford Street. Forgot about that one. Ok, at least that says where I’m staying if I visit. But that’s it: Two charging points for a metropolitan area of about 50,000.
Definitely plug-in hybrid territory, at best.
While I get what Toyota is trying to do here by creating a gateway to EVs (you explained it very well, Jim), the RAV Prime seems very compromised and wasteful compared to a true EV.
You are essentially purchasing for and carrying around two complete powertrains in your vehicle (This was the main complaint with the Volt, too). Unless you are running in hybrid mode, one of the powertrains is going to be an unused boat anchor at any given time. When you are running as an EV, you are carrying around all the dead weight if a ICE powertrain. And when the battery is exhausted and you are running in ICE, you are carrying around the weight of the discharged batteries and EV powertrain.
You get some of the benefits of an EV (tax breaks, charge from home), but you still get most of the disadvantages of ICE as well (an engine that requires periodic maintenance, and the occasional need to visit a gas station).
If someone is truly EV curious, perhaps they should try renting a Tesla on Turo for a few days.
I disagree, and I think Syke’s got some good insight above. For a lot of the country the infrastructure simply isn’t there, and/or folks have “range anxiety” rightly or wrongly. IMO this is a perfect goldilocks car. You get enough range to cover many peoples’ commutes, a taste of the performance of some of the Tesla offerings, a familiar driving experience/cabin, as well as tried and true Toyota quality/fit/finish. I’d be a much bigger fan of this thing if I didn’t hate the “throw every current ugly styling fad at it” exterior.
I can’t agree with “You are essentially purchasing for and carrying around two complete powertrains in your vehicle.” Yes, my RAV4 Hybrid has both gas and electric motors, but the rest of the powertrain is shared, ingeniously in my opinion.
I watched “Understanding the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid” by Professor Kelly of Weber State University to see how the eCVT works without belts and pulleys, seamlessly merging power from ICE and/or electric motor.
Based on Toyota’s long experience with hybrid technology in the Prius I expect my RAV4 Hybrid to run longer and more reliably than ICE alternatives, and I don’t have the range anxiety I’d have in my rural area with a true EV.
John has some great videos of tear downs of many different Hybrid systems as well as EVs and transmissions in general.
Thanks!
I hope I wasn’t too tongue in cheek with the title, maybe “Hybrid on Steroids” would have been better. It never really actually runs as a pure ICE, even when the battery is depleted it still runs as a hybrid, self generating some juice duting operation like a standard hybrid. When you lock out the pure EV option it seems to still use a very small chunk of the battery for Hybrid operation, just doesn’t access the bulk of it.
Curiously the extra battery weight doesn’t seem to affect fuel economy much, seeing as how the regular RAV4 Hybrid is rated 41C/38H and that seems in line with the Venza Hybrid I drove a few weeks ago. The Prime is rated at 38 combined in Hybrid mode.
I think some people just aren’t comfortable with a full electric yet but are with a Hybrid. This vehicle probably will allow some to get closer than they would be able to otherwise due to current infrastructure concerns but more likely (in my opinion) will push them toward pure EV in the long run. Toyota may be doing more for the competition here than they intend given that they don’t currently offer the next obvious step, a pure EV RAV4.
That discomfort level has a lot to do with the viability of a plug in hybrid. When I was shopping, my initial intent was to purchase a used second generation Volt, as I assumed my daily errand running would be about 35 miles, so the Volt’s 50+ ensured I’d rarely use gasoline.
What changed my mind was test driving a Bolt, discovering the rocket ship you got when hitting the sport button and nailing it, realizing it actually handled as well as some of its predecessors. Add in realizing that even on a used one, the range would easily get me from Ashland, VA to Jamestown Settlement and back on one charge sealed the deal. I quit looking at any alternatives (Tesla was always out of my budget).
Currently I haven’t left town with it (my Level 2 hasn’t arrived yet), so no range anxiety. Definitely a commute to Jamestown one weekend next month, so I will have to start learning to adjust.
Yes it always uses the battery even in EV later mode. All putting it in EV later mode does is change the SOC target point.
