2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime Full Review! The Electric SUV That’s Easy To Live With.
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- Опубликовано: 3 окт 2024
- America loves SUVs and crossovers, but oddly, there are few mainstream electrified models out there. The 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime rectifies that. And there’s NO range anxiety at all. It’s all the electric you need. Charge Prime up and there’s 42 miles of all-electric range on tap. After that, a gas engine takes over for 600 miles of total range. It’s like a Chevy Volt AWD crossover (and Toyota seems to backing the Prime up with some marketing). Tom Voelk spent a couple days testing the RAV4 Prime and gives a full debrief on how the system works.
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About Tom: Tom Voelk is an award-winning automotive contributor to The New York Times. His podcast was the first to win an Emmy Award (and he's won for photography, editing, producing and reporting). But really, all you need to know is in the videos. Watch a few and you'll subscribe.
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I just bought a Rav4 Prime XSE and I love it. I love the fact that it has the combined 302 horsepower. You get the best of all worlds with the Rav4 Prime. Toyota's are all I've ever owned and I've loved everyone of them. My first SUV, so I'm sure reliability will be the same as it has been with all the cars I've owned. Great in depth review Tom.
Tom and Alex on Autos are the best! Great review sir.
Alex is good people.
Literally just came from a few of you car-related videos! Cool to see you keep up with car news too! From the NE Ohio area too and love your videos
This is much better than Alex on Autos. Could Alex use any more boring camera angles??
Agreed.
Alex 😴
To my knowledge, you're the first and only reviewer to address and explain the issue of how the vehicle handles old fuel in a PHEV. Thank you!
I think others have but it's a question I get all the time. Thought this was a good time to address it even though this video got too long.
Driven Car Reviews Why are legacy automakers dragging their feet so much when it comes to EV’s? Because, they know it will CRUSH their parts division. That’s where they make the lions share of their profits
To help prevent the issues of stale fuel, I plan to use 100% pure gasoline and add in the recommended amount Seafoam fuel stabilizer. I do this with small engines that aren't used often, and I rarely have stale fuel issues. I hope this works.....
@@starshooter1003 any good news
Plug- in is a bridge technology as you put it yourself. While that’s nice, it leaves the question of depreciation unanswered. Who wants to buy a five year old plug-in hybrid in 2025 with 60.000 miles on the clock when there are lots of pure electric cars available?
Go full electric now and stop burning stuff.
Rav4 Prime is a Unicorn. Good luck Trying to get one.
With pandemic supply chain problems, you probably won't unless you get extremely lucky.
Rick James yeah especially in Ohio!!!
Dan Hitchman for the US market it is only going to be available in CARB ZEV states.
I was super lucky...mine arrived in SC on 8/8/2020. I basically had to take what came in but it is super nice. XSE Prime trim in Blizzard Pearl with the weather and premium audio/navigation package. I liked the premium package but this wasn't the time to be choosy. Came with a 120V charger but ordering a 240V Chargepoint to speed things up a bit.
Bought one over the phone yesterday. Have to fly to new york to get it 😂
Excellent review. Tom and Alex have always been the clearest, most factual, and most insightful auto journalists.
Yup with those two who needs motortrend?
Alex is good fun. Great guy.
This guy Tom is incredible. Smart, funny and cool. He is the best reviewer EVER. This vehicle is going to be the best vehicle ever made. What a knockout punch of features, price and capabilities! It's everything I want and the price is perfect loaded!
Thanks mom. I owe you a phone call.
That was a clever tag line. Im going to have to borrow that, " tree and corner huggers." I love it.
Thank you for pointing out the Volt was a victim of bad marketing. Chevrolet really killed off a great car for no reason.
If one thing Chevy needs is a class on marketing😆
@@ChrisParayno And engineers that actually know how to work on cars instead of graduates that have never worked on a car or even held a wrench.
He also mentioned that the trend is toward SUVs these days. However, personally, though I drive an SUV, I miss the trunk of my old sedan.
