I just happened upon this video and I'm glad I did. Very good review of the RAV4 hybrid. I like how you reviewed the mechanical and cosmetic of the vehicle. I was hesitant about getting the hybrid version but you convinced me to buy that trim. Subscribed.
Thanks! You've helped me to make up my mind between the rav4 hybrid and the corolla cross hybrid. I'm sticking with Toyota because they are functional, reliable and a good value for the money, but aren't laden with too many bells & whistles I don't want or need.
I drove both the Rav4 and the Cross and if you don't need the slightly more room and wider design of the Rav4, the Cross seems to be a much better built Toyota. But ultimately, it's up to you.
@@dianne5086 Here in Canada a couple months ago, a local Toyota dealer said the waiting list is about a year long for the Corolla Cross Hybrid. I heard from others that it's shorter in the states. I'm seriously considering it, but even though the deposit to get on the waiting list is refundable and there might be odd circumstances where vehicles become available sooner, waiting that long is highly undesirable for me. I'm curious what your dealer tells you a wait will be for ordering a build.
@@dariuschicic8141 I wonder why so long a wait in Canada? I ordered the Corolla Cross SE trim/accessories I wanted Oct 18, it was built last week and will be here (New England) before Christmas. While true that there aren’t many Crosses available on dealer’s lots, they do get allocations every month. This dealer had 1 on the lot but was black with black interior and I just didn’t like it so ordered exactly what I wanted.
@@dariuschicic8141 My wait in Sierra Vista AZ is 10-12 weeks, so I put down a deposit on a new 2024 Corolla Cross Hybrid SE today. They aren't even making 2025s yet! The size is perfect for little ol' me.
I really appreciate you saying this! I have no clue what will come from all of it, but I know that since starting a couple years ago I love making car reviews and videos like this on my own cars haha. Thanks for watching! 😁
Which is good and one of the reasons I went this route since in the last 3.5 years I’ve had 2 transmissions go out on me haha. 😅😢 Thanks for watching!!
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 I agree. The game changer now is the Mazda CX-50 hybrid that comes with all Rav4 internals (engine, transmission and drive system).
We have both an Outback and a RAV prime. One is much better in winter driving and convenience features and the other has the pedigree of a kubota tractor. They have deferent design parameters..I enjoy them both for different reasons.
I’m just glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching! There’s many more ideas and thoughts being jotted down for future videos to share what the experience has been.
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed my video! There will likely be many more updates and other topics shared between 1-2 RAV4 videos a week for the next several months. 🤪
I had similar issues with my original equipment tires with my 1st 2003 year Prius. While fuel mileage was fantastic, the tread depth was marginal and after a blowout at just 20,000 miles, I had low rolling resistance Michelin tires that lasted well over 60,000 miles and were much better for winter weather. Fuel efficiency was about 2 miles less on the highway, but I was still getting 50 mpg with that car which always was better than my 2nd generation 2009 Prius which got 43 mpg on the highway.
Thanks for sharing this!! I’m sure that blow out was scary, I’m glad you’re okay. I actually saw a Prius once with Geolanders ATs on it haha, it was pretty sweet looking.
I bought 2024 Rav 4 prime with premium package for 51,906.00 (only after a lot of negotiations) from Jim Norton Toyota. MSRP was $55,531. I had never owned a Toyota, but decided since I was gonna buy my last car since I’m retired and this had such great ratings. I decided to go for it and now with less than 5000 miles on the vehicle, I’m extremely happy with it. Bought vehicle in October and now it’s in December and I’ve only filled up the tank twice since all my driving has been in town and Once driving to Tahlequah I have driven mostly on battery. And only drive with engine by forcing the car to run on engine.
Very good review! It's hard to believe, but the first hybrid car was apparently the Lohner-Porsche Mixte Hybrid in 1900. The Toyota Prius, launched in 1997, was the first mass-produced hybrid. Toyota is undoubtedly one of the leaders in the hybrid industry. Today's cars seem to focus heavily on infotainment systems, which can be distracting if they are overly complex or not responsive enough. The comparison with Subaru's system is interesting, how much of the difference comes down to software issues or the need for updates? By now, there should be a standardized approach that manufacturers adhere to. We are clearly in a major transition phase with emerging technologies, including advancements in batteries and alternative fuels, on the horizon.
Thanks! And very interesting, although I think I’ve heard about early 1900 cars but were they just battery powered or actually hybrid?? Either way very cool. I’ve driven a lot of CUVs, especially Subarus haha. So I have lots to compare between the brands and their various systems. It’s amazing that auto makers don’t know or care to invest in making better infotainment systems. It feels like they’re slow, laggy, and out of date as soon as they roll off the assembly line haha. I personally am really impressed with Toyotas Hybrid system. I don’t know that I would personally want to buy another brands at this point. Maybe in a few years when they’re more proven but that’s just my own opinions and biases. Not based in any insight or experience/understanding of how they really work.
I bought brand new a 2019 Rav4 Limited. It was assembled in Japan because of the panoramic sun roof. I love this vehicle which has almost 100,000 defect free miles. I just changed the coolant and brake fluid. The most annoying thing to me is the engine and road noise because Toyota wants you to buy a Lexus with the added sound deadening. Another thing is the seats could be better for long distance travel. I did add some armrest and center console padding for comfort. I use the Rav4 for business travel and one of the many features I appreciate is the weather radar map that is displayed from a FM transmission. Even though the display has a 10 minute lag, I found it to be accurate. Features I wish I had additional would be the ventilated seats and the auto windshield wipers. I plan to keep driving the Rav4 for another 100,000 miles.
You seemingly have the most popular car in America. I choose the new Camry for several reasons. The for most being the 2,5 you receive instead of a 2.0 or 1.5 in some cases. I believe size matters. In some cases anyway.
I am very interested in seeing how Subaru implements their upcoming hybrid system. We need more competition in this market segment. The RAV4 is the benchmark but overdue for a redesign in my opinion. I’m hoping they improve the quality of their interior materials among other things. I believe Hyundai/Kia being quick to implement updates will push other manufacturers to compete. The hybrid suv market should get very interesting this coming year.
Absolutely! Like a year ago I filmed the turbo/hybrid Tucson and I thought it was surprisingly good. Although it was a slightly used one and did not seem to hold its value very well compared to the Toyota. I’d love to drive one again now that I’m more experienced with this benchmark experience to better understand the strong and weak comparisons of Hyundai’s system. That company is growing fast!
