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The best Toyota RAV4 is the hybrid version. Difficult-core car mags treat the RAV4 politely in reviews merely don't go wild, since this not a acme choice for twisty back roads, drifting, or crazy road trips involving big speeding tickets. The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid just takes you places cheaply, efficiently and, thanks to its extensive suite of commuter assists, safely.

So Toyota's reward for creating the RAV4 is not from the critics, but the box office. The RAV4 is now the all-time-selling passenger vehicle in the US — sedan, crossover, or SUV — with 407,594 sold concluding year, a 16 per centum twelvemonth-over-year increase for a model that dates to the 2022 model year. Among 300 car/SUV/truck models sold in the Us terminal year, only ane pickup apiece from Ford, Chevrolet, and FCA do ameliorate on sales.

I drove the RAV4 hybrid for a week in rainy and wintry weather in metro New York and upstate in the Finger Lakes region. With mechanical and electrical front-wheel-bulldoze, plus on-demand electric rear-wheel drive, the RAV4 hybrid was fine in several inches of snow and would have been better still with winter rather than eco tires.

You may want the RAV4 Hybrid for its significant advantage in fuel efficiency. The EPA rates information technology at 34 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, 32 mpg combined. That is 28 percent improve than the 25 mpg combined (22 mpg city, 28 mpg highway) of the XLE AWD not-hybrid. The suspension-even signal, meaning where you earn back the Hybrid'due south $2,210 price delta, is 78 months (assumptions: gasoline at $2.50 a gallon, 15,000 miles per yr). Hybrids often do improve than non-hybrids relative to their EPA numbers, so for every ane mpg of better range y'all manage versus the equivalent not-hybrid, you'll cut the break-fifty-fifty period by about half-dozen months. If gasoline climbs to $three.50 a gallon, break-even takes 55 months at 32 mpg, every bit little as 42 months at 35 mpg. Other testers accept found the RAV4 hybrid gets as much as 50 percent better fuel economic system and in that instance, payback falls inside of 3 years.

The RAV4 hybrid weighs just under two tons. Its dimensions are mainstream for a compact SUV: 181 inches long, 76 inches broad, 67 inches high.

Extra Ability to Proceed Upward With the Extra Weight

The regular RAV4 generates 150 hp from its 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine. The hybrid adds a 141 hp motor in forepart (105 kW), a second front motor/generator starts the engine and charges the hybrid battery, and a third 67 hp (50 kW) motor drives the rear wheels when chosen for by the AWD-i (all-wheel-bulldoze with intelligence). The private powerplants accomplish max ability at different speeds, and then the combined peak output is 190 hp. A CVT transfers power from the engine to the front wheels.

The nickel-metallic hydride battery pack comprises 204 1.2-volt cells with with 244.8 volts total output. It sits under the rear seat, generates 1.6-kWh, and is good for 0.6 miles or one km of EV-only driving. Mostly information technology's at that place as a power-booster for the engine, and usually the sharing of propulsion works well with no jolts, if a bit of added electric noise common to EVs and hybrids. NiMH is not as compact as lithium-ion, but information technology'southward cost-effective. It will be interesting to meet how the manufacture's long-running master of hybrid cars and now plug-ins moves to adopt 48-volt technology for hybrid motors and for electric turbochargers. An e-turbo would bring back the oomph missing since the RAV4 dropped the V6 and went 4-cylinders-simply with the 2022+, fourth-generation cars.

Toyota rates the RAV4 Hybrid'southward 0-threescore mph time at 8.1 seconds, but a few ticks faster than the gas-only RAV4. That'south because the hybrid chugs around with 3,925 pounds, 300 pounds more than an equivalent AWD gas-only RAV4 XLE.

The 2022 Toyota RAV4 interior looks good in cinnamon. Entry models use fabric, while upper models (shown here) utilise SofTex, a vinyl leather substitute.

Decent Ride, Good for four, Perhaps 5

Driving the RAV4 is pleasant. Acceleration is decent, the brakes are good, and if you step on the throttle you'll get from 0 to 60 mph in 8 or 9 seconds. The extra oomph of the 2 electrical motors in front and one back is partly start by the 300-plus pounds of the NiMH battery pack, motors, electronics, and orange cabling.

Four fit nicely inside; a 5th can squeeze in the eye. All the best compact SUVs are now good for four adults to travel comfortably. Some may notice the dorsum seat a chip low, simply it's adequately placidity.

The Entune impact-screen eye stack display is seven inches (base screens are vi.1 inches). It incorporates apps such every bit Pandora (which streams via your phone).

Infotainment Not Currently RAV4'south Strength

The fourth-generation RAV4, now in its sixth model year, is still competitive (remember who's the No. 1 seller). Infotainment is ane surface area where Toyota has room to grow. On the RAV4, the largest center stack display y'all can get is 7 inches. There's no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto; you get just one USB jack, and unlike previous generation Toyotas, there's no physical Map push flanking the screen. There is space for one.

Change is on the horizon. Some Toyotas are starting to get Apple CarPlay as Toyota rolls out version three.0 of its Entune infotainment organisation. That starts with the 2022 Toyota Avalon, expected this spring, also equally the Camry and Sienna.

Toyota and Ford take been CarPlay holdouts, fearing (correctly) that Apple could commoditize the automaker's stake in its ain car. At the same time, there's interest in using Amazon Alexa, especially equally more cars integrate telematics and the move to 5G cellular.