My friend owned a Volt. Although it was a smooth ride the battery died on him and it didn’t make sense for him to replace it so he ended up buying another vehicle. He only had it for 4 years
Watching your videos is always a joy, especially because I always get a glimpse of the beautiful Seattle suburbs (my hometown).
One of the best videos on the new RAV4 Prime.
There is another one that shows just how good the AWD system is on a slippery rock incline.
I'm a big fan of this Rav4 Prime. It really is the best of both worlds, a pure EV for the daily commute and an excellent highly efficient hybrid for long distance travel. Based on my driving, this thing would cut my fuel consumption by 90 percent. That's a savings of nearly $300 per month for me. The $48k price ( before tax credit) for the loaded XSE would be hard to justify, but that's the one I'd choose. With a 8/10 year warranties on the hybrid system and battery...and Toyota's known reliability, I think it's worth that if you plan to drive it for 10 years, also taking into account the huge savings on fuel. I would gladly put that $300 toward a monthly payment on the Prime rather than buying gas every week. I think I've found my next vehicle! Great review, Tom. Your hard work is appreciated!
Always like your videos, most customer oriented car reviews on youtube.
You know, for whatever reason, I never watched much of Driven Car Reviews when I started getting into car reviews. Sure I had seem some of the videos but I always gravitated to other auto journalists first.. if anything just because I was simply introduced to others first.
I gotta say, I am a big fan. Tom is a true professional and entertaining too. He has an old school professionalism, reminiscent of motor week. But with much more personality and is easy to watch. He is rapidly becoming one of my first go tos for the latest vehicles I’m waiting on reviews for. Well done, Tom, you’re doing it all right!
“It should appeal to tree- AND corner huggers.” That’s just great copy writing right there!
Oh and I live in MN so I appreciate the shout out! Keep it up Tom!
I was raised in Duluth and worked at WCCO. That's where the Land of 10,000 Lakes reference comes from.
I must have hit the lotto - i walked into my local Toyota dealer Monday night and somehow the had a Blue Prime SE already on the way and no one claimed it! My deposit went down in less than 24 hrs of finding out and i'm so anxious to get it. Thanks for a great review
David Scott, Congrads on getting the unicorn/SUV. Did you have to pay over sticker price? I was quoted $12K over so I passed.
D Chow they are not gauging Me thank god. Wow 12k over! No way I would do that
@@Dromamusic You must not be in California. Got a response from a dealer in Palo Alto. $15K over MSRP. That would be $60K before tax and license. After the $7500 fed rebate, it still about what a Tesla Y range.
I’ve been saying for years that plug in hybrids are the way to go.
Agreed! The problem is that most PHEVs are severely compromised vehicles. The RAV is finally a fairly normal vehicle, but they need to ramp up production and deal with the VSC issue.
I'm disappointed they aren't making more of these. I hope Ford is going to make plenty of the Escape PHEV. I'm surprised you were able to find all of that toilet paper. My local Sams's club still doesn't have any TP or paper towels on the shelf.
You need to go to Costco then. And they treat their employees really well.
b/c Prime is expensive, plus if you don't upgrade your electric charging, it'll take hours upon hours to charge.
wym their Making 20000 in 2021 just in last end of 2020 they only made 5k of them
Except the Escape PHEV is only front wheel drive. And after 4 months I love my Prime SE. with stock charger and a 240v ESVE cable at 16 amps - charges in about 5 hours. 4 months later only used a 1/4 tank of gas that came with the cars first fill up.
Glad to see the TP Trunk Test™ back again. Did you get any stink eye from passer-by seeing you hauling those toilet papers?
There were a more few side glances than usual
I just ask them if they'd like me to explain all of my health issues to them....
Well done review, Tom. I think your RAV4 Prime review was much better than several others I watched, and I especially like your voice inflection. I was shocked that my local dealer in SC was able to get a RAV4 Prime for me this week...and I love it. I had been communicating with him for months and by goodness he pulled it off!! Mine is a blizzard pearl XSE with the weather and audio package exactly like yours. I basically had to accept what came in...but I'm really pleased to say the least. This is my first foray into a green vehicle and the gas engine gives me confidence since I am in SC where charger infrastructure is well behind other areas.