In a standard hybrid the target SOC is ~50% once you hit a steady state cruise. That is to leave room to charge the battery when you coast down a hill, stop, or if it is more efficient to run the ICE to produce more power than is currently needed to propel the vehicle. It also leaves room to discharge to allow the battery to provide the torque boost needed to accelerate from a stop or if power demanded exceeds what the ICE can deliver.
If you select EV later when you start the vehicle the target SOC might be 95% and you’ll see it fluctuate a few percent as the system operates. If you switch to that mode when the battery is partially depleted then what ever it is at when you push the button will become the target SOC. If you just drive until it switches to hybrid mode then the target SOC may be something like 10%.
However that is where that extra battery capacity allows itself to make up for its extra weight. Because of that extra head room you don’t “run out” of regen braking like you can on a regular hybrid by going down a long hill. It also boosts the regen braking capacity in general. The bigger battery can accept current at a higher rate and thus it is possible to recapture a little more energy from stopping in some situations. Additionally the extra weight is only a penalty when accelerating from a stop or climbing a hill. It has zero effect at a stead state cruise on flat land and is a bonus when coming to a stop or coasting down a hill.
If you buy a Tesla or such, you’re going to be carrying a massive battery that typically never gets used to full capacity. Either way, the weight being carried is about the same.
For some buyers, it simply may be more practical or convenient to have a hybrid system. If I was exploring the back country of Eastern Oregon, Nevada, Idaho etc., until high speed chargers become more common, this is a vastly more practical solution.
If I lived in a large metro area and used my car in the way most are there, a full EV is the most logical solution.
Different strokes for different folks. But there’s absolutely no penalty to plug-in hybrid system compared to a full EV in terms of weight.
“If you buy a Tesla or such, you’re going to be carrying a massive battery that typically never gets used to full capacity. Either way, the weight being carried is about the same.”
Agreed, a long range EV ends up dragging around way more battery than many people need for their daily commute, that big battery of course is also more expensive.
Are you guys trying to promote legislation of a modern “Citicar” for any single people commuting exclusively to work and back? Because these are the conversations that lead to that type of legislation.
Does everything have to be a slippery slope argument?
1970’s – We need to kill the muscle cars
1980’s – We need to kill the broughams
1990’s – We need to kill the SUV
2000’s – We need to kill the CUV
2010’s – We need to kill ICE
2020’s – Sorry, that electric car is too big for you, says here your only authorized to drive a car in the “Compact-class.”
2030 – Sorry, you are not in an executive leadership position, you cannot enter your place of employment today. Please “tele-commute” from home via Zoom.
Does it ever end? Apparently my definition of “freedom” and “automotive enthusiast” are different from the borg’s.
No I’m just agreeing with Paul that either way, long range EV or Plug-in Hybrid, you are dragging around more than you need to do the average daily commute.
So the PHEV does make a lot of sense and for some more sense than a long range EV.
“Because these are the conversations that lead to that type of legislation.
Does everything have to be a slippery slope argument?”
You invented a slippery slope argument that wasn’t there, then criticized the fictional slippery slope argument with your own slippery slope argument a single sentence later.
I think you probably should save your outrage for when someone actually makes the argument you are accusing them of.
Yeah, because its a huge leap from Zoom calls because of a virus to Zoom calls because of climate change.
If anything climate change may be worse. The virus only kills humans (and anecdotally house pets) and then only a small percentage until age 70 plus. Climate Change if the most dire models are to be believed, kills just about every living thing.
“If you buy a Tesla or such, you’re going to be carrying a massive battery that typically never gets used to full capacity.” That’s the slope. I didn’t invent it.
That argument reminds me of the “big gulp laws” in New York City. The ammunition capacity laws making there way though the statehouses, and the call to ban “Supersize” McDonalds menus.
I am criticizing the actual policies put in place to restrict freedom of choice and that by extension, can eventually be used to legislate vehicles.
By having these discussions we embolden the zealots to limit freedom even more rapidly and with more restrictive law then even they originally intended. As long as the ends justify the means.