The lane keep assist works as it should only when using cruise control, otherwise only the lane departure feature activates bouncing you back and forth in between the lines. I wish the lane keep assist worked all the time instead of just on cruise control.
I had a 2013 Avalon and it used the same auto-start system even then. Mildly annoying but nothing crazy. How do you like the re-gen braking? Is it even noticeable? Keep up the good work 👍
I don’t notice the regen breaking from speeds other than if I’m watching the battery meter. It just feels like the car is freely coasting like a normal ICE car. Some EVs have 2-3 levels of regen breaking and it feels like a heavy downshift when your foot comes off the gas, I don’t like that feeling on normal driving and I’m glad this doesn’t do that. But when you’re coming to a stop from a low speed it sometimes does a weird thing with the brakes and makes a noise, which I assume is a more intense regen breaking moment than when you’re coasting at substantial speed. I still have a lot to learn about this platform haha. Thanks for watching snd sharing your experience!!
Just a correction: the Rav4 hybrid does’t have a heat pump. The Rav4 Prime does. The hybrid uses a traditional coolant-based heat system and an electric AC compressor (much like the one in your home).
@ Not a huge deal. The traditional heating system actually increases fuel consumption in the winter by quite a lot if you live in a cold climate. For me in NYC my average of 40mpg in the summer goes down to around 33 in the winter simply because the engine must turn in to keep the heat even while stopped.
@@afcgeo882 Big deal for comfort. Had 5 Prius and now a Rav4 Prime...that heat pump makes all the difference in comfort. Gas mileage aside, Prius never kept the heat at a comfort level.
@@just.my.2cents I can only speak to temps above zero (F), but I haven’t had any issues with the heat in my Rav4 hybrid. Again, the heat comes from the engine, just like in all ICE cars.
Yes!! Thanks for mentioning this. Although the app can remote start from any location if you have a phone connection, the fob doesn’t benefit from such signal range.
Your audio fluctuates up and down. I keep checking my volume but is at its highest. So often I need to rewind because some points you make don't come loud enough. Case in point is when you compare the Lane Keep Assist to Subaru's. I missed a word. General observation is the theater seating in you Rav 4 and the other point you note is that rear doors don't open as wide as the Forester's. It's kind of a tradeoff between the two models, albeit not truly comparable as one is a hybrid and the other is not. Thank you for the follow up evaluation of one week of ownership. I'm learning a lot from you. Regards.
Thanks for sharing this! I’ve noticed a similar concern in the audio and I need to revisit the settings on my microphone. Thanks again for watching and sharing your thoughts!!
I have to be a party pooper. I'm not a car expert to say the least but I bought a 2024 Rav4 and it is a beautiful design. Comfortable and it has an adequately powered engine. Coming from a 2021 4Runner TRD Pro I do notice a downgrade in build quality. The plastic that wiggles and giggles, squeaks here and there in the cabin along with the loose trim and panels that are slightly off on the exterior has me worried about longevity. My fault. I was under the influence of gettin over the flu when I purchased and did not notice all this stuff.
@@aussiedeplorable8670 No. Built in Canada. From everything I've ever read (by reliable sources) there is no difference in Japanese built and built anywhere else, except for paint thickness.
I have a 2024 RAV4 Hybrid Limited - also Japanese built. I’m at 34,000 miles already, absolutely love it. It’s my 4th Toyota hybrid. Question for you, do you ever notice the gas engine kicking on and off while driving? It’s smooth but it does feel fairly pronounced compared to other Toyota hybrids I’ve had. It’s especially noticeable in 30mph or so traffic. Do you ever feel it?
Have you driven your car in snow and ice? How did it do?? Yeah, I can feel it at certain speeds. I like it’s more noticeable at low speeds like you said maybe because it’s more abrupt and there’s less road and wind noise to mask the engine noise at low speeds compared to high speeds. It doesn’t bother me because I know the system is build for that, compared to auto start/stop as an after thought on other cars. I never lied the engine turning off at a stop in my Subaru because it felt more abrupt, the Toyota is a bit more smooth. Thanks for watching and sharing!!
@ yeah it’s more of a bump type of feeling, like a normal auto trans shifting gears. So I guess they all do it. And yes I have! I drove in flagstaff during an insane snowstorm and it did shockingly well. The AWD system is very very active during those situations and it tracked very straight.
My 2017 rav4 xle gas type is always roaring and i love the sound specially in winter 🔥 it has 282km and still kicking maybe i will get a new gen of hybrid rav4 but not the 5th gen definitely 6th gen
Sorry if you said it in the video But is this all wheel drive? If so.. can’t wait to get some testing with the 2 ssytem in the snow this year As eveyone knows.. the sabaru all wheel drive system is very very good
Yes, well kind of. It’s electric AWD. So in certain circumstances the 50hp electric motor kicks in to help power the rear wheels. You got it! I’m excited to drive this and film it in snow. I hope I’m wrong and this does better in snow than I worry it might. 😅
Thanks!! I appreciate you watching again. Yes, this one has push button and a temporary spare tire. MSRP was a bit less than 40k, and the dealer really took care of me on the deal. I’ll probably do a cost of ownership video soon because a few people have been asking about various expenses related to the car and insurance to have an idea of what they maybe could expect.
This is embarrassing but when I got the car the actual detailed setting for lane centering was turned off. The lane keep was on, so I figured it was all on. But when I test drove one of these when they were new in 2019 I remember it keeping me in the middle of the lane, so I wasn’t sure what was wrong with mine. It wasn’t until right after I filmed this video that I realized the detailed settings showed it was off. Since then I’ve messed around with the low and high “sensitivity” and I can’t confirm any difference yet between the two. I’ll try to correct my thoughts in a future video on the lane centering, but it still doesn’t work as good as my Outback did so I didn’t feel the need to figure out fixing this video.
RAV4 isn’t a dog vehicle. I like to put one dog in the backseat and have one in the cargo area. I can assure you after looking closely at the RAV4 that there was no possibility of putting a dog in that cargo area unless you own a very small dog. Picking up my Subaru outback limited next week.
Yeah, that and the shiny black plastics on the exterior remind you that this is a grocery getting city car haha. I’m excited for you getting an Outback!!
