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We bought a 2021 RAV4 Prime SE brand new in 2020 for MSRP, in the first half-year that it was available to the American public as a new model. We have owned it for more than 3.5 years now and 40k miles on the odometer, and have had zero problems whatsoever. We drive about 2/3 of the miles in all-electric, charging to full most nights in our garage, and we have noticed zero battery degradation in 3.5 years (still getting 50+ miles in the non-highway-speed driving that we do "around town", and in the high 40s even in our New England winters). We fill up on gas an average of once every 1-2 months. Even 3.5 years later, this is absolutely the best PHEV on the market for the money (and we paid only $30k for it new after federal and state tax credits/rebates that are no longer available); it's also the best Toyota on the market in America. I would still only get the SE trim and skip moonroof, bigger wheels, etc. (The only PHEV on the market in America getting more all-electric miles appears to be the 2024 GLE 450e, but that also costs twice as much and doesn't look as good on the exterior.) Negatives in our RAV4 Prime SE: no front parking sensors; too-small gas tank; very-old-looking (and limited) infotainment screen and instrument panel, with limited configuration possibilities; no power front passenger seat; no one-pedal driving (our Volvo PHEV has one-pedal driving and it's fabulous); no dual sun visors for the driver or the front passenger; many buttons/switches are not backlit, so you can't see to find them at night; front seats not as comfortable or adjustable as seats in the luxury-car market. Positives: all-electric AWD; long all-electric range; 37-38 mpg at 70 mpg on long road trips with no charging; ability to charge off the ICE (GLE 450e can't do this); good ground clearance; good space in interior; physical buttons/dials/switches for climate and drive-mode controls; attractive interior and exterior; ability to order without glass in the roof (huge plus in my book); CarPlay works pretty well for navigation (with no built-in navigation in our SE), but if you're out of cellphone range, you have zero navigation aids (as we have found out on road trips to remote locations); feels stable and planted at 80-85 mph on the highway. At our 40k-mile check-up, we still have most of our brake pads on the original factory-installed pads -- a testament to the regen braking that is pretty good (but no one-pedal driving or slowing down by taking foot off the gas pedal).
I had a XSE 2021 and loved it more than any other car I had. For the 2 years I had it I only put a little over $1,000 in gas. I used it as my daily work commute and took it on a few 600 mile trips. Unfortunately my son totaled it, I miss it every day.
I'm thinking about selling my 2023 Tesla Model Y LR and getting a Prime since the Toyota has more than twice the range. What did you replace your Prime with?
@@burnx45 I live in Illinois and had to order my prime from a dealer in California because Toyota doesn’t believe there’s a market for their vehicle out in the Midwest. We also own a model Y and are extremely happy with it. I like the Tesla for in town commute, but as for long distant travels, it sucks, as I’m sure you have experienced. I replaced my prime with a Honda Civic, but I’m looking to change that out as well.
@@ddpuma7812 Yeah, I did a trip to Las Vegas from Northern California on Memorial day weekend with the Model Y and had 10 charging stops round trip for a total of 1,400 miles or so. It was so frustrating seeing everyone come and go so fast at the nearby gas stations while I sat there charging or took a walk around the parking lots. If you want to stay with a sedan, the new 2025 Honda Civic hybrid gets about 49mpg.
I really like my 2023 RAV4 Prime. I get about 80 MPG. Most of my city driving is EV while longer trips are mostly Hybrid. My SE version has unique wheels. They cheap out with no wireless charging pad, more interior plastic, smaller sunroof, smaller info screen...otherwise, pretty loaded. Hard to get (2 years for me). I think it will retain its value for quite awhile. EV owners seem to hate PHEVs, but where I live, the RAV4 Prime makes the most sense for me at this time.
We’ve had a 2024 RAV4 Prime XSE with the Tech Pkg since January and love it. The drivetrain works so well with the electric motor and CVT. The interior is worse than my 2023 Jeep GC Overland for sure but the RAV4 Prime was also $20K less.
Would prefer if the turning signal in the headlights was bigger. That tiny sliver of amber doesn't stand out enough in my opinion, and if anything, I'd like to see the U-shaped DRL element in the headlight assembly go from white to amber for turning/4-way lights. Big and obvious indicators are just easier to read when bright LED headlights are involved.
Part of the quiet is due to the work Toyota did on the front glass. I think the windshield and side windows are thicker than the gas or hybrid to make it quieter.
We bought a 2024 XLE. Love it. The 8 speed transmission more than makes up any lack of HP. Lot's of perks, heated leather wrapped steering wheel, seats, wippers, remote start/locks, etc. via Toyota app. One draw back is the ap tattles on you if you exceed the speed limit...hmmm...lol.
Doing the math (Canada, Ontario) on the condition you can get both: hybrid XLE premium and XSE Prime. XSE Prime will cost about 13k CAD more. I drive 20,000 kms per year. On hybrid XLE premium, this will cost me about $1,700 per year. If I assume I drive a Prime and hydro is free and I only use hydro rather than gas, it will take me more than 8 yrs to break even. But hydro is not free, and XSE Prime has worst gas milage because of the added weight, and it still needs gas, so the plug in feature won't pay off itself. And we didn't consider financing cost of lease or finance, or interest/income you could get out of the 13k for 8 years. The plug in is more like a performance feature rather than money feature.
I see people asking all the time if the Prime is worth the money. Some get bogged down in the price of gas and how long it will take for their savings on fuel to make up for the extra cost. I think if this is your perspective, you’d probably be better off with a hybrid. I would say the Prime is worth it if you can afford it because it’s a lot of fun to drive and I like an efficient car. It’s really in a class of it’s own when you look at range, efficiency and horsepower. Most other plug in hybrids are much less efficient in hybrid mode. There are some with longer range, but they usually achieve this with a larger battery, not with better efficiency. You can find them with more overall horsepower, but efficiency will go way down and the horsepower on the Prime is very satisfying. Lost on most is the fact that the Prime has about the best horsepower in EV mode amongst to competition, usually plug ins are pretty wimpy in EV mode although still fun to drive because of the instant torque.