For that matter, use a full size ICE pickup with a 25 gallon gas tank for daily commuting and you’re dragging around the weight of all that superfluous gasoline, assuming you’re like most people and you fill the tank at refueling stops.
For some reason, that’s never been an issue.
“Yeah, because its a huge leap from Zoom calls because of a virus to Zoom calls because of climate change.” etc…
Lol, wut? Please keep the conspiracy theories out of this topic. We’re talking about plug-in hybrids and EVs and somehow you’re on to Big Macs and bullets. I don’t write nor read here wishing to discuss those things. Thanks.
@Syke, There is a definite difference between having a gas tank with more capacity than you need on a daily basis and buying an EV with a larger battery for once in a while needs. The cost of a larger fuel tank is minimal while the cost of a larger battery is significant. That is why a number of EV mfgs do offer different battery sizes, so the customer doesn’t have to pay for way more capacity than needed.
@James the slippery slopes we sometimes build in our heads very often get graded by the heavy machinery of reality. Muscle cars weren’t outlawed in the 70s, broughams weren’t banned in the 80s, SUVs and CUVs definitely didn’t get banned in the 90s and 00s and while ICE future is in limbo as we see it, I have relative optimism it won’t actually be banned in the foreseeable future. Things tend not to work out the way you hope in life, and you can take solace that the same applies to people you oppose. That’s some wisdom my grandpa imparted to me and it tends to ring true in life. 🙂
I actually mlsspoke a bit in my earlier comparison to the Volt. The Chevy Volt was a series hybrid, and famously (infamously?) couldn’t charge the battery from the ICE, rendering it a true boat anchor once it was discharged and the “range extender” ICE kicked in.
The RAV4 prime is a true parallel hybrid, so it does not have that limitation.
Tom, no plug in hybrid charges its battery beyond just the small amount needed to sustain hybrid operation. The Volt does that; all of them do. otherwise they wouldn’t function properly; they absolutely need that limited amount (equivalent roughly to what a non-plug in hybrid’s battery has) to augment the ICE and perform normally.
But none of them uses the gas engine to charge up the battery beyond that minimum amount. That would be the equivalent of using a gas generator in your driveway to charge up an EV. It makes no sense, environmentally or cost-wise. Power plants are always much more efficient (and typically “greener”) than gas engines. The whole point of plug-in hybrids is to use the more efficient and greener source of grid energy for the first x number or miles, before running on ICE-hybrid mode.
Thanks, Tom, for summing up many common misperceptions. That “boat anchor” of an an exhausted EV battery does much useful work even beyond the listed EV-only range. On a hundred-mile drive, I’m often surprised at how often my Ford’s able to maintain 70 mph with the engine off, even deep into 150-mile drives to Colorado Springs and back. On the long west slope from the Eisenhower Tunnel, I’ve regained 10 miles of EV range, something my Hybrid model could never do.
For me, the “Boat Anchor” would be the EV’s oversized battery. Most of that wouldn’t be used in a day of local shopping trips, but I’d have to haul that unnecessary weight all the way, every mile. Everyone’s daily use varies, but I have many more of these low-mileage days than ones that require long range.
You didn’t mention how this has “more parts to wear out,” but a friend of mine did. Truth is, by balancing two power sources, these cars avoid stressful use of each power source. In cold weather, batteries don’t have to shoulder all the load of propulsion while heating and defrosting, too. Gas engines can avoid the stress of loads following cold start-ups. Brakes work less because regeneration provides kinetic resistance at stoplights. And many expensive and troublesome parts aren’t needed: clutch, transmission, and no accessory drive belt because there’s enough juice to do the job.
Thanks for your concern, but I really don’t mind stopping at a gas station every thousand miles or so. There’s always windows to wash!
I personally loathe the styling, namely every modern styling cliche Toyota has thrown at this thing (gloss black trim, floating pillar, ugly wheels, etc), but boy would this be just the ticket for my wife’s next car if she were amenable to a crossover (she really wants a coupe or at worst a sedan). That range would be perfect for her to never have to fill up, something she hates to do, we’d be staying within the comfortable Toyota fold, and we’ve even already got 240 in the garage. And that acceleration figure frankly sounds rather fun to me.