Very nice...I just looked at a 2023 Subaru Outback Wilderness at the dealer today, they still want $35k for it. Might just get a new one, for $5k more and not buy someone else's problems.
@@unacarafea567 Shoulda got the mini sheppard HAHA!! JK, I love dogs, and know how large a German Sheppard is, a lot of these smaller crossovers are not dog friendly...Just about every Subaru I see there's a dog in it maybe the dog comes with the car IDK, but seems like he Subaru is the way to go for being more dog friendly. I looked at a Subaru Outback Wilderness yesterday and if I had a dog that would be the way to go, I'm not sure if the rear rubberized cargo liner and back seat covers are normal but that car had them and would make transporting a pet really nice as it looked like you could remove the floor liner and the seat back protectors and wash them if you wanted to. I'm not sure if Toyota has anything like that for their cargo area, but man that RAV 4 don't have very much in the way of cargo room in the first place....I looked at a Forester and kind of thought well a Outback would be the better choice for a little more cargo space. I like to go camping whenever I get a chance so the Outback will probably be my pick here in the next year or several.
Correction: someone in the comments just mentioned that it’s the Prime that has the heat pump. And that these have a coolant based heating system still, but an electronic AC compressor.
So you talked about the lane keep assist, but what about the lane centering feature? Does that work as well as the Subaru's? Also, how is the road and wind noise? That is definitely a complaint I hear a lot about Ravs.
In my experience the lane keep assist to bounce you back does not work quite as well. But as mentioned the Subaru can almost be too aggressive at times and bounce you to far because it’s steering sensitive is a bit much. Mine actually had the lane centering turned off when I got it, and I actually didn’t realize that in the deeper settings until after filming this video. 😅 I was pretty confused because I drove a new one in 2019 and it had lane centering turned in. So now that I have that on it’s still not as good as Subarus. Which in a future video I’ll talk more about. The wind and road noise I don’t think are any worse than a similar Subaru. But the more I drive this the more I’ll probably be able to tell as I haven’t driven it on bad roads or in high wind situations yet. Thanks for watching!!
@@jasonhunt007 I may have mispoke. I thought there was a setting to tell the car to keep running. I don't see it now that I went and looked. I may have been thinking about the lock doors on close.
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 I may have mispoke. I thought there was a setting to tell the car to keep running. I don't see it now that I went and looked. I may have been thinking about the lock doors on close.
Mine was built in Japan. And it might have the driver side door rattle. I need more time with the car to narrow it down. Does yours have those concerns??
@ yes, intermittently and mine is Canadian made. I also got this intermittent brief thumping noise after switched on ruclips.net/user/shortsdUCVr_5jl_w?si=oB9qykLGkylnfIPA
Oh interesting! So few Subarus have the optional remote start fob I hadn’t heard that before. When using the app it does not turn off. Thanks for sharing this!!
This isn’t a 2025. The toyota symbol in the front isn’t blue anymore and the back doesn’t say hybrid, it says HEV with a dot next to it. I just got one yesterday.
Are you in the U.S.? Any video title I have with an asterisks then has a disclaimer in the description regarding that, usually it’s related to the model year. Ultimately I’ve decided to focus on the bulk of this platform for the coming year of 2025 and everything this car will be compared to and not the nitty gritty details like when I review every trim level of a certain model for that year. The RAV4 is sold globally and there’s a lot of differences between markets regarding topics from features to badging, to trim level, or even if gas and hybrid are both offered in the same country. About half of my RAV4 viewers are from other countries so that’s why I’m realizing I shouldn’t focus on the tiny specifics. But rather the other things that I think I can test and show and compare to help people decide if they should give this platform a try. I hope this makes sense and is somewhat understandable. Thank you for watching and mentioning what you did!!
I’ve owned a Toyota since 1984. Corolla, Celica, Highlander, Camry, Camry wagon and 2 Rav4s. My 2 sons own Rav4s, 2016 and 2017. Never had any major problems. Extremely reliable vehicles. But they’re all rattle buckets. Plus, you pay a premium for the Toyota badge. 6 months ago, I was thisclose to buying a RAV4 Limited but I decided to test drive a Mazda CX-5 CE. It had all the bells and whistles of the Limited and was $10,000.00 cheaper. Best of all, the CX-5 had a superior interior and no rattles. I’m done with Toyota. Yes, they have perfected hybrid technology and the cvt transmission, but I would rather save 10 grand and have a quiet ride along with a naturally aspirated engine combined with a traditional 6 speed transmission all made in Japan. Toyota has lost my confidence. I refuse to pay a premium for a reputation that died 6 years ago.
Thank you for sharing all of this and for watching!! I have mixed feelings about Toyota too. But Mazda has really been stepping it up and without increasing prices like Toyota and American legacy companies.
I have the same vehicle and as I travel down in open areas of Wyoming in Montana.I noticed that it like to go ahead with the lane.Centering system go down.Every exit that came along.Be careful this is definitely just a device to keep you going straight when you look to left her right as your day dream at the veranda
Thanks! I get that, I’m just not a big social media person. I actually never imagined I would do something like making RUclips videos, but here we are and I absolutely love it! Whether my channel does well or not over the years i’d rather not be personally recognized by it for better or worse. Even if that slows its growth a little bit, it just means I need to do a better job providing interesting and higher quality videos. I don’t want to be a distraction to the focus of the vehicles I show and talk about. And I just think it’s kind of fun to show from POV filming. Also, at least still up to this point I can usually keep up with chatting in the comments, at least the new comments. I don’t always get notified or keep up with comment threads once they get going on older videos. Thanks for watching and sharing your thought!
The subaru app is superior to toyota’s. Toyota doesn’t even let you adjust the AC control like subaru does and the subscription is the same if not more expensive. Get your crap together Toyota
Funny, you mention about the tires... I'm a Cooper tire person... that's what I had on my ram 1500 and they were awesome.... I'm going to get through this winter with the tires that the outback came with but next year I'm going to switch over to Cooper tires.
Very nice!! We all have our own preferences haha. Outback tires seem to be more decent than these. Last winter I drove 5 different Subarus in the winter and filmed driving impressions of them to show my thoughts on each set of tires. They all did decent, but the Geolanders on the Wilderness models were noticeably the best. I’m just conflicted because being somewhat minimalistic I feel very wasteful to want to replace perfectly good rims and decent warm weather tires, so I may just swap tires and try to sell the factory ones for super cheap or give them away locally.