Depleted EV range, Level 2 charging takes just under 2hrs with the 6.6kWh on board charger. Add additional 30 minutes for the battery conditioning at tail end of charging after battery reaches 100% (technically 90%).
I test drove this and the CRV back to back untimely I like the the Rav better because of acceleration and MPG.Yes I know the CRV handles better but with way more options the Prime is the way to go.
I bought a 2013 Rav4 Prime SE in July 2023. Sight unseen, and without ever having driven one. And I flew clear across the country, from California to Maryland to get this one, because it did not have the optional moonroof (I hate glass roofs on cars), and SE's without the moon roof are totally "unobtanium" anywhere on the west coast. Lest you think I was crazy to buy this $44K car without having ever driven one, I had been driving a 2019 Prius Prime for 37K miles, and was totally sold on the Toyota Hybrid Synergy drive for it's fuel economy. I read every review I could find, and never saw one that had anything bad to say about the car, except for the price. Undisputed fact #1 is that the Prime SE is $12,000 more than the Hybrid. Is it worth it? Undisputed fact #2: In normal driving, meaning 60% in Hybrid Mode on gasoline, and 40% in EV mode on external battery charges, the average owner in most of the US States or Canadian Provinces will not ever save enough on gasoline to recover that $12,000 in any less than 285,000 miles of ownership, and well before then, the traction battery will likely have degraded to where you can't realistically get more than 20 miles of EV range out of it, and you will have either had to replace it, or just more or less start driving it in Hybrid mode all the time. So, are there other reasons to select the Prime over the Hybrid, given that you simply are not going to recover your $12,000? I'd say YES, there are: 1. The MG2 motor in the Prime's P-810 transaxle has a larger rotor than the Hybrid's P-710 transaxle, which makes about 60 more horsepower and 50 lb-ft more torque. Where this comes in handy is climbing steep hills and towing trailers (the Prime is rated for 2500 pound trailer towing, compared to only 2000 in the Hybrid). The more powerful MG2 motor makes the Prime significantly peppier than the Hybrid when accelerating away from a stop. The 900 pound traction battery hanging under the floor gives the Prime a very low center of gravity compared to every other model of Rav4, and this makes the Prime more pleasant to drive on twisty mountain roads; there's less body lean and it holds the road better. However, I want to point something out: before you make a purchase decision, check with your electricity service provider to see what their least expensive overnight residential rate is. If you live in Hawaii, or anywhere in California's Pacific Gas and Electric service area, you will be paying at least 35¢/kW-hr, even in the midnight-to-06:00am period where most other power companies in the US are charging 10~15¢. If you live somewhere with home electric rates that are more than about 20¢/kW-hr, and regular gas is only $3.25/gallon, for example, you probably shouldn't buy a Prime. Save your $12,000, buy a Rav4 Hybrid, or a Highlander if you need 3rd row seating, and you will be just as happy.
If you’re looking at the screen on this car it’s too big and it looks bigger then the body of the car , it doesn’t match the car 😂 but I love the RAV4 i saw it everyday on the roads never missed one day 😊
I could not get a RAV4 Prime a year ago, and could not get it below MSRP, and without other extras added, and without being put on an 18 month waiting list, which I still would not have it by now, so I bought an Alfa Romeo Tonale Sprint PHEV instead, right off the truck when it first arrived in Canada, and got it below MSRP with no extras. The price I paid for my Tonale was less then the price I would have paid for the Prime, it drives and handles way better, looks better, has just as nice, it not a nicer, interior, and comparing battery sizes, gets just as good electrical mileage. I am glad I did not wait for the Prime, and after owning the Tonale, I would still have bought it, even if a Prime was available. My Tonale came with problems as everyone knows, some well documented, but Alfa has bent over backwards to resolve every issue I have had with my Tonale, with the help of the dealership, and after those corrections, my Tonale has exceeded all of my expectations.
what's the total miles in 1 full tank? the only reason that's keeping me from upgrading my 10 yr old car is I get over 560miles each tank during the summer when traveling.
Currently showing 556 miles, not including EV range on my R4P. I would keep your car for sure. Save money or buy a different car that you want / need. We do love our Prime though.
Thank you for the information 🙂, I want to keep my car but I do a bit of hiking and the undercarriage of my car has been taking a beating getting to trail heads in the PNW. I need something taller, with close to the same rage as my car and with the same luxury amenities.
In summer time I do around 48-50 miles on battery only. More that in the official specs. I like my XSE! If you need it can go very fast, and from January until now I added 10l of gas because I wanted a car wash. Otherwise, city and around it goes on battery and rarely on hybrid as you need to make the gas engine to work a bit.
Can you cancel the engine enhance engine sound? And does the nightshade trim have less cheap plastic? Has Toytota improved the interior feel of this vehicle?
If they could shorten the charge time of that battery to 15 minutes, that would save a lot of money and time for everyone, even if it does sound silly. Because if you could charge the car in 15 minutes and have an electric range of at least 100 miles, you wouldn’t need all electric vehicles, because with this kind of PHEV everyone would use electric range for short trips and less gas. It is a great car, just need to work out all the kinks in the hose. Toyota please don’t do the UNNOVATION instead of INNOVATION on this car. Just fix the charging time and give it more capacity for a better electric range, and this car will be truly perfect. You already outdid yourselves by introducing this PHEV to American market. This car doesn’t need anything else in my opinion, just fixing the charge time and a bigger battery capacity and that’s all. And I mean of course, if it is possible to do. Because this car is already fantastic, and I wish a lot of automakers would focus on PHEVs and not EVs.