Congrats! Those are not easy to find. Curious if your dealer charged much above MSRP.
@@DrivenCarReviews I have been working with my local Toyota dealer in Florence SC for several months to (hopefully) get this RAV4 Prime. At one point during our conversations he apologized by saying he would need to charge me sticker price and would not be able to discount the vehicle. I certainly agreed since I fully expected some sort of market adjustment with this ultra elusive vehicle. The sticker was slightly over $45,000 and that's what I paid plus the usual state taxes, tag and title fees and a small dealer documentation fee. My dealer told me that only 12 RAV4 Primes were making their way to the Southeastern US and mine was one of them. Imagine my surprise to get one in Florence SC when I was certain markets like Atlanta and Charlotte in my area would take priority!
What an ideal car for many Americans
Great that you have a Volt. I had one, wish I did not sell it. Fantastic car! Great mix of fuel economy, range and fun.
Yup, really great car and and at the end, Chevy dealers were practically giving them away. Our well optioned car cost less than a base Honda Civic after the tax credit.
Thanks for this special video Tom, very nice SUV that's why it's best selling and it's between Lexus and Toyota. Take care and stay safe (we need you...)
Well, it looks greate, it even sounds greate,but some of us fans would like to hear price range on all hi tech. New vehicles, like how about that !!!
One of most insightful reviews I have seen so far 👍🏻
TP trunk test is the greatest thing ever. One reason why I’ve been watching since pre-New York Times days. :)
Same! I wonder if my login still works on the old Wordpress website?
Tom - love your filmmaking and witty narration. Viewing the video for the meticulously landscaped homes in Bellevue is a treat in itself. Thanks for your great reviews.
A fine car, a fine review. Knocking home the PHEV facts brother. Ty for keeping folks informed. I hope you get a Escape PHEV to compare one day.
I hope I get one soon too. Too bad it's FWD only.
Such a great and practical review. Thank you so much Tom. I love your approach with PHEV's practicality.
Wow... only a few visits to the gas station... per year! That comment left me a bit gobsmacked! This Rav4 Prime appears to be a very nice alternative to many of its competitors. 👍
Excellent Review , Very detail info.
Good to see details given on cargo space 👍
Glad you mentioned how rural areas are short on fast charging infrastructure. That is a large reason why EV's have not caught on in those areas, along with sticker price.
Effectively zero. I wanted to take the Porsche Taycan from Seattle to Wenatchee for a test but the infrastructure didn't exist on the more rural routes. Up and down I-5 and I-90 wasn't an issue at all. But really 90 percent of all EV charging is done at home.
Rural residents ie farms commonly have 240 volt service available so it is no big trick to have an outlet in the garage.
Great reviews sir!!! Wish your channel continued successful!!!
Thanks for the fun facts! Great review as always Tom!
Excellent video review. 1st time I had the pleasure of listening to you, but now subscribed. Our first electric or hybrid is arriving later this week, is exactly the vehicle you reviewed in this video. Lucky us and got it as MSRP. Thanks again Tom for a totally professional, highly informative, and fun video.
Where do you live John? Just curious about availability in different states.
@@DrivenCarReviews Oregon. Just this week the block of RAV4 Primes which had been on quality control hold were released within the state (and maybe to WA also). I do not know how many were on this hold but do know the hold was due to headlight aim on the XSE’s.
@@johnelegant1727 Thanks. I had a local Toyota dealer tell me that no Washington dealerships would get any. Without any checking, I think he's full of it.
@@seattleinternationalautosh4284 I know that at least the one WA dealer I talked with had gotten one - and that was several months ago. Also saw a CA person got his last weekend.
Stayed till the end because of good review keep it up. I also drive Rav4 wish to upgrade to prime.
Top 5 favorite car reviewing channel. 👏🏼
You've changed my view on PHEVs. Great video!
Good review as always Tom
Watching this review with my sister. She wants one.
Building this on Toyota's site just now and here's the break down.
XSE starting $41,425
Supersonic Red $425
Premium Package $6,200
Delivery processing handling $1,120
Total: $49,170
Federal Tax Credit -$7,500
But none of the dealers here in western Washington seems to have one.