@@devilefan My 2021 Rav4 XLE hybrid came with Toyo Open Country A38s and with 41k miles on it they still have about 25% of their life left, so about 10k - 12k miles on them. I did hear that the non-OEM ones are terrible, but 50k miles for OEM tires is great. I’m thinking of getting Pirelli Scorpions with the three peaks next.
@AutomotiveAnonymous208 its the replacement of the 90's Buicks! Not many of those old rust buckets around anymore. They've been replaced by the Ravs. No joke, was at a 55 & up community over TG and it seemed like 70% of the resident vehicles were Rav5, most the rest Camrys & Hyundais.
Haha, that’s a good point. But I baby my daily drivers because I have to drive so far for work. So I rarely get on the throttle. With this now being a very reliable car I can probably convince myself to keep for the next 3 years I may pick up my next fun car after next winter. I just caught up with a buddy who’s a VW enthusiast and we took out his freshly built 1991 Jetta with a VR6 Turbo build. Let’s just say, he found the weak point in the engine, and I caught it on camera. I wasn’t intending to film this day but it just started happening and I’ll share that video soon. It’s definitely made me miss having a project car. Although I’m no where near as wild as he is at modifying cars, it’s made me miss having something that can be less reliable and more powerful. 🤪
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 Problem is with a weaker engine, you have to be on the throttle more/harder to get going, so that goes contrary to your babying the car. If you get a more powerful engine, that actually translates to more babying if you go at the same speed.
You can't compare a Prius, I mean Rav4 Hybrid, with a 4R. The 4R will last twice as long, is a lot more rugged, better off road, tows 3.3 times as much and is much better in a crash. Subjectively the 4R is way more fun to drive and much more handsome.
5th gen 4Runners are awesome, I actually use to own a built and supercharged 4.0 FJ cruiser (very similar). But they are objectively not safe in crash tests and I would bet the RAV4 owner may walk away from a crash that the 4R driver wouldn’t. Even in 2010 their crash test results were very bad. That’s my biggest reason for why I wouldn’t buy one of those chassis.
I bought a 24 Hybrid XSE. I'm not impressed with the wind noise or the infotainment system. And in slippery weather my 10 year old Forester was way superior and have a more confident ride. I do like getting better mileage but I'm shopping other vehicles to dump my RAV4 soon.
Thanks for sharing this, although I’m sorry that’s been your experience!! Are you still on factory tires? Do you think a better one would change your mind much, or is it more the fundamentals of the car that you’re still disappointed in? I know this car isn’t perfect and even from the moment I drove it for the first time I could tell some areas it’s not as good as my Subaru was. But I’m excited to find out how good or bad this does in various vehicle need situations over the months to come. 🙃
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208The stock tires are definitely an issue. Not sure I'll keep it long enough to see how Michelin Crossclimate 2 tires would improve the weather driving
Haha probably. But the next car change would probably be getting another used ‘fun’ car in a year or two. Which would compensate for the daily once the newness of it and the hybrid MPG fun wears off. Once I know what platform I want to explore. Maybe another LS1 car or a very used Tacoma or 4Runner to do more of an off road build. Whatever it is I need to not completely ruin the car so that I can resale it for only a minor loss after 1.5 years, like usual haha. 🤪
I think cars are as fun as their owners make them be. A RAV4 owner who takes it on light off roads, road trips, and snow drives will enjoy it way more than a sports car driver that only sees commutes and heavy traffic.
![LAVROV's interview with Tucker CARLSON 😁 [Parody]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/mbMemqc-QEk/mqdefault.jpg)
I just happened upon this video and I'm glad I did. Very good review of the RAV4 hybrid. I like how you reviewed the mechanical and cosmetic of the vehicle. I was hesitant about getting the hybrid version but you convinced me to buy that trim.
Subscribed.
I’m glad you found my video helpful in your decision making process! Thanks for watching. 🙂
Thanks! You've helped me to make up my mind between the rav4 hybrid and the corolla cross hybrid. I'm sticking with Toyota because they are functional, reliable and a good value for the money, but aren't laden with too many bells & whistles I don't want or need.
I drove both the Rav4 and the Cross and if you don't need the slightly more room and wider design of the Rav4, the Cross seems to be a much better built Toyota. But ultimately, it's up to you.
@@unacarafea567 Thanks! My closest dealer doesn't have any Corolla Cross Hybrids, but I can order a build (Monday). For me, smaller is just fine.
@@dianne5086 Here in Canada a couple months ago, a local Toyota dealer said the waiting list is about a year long for the Corolla Cross Hybrid. I heard from others that it's shorter in the states.
I'm seriously considering it, but even though the deposit to get on the waiting list is refundable and there might be odd circumstances where vehicles become available sooner, waiting that long is highly undesirable for me.
I'm curious what your dealer tells you a wait will be for ordering a build.
@@dariuschicic8141 I wonder why so long a wait in Canada? I ordered the Corolla Cross SE trim/accessories I wanted Oct 18, it was built last week and will be here (New England) before Christmas. While true that there aren’t many Crosses available on dealer’s lots, they do get allocations every month. This dealer had 1 on the lot but was black with black interior and I just didn’t like it so ordered exactly what I wanted.
@@dariuschicic8141 My wait in Sierra Vista AZ is 10-12 weeks, so I put down a deposit on a new 2024 Corolla Cross Hybrid SE today. They aren't even making 2025s yet! The size is perfect for little ol' me.
I’m 10 min in and know that your channel is going to go far. Thanks for the great content.
I really appreciate you saying this! I have no clue what will come from all of it, but I know that since starting a couple years ago I love making car reviews and videos like this on my own cars haha. Thanks for watching! 😁
Toyota’s e-CVT is bulletproof genius design!
Which is good and one of the reasons I went this route since in the last 3.5 years I’ve had 2 transmissions go out on me haha. 😅😢 Thanks for watching!!
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 I agree. The game changer now is the Mazda CX-50 hybrid that comes with all Rav4 internals (engine, transmission and drive system).
We have both an Outback and a RAV prime. One is much better in winter driving and convenience features and the other has the pedigree of a kubota tractor. They have deferent design parameters..I enjoy them both for different reasons.
@ Wow… equating an Outback to a Kubota. That’s harsh!