I think there are some technical limitations that might make it impractical for Toyota to have this with 100 mile range. When you fast charge an EV you usually charge to 80 % as the last 20 % takes a very long time to charge. You also don’t drive down to 0 % most of the time so you’d be left with about 70 miles of usable range after the second charge. Helpful, but maybe not helpful enough to pay for the larger battery and carry the extra weight 100 % of the time. I have a Prime and 90 % of the time I’m driving electric and when I’m driving beyond the range I’m driving an efficient hybrid. No looking for a charger on the road, easy fast refueling. I charge at home and speed is not important when charging over night. You might get your 100 miles when the greatly anticipated solid state battery becomes practical. Which ins’t going to happen for years or is right around the corner depending on who you talk to.
Ill save you the trouble of watching this video. If you can spare 4+ hours at minimum for SE teim and 2.5 hrs for XSE trim, to charge your car and you're trips are less than 40 miles, this car makes sense. Or, like in my case, you just want the extra power, this car is worth it! Otherwise, just buy the Hybrid, because they get almost identical fuel economy if you are not able to charge regularly, or you average commute exceeds 40 miles.
Way. Over. Priced. But sweet car. You can get a pimped out Kia Sportage for 43 out the door pricing with tax and fees. and 48 out the door for the equivalent plug in Sportage.
I don't get the "accent" lights. I'd rather have high quality fog lights, and leave any whizzy accents to the daytime running lights. My purpose for owning a SUV is the all-weather capability, which includes fog, dark nights, wet roads that suck up your illumination, and spray from other cars. I don't need ornaments to "flex" my style on a 4 door two box body. The accents do NOT differentiate the Prime from other versions. The hybrid XSE also has these stupid "accents". Not sure on the Prime SE. I'm still trying to wrap my head around whether the thicker glass, greater power (and acceleration) are worth the price of entry over the hybrid. Unless your regular commutes are short enough to do most on electric only, you'd be hard pressed to recoup the gigantic price adder over the hybrid on gas savings. I do like the HP though and the extra towing doesn't hurt. I'm trying to figure out if the Prime SE has more of an upgraded interior than the hybrid SE. (My Forester XT PREMIUM) came with more stuff, than the premium 2.5.) Drove a Hybrid XLE and it felt rather "rental car" in terms of interior. Finding Prime on the lots has been chancy.
I'm not sure if this has a 120v outlet however I can tell you what I've done to my 2019 hybrid Camry. I installed a 2,000 watt inverter in the trunk tied to the 12v system. Thats as far as I can safely push the generating ability of the car without risking damage to the system. Note that I did upgrade the standard battery to a lithum iron phosphate 60 AH car battery to start and recently added another 100 AH battery in the trunk to support that. My car is now capable of being a backup generator in a power outage or a mobile power generator where ever you can see the need for one. The Camry has a 180 amp slow blow fused 12v system. I've done the research, 1 problem in 3+ years--the common coolant bypass valve replacement.
Nice PHEV SUV but for me the 42 miles of electric is pretty lame for the extra money you are paying .... When they up it too around 70/75 per charge I might have another look .... So in the mean time I'll keep driving my 2023 Corolla hybrid LE AWD which to me is one fantastic car .... Oh and I paid $29,000 OTD.
I think the 40 miles EV range is pretty fair, going higher would require a significant weight increase. Most people don't travel farther than that in a day, or at least can use up the EV first before needing to run on gas. I think someone that already has a 1-2 year old hybrid AWD Toyota isn't the exact market for this since you already own a pretty similarly capable and efficient vehicle. I myself have a 12 year old Kia Sorento that is showing it's age, and am looking for a more efficient AWD SUV that's reliable, and running in-town errands on EV-only is a huge selling point for my family.
This is very fast Rav4, it is can beat the Bmw supra 4cylinder. One guy beat an older camaro and GS350 that is 400lbs lighter than PRIME. Much quicker than the Rav4 V6 Generation, and that was quick Rav4
CAN'T WAIT TIL THEY PUT A 50" MONITOR ON THE DASH. WHAT A DISTRACTION AND AFTER-THOUGHT. THEY USED TO BE BUILT-IN. SHORT PEOPLE WILL HATE THIS SCREEN. NOT FOR ME.
Yup. I don’t disagree with you. For a $50k price, it has the shittiest interior ever made and also you’ll be lucky if you can actually find a luxurious feature such as 360 camera and head up display on this. Something you can actually find for a price way below this. To those people saying, it’s because it’s a plug in hybrid, yes I know. But phevs don’t have to be ugly. It is certainly not the case with both Tucson hybrid and Tucson plug in hybrid.
@@phileasler5401 They may be great for the consumer to drive and cheap to run to work and shopping, school, etc. However have you considered the bigger picture? First, it costs fossil fuel and hazardous mining to manufacture your battery. Oh, you can use power generated by wind. (Wind farm power is a hoax which also takes fossil fuel to manufacture. The turbines have an average life expectancy of about 20 years and cost about one million dollars to produce each one. The wiring, infrastructure and switchgear, are not cheap as well. The towers and propellers are transported via tractor/trailer, long flatbed rigs burning, you guessed it, fossil fuel.) Second, If you take a trip out west, where are you going to plug in and how long do have to wait on your recharge. And while you wait you tend to spend money, so there goes your savings on that tank of gas. Third, time is money, the old saying goes. The speed of filling up your tank vs plugging in and waiting??? Fourth, where do you recycle all of those old batteries, and what is the cost of a new battery? Is lithium dangerous to your health and our environment? Is your "green" dream fulfilled in the bigger picture? Fifth, God forbid, but if you were in a really bad accident and your battery exploded, what would happen?
I like Rav 4 but why does everything that is a basic feature on other reliable brands like Mazda have an additional cost? So annoying Toyota, do better!
So let’s say you charge it nightly, and basically rarely dip into the gas. So you’re just caring around 60-100 lbs of fuel for no reason? Just get an electric car at that point.
Yeah. I would hope they have the foresight to fill up partially and not a full tank, due to how gasoline can get stale. It's like applying the 20-80 charging rule but for gas.
