An FYI to anyone thinking of putting a lift kit on a Rav4 Hybrid or Prime: You need to understand that the transaxle and rear differential are bolted to the chassis; the lift kit will increase the average angle of the drive axles by several percent, and this will reduce the service life of the CV joints and the joint cover boots, and the added friction in the CV joints will reduce the fuel economy. Before you install a lift kit, you should see if a set of taller all-terrain tires will give you enough lift. Some people have reported that the Rav4 Hybrid and Prime can accept 235/65-R18's (3/4" of lift) and possibly 245/65-R18's (1" of lift). It's not as much as you would get with a 2" lift kit, but taller tires won't wear out your CV joints prematurely.
I was impressed with my friends 2017 RAV4 with all terrain tires, we went out on the Red Cloud Jeep Trail down into the Bradshaw trail out to the Salton Sea, I'm driving a 1988 Toyota 4×4 rig built up and the RAV4 had problem!
Yaa it's surprising and nice to know how much capability the Lil crossover can do. I think it's more reassuring as a daily commuter especially in areas where there can always be severe weather issues. Having a good solid AWD is a nice luxury.
Impressive. No issues on power and the AWD system, just needs a lift and good tires like you said. I have the same 2021 RAV Hybrid but Limited. I can’t wait to buy lift for it great tires.
Do the hybrid allow you to run the AC in cool/heat all night with the engine off? Potential game changer for car camping if you can in there. I know Prius people do that.
It doesn’t. I wish. But I can turn the car on without turning over the electric engine and then yes it would. However since I’m not quite sure how to jump start the car, it’s not something I do.
The car has to be powered on and in Ready mode. The gas engine will go off and on to recharge the high voltage battery. The air conditioner runs off of the high voltage battery. If you set the heater on high it may cause the gas engine to run more frequently as it requires more power to generate heat.
You have to keep the car running to do that, but it’s still very quiet and doesn’t disturb me personally. The amount of gas consumption is so minor, like less than $5
The Rav4 Prime has a 14.5 kW-hr battery. The heat pump draws 2 .5 kW, so in theory, you could maybe run the heat or a/c for 8 pr 9 hours on a 50% duty cycle.
Most modern cars have a tire pressure monitoring now. Typical factory psi ranges from 32-40 You would find these numbers on the driver side door jam. A psi of 25 or below usually indicate low pressure on tire monitoring sensor. So we know generally less than 25, the tire pressure monitoring system would be triggered. When we air down, depends on terrain. Rocky: 20-25 Rock crawling 15-20 Sand: 10-15 Snow: 20 These are general rule of thumb levels for us. Depending on your situation you may decide to go outside those ranges.
They look sick!! I almost got one because the hybrid was basically the same price as the Forester. But when I considered the double maintenance opportunity around the gas engine and electric/batteries I didn’t go with it.. I have seen a few videos of the hybrid and it seems like it could perform better with remapping the electric motors don’t seem to engage how/when it should. Awesome your friend went out and gave it all a try and trusted you to drive some of the more technical stuff.
I think I kinda just out him into a situation where... Peer pressure helped us get over lol Yaaa that's why I havnt gotten a hybrid but dannnng this thing was nice to drive and it was nice not to use gas at all while offroading. It'll be interesting what route he ends up taking but he's definitely not planning to do as hard of trails that I've done.
@@therootedprogress I’m excited to see where he goes with it. There is a good amount of mods out there for the RAV4. Hybrids are a cool Concept it’s just so much reliance on everything working correctly.. cool though that Toyota can make the old reliable 4Runner with its old school tech and horrible mpg but also make these!!
- The only extra maintenance is the electric motor coolant (same fluid as gas motor). - Toyota has been making hybrid drivetrains for 20 years. There are Prius out there with over 300k miles on original batteries. The cost of replacement batteries will likely continue to go down. They use to be around $7k but now are $3k. And it's possible to repair them yourself because usually it's only one or two cells that go bad. - No transmission to fail. The CVT is different in a hybrid with much fewer moving parts and very rarely has any problems. - The gas engine isn't running nearly as often, therefore it lasts longer. - There could possibly be a software update to make the electric rear motor engage more quickly, but that might be wishful thinking. - It has more torque and horsepower over the gas only RAV4s. I just bought one. It's arriving in 5 days. I like the extra gas mileage and power. I wanted to get the RAV4 Prime but it's a 4-6 month wait and costs $10k more.