And only $35000 for a Tesla with far superior tech, performance, resale, safety, available only in Z states in very limited supply (5000 total USA!) and no ICE to worry about!
@@waynerussell6401 with cars it's never a simple math game with numbers.
"Why buy X for $50,000 when you can get a used Y for the same money etc etc etc."
People prefer certain cars over another and who am I to tell them otherwise.
But since you brought up Tesla, I'd never own a base $35,000 Tesla. If I was buying one I'd spend $120,000 and get the top spec Model X or Model S.
That's just me though....
I have a Tesla model three and just bought a Nero EV last month and now I wish I would’ve waited for this, I believe it’s the best vehicle in the world right now
I think you have two very nice cars. I wouldn't worry about it.
Driven Car Reviews Thank you I appreciate the nice words. I just wish I had more need for vehicles and more money of course. Thank you for the response and I appreciate you and your channel
Every 'Daily Driver' car should be a hybrid at minimum, or plugin. It just makes sense. Sure keep your Turbos and V8s for the offroaders and sports cars. But for the daily commute, 1000km per tank on standard fuel makes sense. I can only hope this makes it to Australia.
Thank you for another wonderful review. We have a deposit on one of these but are very worried about dealer markup!
Couldn't you order one from the factory and just wait a bit? I've never done it myself, so I could be wrong.
Edit: I just saw that they're limiting to 5000 units for the first year. Awful!
There are multiple dealers sticking to msrp. I will never pay dealer mark up no matter what the vehicle is
Awesome review, love your style, cant wait for this to come to the U.K., I might have to replace my 2006 2.2 Diesel Rav4, (which has been perfect in every way ) :)
I’d love to hear about the editing process with your evil twin. Maybe some behind the scenes footage?
Thats a good idea!
We need this
Not that hard to figure out... He obviously has an evil twin!
Must look funny when he’s filming it!
You didn't know? That really is his twin. I thought everybody knew that?
In the winter, my mom's 2019 Rav4 hybrid will go around 400 miles. In the summer however, (We haven't owned the car for a year, we got it last September) so far we've seen 550 per tank, and a tank average of 45mpg...
Winter where?
my wife's 2011 rx450h gets 515 miles per tank.
So it's as fuel efficent as a gen 2 prius.
Very good info thanks, I’m now tempted with that car
Great stuff. And awesome fun fact, that would be decent question for a car company that prides itself on efficiency.
The Prime ground clearance is about an inch higher than the regular RAV4 to compensate for the battery pack depth.
The Toyota specs say it varies depending on model. The average is .5 inches lower on the Prime
Great video, great vehicle. I recently purchased the RAV4 Prime SE...Had to work the dealers all against each other to get a good price, at ~$42K. I love the vehicle except one item which is a major item for people to understand. Your goal should be to ride on EV power as much as possible. However it becomes very difficult for people who live in apartments of Townhouses, like I do, which does not have the capability to charge the car at home. The SE version takes ~4.5 hours to charge. That is way too long if you do not have convenient charging stations. The XSE charges in a much more reasonable time around ~2.5 hours. This timeframe works much better and I can't believe that if Toyota provides all of the RAV4 Primes with the capability of charging in ~2.5 hours it will be a much greater that gives them a real fight against Tesla and the other would be PLUG In Hybrid vehicles. This is my only real complaint with the vehicle.
….All Canadian models come with the 6kw charger SE/XSE
Excellent Excellent review Tom. I look forward to your reviews and enjoy them, keep up the good work.
Great review Tom
Hi, and thanks Tom;
This rav4 model seems to be the one!
Thanks for this very nice review!
Review is fine and all but what I was watching are the beautiful houses of the PNW. Wish to have one of those some day 😏
I'd say that BEVs are already better than PHEVs and HEVs for many and perhaps even most people - no need to wait 5 years. The big exceptions are 1) those who hate to stop for more than 5-10 minutes on a long distance trip and 2) those who won't be travelling on interstates on long distance trips. BEVs still cost more to purchase, but there is less maintenance costs and reliability is higher. BEVs are great for rural people as you don't have to travel miles to go to the gas station.