My granddad, when I was little, often drove twenty miles round trip in a big city to save 3 or 4 cents a gallon for his big Oldsmobile, using several gallons of gas to do it. Likewise, I think it foolish to buy any brand new car, be it an EV or a plug-in hybrid, to save a few dollars a month in gas, only to lose all the savings in the form of extra car payments, insurance, and license tabs. No, the RAV4 is not worth the cost of a used Yugo much less 60,000 plus dollars when taxes and dealer markups are factored in... no one saves money by buying something new. Sorry to be a spoil sport but I hate impulsive purchases, especially with my own money.
This car is really dated now, especially that terrible interior. New model next year, so no point buying this overpriced, cheap and plasticky model. New Camry is good, so it's smarter to wait for the next RAV4 than buy this final year.
Dated to me sounds good. Newer looking cars go out of their way to look sci-fi and following trends. If drivers here are driving for looks, a leased car makes more sense then. But this car looks to last 10 years over that $50k investment. If this wasn't so hard to find, I would have bought one , over leasing a Model Y....
@terrancecloverfield6791 If there will be a new model next year with the same but improved powertrain and a much nicer interior like the new Camry, I see no point in buying this last year model. The RAV4 interior has aged poorly, and poor noise isolation and cheap materials are too much for the price.
@@ishaansaral502 that's I can agree with. The standards for cars has risen such that paying $50k to still get that level of cabin noise is .....questionable.
Toyota is doing its best to fall from reliability due to the junk motors they are starting to install in their products. I don't know who would want to plop down $54k for this thing??
So you’re using the Tundra’s issues to judge Toyotas reliability as a whole? That’s one model and this 2.5L has been in multiple models with no issues nearly 7 years. Try hard next time please.
@@tails300 yep exactly! If they can allow that level of failure then what next? What I would do if you really wanted to throw $54 grand away , wait it out to see if it blows up first. If it holds up then buy it. It's not just Toyota it's a wide spread dumbing down in the auto industry these days. It's like walking into a casino. Place your bets then hope for the best. No excuse for the widespread stupidity.
PLUG INs initially made sorta sense, but now it’s Toyota’s inane attempt to assuage the fears of consumers too afraid to buy / lease an EV. After your EV runs out after 30 miles, you are getting below mediocre MPG and still at the mercy of Big Oil. Makes more sense to buy either a hybrid gas car or an EV.
Your comment makes no sense. Even if your getting below mediocre MPG after your EV range has been depleted after 30 miles, on say a 40-50 miles trip then your fuel costs have been offset and massively lowered. We personally can get upto 62 mile range in EV and 55 MPG (uk) in normal hybrid mode. When a plugins EV range has been used, it then resorts back to original hybrid mode
Prime really doesn’t make financial sense. If you drive 20k miles per year, you’re spending around 1,500 dollars/ year at 40ish mpg. 10,000 price premium takes at least 7 years to absorb. If you only drive shorter distances, an EV makes since you can get a similar car for a few grand cheaper. Lugging around a 500 lb battery isn’t optimal. Nor is the price premium. Just math
Looking to buy a Toyota RAV4 or any vehicle? Go to carconfections.com/new-car-quotes to learn about invoice pricing and get the BEST PRICE on vehicles in your local area!
We have had this exact car for 3 months , still on the same tank of gas from the dealership. We have 1/2 tank left. Love this car !!!! ❤
Could I ask how long you waited to get yours?
You have this exact car in the video or a car very similar to the one in the video?
@@ivanlowjones don’t have one yet. But planning on getting one-Prime.
@@andrewyang1446we waited a couple weeks. Our local dealership had one coming in that wasn’t spoken for. We got lucky.
@@ivanlowjonesthe same exact car. We love it
We bought a 2021 RAV4 Prime SE brand new in 2020 for MSRP, in the first half-year that it was available to the American public as a new model. We have owned it for more than 3.5 years now and 40k miles on the odometer, and have had zero problems whatsoever. We drive about 2/3 of the miles in all-electric, charging to full most nights in our garage, and we have noticed zero battery degradation in 3.5 years (still getting 50+ miles in the non-highway-speed driving that we do "around town", and in the high 40s even in our New England winters). We fill up on gas an average of once every 1-2 months. Even 3.5 years later, this is absolutely the best PHEV on the market for the money (and we paid only $30k for it new after federal and state tax credits/rebates that are no longer available); it's also the best Toyota on the market in America. I would still only get the SE trim and skip moonroof, bigger wheels, etc. (The only PHEV on the market in America getting more all-electric miles appears to be the 2024 GLE 450e, but that also costs twice as much and doesn't look as good on the exterior.) Negatives in our RAV4 Prime SE: no front parking sensors; too-small gas tank; very-old-looking (and limited) infotainment screen and instrument panel, with limited configuration possibilities; no power front passenger seat; no one-pedal driving (our Volvo PHEV has one-pedal driving and it's fabulous); no dual sun visors for the driver or the front passenger; many buttons/switches are not backlit, so you can't see to find them at night; front seats not as comfortable or adjustable as seats in the luxury-car market. Positives: all-electric AWD; long all-electric range; 37-38 mpg at 70 mpg on long road trips with no charging; ability to charge off the ICE (GLE 450e can't do this); good ground clearance; good space in interior; physical buttons/dials/switches for climate and drive-mode controls; attractive interior and exterior; ability to order without glass in the roof (huge plus in my book); CarPlay works pretty well for navigation (with no built-in navigation in our SE), but if you're out of cellphone range, you have zero navigation aids (as we have found out on road trips to remote locations); feels stable and planted at 80-85 mph on the highway. At our 40k-mile check-up, we still have most of our brake pads on the original factory-installed pads -- a testament to the regen braking that is pretty good (but no one-pedal driving or slowing down by taking foot off the gas pedal).
How is your experience with the xc60 reliability wise? Indoor noise comparison? Electric/ice transition and threshold rpms into ice?
I had a XSE 2021 and loved it more than any other car I had. For the 2 years I had it I only put a little over $1,000 in gas. I used it as my daily work commute and took it on a few 600 mile trips. Unfortunately my son totaled it, I miss it every day.