The styling almost makes the current Prius look good. It is a wonder that people don’t feel self consciously absurd driving something like this.
Expect to see more in this vein. As the top selling non-pickup-truck vehicle in the US to the tune of well over 400,000 last year and even more the non-pandemic year before (RAV4’s two best years ever) apparently Toyota has figured out what buyers like. The Ford Escape as a random example of a vehicle that incorporates exactly none of these items but is in the same category sold less than half as well last year.
The main reason I like vintage cars and a few presently offered sedans, is that they are works of art. Although tastes in art differ greatly, the RAV4 as shown in this article does not have any artistic appeal. The interior is a defined by a large number of straight lines which convey the impression that one is siting in the middle of an electrical diagram. The exterior has no coherent theme; it is a conglomeration of: “What should we do here? Well, let’s add this” People who lack defined tastes of their own are quick to gravitate toward what is considered “cool.”
All of those elements I mentioned (gloss black trim and/or wheels, floating pillars, black inset wheels, often directional, jagged/busy lines) are definitely present across the board whether its Honda, Nissan, something Korean, etc. So I agree that the masses are eating it up. Oh well, not for me. And you’re right the Escape is definitely an outliner, and I personally prefer its less fussy less “current-trend-checklist” design.
Toyota styling is horrendously busy.
They should rename their top-line model the XSiV.
Jim, I appreciate the inclusion of knee pics in most of your reviews! At 6’2″, I’m always concerned with rear legroom in new vehicles.
Thanks! It has always bothered me when there is no mention of the reviewer’s size and they talk about space. The inseam measurement is critical too as there are various ways to package a given total height…
I think it would be simpler to just change your screen name to “Jim (6’1, 32″ inseam) Klein”. 🙂
Because Jim Groß just wouldn’t sound right. 🙂
Tom Halter’s comments are interesting, but they could be applied to many aspects of our cars. Why lug around AC when you don’t use it in winter, or back seats if you rarely have passengers? And who needs 0-60 in eight seconds when you normally drive at 1/4 throttle. I found this review eye-opening, as I considered the Volt to be an impractical platform; and the earlier plug-in Prius to be too limited in EV range. But this really seems like the best of all worlds. If Toyota offers something similar on the next gen pickup platform, I see this as a better option for me than a CyberTruck or Rivian. Those have the capability to get out into the remote desert as I like to do a few times a year. But I worry about the real world range and the inability to snag 5 gallons worth of fuel off a friendly Jeeper.
I think the Volt proved that a bit over 40 miles is the magic number for a plug-in type vehicle that can run on gasoline beyond that. As much as I liked the Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid last year its 32mile electric range fell short in that aspect. While 10-12 extra miles doesn’t seem like a lot more it makes a significant difference (whereas something like 70 miles would be overkill, most people would consider 30 miles one way a loooong commute for example although it’s not that uncommon, 15-20 seems more reasonable/common). I seemed to spend more time in the Pacific in Hybrid mode than I did in the RAV4 Prime.
If the average driver does 15,000 miles per year and let’s say most working age people people in normal times commute to work, go to the store, restaurants, visit friends etc, that’s 41 miles per day on average. I wonder if that’s just a coincidence…
Keep it up. All we really need for most transportation is a single speed bicycle. Like the one I just built and used for my errand running today.
Back in the day, my people used to…walk. Get out of here with that crazy modern wheeled talk… 🙂
Not a chance. Walking sucks. It’s too slow and you can’t coast downhill.
If anything is superfluous in this RAV4, it’s so many of the options included in the Premium Package, such as the panoramic sunroof and digital mirror (I too am not comfortable using that feature). If this vehicle could be equipped at the XLE level, it might find a broader audience. In the meantime, limited production capacity means that each and every Prime will be optimized to bring maximum profits to Toyota.