I’ve had a Ford C-Max Plug-in Hybrid for the last 3 years. Only makes sense if you drive under 20 miles a day. Unfortunately I drive 30,000 miles a year so the added cost for the Plug-in doesn’t make $$ sense. I have a 220 volt charge so on the days I do short trips around town I love it. I had used the 110 volt charger before and it is more than adequate for a full charge over night. Also my car was suppose to get 21 miles on a charge. Even in the middle of summer at best I get 16 miles on a charge and in winter I’m lucky to get 11. The RAV Prime is suppose to get 42 but be prepare for 20-30
Okay, to buy one of these with everything I want (head up display, premium sound, rain sensing wipers, power passenger seat, heated and ventilated seats, adaptive front LED lights, etc.) I would have to get the premium pkg added on. Total price before government discounts: $49,100! None of the above options are available alone without buying that particular model with that particular package. But at least they are offered, which is better than the regular RAV4. And it even comes with a spare tire! If the coarse pavement highway noise isn’t obtrusive then I have a new favorite to look at when I purchase in two years. Thank you Tom for your comprehensive review.
But that's the way it is with most vehicle Tom. Can't really single RAV out there. And really take $7,500 off that price (unless there's a second sticker).
@@DrivenCarReviews In Oregon I would receive $2500 plus the $7500 from the feds. After I had purchased the vehicle and started payments. Nonetheless an excellent incentive!
Now I get to see what Hyundai will offer with the redesigned Santa Fe and Kia Sorento. Word out of Korea is very promising.
@@tommihelich2613 Yeah, I'm betting we get the hybrid but curious if we'll get the plug-in. Hyundai and Kia seem to be focusing their electrified car efforts toward Europe, which is one reason we haven't seen the Soul EV yet. Everyone is having battery sourcing issues.
@@DrivenCarReviews Yes, time will tell. Hyundai/Kia is pretty conservative in Powertrain choices for the US. You’ve converted me Tom to the plug-in hybrid. My wife owns a Prius and wants me to purchase a Toyota next. This makes it easier.
Tom you did a good review of the Prime , the only thing that's lacking here is an off-road worthy model whether it is a XLE model or an Adventure model it's something that will be needed because a lot of people that buy the RAV4 like myself we go off road , I am a wildlife photographer so going off road is almost a daily occurrence for me when you're out photographing wildlife like what I do you need to go off road I would love to have an environmentally friendly off road vehicle please tell the people at Toyota this is what they need to build , thank you for the review you did here on this Rav 4 Prime .
This will go off road. According to Toyota's specs, the ground clearance is .3 inches lower than an Adventure model. And really, I hardly think the Toyota folks are listening to me, but hey, I'll let them know. But pretty sure they understand they need to build a lot more Primes.
I think one questing that has not been asked before is: when the car run on battery does the odometer still count miles? And how do you know when you change your oil if the odometer is calculating both electric and gas miles?
Hi Tom, thanks for the review! The RAV4 Prime is at the top of my shopping list. Thanks for pointing out that the 5.7 0-60 is with Hybrid mode and not in EV mode. . . you are the only video review that has pointed that out (and I've watched them all!).
Yay! on the TP trunk test. Thankfully no TP hoarders.
Talking to the folks at Costco, Charmin (specifically) is still in short supply. I guess people are choosy.
You know it, heated everything is necessary in Minnesota.
Grew up in Duluth. Don't I know it.
Could we please please please have a static background for 'Green Light, Red Light'. The slowly side swiping asphalt is making me queasy. Thanks for the great work.
What is that beautiful area you're driving? It's breath-taking.
It’s not really a CVT. it is technically a power split device with a planetary gear set. Which is why it is better than typical CVT boxes. This looks like a winner for Toyota really. I know it’s not a full EV, but it seems like a highly practical choice for one who wants a do it all family vehicle.
Thanks Tom. This review gave us a lot to think about. This seems to be the best drive-train for the near future. We owned a first generation Lexus RX Hybrid but trade it in for a Kia Sportage. I like the styling of the new RAV4, but having owned Kia’s, I find Toyota’s technology and driver safety tech would be almost two generations backwards from what we have now.