@@solitudessilentgroove good to know! It might not be twice the maintenance but it’s still a little more than an all electric or all gas engine. Good luck and I hope you can pick on up!!
My other car is a Hybrid and I'll never buy a pure gas car again. I looked into getting a Toyota or Lexus hybrid awd vehicle, but decided against it for one main reason. The engine is only connected to the front wheels. The rear wheels are powered purely by a 40hp electric motor that can't do much by itself. It's great for getting you going in the snow or sand but not for what we do. It can't propel the vehicle over an obstacle by itself. The Crosstrek hybrid still uses the full Subaru AWD system that other Subaru's use. I'll be getting a Plug in Hybrid Outback someday.
Interesting, didn't really look completely into the awd system. So basically sounds like it's front wheel biased with additional helps in the rear. So far I think the tab did well. I drove it a couple times in the video and never felt like it didn't have the power. I crawled through some of those rocky portions with careful throttle input. Well have to see how it does in the future but I'll keep those facts in mind to see if it truly really sets it back. Yesss a hybrid outback would be pretty sick ☺️
im pretty sure its a 50-57hp motorgenerator with 130nm, 6. 40 to 1 rear final drive not that bad, perfect for a softroader but it certainly has its limits. for a 41mpg crossover its decent
@@therootedprogress yeeesss so hyped about it! The hybrid awd system is very FWD biased but that small electric motor at the rear seems to make all the difference! Keep it up ^^
I hate to be negative but, this Hybrid needs to parked until it can be properly "set-up" and then I'd still be afraid to take it out there. Just saying… ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ "Ol' Scooter" checkin' in from East Texas, y'all!
When u say it like that it doesn't sound negative at all. Yesss it needs all the $$$ parts to make it properly setup. But as we all experience life, we won't know what we don't need until you don't have it. Going through this trail taught us exactly what he needs to improve his rav4 for adventure. He isn't going to plan to be a rock crawler, just a simple all weather vehicle with a bit more capability than street.
I get around 45 mpg in my 2023 Rav4 Prime on long road trips. That's the average, on flat terrain, no head wind, at 55 mph. Compare to a Tacoma or 4-Runner that gets 18 mpg, and you will understand why people in California go to such lengths to mod up a Rav4 with all-terrain tires and skid plates. Gas is like a dollar a gallon more in California than the average in most of the rest of the US, so getting 45 mpg in a Rav4 Hybrid or Prime, instead of only 18 in a 4-Runner, is pretty attractive to California off-roaders. Of course, even with all-terrains, a Rav4 can't go much "deeper into the weeds" than Class 3 dirt roads, whereas a Tacoma or 4-Runner, properly equipped with high-flotation tires, skid plates, a winch and recovery hooks, and diff lockers, can negotiate most any Class 4, and maybe even some Class 5 roads if the driver has the nerve to risk damaging the vehicle.
The sound it makes when it's in EV mode. It's a safety feature electric cars use when backing up or driving down the street to alert pedestrians and bicyclists.
The sound is the Vehicle Proximity Notification System. Electric and hybrid vehicles have a speaker in the front to play artificial engine noises when driving in EV since electric motors are silent. The sound notifies blind people, pedestrians, and bicyclists of a car in their surroundings.
Nawww. Idk who's subie that is lol. I didn't understand your question cuz I forgot there was a Subaru in this toyota video 😂 I thought u were asking whos subaru isn't here... And I was like mine lol
An FYI to anyone thinking of putting a lift kit on a Rav4 Hybrid or Prime: You need to understand that the transaxle and rear differential are bolted to the chassis; the lift kit will increase the average angle of the drive axles by several percent, and this will reduce the service life of the CV joints and the joint cover boots, and the added friction in the CV joints will reduce the fuel economy. Before you install a lift kit, you should see if a set of taller all-terrain tires will give you enough lift. Some people have reported that the Rav4 Hybrid and Prime can accept 235/65-R18's (3/4" of lift) and possibly 245/65-R18's (1" of lift). It's not as much as you would get with a 2" lift kit, but taller tires won't wear out your CV joints prematurely.
I was impressed with my friends 2017 RAV4 with all terrain tires, we went out on the Red Cloud Jeep Trail down into the Bradshaw trail out to the Salton Sea, I'm driving a 1988 Toyota 4×4 rig built up and the RAV4 had problem!
Yaa it's surprising and nice to know how much capability the Lil crossover can do. I think it's more reassuring as a daily commuter especially in areas where there can always be severe weather issues. Having a good solid AWD is a nice luxury.