Grousing about the price aside (and fully recognizing potential tax savings), this vehicle is a strong contender for our next new car. The RAV4 basic package is attractive and useful for our needs and, given that most of the mileage it would accumulate consists of a trip within five-to-ten mile radius of our house, we would likely only need to refuel once in a blue moon, yet preserve the capability to take long road trips when the mood strikes. Thanks for this informative review.
There is also an SE version that starts at $38,100, and includes the same Plug-In Hybrid tech as well as being eligible for the rebates that may fit the bill too. 18″ wheels instead of 19″, moonroof option instead of panoramic, single color without two-tone option etc…
In defense of GM from the opening statement, both they (Saturn Vue) and Ford (Escape) put their first hybrid systems in small crossovers only to watch the Toyota Prius walk away with an early lead in the segment while their offerings became fleet queens. The hybrid market before the 2008 gas price spike was one of green early-adopters who in the ’00s wouldn’t be seen in an SUV and GM no doubt expected that to continue to be the case.
They probably also had focus-group results saying only four seats wouldn’t be a problem for regular buyers, not foreseeing the coming of ride-hailing apps that would make “taxis” out of millions of personal cars. 5 seats is something of a magic number for taxi work since it’s enough capacity for two couples and the driver.
This seems like the best of both worlds. EV for urban dwellers, internal combustion for when charging areas don’t exist, and a hybrid to maximize efficiency.
Plus it drives well with good power and that is a great color.
What’s not to like?
The styling, like most current products from Toyota.
The market seems to disagree when looking at sales numbers. But of course physical appearance is always in the eye of the beholder. I think this powertrain would also do very well in the new Venza for example which is styled very differently but that’s already likely build capacity constrained due to demand abroad.
Hmm, I’d say the market agrees with me. The RAV-4 did sell 1 out of every 8 vehicles in the compact CUV class, which is a very impressive market share. But that means that 7 out of every 8 people choose not to buy a RAV-4.
Of course styling is only one of the reasons people buy a car and where that ranks in priority varies from person to person. So how many of those RAV-4 buyers bought it because it was a Toyota, even though they didn’t really like the styling?
Hmm, I’d say the market agrees with me.
So you think that Toyota could have magically built 8 times as many RAV4s, and is only being held back from selling 8 times as many of them because of its looks? Sure, makes perfect sense.
There’s absolutely no way to logically support your argument. It’s just a projection of your subjective feelings.
I’m going to take a wild ass guess that you much prefer the looks of the Escape. But curiously, its sales numbers for the new generation are down quite substantially. It only sold 11,190 times in January 2021. How do you explain that?
No, I was making the point that just because the RAV-4 is the best selling non pickup doesn’t mean that the majority of people like the styling.
For a long time there was a subset of Toyota buyers who bought Toyota based on their reliability, durability and economical operation, despite the boring styling and today there are people who buy Toyotas based on their reliability, durability and economical operation, despite the styling.
Yes, I do think the current Escape looks better than the RAV-4 as does most everything in the class.
He (and no one else) ever said that the majority of the people don’t like the styling.
Actually, having the majority of people like your styling is not even necessarily a good goal. The key is having enough people like your style to be able to sell all of the vehicles you’re actually capable of producing. This is a well-know fact that too many folks like you tend to forget. Better to have controversial styling that attracts 500k buyers even if millions of other don’t like it than have boring styling that nobody is enthusiastic about.
Universally liked styling is not necessarily or actually a good goal. Your knowledge of the industry is not nearly as good as you think it is. This fact has been know for many decades. It’s impossible to style a car for universal “likeability”.
I never said that is was possible or desirable to have universally liked styling. I also agree that polarizing styling can be a good thing, as long as enough people are on the good side.
I just pointed out that there is ONE thing not to like about this package and it is the styling.
Of the 3 people I know who have bought RAV-4 Standard Hybrids in recent years only one of those raves about how good it looks. Of course she also thought her “Spaceship” Prius was the best looking car she had seen to that point.
The other two buyers are bottom line kind of guys who bought it for the Toyota reputation first and foremost.