I'm thinking about selling my 2023 Tesla Model Y LR and getting a Prime since the Toyota has more than twice the range. What did you replace your Prime with?
@@burnx45 I live in Illinois and had to order my prime from a dealer in California because Toyota doesn’t believe there’s a market for their vehicle out in the Midwest.
We also own a model Y and are extremely happy with it. I like the Tesla for in town commute, but as for long distant travels, it sucks, as I’m sure you have experienced.
I replaced my prime with a Honda Civic, but I’m looking to change that out as well.
@@ddpuma7812 Yeah, I did a trip to Las Vegas from Northern California on Memorial day weekend with the Model Y and had 10 charging stops round trip for a total of 1,400 miles or so. It was so frustrating seeing everyone come and go so fast at the nearby gas stations while I sat there charging or took a walk around the parking lots. If you want to stay with a sedan, the new 2025 Honda Civic hybrid gets about 49mpg.
boo this man's son
I really like my 2023 RAV4 Prime. I get about 80 MPG. Most of my city driving is EV while longer trips are mostly Hybrid. My SE version has unique wheels. They cheap out with no wireless charging pad, more interior plastic, smaller sunroof, smaller info screen...otherwise, pretty loaded. Hard to get (2 years for me). I think it will retain its value for quite awhile. EV owners seem to hate PHEVs, but where I live, the RAV4 Prime makes the most sense for me at this time.
We’ve had a 2024 RAV4 Prime XSE with the Tech Pkg since January and love it. The drivetrain works so well with the electric motor and CVT. The interior is worse than my 2023 Jeep GC Overland for sure but the RAV4 Prime was also $20K less.
Most practical, reliable and best resale value car.
😂😂
@@EIEI_061 😂😂😂
Tf you laughing at boy?@@EIEI_061
Thanks so much for rating it’s reliability. This is hardly ever emphasized.
Would prefer if the turning signal in the headlights was bigger. That tiny sliver of amber doesn't stand out enough in my opinion, and if anything, I'd like to see the U-shaped DRL element in the headlight assembly go from white to amber for turning/4-way lights. Big and obvious indicators are just easier to read when bright LED headlights are involved.
I own the Rav4 prime 2021 se and it is pretty good
Great review! I’m trying to convince my uncle to buy this car and I’m so glad that you posted this video so I can show him!
Thanks!
Part of the quiet is due to the work Toyota did on the front glass. I think the windshield and side windows are thicker than the gas or hybrid to make it quieter.
the exact video i been waiting for.
We bought a 2024 XLE. Love it. The 8 speed transmission more than makes up any lack of HP. Lot's of perks, heated leather wrapped steering wheel, seats, wippers, remote start/locks, etc. via Toyota app. One draw back is the ap tattles on you if you exceed the speed limit...hmmm...lol.
Doing the math (Canada, Ontario) on the condition you can get both: hybrid XLE premium and XSE Prime.
XSE Prime will cost about 13k CAD more. I drive 20,000 kms per year. On hybrid XLE premium, this will cost me about $1,700 per year.
If I assume I drive a Prime and hydro is free and I only use hydro rather than gas, it will take me more than 8 yrs to break even.
But hydro is not free, and XSE Prime has worst gas milage because of the added weight, and it still needs gas, so the plug in feature won't pay off itself.
And we didn't consider financing cost of lease or finance, or interest/income you could get out of the 13k for 8 years.
The plug in is more like a performance feature rather than money feature.
This car seriously needs an update
Yeah, they have years waiting list for it, better update it cuz you say so.
@@sammydavis991exactly I couldn’t wait anymore I just bought the 2025 crv sport L hybrid I keep that till the redesign
I see people asking all the time if the Prime is worth the money. Some get bogged down in the price of gas and how long it will take for their savings on fuel to make up for the extra cost. I think if this is your perspective, you’d probably be better off with a hybrid. I would say the Prime is worth it if you can afford it because it’s a lot of fun to drive and I like an efficient car. It’s really in a class of it’s own when you look at range, efficiency and horsepower. Most other plug in hybrids are much less efficient in hybrid mode. There are some with longer range, but they usually achieve this with a larger battery, not with better efficiency. You can find them with more overall horsepower, but efficiency will go way down and the horsepower on the Prime is very satisfying. Lost on most is the fact that the Prime has about the best horsepower in EV mode amongst to competition, usually plug ins are pretty wimpy in EV mode although still fun to drive because of the instant torque.
Depleted EV range, Level 2 charging takes just under 2hrs with the 6.6kWh on board charger. Add additional 30 minutes for the battery conditioning at tail end of charging after battery reaches 100% (technically 90%).
I was astonished to see that finally Toyota used a new key fob on this version of the rav 4 because the other key looks really out dated
I’ve had that key fob on my Prime since 2021.
I test drove this and the CRV back to back untimely I like the the Rav better because of acceleration and MPG.Yes I know the CRV handles better but with way more options the Prime is the way to go.