Were you guys holding the brake peddle while off camber?
There are a few guys out there that have upgraded to KO2s without a lift and the improvements and off road capabilities were quite remarkable.
Nice that's good to hear. Can't wait to see what this thing can do when. We get a set of tires then 👍
Impressive. No issues on power and the AWD system, just needs a lift and good tires like you said. I have the same 2021 RAV Hybrid but Limited. I can’t wait to buy lift for it great tires.
Mhmmmm definitely not a crawler but it doesn't do a bad job. The AWD system is solid enough for some adventurous back country trails 😊
I was always curious to see how the RAV4 Hybrid would do on these trails. Good video. Keep it up!
Thank you!!
Do the hybrid allow you to run the AC in cool/heat all night with the engine off? Potential game changer for car camping if you can in there. I know Prius people do that.
It doesn’t. I wish. But I can turn the car on without turning over the electric engine and then yes it would. However since I’m not quite sure how to jump start the car, it’s not something I do.
I have Prius, but I can't do that. It will drain the 12v battery and you will need to jump-start it next time
The car has to be powered on and in Ready mode. The gas engine will go off and on to recharge the high voltage battery. The air conditioner runs off of the high voltage battery. If you set the heater on high it may cause the gas engine to run more frequently as it requires more power to generate heat.
You have to keep the car running to do that, but it’s still very quiet and doesn’t disturb me personally. The amount of gas consumption is so minor, like less than $5
The Rav4 Prime has a 14.5 kW-hr battery. The heat pump draws 2 .5 kW, so in theory, you could maybe run the heat or a/c for 8 pr 9 hours on a 50% duty cycle.
Doesn't running it in EV mode reduce the power considerably? The gas engine is larger
Why or what told you that the PSI was to low? At what PSI did you bring it up to?
Most modern cars have a tire pressure monitoring now. Typical factory psi ranges from 32-40
You would find these numbers on the driver side door jam.
A psi of 25 or below usually indicate low pressure on tire monitoring sensor.
So we know generally less than 25, the tire pressure monitoring system would be triggered.
When we air down, depends on terrain.
Rocky: 20-25
Rock crawling 15-20
Sand: 10-15
Snow: 20
These are general rule of thumb levels for us. Depending on your situation you may decide to go outside those ranges.
Guy's a madman. Respect
I wonder if the battery would be powerful enough if A/T tires and lift kit were installed.
I wonder the same as well
They look sick!! I almost got one because the hybrid was basically the same price as the Forester. But when I considered the double maintenance opportunity around the gas engine and electric/batteries I didn’t go with it.. I have seen a few videos of the hybrid and it seems like it could perform better with remapping the electric motors don’t seem to engage how/when it should. Awesome your friend went out and gave it all a try and trusted you to drive some
of the more technical stuff.
I think I kinda just out him into a situation where... Peer pressure helped us get over lol
Yaaa that's why I havnt gotten a hybrid but dannnng this thing was nice to drive and it was nice not to use gas at all while offroading. It'll be interesting what route he ends up taking but he's definitely not planning to do as hard of trails that I've done.
@@therootedprogress I’m excited to see where he goes with it. There is a good amount of mods out there for the RAV4. Hybrids are a cool
Concept it’s just so much reliance on everything working correctly.. cool though that Toyota can make the old reliable 4Runner with its old school tech and horrible mpg but also make these!!
- The only extra maintenance is the electric motor coolant (same fluid as gas motor).
- Toyota has been making hybrid drivetrains for 20 years. There are Prius out there with over 300k miles on original batteries. The cost of replacement batteries will likely continue to go down. They use to be around $7k but now are $3k. And it's possible to repair them yourself because usually it's only one or two cells that go bad.
- No transmission to fail. The CVT is different in a hybrid with much fewer moving parts and very rarely has any problems.
- The gas engine isn't running nearly as often, therefore it lasts longer.
- There could possibly be a software update to make the electric rear motor engage more quickly, but that might be wishful thinking.
- It has more torque and horsepower over the gas only RAV4s.
I just bought one. It's arriving in 5 days. I like the extra gas mileage and power. I wanted to get the RAV4 Prime but it's a 4-6 month wait and costs $10k more.
@@solitudessilentgroove good to know! It might not be twice the maintenance but it’s still a little more than an all electric or all gas engine. Good luck and I hope you can pick on up!!
@@freedom_foz_6337
Just thought of another point. There's no transmission fluid or rear differential fluid to worry about either.