I think a next generation Kia Sportage with a drivetrain like this would be the ultimate commuter vehicle for the carbon conscious.
Kia is just garbage, with respect
@Mc Chicken Thank you.
Great, no need for a second car for many, reduces second car's carbon foot print on day one. Electric for local, gas for trips. Only 2 tanks a year for our prime in 3 years of driving.
What? How have you had a Prime for 3 years?
My volt has used 4 tanks of fuel in 4 years and my lifetime MPGe is 100.4 mpg
And has 39000 trouble free miles on it
Did you two have issues with breaking in the combustion engine given such low use?
Great review, even though I just found it in 10/22! Toyota is most definitely not allocating RAV4 Prime to all 50 states. I found mine in a neighboring state. I agree with you that plug in hybrids, particularly one with a range of 42 miles EV, are a great interim solution until battery tech and charging options improve in the next several years.
Enjoy Randall! My editor at NYT bought one and loves it.
Incredible as always, Tom! Interesting fun fact at the end (sad to hear their stance, though).
They just can't source the batteries and the math it's done says they can get a better bang for the emissions reduction buck out of gas/electric hybrids. Anyone that covers Toyota knows that more than anything, it's about supply chain efficiency.
Why are legacy automakers dragging their feet so much when it comes to EV’s? Because, they know it will CRUSH their parts division. That’s where they make the lions share of their profits
Of course you have a Miata!
Otherwize I just ordered the Rav4 Prime Premium here in Sweden.
By the way, I also have a Miata, nd 2016, a lot of fun!
Thanks for the great reviews, love your work! And welcome back TP test. Can you expand your SUV reviews to indicate cargo space with all seats down? That would be an impractical amount of TP (unless you build a shed to store it at home!). Maybe some measurements, comments, video with seats down? I don’t trust the manufacturers’ numbers. Also, could you provide some info on the efficiency of full electric mode for BEV and PHEV? MPGe is commonly used though there may be better metrics. Thanks again!
My prius prime is about 24 miles per charge. 42 would be great for me.
3:53 - Youre correct that the engine does directly drive the wheels, but I ust for the record, it’s a power-split hybrid, not a parallel hybrid.
A parallel hybrid has a (mostly) conventional automatic-transmission drive train, with an additional electric motor to augment torque. A power-split hybrid has no transmission in the usual sense at all, and functions simultaneously as both series and parallel (both or neither; it’s a thing in itself).
Nice review. Great car. Seems like Toyota took the Volt recipe, fixed everything people didn't like about it (small rear seat, cramped interior, sedan design, being a Chevy), and kept everything that they did like (quick EV only acceleration, liquid cooling, well tuned transmission, suspension, and brakes, 40+ mile range, automated fuel and engine maintenance modes). Well done. It's really frustrating to me that Chevy poured all of the R&D money into this when the tech was really expensive and resulted in low margins. Toyota saw what worked and what didn't (for free), applied those lessons, and made a great product at a time when batteries are far cheaper.
GM's thank you from the government is that all of their competitors get a $7500 price cut while they have to eat that discount by throwing $8,000 on the hood of their EV cars, incentivizing them to ship as many of them as possible overseas. What a broken system this is. I realize there are "bigger fish to fry" right now than revising the electric vehicle tax credit program, but that the government cannot get behind some kind of extension to the tax credit for two huge American companies (Tesla and GM) to support them and American job creation is just a shameful reflection on the division in our politics. I realize there are real debates about whether tax credits should be given to these cars mostly purchased by relatively well off people, but when the current state of the incentive program is acting to the detriment of the two largest domestic manufacturers in the EV market, it is time to make a change.
I often argue that GM tech can be too far ahead by 4-5 years and people don't understand it. Talking to a few Volt engineers when it launched, they told me the Voltec system was overbuilt by a factor of three and it would eventually be abandoned by GM in 7-8 years. Turns out they were right on both accounts .