I bought a 2013 Rav4 Prime SE in July 2023. Sight unseen, and without ever having driven one. And I flew clear across the country, from California to Maryland to get this one, because it did not have the optional moonroof (I hate glass roofs on cars), and SE's without the moon roof are totally "unobtanium" anywhere on the west coast. Lest you think I was crazy to buy this $44K car without having ever driven one, I had been driving a 2019 Prius Prime for 37K miles, and was totally sold on the Toyota Hybrid Synergy drive for it's fuel economy. I read every review I could find, and never saw one that had anything bad to say about the car, except for the price. Undisputed fact #1 is that the Prime SE is $12,000 more than the Hybrid. Is it worth it? Undisputed fact #2: In normal driving, meaning 60% in Hybrid Mode on gasoline, and 40% in EV mode on external battery charges, the average owner in most of the US States or Canadian Provinces will not ever save enough on gasoline to recover that $12,000 in any less than 285,000 miles of ownership, and well before then, the traction battery will likely have degraded to where you can't realistically get more than 20 miles of EV range out of it, and you will have either had to replace it, or just more or less start driving it in Hybrid mode all the time. So, are there other reasons to select the Prime over the Hybrid, given that you simply are not going to recover your $12,000? I'd say YES, there are:
1. The MG2 motor in the Prime's P-810 transaxle has a larger rotor than the Hybrid's P-710 transaxle, which makes about 60 more horsepower and 50 lb-ft more torque. Where this comes in handy is climbing steep hills and towing trailers (the Prime is rated for 2500 pound trailer towing, compared to only 2000 in the Hybrid). The more powerful MG2 motor makes the Prime significantly peppier than the Hybrid when accelerating away from a stop. The 900 pound traction battery hanging under the floor gives the Prime a very low center of gravity compared to every other model of Rav4, and this makes the Prime more pleasant to drive on twisty mountain roads; there's less body lean and it holds the road better.
However, I want to point something out: before you make a purchase decision, check with your electricity service provider to see what their least expensive overnight residential rate is. If you live in Hawaii, or anywhere in California's Pacific Gas and Electric service area, you will be paying at least 35¢/kW-hr, even in the midnight-to-06:00am period where most other power companies in the US are charging 10~15¢. If you live somewhere with home electric rates that are more than about 20¢/kW-hr, and regular gas is only $3.25/gallon, for example, you probably shouldn't buy a Prime. Save your $12,000, buy a Rav4 Hybrid, or a Highlander if you need 3rd row seating, and you will be just as happy.
Waiting on the sidelines until they reveal the model refresh
Then you'll have to wait a couple years to get the bugs out of the refreshed model. That's a vicious circle, you as well buy one now!
Great review.
I have over 100,000 miles on my 2021 Prime and have had not a single thing replaced besides tires and oil.
I think this is the second fastest car of Toyota after Supra.
If you’re looking at the screen on this car it’s too big and it looks bigger then the body of the car , it doesn’t match the car 😂 but I love the RAV4 i saw it everyday on the roads never missed one day 😊
I love my rav4 prime 😎 the gas is freaking amazinnngggf
Adventure and TRD trims can tow 3500. Prime can tow more than the base models but definitely not the highest
We own two 2021 Rav 4 Primes. It was worth it when I got $15,000 Federal tax credit. Now that is gone I would go with a hybrid.
I could not get a RAV4 Prime a year ago, and could not get it below MSRP, and without other extras added, and without being put on an 18 month waiting list, which I still would not have it by now, so I bought an Alfa Romeo Tonale Sprint PHEV instead, right off the truck when it first arrived in Canada, and got it below MSRP with no extras. The price I paid for my Tonale was less then the price I would have paid for the Prime, it drives and handles way better, looks better, has just as nice, it not a nicer, interior, and comparing battery sizes, gets just as good electrical mileage. I am glad I did not wait for the Prime, and after owning the Tonale, I would still have bought it, even if a Prime was available.
My Tonale came with problems as everyone knows, some well documented, but Alfa has bent over backwards to resolve every issue I have had with my Tonale, with the help of the dealership, and after those corrections, my Tonale has exceeded all of my expectations.
what's the total miles in 1 full tank? the only reason that's keeping me from upgrading my 10 yr old car is I get over 560miles each tank during the summer when traveling.
Currently showing 556 miles, not including EV range on my R4P. I would keep your car for sure. Save money or buy a different car that you want / need. We do love our Prime though.
Thank you for the information 🙂, I want to keep my car but I do a bit of hiking and the undercarriage of my car has been taking a beating getting to trail heads in the PNW. I need something taller, with close to the same rage as my car and with the same luxury amenities.
Excellent review!
In summer time I do around 48-50 miles on battery only. More that in the official specs. I like my XSE! If you need it can go very fast, and from January until now I added 10l of gas because I wanted a car wash. Otherwise, city and around it goes on battery and rarely on hybrid as you need to make the gas engine to work a bit.
JUST TRADED MY 2022 RAV4 XLE FOR A BUICK ENCLAVE AND NO MORE LOUD HIGHWAY ROAD NOISE. THE RAV4 IS NOT A QUIET RIDE PERIOD.
Ready for a redesign.
Can you cancel the engine enhance engine sound? And does the nightshade trim have less cheap plastic? Has Toytota improved the interior feel of this vehicle?
Hey Naveen!
NaveenTheToyotaHatingBulshitMachine
@@Gopinathk17 Hahahaha, each to their own.
toyotas for life
Love your car video
Nice job & I rather buy this PHEV SUV 1 day.
If they could shorten the charge time of that battery to 15 minutes, that would save a lot of money and time for everyone, even if it does sound silly. Because if you could charge the car in 15 minutes and have an electric range of at least 100 miles, you wouldn’t need all electric vehicles, because with this kind of PHEV everyone would use electric range for short trips and less gas. It is a great car, just need to work out all the kinks in the hose. Toyota please don’t do the UNNOVATION instead of INNOVATION on this car. Just fix the charging time and give it more capacity for a better electric range, and this car will be truly perfect. You already outdid yourselves by introducing this PHEV to American market. This car doesn’t need anything else in my opinion, just fixing the charge time and a bigger battery capacity and that’s all. And I mean of course, if it is possible to do. Because this car is already fantastic, and I wish a lot of automakers would focus on PHEVs and not EVs.
I think there are some technical limitations that might make it impractical for Toyota to have this with 100 mile range. When you fast charge an EV you usually charge to 80 % as the last 20 % takes a very long time to charge. You also don’t drive down to 0 % most of the time so you’d be left with about 70 miles of usable range after the second charge. Helpful, but maybe not helpful enough to pay for the larger battery and carry the extra weight 100 % of the time. I have a Prime and 90 % of the time I’m driving electric and when I’m driving beyond the range I’m driving an efficient hybrid. No looking for a charger on the road, easy fast refueling. I charge at home and speed is not important when charging over night. You might get your 100 miles when the greatly anticipated solid state battery becomes practical. Which ins’t going to happen for years or is right around the corner depending on who you talk to.