Yes, Toyota's CVT is "bulletproof" but provides a horrible driving experience; it unwinds like a rubber band and drones terribly at speed.
This is a great video. You’ve done a really good job on it.🤙🏼💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼
I’m just glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching! There’s many more ideas and thoughts being jotted down for future videos to share what the experience has been.
The design of this car is so beautiful.
I got myself a RAV4 Hybrid XSE, 3 months now amazing car 5 stars
I’m glad you’re enjoying it! Thanks for sharing!!
Absolutely loved this video! The way you explained the complexities of the topic was both insightful and engaging. Keep up the fantastic work
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed my video! There will likely be many more updates and other topics shared between 1-2 RAV4 videos a week for the next several months. 🤪
i used to own 2012 camry se 2.5 vvt got 480,000km when l sold it.
all stock toyota bullet proof
👍👍👍
Very cool, thanks for sharing this!!
You did an excellent job on your research and you should continue car reviews.
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed the video.
I had similar issues with my original equipment tires with my 1st 2003 year Prius. While fuel mileage was fantastic, the tread depth was marginal and after a blowout at just 20,000 miles, I had low rolling resistance Michelin tires that lasted well over 60,000 miles and were much better for winter weather. Fuel efficiency was about 2 miles less on the highway, but I was still getting 50 mpg with that car which always was better than my 2nd generation 2009 Prius which got 43 mpg on the highway.
Thanks for sharing this!! I’m sure that blow out was scary, I’m glad you’re okay. I actually saw a Prius once with Geolanders ATs on it haha, it was pretty sweet looking.
I bought 2024 Rav 4 prime with premium package for 51,906.00 (only after a lot of negotiations) from Jim Norton Toyota. MSRP was $55,531. I had never owned a Toyota, but decided since I was gonna buy my last car since I’m retired and this had such great ratings.
I decided to go for it and now with less than 5000 miles on the vehicle, I’m extremely happy with it. Bought vehicle in October and now it’s in December and I’ve only filled up the tank twice since all my driving has been in town and Once driving to Tahlequah I have driven mostly on battery. And only drive with engine by forcing the car to run on engine.
That’s awesome, thanks for sharing all of this! 2 tanks of gas in 5,000 miles is super impressive! 🤩
Very good review! It's hard to believe, but the first hybrid car was apparently the Lohner-Porsche Mixte Hybrid in 1900. The Toyota Prius, launched in 1997, was the first mass-produced hybrid. Toyota is undoubtedly one of the leaders in the hybrid industry.
Today's cars seem to focus heavily on infotainment systems, which can be distracting if they are overly complex or not responsive enough. The comparison with Subaru's system is interesting, how much of the difference comes down to software issues or the need for updates? By now, there should be a standardized approach that manufacturers adhere to.
We are clearly in a major transition phase with emerging technologies, including advancements in batteries and alternative fuels, on the horizon.
Thanks! And very interesting, although I think I’ve heard about early 1900 cars but were they just battery powered or actually hybrid?? Either way very cool.
I’ve driven a lot of CUVs, especially Subarus haha. So I have lots to compare between the brands and their various systems. It’s amazing that auto makers don’t know or care to invest in making better infotainment systems. It feels like they’re slow, laggy, and out of date as soon as they roll off the assembly line haha.
I personally am really impressed with Toyotas Hybrid system. I don’t know that I would personally want to buy another brands at this point. Maybe in a few years when they’re more proven but that’s just my own opinions and biases. Not based in any insight or experience/understanding of how they really work.
I bought brand new a 2019 Rav4 Limited. It was assembled in Japan because of the panoramic sun roof. I love this vehicle which has almost 100,000 defect free miles. I just changed the coolant and brake fluid. The most annoying thing to me is the engine and road noise because Toyota wants you to buy a Lexus with the added sound deadening. Another thing is the seats could be better for long distance travel. I did add some armrest and center console padding for comfort. I use the Rav4 for business travel and one of the many features I appreciate is the weather radar map that is displayed from a FM transmission. Even though the display has a 10 minute lag, I found it to be accurate. Features I wish I had additional would be the ventilated seats and the auto windshield wipers. I plan to keep driving the Rav4 for another 100,000 miles.
Thank you for sharing all of this!! I’m glad you’ve overall been enjoying it and it’s been good to you.
Awesome ride
Thanks!! 😊
You seemingly have the most popular car in America. I choose the new Camry for several reasons. The for most being the 2,5 you receive instead of a 2.0 or 1.5 in some cases. I believe size matters. In some cases anyway.
That’s an awesome car! Idk if you’ve ever driven the 3.5 V6 Camrys, but those were pretty stout back in the mid/late 2000’s when they came out. 🏎️
@@Offensively-normal In the US, the Camry (all hybrids) comes with the exact same engine (2.5L) as the Rav4 hybrid.
I am very interested in seeing how Subaru implements their upcoming hybrid system. We need more competition in this market segment. The RAV4 is the benchmark but overdue for a redesign in my opinion. I’m hoping they improve the quality of their interior materials among other things. I believe Hyundai/Kia being quick to implement updates will push other manufacturers to compete. The hybrid suv market should get very interesting this coming year.
Absolutely! Like a year ago I filmed the turbo/hybrid Tucson and I thought it was surprisingly good. Although it was a slightly used one and did not seem to hold its value very well compared to the Toyota. I’d love to drive one again now that I’m more experienced with this benchmark experience to better understand the strong and weak comparisons of Hyundai’s system. That company is growing fast!
Feels like you should be putting the bigly miles on the Subie since it has the extended warranty, and keep the RAV4 as the low mileage cream puff.
That’s a good idea! Haha, it’s now up to about 2,500 miles.
The lane keep assist works as it should only when using cruise control, otherwise only the lane departure feature activates bouncing you back and forth in between the lines. I wish the lane keep assist worked all the time instead of just on cruise control.
Thanks for adding this!
toyotas for life
I had a 2013 Avalon and it used the same auto-start system even then. Mildly annoying but nothing crazy. How do you like the re-gen braking? Is it even noticeable? Keep up the good work 👍
I don’t notice the regen breaking from speeds other than if I’m watching the battery meter. It just feels like the car is freely coasting like a normal ICE car. Some EVs have 2-3 levels of regen breaking and it feels like a heavy downshift when your foot comes off the gas, I don’t like that feeling on normal driving and I’m glad this doesn’t do that. But when you’re coming to a stop from a low speed it sometimes does a weird thing with the brakes and makes a noise, which I assume is a more intense regen breaking moment than when you’re coasting at substantial speed. I still have a lot to learn about this platform haha. Thanks for watching snd sharing your experience!!