The cargo bay is spacious: 35.six cubic feet behind the second row seats, and 38.iv cubic feet on not-hybrids. With standard roof rails, it's hard to run out of cargo chapters.

Every Trim Line Gets TSS-P Must-Accept Rubber Features

The 2022 RAV4 Hybrid had 2 trim lines, or model variants. The 2022 has four: LE (new), XLE, SE (new), and Limited. Every trim line gets the Toyota Condom Sense P (TSS-P) safety package:

  • Adaptive cruise command (ACC), or in Toyota terminology, Dynamic Radar Prowl Control (DRCC)
  • Lane difference alarm (LDW), or Lane Departure Alert with Steering Help (LDA w/ SA)
  • Pre-standoff system with pedestrian Detection (PCS west/ PD)
  • Automatic high beams
  • But not blind spot detection (as role of TSS-P). It's optional (or included) on the higher trim lines, and not offered on LE.

RAV4 LE might correspond lightly equipped, but only past Toyota standards. Y'all can order no options other than a $xc cargo cover (cheap versus the competition). Notable standard equipment includes roof rails, an acoustic noise-reducing windshield, side and rear privacy glass, halogen headlamps, and 17-inch blend wheels (unlike the non-hybrid LE, which however gets steelies). The LE lets Toyota annunciate a RAV4 Hybrid for about $27,000, although with the $995 shipping accuse the base delivered price is $28,230.

RAV4 XLE is the bang-for-the-buck trim. It's $xxx,125 with a moonroof, front LED fog lamps, and eighteen-inch alloys. Blind spot detection and rear cross traffic warning is optional. Yous may desire one of the options packages providing heated forepart seats, upgraded audio with navigation and a 7-inch screen, the height-adjustable ability liftgate, and a cargo embrace for $970-$one,995.

RAV4 SE is $33,280. Standard equipment includes a power adjustable driver seat; LED headlamps, taillamps and running lights; and the power liftgate. The camera shows dynamic backing lines. BSD / RCTA comes standard.

RAV4 Limited is $35,125. Standard equipment includes premium audio, heated outside mirrors, front and rear parking sonar, and a frameless inside mirror with HomeLink. The leather-await seats are a vinyl called SofTex.

From its kickoff full year on the market in 1997 (67,489 sales), Toyota RAV4 sales increased six-fold to 407,594 in 2022. More than 50,000 were hybrids. Information technology is now the best-selling Toyota, all-time-selling compact crossover, and all-time selling auto/SUV/crossover. It'southward now backside only the Ford F-Series, Chevy Silverado, and FCA Ram pickup overall.

Should You Buy a RAV4 Hybrid?

If you lot're comparing the gas versus hybrid RAV4, we like the hybrid because of the significantly better fuel economic system. The hybrid's electric rear drive (AWD-I) is a passable substitute for the mechanical all-wheel-drive. For the best value, look to the RAV XLE Hybrid trim line. Almost of the features you desire are embedded in the base of operations price; you may want one of the options packages that includes seat heaters. Listing toll would be about $32,000.

This is a hot category. Seventeen mainstream compact crossovers generated ii.84 million sales final year (of 17 1000000 vehicles sold) and luxury compacts added another 400,000, led by the Lexus NX that is the RAV'iv upscale sibling.

The one non-hybrid model of special interest is the new RAV4 Adventure trim line. It's meant for off-roading lite, with a bit more footing clearance and the ability to tow three,500 pounds versus 1,500 for most RAV4s and i,750 for RAV4 hybrids.

If you're comparing RAV4 in full general with the competition, hybrid or not, the best mainstream meaty crossover contest is the Honda CR-V. The Honda is sportier, while Toyota offers hybrid drive; both carry four comfortably, and both take infotainment interfaces that need work. Nissan Rogue/Rogue Sport surged by Honda to be the second-all-time-selling compact crossover last year and information technology'south a decent choice, as are No. 4 (in sales) Ford Escape and No. 5 Chevrolet Equinox. All 5 sold at least a quarter-million units in 2022. Also consider the Subaru Forester and Mazda CX-v if you lot demand serious all-wheel-drive for winter driving. The CX-5 is also the sportiest car of the eighteen mainstream compact crossovers.

Bottom line: The RAV4 is competent more than sexy, and the hybrid version improves nicely on the non-hybrid RAV4. It'south a machine where you can rack up the miles and not worry about repair bills. This review applies to both the 2022 and 2022 RAV4 models; there is very niggling different aside from the new-for-2018 LE and SE Hybrid trim lines, and then feel free to look at leftover 2022s on the dealer lot, or for that matter the 2022 models that began the current generation. (Note that if yous're shopping online, you may still encounter only the XLE and Limited as hybrid models.) Find the Shopping Tools, scroll down, and select "2018 RAV4" to see all iv choices amid hybrids. The last iii years are substantially similar, and then you tin can also shop for a 2022 not notwithstanding sold off a dealer lot, or a lightly used 2022.

Even as the fourth-generation RAV4 heads for the sunset for an all-new version in 2022, this is a solid pocket-sized crossover/SUV. There are no disqualifying faults. If y'all're not a savvy shopper, or if you're recommending cars to someone who fits that description, there's no way to buy the wrong trim line and get less safe than you want. Every RAV4 has the core safety you need and the ane thing missing from TSS-P, blind spot detection, is either standard or else optional in a bundle you'll probably want on all just the entry-level trim line.