These are extremely rare to get in dealer stock. You're better off getting a hybrid, tbh.
Wish it handled better. Why does it sit so high above the wheels? Looks ready for the Baja 1,000.
$50K for a RAV4 is insanity.
The interior of the car at the begging of the video, is not a 2024 XSE
It’s very nice!!
Does anybody have regular jobs anymore or does everyone have podcasts
Forget about the price... I just don't feel like waiting 3 years to get one. :(
The Ultimate RAV4 Prime!
great vid! now do the Rx450+, it's sista from another mr.
Thanks! Hopefully we can find one soon!
I just got a 450nx+ 4000km on it so far and spent 55$ in gas
Ill save you the trouble of watching this video. If you can spare 4+ hours at minimum for SE teim and 2.5 hrs for XSE trim, to charge your car and you're trips are less than 40 miles, this car makes sense. Or, like in my case, you just want the extra power, this car is worth it! Otherwise, just buy the Hybrid, because they get almost identical fuel economy if you are not able to charge regularly, or you average commute exceeds 40 miles.
The local toyota here is selling them for $57k. 😱
That's a lot for a Rav4... shoot I go and grab Honda Pilot black edition
good video , thanks
Way. Over. Priced. But sweet car. You can get a pimped out Kia Sportage for 43 out the door pricing with tax and fees. and 48 out the door for the equivalent plug in Sportage.
USB? No USB-C? Toyota really is waiting for a refresh for vehicle that gets constant mark-ups for somewhat dated tech.
I don't get the "accent" lights. I'd rather have high quality fog lights, and leave any whizzy accents to the daytime running lights. My purpose for owning a SUV is the all-weather capability, which includes fog, dark nights, wet roads that suck up your illumination, and spray from other cars. I don't need ornaments to "flex" my style on a 4 door two box body. The accents do NOT differentiate the Prime from other versions. The hybrid XSE also has these stupid "accents". Not sure on the Prime SE. I'm still trying to wrap my head around whether the thicker glass, greater power (and acceleration) are worth the price of entry over the hybrid. Unless your regular commutes are short enough to do most on electric only, you'd be hard pressed to recoup the gigantic price adder over the hybrid on gas savings. I do like the HP though and the extra towing doesn't hurt. I'm trying to figure out if the Prime SE has more of an upgraded interior than the hybrid SE. (My Forester XT PREMIUM) came with more stuff, than the premium 2.5.) Drove a Hybrid XLE and it felt rather "rental car" in terms of interior. Finding Prime on the lots has been chancy.
Doesn't have any more the 120v outlet?
I'm not sure if this has a 120v outlet however I can tell you what I've done to my 2019 hybrid Camry. I installed a 2,000 watt inverter in the trunk tied to the 12v system. Thats as far as I can safely push the generating ability of the car without risking damage to the system. Note that I did upgrade the standard battery to a lithum iron phosphate 60 AH car battery to start and recently added another 100 AH battery in the trunk to support that. My car is now capable of being a backup generator in a power outage or a mobile power generator where ever you can see the need for one. The Camry has a 180 amp slow blow fused 12v system. I've done the research, 1 problem in 3+ years--the common coolant bypass valve replacement.
@@jesses1589 Great! That's a good one!
Ppl complaining. DON’T BUY IT THEN 🤡
are these things reliable??
Nice PHEV SUV but for me the 42 miles of electric is pretty lame for the extra money you are paying .... When they up it too around 70/75 per charge I might have another look .... So in the mean time I'll keep driving my 2023 Corolla hybrid LE AWD which to me is one fantastic car .... Oh and I paid $29,000 OTD.
I think the 40 miles EV range is pretty fair, going higher would require a significant weight increase. Most people don't travel farther than that in a day, or at least can use up the EV first before needing to run on gas. I think someone that already has a 1-2 year old hybrid AWD Toyota isn't the exact market for this since you already own a pretty similarly capable and efficient vehicle. I myself have a 12 year old Kia Sorento that is showing it's age, and am looking for a more efficient AWD SUV that's reliable, and running in-town errands on EV-only is a huge selling point for my family.
I was under the impression that these could also be charged on 120V in about 11-12 hours. Is that correct?
Yes
This is very fast Rav4, it is can beat the Bmw supra 4cylinder. One guy beat an older camaro and GS350 that is 400lbs lighter than PRIME. Much quicker than the Rav4 V6 Generation, and that was quick Rav4
Where is naveen
CAN'T WAIT TIL THEY PUT A 50" MONITOR ON THE DASH. WHAT A DISTRACTION AND AFTER-THOUGHT. THEY USED TO BE BUILT-IN. SHORT PEOPLE WILL HATE THIS SCREEN. NOT FOR ME.
No remote start is a no for me!
Toyota waiting times (to get a car) are not worth it.
100% they wanted to hold our deposit for 2 year plus no thanks ended up with cx5 better value Imo
Next
Video porsche ?
I find the interior so ugly. Looks like it was designed by Fisher Price..
Yup. I don’t disagree with you. For a $50k price, it has the shittiest interior ever made and also you’ll be lucky if you can actually find a luxurious feature such as 360 camera and head up display on this. Something you can actually find for a price way below this. To those people saying, it’s because it’s a plug in hybrid, yes I know. But phevs don’t have to be ugly. It is certainly not the case with both Tucson hybrid and Tucson plug in hybrid.
I totally agree, the interior looks vary dated.
Great car, great value, but ugly inside and out.
To be fair, the RAV4 interior has always looked a bit toy-like.
Me I don’t care about inside but I care about the gas and yes the prices is very expensive 😂
RAV4 is great. I bought gas only engine. That said hybrids are ok but NEVER, NEVER own an all electric vehicle!