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 Actually no, it definitely doesn’t coast. You definitely lose speed, steadily, even when going down a hill.
Just a correction: the Rav4 hybrid does’t have a heat pump. The Rav4 Prime does. The hybrid uses a traditional coolant-based heat system and an electric AC compressor (much like the one in your home).
That’s a huge correction!! Thanks for sharing this! I’ll look into it more and do better on future videos.
@ Not a huge deal. The traditional heating system actually increases fuel consumption in the winter by quite a lot if you live in a cold climate. For me in NYC my average of 40mpg in the summer goes down to around 33 in the winter simply because the engine must turn in to keep the heat even while stopped.
@@afcgeo882 Big deal for comfort. Had 5 Prius and now a Rav4 Prime...that heat pump makes all the difference in comfort. Gas mileage aside, Prius never kept the heat at a comfort level.
@@just.my.2cents I can only speak to temps above zero (F), but I haven’t had any issues with the heat in my Rav4 hybrid. Again, the heat comes from the engine, just like in all ICE cars.
You dont need the toyota app to use the remote start. The fob can be used as well.
Yes!! Thanks for mentioning this. Although the app can remote start from any location if you have a phone connection, the fob doesn’t benefit from such signal range.
Your audio fluctuates up and down. I keep checking my volume but is at its highest. So often I need to rewind because some points you make don't come loud enough. Case in point is when you compare the Lane Keep Assist to Subaru's. I missed a word. General observation is the theater seating in you Rav 4 and the other point you note is that rear doors don't open as wide as the Forester's. It's kind of a tradeoff between the two models, albeit not truly comparable as one is a hybrid and the other is not. Thank you for the follow up evaluation of one week of ownership. I'm learning a lot from you. Regards.
Thanks for sharing this! I’ve noticed a similar concern in the audio and I need to revisit the settings on my microphone. Thanks again for watching and sharing your thoughts!!
I have to be a party pooper. I'm not a car expert to say the least but I bought a 2024 Rav4 and it is a beautiful design. Comfortable and it has an adequately powered engine. Coming from a 2021 4Runner TRD Pro I do notice a downgrade in build quality. The plastic that wiggles and giggles, squeaks here and there in the cabin along with the loose trim and panels that are slightly off on the exterior has me worried about longevity. My fault. I was under the influence of gettin over the flu when I purchased and did not notice all this stuff.
I’m sorry to hear that, but thanks for sharing your experience with it here.
Was it a Japanese build
@@aussiedeplorable8670 No. Built in Canada. From everything I've ever read (by reliable sources) there is no difference in Japanese built and built anywhere else, except for paint thickness.
I have a 2024 RAV4 Hybrid Limited - also Japanese built. I’m at 34,000 miles already, absolutely love it. It’s my 4th Toyota hybrid. Question for you, do you ever notice the gas engine kicking on and off while driving? It’s smooth but it does feel fairly pronounced compared to other Toyota hybrids I’ve had. It’s especially noticeable in 30mph or so traffic. Do you ever feel it?
Also yeah I have the same tires. They’re loud, but still holding up at my mileage. But they almost roar at this point, can’t wait to replace them.
Have you driven your car in snow and ice? How did it do?? Yeah, I can feel it at certain speeds. I like it’s more noticeable at low speeds like you said maybe because it’s more abrupt and there’s less road and wind noise to mask the engine noise at low speeds compared to high speeds. It doesn’t bother me because I know the system is build for that, compared to auto start/stop as an after thought on other cars. I never lied the engine turning off at a stop in my Subaru because it felt more abrupt, the Toyota is a bit more smooth. Thanks for watching and sharing!!
@ yeah it’s more of a bump type of feeling, like a normal auto trans shifting gears. So I guess they all do it.
And yes I have! I drove in flagstaff during an insane snowstorm and it did shockingly well. The AWD system is very very active during those situations and it tracked very straight.
My 2017 rav4 xle gas type is always roaring and i love the sound specially in winter 🔥 it has 282km and still kicking maybe i will get a new gen of hybrid rav4 but not the 5th gen definitely 6th gen
I have a 2024 xle premium hybrid and have never noticed it switching. In my parents old Prius I noticed it switching but never in my rav4.
Sorry if you said it in the video
But is this all wheel drive?
If so.. can’t wait to get some testing with the 2 ssytem in the snow this year
As eveyone knows.. the sabaru all wheel drive system is very very good
Yes, well kind of. It’s electric AWD. So in certain circumstances the 50hp electric motor kicks in to help power the rear wheels. You got it! I’m excited to drive this and film it in snow. I hope I’m wrong and this does better in snow than I worry it might. 😅
I wish they used more of the RAV 4 Adventure or TRD front end on the hybrid.
That would be cool!
Great review and POV. Does your model have push button start & a spare tire or just an inflator kit?? MSRP was close to $40,000??
Thanks!! I appreciate you watching again. Yes, this one has push button and a temporary spare tire. MSRP was a bit less than 40k, and the dealer really took care of me on the deal. I’ll probably do a cost of ownership video soon because a few people have been asking about various expenses related to the car and insurance to have an idea of what they maybe could expect.
Have you turned the lane sensitivity up all the way?
This is embarrassing but when I got the car the actual detailed setting for lane centering was turned off. The lane keep was on, so I figured it was all on. But when I test drove one of these when they were new in 2019 I remember it keeping me in the middle of the lane, so I wasn’t sure what was wrong with mine. It wasn’t until right after I filmed this video that I realized the detailed settings showed it was off. Since then I’ve messed around with the low and high “sensitivity” and I can’t confirm any difference yet between the two. I’ll try to correct my thoughts in a future video on the lane centering, but it still doesn’t work as good as my Outback did so I didn’t feel the need to figure out fixing this video.
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 The 2019 didn’t have lane centering. My 21 doesn’t either. It came in with the new system in the 23 refresh.
Interesting. 🤔 And are you in the U.S. market??
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 I am.