This is the vehicle GM should have built and named the Volt back in 2010.
It’s easy to say in hindsight. The Volt was conceived in a very different time, when maximum efficiency was paramount, and the Prius was selling at record levels.
The Volt’s battery and drive train would not have been up to powering a much larger and heavier CUV like this. Battery costs were drastically higher back then.
And cars were still more popular than CUVs. For example in 2009 Toyota sold more than twice as many Camrys than RAV-4s and the Corolla sold about twice as often as the RAV-4 too.
I can concede that, but by the time the second generation Volt came out it was clear where the market was heading and that one did have even more range with this exact same size battery (18.1kWh). I suppose perhaps it was cheaper to update that model instead of developing a way to put this tech into the popular Equinox for example alongside the EV-only Bolt. The Volts (both generations) are lighter though.
The Volt’s max. combined total hp. was 149. Not really enough.It would have had to be scaled up.
Based on this review, I expect that within ten years plug-in gasoline/electric hybrids will comprise the majority of new car and light truck sales in the US. There’s no downside other than price and even then it’s not significant for the average new vehicle buyer, and even sans tax incentives.
The average two-way commute is something like 32 miles, well within this vehicle’s electric range in most weather and driving conditions. Ditto: what’s not to like?
This looks like a heckuva package for those of us outside of areas where charge stations are on every corner. With that range I would effectively have a full-electric for probably 95% of my use and the gasoline engine for the rest. In fact, I wonder if someone with a use-situation like mine wouldn’t have to invest in a case of Sta-Bil to keep the gas in the tank from going bad between fill-ups.
A really interesting review of a car I had not heard about until now.
I don’t know if Toyota will force it to run the engine if the gas is getting old, I know the Volt would do that.
Even if you did need to use Sta-Bil you surely wouldn’t need to buy it by the case. 5% of 15k is 750 miles per year so two tank fulls to treat per year.
But if 40 mi does 95% of your driving then a short range ~100mi EV with fast charging capability, just in case and an occasional ICE rental car my be a better choice.
I was hoping that one of these would show up in your driveway. I am a little surprised that one is in the press fleet though since they are building them in such limited numbers.
Yes with a Plug in Hybrid choosing when you use EV mode can increase the EV range. For a long trip where heat will be required you are better off to start in hybrid mode and run it in that mode until the engine reaches full operating temp. Then switch to EV mode and the heating element will only need to maintain the temp using less electricity than raising it from ambient temps.
It is sad that they aren’t able to ramp up availability. It really does hit the sweet spot for a lot of use cases. It does everything a regular RAV-4 does, M-F it can be an EV for many people’s commutes but come time to take a weekend or longer trip it is always ready to go w/o concern of the availability of charging along your route or at your destination.
Interesting vehicle in concept, and apparently well-executed in reality. Aside from sticker price and very limited availability, there do not seem to be any real downsides. Fun fact, this RAV is notably quicker in 30-50 and 50-70 passing maneuvers than a BMW 330i, Accord 2.0T, or 2.3 Ecoboost Mustang. You could also be neck and neck in that rolling race with an automatic GT Mustang…for the first 2.5 seconds until it wound up a bit and made you disappear. Anyway, neither here nor there.
I wouldn’t mind seeing this drivetrain in a fictional Camry wagon with the SE suspension tune.
Reviews from the usual suspects described the Prime’s handling as numb and heavy, and the XLE Hybrid I tried was pretty well tuned for comfort rather than backroads, so your review with far more miles behind the wheel and an appropriate perspective is welcome. This seems like one of those vehicles that can just about do it all, whether that is efficient daily commuting, routine family hauling, getting to the ski area in bad weather, or driving across the country. About the only things it can’t do are The Outliers: tow like a pickup, offroad like a Jeep, and blaze a mountain road like a Macan…although it’s also quicker in passing than the Porsche.
You reminded me that I forgot to mention it can tow 2,500 pounds, i.e. a small popup for example or all the mulch you can handle in one afternoon.