Why? I’ve owned Ev for 10 + years
@@phileasler5401 They may be great for the consumer to drive and cheap to run to work and shopping, school, etc. However have you considered the bigger picture?
First, it costs fossil fuel and hazardous mining to manufacture your battery. Oh, you can use power generated by wind. (Wind farm power is a hoax which also takes fossil fuel to manufacture. The turbines have an average life expectancy of about 20 years and cost about one million dollars to produce each one. The wiring, infrastructure and switchgear, are not cheap as well. The towers and propellers are transported via tractor/trailer, long flatbed rigs burning, you guessed it, fossil fuel.)
Second, If you take a trip out west, where are you going to plug in and how long do have to wait on your recharge. And while you wait you tend to spend money, so there goes your savings on that tank of gas.
Third, time is money, the old saying goes. The speed of filling up your tank vs plugging in and waiting???
Fourth, where do you recycle all of those old batteries, and what is the cost of a new battery? Is lithium dangerous to your health and our environment? Is your "green" dream fulfilled in the bigger picture?
Fifth, God forbid, but if you were in a really bad accident and your battery exploded, what would happen?
I like Rav 4 but why does everything that is a basic feature on other reliable brands like Mazda have an additional cost? So annoying Toyota, do better!
So let’s say you charge it nightly, and basically rarely dip into the gas. So you’re just caring around 60-100 lbs of fuel for no reason? Just get an electric car at that point.
Yeah. I would hope they have the foresight to fill up partially and not a full tank, due to how gasoline can get stale. It's like applying the 20-80 charging rule but for gas.
Interior is so basic and stark. Very dated. I'm sure a good car, but as exciting to look at and drive as my microwave.
Definitely not worth it. For that price you may as well buy a used mid-sized luxury SUV. Like the Lexus NX 450h+ plug in.
Why doesn’t the prime come in the limited trim at this price point?
The ultimate NPC car but damn does it work well
I call it our super appliance vehicle.
What’s NPC mean?
@@thechosenone2786non-playable character
Same as NCM.
Non chick magnet.
50K, it is just a RAV4
For the price point this interior is bad. One of the reasons why I am convinced not to buy it.
The most unattainable RAV4 in America! 😥
In Canada it's 2year + wait 🤮
That interior is fugly
2 year + wait here in Canada 🤮
My granddad, when I was little, often drove twenty miles round trip in a big city to save 3 or 4 cents a gallon for his big Oldsmobile, using several gallons of gas to do it. Likewise, I think it foolish to buy any brand new car, be it an EV or a plug-in hybrid, to save a few dollars a month in gas, only to lose all the savings in the form of extra car payments, insurance, and license tabs. No, the RAV4 is not worth the cost of a used Yugo much less 60,000 plus dollars when taxes and dealer markups are factored in... no one saves money by buying something new. Sorry to be a spoil sport but I hate impulsive purchases, especially with my own money.
Toyota under promises and over delivers. My 2022 RAV4 Prime gives me average 47 to 49 miles on a full electric charge.
Hi
😂😂 Ok spent extra money fr Thieves cause they want your car.😊
Toyota has the ugliest interior but the best mileage and resale
This car is really dated now, especially that terrible interior. New model next year, so no point buying this overpriced, cheap and plasticky model. New Camry is good, so it's smarter to wait for the next RAV4 than buy this final year.
Dated to me sounds good. Newer looking cars go out of their way to look sci-fi and following trends. If drivers here are driving for looks, a leased car makes more sense then. But this car looks to last 10 years over that $50k investment. If this wasn't so hard to find, I would have bought one , over leasing a Model Y....
@terrancecloverfield6791 If there will be a new model next year with the same but improved powertrain and a much nicer interior like the new Camry, I see no point in buying this last year model. The RAV4 interior has aged poorly, and poor noise isolation and cheap materials are too much for the price.
@@ishaansaral502 that's I can agree with. The standards for cars has risen such that paying $50k to still get that level of cabin noise is .....questionable.
Too pricey
뉴스는 안 보는구나. 😂😂😂
Toyota is doing its best to fall from reliability due to the junk motors they are starting to install in their products. I don't know who would want to plop down $54k for this thing??
Yet no one sees any issues with them for like 6 years of production (except that cable for back motor but they fixed it)
😂😂😂
So you’re using the Tundra’s issues to judge Toyotas reliability as a whole? That’s one model and this 2.5L has been in multiple models with no issues nearly 7 years. Try hard next time please.
@@tails300 yep exactly! If they can allow that level of failure then what next? What I would do if you really wanted to throw $54 grand away , wait it out to see if it blows up first. If it holds up then buy it. It's not just Toyota it's a wide spread dumbing down in the auto industry these days. It's like walking into a casino. Place your bets then hope for the best. No excuse for the widespread stupidity.
@@Shizzle700absolutely makes no sense at all 🙂↔️.
I don't like the RAV4 at all
My people
Cool, thanks for sharing ig?
The "best ever" until next refresh. I hate the rav4. Ugliest car ever.
PLUG INs initially made sorta sense, but now it’s Toyota’s inane attempt to assuage the fears of consumers too afraid to buy / lease an EV. After your EV runs out after 30 miles, you are getting below mediocre MPG and still at the mercy of Big Oil. Makes more sense to buy either a hybrid gas car or an EV.
Your comment makes no sense. Even if your getting below mediocre MPG after your EV range has been depleted after 30 miles, on say a 40-50 miles trip then your fuel costs have been offset and massively lowered. We personally can get upto 62 mile range in EV and 55 MPG (uk) in normal hybrid mode. When a plugins EV range has been used, it then resorts back to original hybrid mode
Prime really doesn’t make financial sense. If you drive 20k miles per year, you’re spending around 1,500 dollars/ year at 40ish mpg. 10,000 price premium takes at least 7 years to absorb. If you only drive shorter distances, an EV makes since you can get a similar car for a few grand cheaper. Lugging around a 500 lb battery isn’t optimal. Nor is the price premium. Just math
4th