RAV4 isn’t a dog vehicle. I like to put one dog in the backseat and have one in the cargo area. I can assure you after looking closely at the RAV4 that there was no possibility of putting a dog in that cargo area unless you own a very small dog. Picking up my Subaru outback limited next week.
Yeah, that and the shiny black plastics on the exterior remind you that this is a grocery getting city car haha. I’m excited for you getting an Outback!!
Very nice...I just looked at a 2023 Subaru Outback Wilderness at the dealer today, they still want $35k for it. Might just get a new one, for $5k more and not buy someone else's problems.
Been there, tried that. No way my German Shepherd fit comfortably in the cargo area of the Rav4.
@@unacarafea567 Shoulda got the mini sheppard HAHA!! JK, I love dogs, and know how large a German Sheppard is, a lot of these smaller crossovers are not dog friendly...Just about every Subaru I see there's a dog in it maybe the dog comes with the car IDK, but seems like he Subaru is the way to go for being more dog friendly. I looked at a Subaru Outback Wilderness yesterday and if I had a dog that would be the way to go, I'm not sure if the rear rubberized cargo liner and back seat covers are normal but that car had them and would make transporting a pet really nice as it looked like you could remove the floor liner and the seat back protectors and wash them if you wanted to. I'm not sure if Toyota has anything like that for their cargo area, but man that RAV 4 don't have very much in the way of cargo room in the first place....I looked at a Forester and kind of thought well a Outback would be the better choice for a little more cargo space. I like to go camping whenever I get a chance so the Outback will probably be my pick here in the next year or several.
Dog lovers 🤮
No AC compressor? What about all the recalls from Toyota? Please address, thanks for great review.
Correction: someone in the comments just mentioned that it’s the Prime that has the heat pump. And that these have a coolant based heating system still, but an electronic AC compressor.
@ thank you I was concerned!
is it just my pc or your videos that look extra bright?
That’s a good question…🤔
So you talked about the lane keep assist, but what about the lane centering feature? Does that work as well as the Subaru's? Also, how is the road and wind noise? That is definitely a complaint I hear a lot about Ravs.
In my experience the lane keep assist to bounce you back does not work quite as well. But as mentioned the Subaru can almost be too aggressive at times and bounce you to far because it’s steering sensitive is a bit much. Mine actually had the lane centering turned off when I got it, and I actually didn’t realize that in the deeper settings until after filming this video. 😅 I was pretty confused because I drove a new one in 2019 and it had lane centering turned in. So now that I have that on it’s still not as good as Subarus. Which in a future video I’ll talk more about. The wind and road noise I don’t think are any worse than a similar Subaru. But the more I drive this the more I’ll probably be able to tell as I haven’t driven it on bad roads or in high wind situations yet. Thanks for watching!!
There is a setting to leave the car on after remote start
Please tell how
Yeah, how do you do that??
@@jasonhunt007 I may have mispoke. I thought there was a setting to tell the car to keep running. I don't see it now that I went and looked. I may have been thinking about the lock doors on close.
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 I may have mispoke. I thought there was a setting to tell the car to keep running. I don't see it now that I went and looked. I may have been thinking about the lock doors on close.
🎉 how much do you bought rav4 hybrid ?
I’ll probably post a cost of ownership video soon!
@ thanks
Any rattling interior noise and brief thumping noise after ignition is switched on? where was it made in?
Mine was built in Japan. And it might have the driver side door rattle. I need more time with the car to narrow it down. Does yours have those concerns??
@ yes, intermittently and mine is Canadian made. I also got this intermittent brief thumping noise after switched on ruclips.net/user/shortsdUCVr_5jl_w?si=oB9qykLGkylnfIPA
My 2016 Subaru Legacy shuts off when I open any door/trunk/hood when using remote start thru the key fob. They claim it’s for theft prevention.
Oh interesting! So few Subarus have the optional remote start fob I hadn’t heard that before. When using the app it does not turn off. Thanks for sharing this!!
This isn’t a 2025. The toyota symbol in the front isn’t blue anymore and the back doesn’t say hybrid, it says HEV with a dot next to it. I just got one yesterday.
Are you in the U.S.? Any video title I have with an asterisks then has a disclaimer in the description regarding that, usually it’s related to the model year. Ultimately I’ve decided to focus on the bulk of this platform for the coming year of 2025 and everything this car will be compared to and not the nitty gritty details like when I review every trim level of a certain model for that year. The RAV4 is sold globally and there’s a lot of differences between markets regarding topics from features to badging, to trim level, or even if gas and hybrid are both offered in the same country. About half of my RAV4 viewers are from other countries so that’s why I’m realizing I shouldn’t focus on the tiny specifics. But rather the other things that I think I can test and show and compare to help people decide if they should give this platform a try. I hope this makes sense and is somewhat understandable. Thank you for watching and mentioning what you did!!
Just got a 2024 RAV4, is there any significant differences in the 2025 model.
@@aussiedeplorable8670 no major changes from what I can lookup. We had ordered a 2024 but it took too long so we went with what we could get.
I bought a 2024 3 weeks ago
I’ve owned a Toyota since 1984. Corolla, Celica, Highlander, Camry, Camry wagon and 2 Rav4s. My 2 sons own Rav4s, 2016 and 2017. Never had any major problems. Extremely reliable vehicles. But they’re all rattle buckets. Plus, you pay a premium for the Toyota badge. 6 months ago, I was thisclose to buying a RAV4 Limited but I decided to test drive a Mazda CX-5 CE. It had all the bells and whistles of the Limited and was $10,000.00 cheaper. Best of all, the CX-5 had a superior interior and no rattles. I’m done with Toyota. Yes, they have perfected hybrid technology and the cvt transmission, but I would rather save 10 grand and have a quiet ride along with a naturally aspirated engine combined with a traditional 6 speed transmission all made in Japan. Toyota has lost my confidence. I refuse to pay a premium for a reputation that died 6 years ago.
Thank you for sharing all of this and for watching!! I have mixed feelings about Toyota too. But Mazda has really been stepping it up and without increasing prices like Toyota and American legacy companies.
I have the same vehicle and as I travel down in open areas of Wyoming in Montana.I noticed that it like to go ahead with the lane.Centering system go down.Every exit that came along.Be careful this is definitely just a device to keep you going straight when you look to left her right as your day dream at the veranda
Thanks for sharing this!! Yeah, you definitely need to still be paying attention and holding onto the wheel haha.