In the rain it would take the Mustang too. 🙂 Or exiting Cars&Coffee.
I read some of the other reviews AFTER I wrote mine and was a bit surprised by what I saw especially in terms of body roll and numbness. Perhaps its that I don’t daily drive an E30 M3 and tend to compare these test cars to the average cars I do drive, i.e. mostly the various test cars, so there isn’t an absolute “standard” there either. However I think I look at things like Everyday Buyer Joe might and in the aggregate it (to me) was more fun to drive than a lot of other CUVs, whose buyers aren’t cross shopping them against Mustang GT’s or Audi R8’s either.
If this drivetrain was installed in most any normal car on sale today and the price was comparable to what’s currently on offer in that whatever car I have no doubt it would quickly become the default item. There are, as you said, no noticeable downsides to the powertrain.
To me it’s sad that so many autojournalists keep goading the manufacturers into ever-stiffer suspensions, Toyota’s XSE/SEs have been some of the worst offenders (IMO). On beat up midwestern roads, they’re horrible. My wife’s ’12 SE is marginal (98k mile struts probably don’t help either), I can only imagine some of the newer cars with 40 series tires.
If you want to love your SE again, come drive my Fiesta ST for about a week straight, then get back into the Camry. Mine felt like an Oldsmobile after I did that. Have you tried the SE trim of the current Camry? I was impressed with the improvement over the 2012-2016 gen. Less harsh, more refined, but handles as well. I thought it was a big leap, but I haven’t tried it on moonscape midwestern pavement.
IIRC once the XSE trim came out, Toyota put the SE back on the LE/XLE suspension tune(?) or maybe I’m remembering things wrong. My only experience with the ’18+ was a rental LE (with the same 215/55R17 wheel/tire setup as our ’12 SE), which indeed had a superb ride/handling balance. My in-laws have a 2013 Rav4 Limited that has a totally bone-jarring ride as well. As I understand it Toyota softened the ride up on those (LE/XLE/Limited) within a year or two and reserved that stiffer setup for the Rav4 SE.
We’re angling to clean up and sell the Camry here once tax return season is in full swing and used car prices/demand get even hotter than they are right now, we’re just under 100k and I think for many buyers there’s still a mental thing with under 100k (especially on a Toyota) being “low miles.”
Not gonna mess with changing the ATF on it, technically the maintenance schedule doesn’t call for it. Ironically enough I serviced the transmission on my sister in law’s ’13 Camry Hybrid XLE, that was a trivial spill and fill using a drain and fill hole (fill til it runs out) with Toyota’s WS. I wish the 6spd auto was so simple.
I refuse to be impressed until it can take the Mustang at Cars & Coffee exit *while* towing the popup. These things shouldn’t be either/or propositions.
Thanks, Jim, for a thorough and fair review of a very appealing vehicle, tested my my own native habitat of the Front Range. I always enjoy your reviews, which focus on the cars themselves, not statistics or user stereotypes.
Most all that you report could be said about my Ford C-Max Energi. I’m a late convert to hybrid powertrains, following an embarrassingly long infatuation with VW TDIs. PHEVs like this Toyota are truly the sweet spot between the dependability of combustion engines and the efficiencies of pure EVs. Now I don’t want either of those extremes. I like Toyota’s claim that it’s wiser to build ten of these, with relatively small batteries, than just one big-battery EV. Even in my busiest weeks, my car sits undriven 3/4 of the time, and the battery resources invested in it provide no benefit. For this reason, I’d rather see intensively used vehicles like over the road trucks and city buses electrified first.
The benefits of plug-in hybrids are hard to quantify and explain sometimes, but owning two almost identical vehicles proves the case. Over three years, my wife’s 2014 C-Max Hybrid has recorded 38 mpg. My own 2017 Energi model was stuck on 70-72 mpg until I put on Michelin runflats, when it dropped to a steady 60 mpg. I take more long drives than her, beyond battery range, so in equal use, the Energi would show a bit more advantage. The overnight AC charge costs about 75 cents, so there’s that cost. Bottom line, each mile costs me about 4 cents, which isn’t much.