@@DrivenCarReviews The fact that the original Volt was only 400 pounds lighter than the RAV Prime is a testament to that. I think the Volt was basically a beta test for Chevy to figure out what would work and what wouldn't on a mass produced EV. I've got a '17 Volt and love it. Wish they (or anyone -- the Clarity seems to have flopped as well despite a pretty thorough ad campaign in my area) had found a way to explain the car to the masses. The Prime has a shot to achieve that, but I think the low manufacturing volumes and cheap gas may hold it back.
Only 5,000 are scheduled for the US in 2020, and 20,000 for 2021. Several reviewers have described somewhat sloppy and imprecise handling, but I'm happy to see the Prime get the estimated 42 miles of EV range with AWD.
Sloppy and imprecise? My Chevy 1990 Chevy panel van had that. This did not
Thanks for your video!
You only buy 1 to 2 tanks of gas a year, but still have to pay to have an expensive annual service on a combustion engine which is hardly used. It doesn’t make sense?
About 70 bucks for full synthetic before the oil expires in 2 years. It's fairly simple. Many PHEV folks I know do it yearly to be safe, but the computer in the car watches how much its runnin. But to hit cross country it's a small price to pay. Didnt spend it on gas so, eh, might as well.
If you're bitching about $100/year on a $40,000 vehicle then you probably shouldn't be buying said $40,000 vehicle.
Well done for living where you do! In the UK annual servicing costs are much much more, typically 200 to 300 £UK and a timing belt change is around 500 £UK and then scummy people steal catalytic converters off hybrid cars......
Luckily all modern toyota hybrid models got timing chains. Think the last one with it was the 2010 highlander hybrid.
@@stp926 Then just go to a dealer for servicing? If i'm buying a brand new hybrid vehicle I wouldn't trust an independent auto shop to service my car.
I agree with Tom and Toyota on the opinion that there is no need for expensive electric only vehicles yet, hybrids and plug-in hybrids are the current solution for less contamination. Maybe one day there will be fast charging stations everywhere and cheap electric only vehicles but plug-in hybrids and hybrids are the ones that people need for now.
So sad to see such an excellent vehicle being produced in one of the worst economic depressions, ever.
Aside from that, the video was superb - loved the review and some of the camera tricks you pulled off.
If they make a 4Runner TRD Prime with 400-450hp and 500-550 ft-lbs and 50-55 miles EV range I'd buy in a heartbeat.
With only 5000 units to be built
sounds a lot like a unicorn. I see lots of pictures but do they actually exist?
Well, they only made 2,800 ELRs over 3 years so there's that.
Jeffrey Norman Toyota wants to make sure they’re not popular.
5000 is allotted for the usa. There is more to the world than usa. The actual number built will be higher.
Robert Duklus exactly! 5k doesn’t help the cause. Toyota is building another compliance car.
My overall thought on this car is why do people think that Phev buyers are looking for a sporty ride? Why not reduce the acceleration performance of the car and reduce vehicle weight and perhaps increase range?? And reduce the price?
Very, very informative review sir.
This is by far the best car in the world right now.
So glad I hopped off the suv trend and got myself a 2020 se Camry hybrid
I wish it was plug in but I usually go about 550 miles between fill ups!
It will improve once toyota slaps their solid state batteries on these plug ins.
and throws away the stinking fossil engine
A prototype planned in 2025 with a limited run production model planned in 2030..........hard to get excited with that glacial pace plan.
@@ryanstage3912
Hey, you can just become a scientist and get us a solid state battery this year. It seems easy enough.
@@lollymanna I believe you mean "engineer" as the scientists have already done their work.
@@ryanstage3912
No, the scientists are still working on the issue. Solis state batteries I mean.
Good luck trying to get one, all the dealerships in the Puget Sound region here in Washington State have stopped taking preorders. All the RAV4 Primes haves been pre sold here until mid 2021.