Combine engine and battery I average 63 mpg.
Woah, those Primes are no joke!
Do the 16 with the geolander or open wheels geolanders
I’m tempted haha. At least the Geolanders I think as that will be more apples to apples comparison with the Subaru I came from.
I kinda like your reviews. Wondering why we never see you in person. It detracts from your videos, tbh, as it lacks the human touch.
Thanks! I get that, I’m just not a big social media person. I actually never imagined I would do something like making RUclips videos, but here we are and I absolutely love it! Whether my channel does well or not over the years i’d rather not be personally recognized by it for better or worse. Even if that slows its growth a little bit, it just means I need to do a better job providing interesting and higher quality videos. I don’t want to be a distraction to the focus of the vehicles I show and talk about. And I just think it’s kind of fun to show from POV filming. Also, at least still up to this point I can usually keep up with chatting in the comments, at least the new comments. I don’t always get notified or keep up with comment threads once they get going on older videos. Thanks for watching and sharing your thought!
The subaru app is superior to toyota’s. Toyota doesn’t even let you adjust the AC control like subaru does and the subscription is the same if not more expensive. Get your crap together Toyota
Funny, you mention about the tires... I'm a Cooper tire person... that's what I had on my ram 1500 and they were awesome.... I'm going to get through this winter with the tires that the outback came with but next year I'm going to switch over to Cooper tires.
Very nice!! We all have our own preferences haha. Outback tires seem to be more decent than these. Last winter I drove 5 different Subarus in the winter and filmed driving impressions of them to show my thoughts on each set of tires. They all did decent, but the Geolanders on the Wilderness models were noticeably the best. I’m just conflicted because being somewhat minimalistic I feel very wasteful to want to replace perfectly good rims and decent warm weather tires, so I may just swap tires and try to sell the factory ones for super cheap or give them away locally.
@@devilefan My 2021 Rav4 XLE hybrid came with Toyo Open Country A38s and with 41k miles on it they still have about 25% of their life left, so about 10k - 12k miles on them. I did hear that the non-OEM ones are terrible, but 50k miles for OEM tires is great.
I’m thinking of getting Pirelli Scorpions with the three peaks next.
A Rav4 in any shade is the Ulimate Boomer Machine - no thanks!
More so than a 90’s Buick?? 🧐
@AutomotiveAnonymous208 its the replacement of the 90's Buicks! Not many of those old rust buckets around anymore. They've been replaced by the Ravs. No joke, was at a 55 & up community over TG and it seemed like 70% of the resident vehicles were Rav5, most the rest Camrys & Hyundais.
@@percivalgooglyeyes6178 Don’t know where you live, but statistics actually matter. Their average buyer is about 40 years old. They’re family cars.
Great for getting spare parts though
I saw a Subaru that looked identical to RAV4
Oh really? A lot of these cars are shaped very similarly.
@ stop by Subaru and compare
It's probably the Subaru Forester
Ur wilderness had so much more power than this. A fun amount of power too. Don’t know if you’ll tolerate this one past 18months lol
Haha, that’s a good point. But I baby my daily drivers because I have to drive so far for work. So I rarely get on the throttle. With this now being a very reliable car I can probably convince myself to keep for the next 3 years I may pick up my next fun car after next winter. I just caught up with a buddy who’s a VW enthusiast and we took out his freshly built 1991 Jetta with a VR6 Turbo build. Let’s just say, he found the weak point in the engine, and I caught it on camera. I wasn’t intending to film this day but it just started happening and I’ll share that video soon. It’s definitely made me miss having a project car. Although I’m no where near as wild as he is at modifying cars, it’s made me miss having something that can be less reliable and more powerful. 🤪
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 Problem is with a weaker engine, you have to be on the throttle more/harder to get going, so that goes contrary to your babying the car. If you get a more powerful engine, that actually translates to more babying if you go at the same speed.
No regard to buy Rav4, don't buy outback and no need 4runner
You can't compare a Prius, I mean Rav4 Hybrid, with a 4R. The 4R will last twice as long, is a lot more rugged, better off road, tows 3.3 times as much and is much better in a crash. Subjectively the 4R is way more fun to drive and much more handsome.
5th gen 4Runners are awesome, I actually use to own a built and supercharged 4.0 FJ cruiser (very similar). But they are objectively not safe in crash tests and I would bet the RAV4 owner may walk away from a crash that the 4R driver wouldn’t. Even in 2010 their crash test results were very bad. That’s my biggest reason for why I wouldn’t buy one of those chassis.
Earth is flat
Did you hear that 🌍?
I bought a 24 Hybrid XSE. I'm not impressed with the wind noise or the infotainment system. And in slippery weather my 10 year old Forester was way superior and have a more confident ride. I do like getting better mileage but I'm shopping other vehicles to dump my RAV4 soon.
Thanks for sharing this, although I’m sorry that’s been your experience!! Are you still on factory tires? Do you think a better one would change your mind much, or is it more the fundamentals of the car that you’re still disappointed in? I know this car isn’t perfect and even from the moment I drove it for the first time I could tell some areas it’s not as good as my Subaru was. But I’m excited to find out how good or bad this does in various vehicle need situations over the months to come. 🙃
@@crafty24 You’re dumping a car at a loss because of OEM tires? I think you’re lying.
Factory tires are trash for sure. But a Forester is a far superior drive in slippery weather.
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208The stock tires are definitely an issue. Not sure I'll keep it long enough to see how Michelin Crossclimate 2 tires would improve the weather driving
@ It LITERALLY isn’t. The ONLY time it might (MIGHT) be superior is in very deep snow.
You're going to get bored with this car.
Haha probably. But the next car change would probably be getting another used ‘fun’ car in a year or two. Which would compensate for the daily once the newness of it and the hybrid MPG fun wears off. Once I know what platform I want to explore. Maybe another LS1 car or a very used Tacoma or 4Runner to do more of an off road build. Whatever it is I need to not completely ruin the car so that I can resale it for only a minor loss after 1.5 years, like usual haha. 🤪
@AutomotiveAnonymous208
It won't be much of a mistake if you do grow tired of it. You can always get a good price for it as a pre-owned car.
I think cars are as fun as their owners make them be.
A RAV4 owner who takes it on light off roads, road trips, and snow drives will enjoy it way more than a sports car driver that only sees commutes and heavy traffic.