Omg I was having an anxiety attack at the end! Great job guys!
Got to disable the EV low speed/reverse sound. Use a resistor in-place of the sound maker behind the grill
I mean it's tolerable. It's not that bad. But if in case anyone wants to know how to turn it off I'll let em know.
Great video! Would love to see more rav4 videos once it gets its lift kit and tires
My other car is a Hybrid and I'll never buy a pure gas car again. I looked into getting a Toyota or Lexus hybrid awd vehicle, but decided against it for one main reason. The engine is only connected to the front wheels. The rear wheels are powered purely by a 40hp electric motor that can't do much by itself. It's great for getting you going in the snow or sand but not for what we do. It can't propel the vehicle over an obstacle by itself. The Crosstrek hybrid still uses the full Subaru AWD system that other Subaru's use. I'll be getting a Plug in Hybrid Outback someday.
Interesting, didn't really look completely into the awd system. So basically sounds like it's front wheel biased with additional helps in the rear. So far I think the tab did well. I drove it a couple times in the video and never felt like it didn't have the power. I crawled through some of those rocky portions with careful throttle input. Well have to see how it does in the future but I'll keep those facts in mind to see if it truly really sets it back. Yesss a hybrid outback would be pretty sick ☺️
im pretty sure its a 50-57hp motorgenerator with 130nm, 6. 40 to 1 rear final drive
not that bad, perfect for a softroader but it certainly has its limits.
for a 41mpg crossover its decent
The Rav 4 prime might be an option for you
The rav4prime is nice 😏
Awesome!
I beg u more videos with the Hybrid Rav4!!!
@findingomar we'll have to get more trail time together brother!
@@therootedprogress yeeesss so hyped about it!
The hybrid awd system is very FWD biased but that small electric motor at the rear seems to make all the difference!
Keep it up ^^
Please more of the 4rav hybrid. Ur Channel is the best
Lift, wheels and Skid plates 👌
His GF is considering a Subaru. So maybe we'll just build hers haha. He likes his for commuting.
Awesome video, Marc!
Thank you!
my woodland does good
Impressive in stock mode!
I hate to be negative but, this Hybrid needs to parked until it can be properly "set-up" and then I'd still be afraid to take it out there. Just saying… ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ "Ol' Scooter" checkin' in from East Texas, y'all!
When u say it like that it doesn't sound negative at all. Yesss it needs all the $$$ parts to make it properly setup. But as we all experience life, we won't know what we don't need until you don't have it. Going through this trail taught us exactly what he needs to improve his rav4 for adventure. He isn't going to plan to be a rock crawler, just a simple all weather vehicle with a bit more capability than street.
As a RAV4 owner it will go out there as is.
Think of the range you can get on that thing. (:
It doubles what I get in the outback! It's really nice that when offroading you basically don't use ANY gas
I get around 45 mpg in my 2023 Rav4 Prime on long road trips. That's the average, on flat terrain, no head wind, at 55 mph. Compare to a Tacoma or 4-Runner that gets 18 mpg, and you will understand why people in California go to such lengths to mod up a Rav4 with all-terrain tires and skid plates. Gas is like a dollar a gallon more in California than the average in most of the rest of the US, so getting 45 mpg in a Rav4 Hybrid or Prime, instead of only 18 in a 4-Runner, is pretty attractive to California off-roaders. Of course, even with all-terrains, a Rav4 can't go much "deeper into the weeds" than Class 3 dirt roads, whereas a Tacoma or 4-Runner, properly equipped with high-flotation tires, skid plates, a winch and recovery hooks, and diff lockers, can negotiate most any Class 4, and maybe even some Class 5 roads if the driver has the nerve to risk damaging the vehicle.
What is that noise?
The sound it makes when it's in EV mode. It's a safety feature electric cars use when backing up or driving down the street to alert pedestrians and bicyclists.
Bro it sounds like a horror movie suspenseful music track LMAO
The sound is the Vehicle Proximity Notification System. Electric and hybrid vehicles have a speaker in the front to play artificial engine noises when driving in EV since electric motors are silent. The sound notifies blind people, pedestrians, and bicyclists of a car in their surroundings.
Who's subaru?
Mine
@@therootedprogress the impreza outback sport?
Nawww. Idk who's subie that is lol. I didn't understand your question cuz I forgot there was a Subaru in this toyota video 😂 I thought u were asking whos subaru isn't here... And I was like mine lol
La pauvre bagnole !
Rav4 hs no business out there. Go to the kid's soccer game