More buyers should investigate alternatives like this. Though Teslas and other EVs command all the media attention now, most of us would be better off settling for these versatile vehicles that demand no special handling or operational compromise, while using about half as much gas as the “economy cars” of past decades. “Gas or EV?” really can be a hard choice for drivers in rural areas, or with variable schedules and destinations. With PHEVs like this, nobody has to make that choice.
We had a C-Max Hybrid before our C-Max Energi and it has sold the wife on a PHEV as the right solution for our needs and a ~40 mi range would cover at least 75% of our driving.
My only problem with the C-Max was that it looked funny. This Toyota, which could well be my next car, makes me miss funny-looking. It’s pretty revolting, unless you’re a big Star Wars fan. But I hated the C-Max interior until I got used to it and saw how functional it was. The display screen is well-integrated in the dash, and even has a handy button to turn off its distractions entirely. Does the RAV 4 have that, Jim?
No separate button. To turn it off click the hard Menu button on the left side of the screen, then select General, then Off. Just touch any button to turn it back on.
Maybe I’ll cut out a nice square of leather or fabric and cover it over, hinged at the top. God didn’t intend Man to have a TV screen staring him in the face while doing anything important! Our little monkey minds are just too distractible.
That price puts a new one way out of consideration for me. I’d get a new Prius and reap all the same benefits and cons for half the cost. Or wait until it filters down to a reputable used car lot for $25,000 after 5 years.
Vegan leather – is that leather from vegans? 🙂
LOVE that first photo!
A tempting thought, if a touch evil.
Somewhat the paradox for one’s conscience to be assuaged by the purchase of a crude oil-derived polyurethane product, what with all the poisoning and degradation of the environment that that entails for one’s preferred endangered animal, surely?
Great review. This vehicle is definitely in the “absolute consideration” column in my quest over the next 24 months.
Performance of a Porsche, 38 mpg at very worst, 0 mpg for a lot of use for a lot of users, zero special driver skill needed to achieve any or all of these things. In a mass-market vehicle in today’s preferred SUV format, built by a company which does not make unreliable cars, and whose guarantee of 10 years is likely superfluous.
The level of technology we now have available is astounding. Even ten years ago, if told the parameters above were available in one envelope, few would have believed it. Our times are tumultuous in large part because we are living through a revolutionary period driven by the exponential speed of the chip and the net, but a tiny pause in the endless rush to look down and ponder the real outcomes of such change must cause wonder. This car exists!
I couldn’t agree more that the PHEV is the bridge to the future for many, maybe most. Range limit is a reality in a big country, for now, but it’s also that we cling to known ways: many of us doubtless could own an electric for 90% of actual use and rent an ICE as needed elsewise, yet we feel security in ownership. We drag around an ICE engine (or whopper battery) for the benefit of our insecurities, really.
Despite the rumours, I’m an ordinary human myself, and so I’d buy one of these over a full EV, no doubt.
Besides, it has the CC Mark Of Klein,* which means it has been thoroughly considered for my consideration.
[*available in 32″inseam only]
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it seats eleventy million people. You can plug it in and it dries your hair. The paint is made of naugahyde and no sushi was killed in making it.. WHO CARES??
IT
COMES
WITH
A
SPARE
TIRE ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
In 2021 to find a car that still comes with a spare tire is is epic. Good for Toyota. (Also, faster than most sports cars + great mpg is pretty rad, too).
I continue to think that a hybrid is the next logical step in my vehicular progression. I’m curious is this system will come in any Mazdas coming down the pike, since Mazda and Toyota are building their factory in Alabama. I’m currently leasing a Mazda3, the lease for which being held by Toyota, and I could possibly see looking at a hybrid of some sort.
I continue to think that a hybrid is the next logical step in my vehicular progression. I’m curious is this system will come in any Mazdas coming down the pike, since Mazda and Toyota are building their factory in Alabama. I’m currently leasing a Mazda3, the lease for which being held by Toyota, and I could possibly see looking at a hybrid of some sort.