Tom, have you driven a truly long range electric, like any Tesla? While I know you love the security of having a hybrid, having now owned three Teslas -- including a Model S back in 2013 when Superchargers were in their infancy -- I've never really suffered from the range anxiety which you speak, and now that Superchargers are ubiquitous, any lingering range anxiety fears are largely vanquished. Save for people with no access to home charging, for most people, a BEV is a better bet than a hybrid given that they perform better, are more efficient, less polluting, require less maintenance, and in the case of Teslas, have much better tech. While a 600-mile range is nice, let's face it, the vast majority of people don't drive more than 50 miles per day, and with a Tesla, in the rare cases when you do need to drive further, Superchargers have you well covered. Oh, and when you consider true cost of ownership including original purchase price, resale value, fuel costs, maintenance costs, etc, a Tesla Model 3 has a lower cost of ownership than a Honda Accord. My guess is that the Model Y would compare favorably against this Rav4.
I've driven plenty of Teslas J B I just don't review them. I've also driven other longer range cars like Bolt, Niro and Taycan (new video coming soon). I have no problems with the range personally. I really don't think you need more than 200-250 miles. And while I think the Supercharging network is good, I disagree with you about charging being everywhere. I recently mapped out a trip to a rural Washington location and finally scrapped it due to lack of fast charging. I didn't want my wife to be nervous and/or impatient about the charge situation. Also, I've seen charge stations (Tesla included) where they are running at reduced capacity or worse, non functioning. As an automotive writer, I need to be careful about the advice I give and have to think about all kinds of users. As much as I love electric cars (I will probably never buy a purely gas powered car again) in my opinion they are still about 5 years away from being truly mainstream (and that's if there's a solid charge network for distance travel everywhere, not just the main corridors). And as much as I think Tesla is to be commended for what they've done to make EVs cool and advance tech, the workmanship is awful and I've had too many friends and neighbors with too many long term problems. Its quality control should further along by now.
best review yet... thank u
And let's not forget complexity and maintenance related to the Plugin Hybrid which means more expensive cars.
The fix for a slow liftgate would be as simple as adding a close and lock button. The only time it annoys me is when I need to get shopping bags out of the back and need to wait for the liftgate to close completely before I can lock the car. Opening it can be done from the drivers seat so not a problem there.
My issue is that the mechanisms are so sensitive that often times when closing it, you get to the driver's seat only to find it hasn't shut because the sensor finds something in the way. It happens all the time for me, especially with all the gear I haul.
@@DrivenCarReviews
Yeah, I think it might be a problem if you're carrying large items but otherwise it would be a total convenience to have on the daily.
Great review. One point. It’s not available in all 50 states...I’m in VA and since there are no state incentives, our local dealers don’t get them! Hopefully that changes....we want one to compliment our Niro PHEV.
Thank you for your insightful video!
Another great review! You always seem to review a car that I’m checking out online. This is a car I’m very interested in and it’s time to get rid of my Chevy Cruze with 47K miles on it that I keep having to fix.
If you didn't get on the wait list... you won't be getting one.
Dan Hitchman Yeah. Sadly I’ve noticed that. If I want one it’ll probably be either the end of the year or next year. Oh well.
Change engine once or twice a year?
Awesome!
Your twins is a genius in details
Don't give him a big head.
Thanks for the great video! Plug in hybrid cars are a great combination of practicality and efficiency.
Its has 42 miles of ev range under 40 mph 😳
My Volt has 53 miles of range at 70 mph close to 65 ev range at 40 mph
Constructive feedback.... For red/green light. Maybe stick to bullet points. Unless the words match your dialogue, no point going full sentences in that section. Otherwise, always great! Happy to see the TipiTest is back 👏👏👏
Lovely review. just the prize is the killer, but will love to have a RAV4 Prime XSE, but for now I have to opt for the regular RAV Hybrid XSE.
There would be a federal incentive, so really it would be around 45k
Hm! I think I'll add this to my short list of real-world dream cars (atop which VW GTI Mk8 currently resides). I first followed your reports and reviews via my NTimes digital subscription. I miss your video reports in the Gray Lady's Automobiles section. Back to this vehicle and its popularity, was it YOUR quote in another video that mentioned Toyota's allocation of 5,000 RAV4 PHEVs has "evaporated" off dealer lots? When the wife and I eventually make our move from NYC to northern CA (to rejoin the rest of our families), I may be on a Toyota waiting list.
Great review