Is It Still The Best Midsize SUV? (Toyota RAV4 Hybrid 2024 Review)

Detailed review and test of the 2024 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, including fuel economy, value for money, interior, ride comfort and more.
The Toyota RAV4 has now been on sale for six years, it was good then but is it still good now?
Available in the popular hybrid or pure petrol options, the RAV4 range has seen some price increases in recent years but few significant updates since it was previously crowed the best midsize SUV by Chasing Cars in 2022.
Powered by a 160kW 2.5-litre turbo-petrol hybrid the RAV4 promises solid-real world fuel efficiency and enough performance to appease most buyers, along with comfort and handling that may surprise you.
Journalist Olek Novak shares his take on the RAV4 and discusses supply in Australia and what other options are available to buy in 2024.
Time codes:
0:00 - Intro
0:24 - Wait times
1:27 - Price
1:59 - Supply
2:45 - Interior
3:58 - Seat comfort
5:23 - Touchscreen
6:05 - Back Seats
7:15 - No third row
7:58 - Boot
9:01 - Towing capacity
9:30 - Baby seats
10:12 - Running costs
11:31 - Safety
11:58 - Powertrains
12:42 - Driving impressions
14:23 - Do you need AWD?
15:05 - Comfort
16:34 - Verdict
Chasing Cars makes Australia's most independent car reviews.

[@coldude2559]

I ordered mine today, I can't wait to take delivery in 5 years!!

[@HerrSoder]

Imagine buying the rav4 that’s an oooold car shit

[@chasingcars]

Hearing those taking delivery now have waited about two years on average… but better supply means it wouldn’t be that long to order now.

[@algraham442]

Mate, they’re still mining the metal for your car.

[@HerrSoder]

@@algraham442 it’s all a scam

[@13Dalek]

lol 😅 😂

[@Tim_in_Australia]

You guys do it better than the rest. Love your work!

[@user-vo4sk9vg8h]

After my order was pushed back, dealer games .. I ve said FU Toyota.. got a Mazda CX5 turbo top spec much better value and more fun, does everything I wanted.. never looked back.

[@paul--b]

And actually engaging to drive

[@calebwany8422]

@@paul--b i don't think soccer moms care about the "engaging to drive"

[@j.ogalesco]

Same just recently had my CX5 about 2 months ago. Brilliant car inside out. I always loved Toyota but their interior has been behind other brands for awhile now.

[@vrs76r]

I waited almost 2 years for my cruiser hybrid. In that time the Nissan X-trail e power came out so I bought and only waited 4 months for the top of the line Ti-L spec for almost same price as what the cruiser hybrid price is now. Love the X-trail and thanks Toyota for having so much demand as I sold the cruiser the day I picked it up for $9k profit so my top spec E power ended up costing me just over $50k FTR the X-trail is has returned 6.5l/100km predominately suburban driving over first 9000km so happy with that for a heavier and more feature packed car than the Toyota even if it is around 1-1.5l/100km more.

[@user-vo4sk9vg8h]

@@vrs76r good on you.. I was so pissed about being strung along that in the end I have walked away from Toyota for now. I waited 4 days to take delivery of my cx5 turbo akera.. it just landed in the lot, anyone else not wanting to stuff around, ring around see what you can get into today, also they will do a better deal for what is sitting there compared to what they need to ship. Unless it’s a Toyota

[@esteban602]

I recently purchased RAV4 XSE Hybrid AWD. It took 3 weeks for delivery. Currently Loving it. Coming from 05 Scion TC is a big upgrade for me.

[@bauboni]

best in what? mechanically? yes fuel usage? yes interior / exterior / driving engagement - not even close

[@nathanma1482]

Best in resell value

[@Gopinathk17]

Overall it's a best car in terms of reliability, utility, mpgs, resale and least maintenance in the long run.

[@Filo_Guy]

The beeping of the boot can be removed at the dealership at time of pickup or during the maintenance.

[@KookaburraAU9908]

I ordered my Toyota RAV4 hybrid Cruiser AWD frosted white on 1/2/24 and take delivery on 2/5/24. $60K drive away. Less than 4 months from order to delivery.

[@netsiteing]

Where did you get that deal and timeframe?

[@Richard-sl8we]

Very impressive, both in lead-time and price. Where are you in Oz?

[@djizzah]

Bulldust

[@chasingcars]

Wow

[@reelgreens4127]

Ordered my AWD Hybrid Cruiser in June 2021 and received it in Feb 2023. 20 months. It’s been good to drive & own.

[@merandpitslifeadventure4581]

I really can't see what all the excitement is about. I drove one today it was a hybrid and really didn't think it was that great. Sure it was nice enough but really didn't stand out.

[@kbling2946]

I have a ‘23 model Cruiser AWD Hybrid and it’s a great package and excellent in fuel

[@bliN.K_ray]

I ordered mine couple of weeks ago (NSW) . They are promising max 6months wait. Cruiser hybrid AWD!

[@andrewccc]

Any news on new look coming soon?

[@terp8373]

This review might sound like an advert for the RAV4, but I've been driving my 2023 Hybrid for over a year now, and I can vouch for Olek's positive comments. The RAV4 is hard to beat as an all-'rounder. I particularly like its solidity and overall feeling of quality. Toyota got it right.

[@nzautoreview7829]

In nz only 2 month waiting time for cruiser/edge and 1 month for gxl and gx but we only have awd for hybrid range

[@chasingcars]

Incredible

[@samhowie1632]

I ordered one in Feb and was told there is a two year wait. The salesman was not going to overcommit.

[@Luceq]

This is the iPhone of the cars. Just works.

[@chasingcars]

Pretty much.

[@Gopinathk17]

💯

[@ramgenesistam1008]

I have checked with our local Toyota Dealer in Central Coast NSW and have said that wait times are now only 6 months.

[@Richard-sl8we]

Yes, got the same confirmation from a dealer in Melbourne area.

[@nikos5566]

Hmmm…. not doing your homework guys. You showed the Tank 300 when talking about the Tank 500 and as someone else said , you never mentioned the Kluger as a 7 seat hybrid option. Chasing Cars doesn’t usually make such rookie mistakes.

[@chasingcars]

The Kluger is a seven-seat hybrid option, yes. We’ll whack our editor for that mistake showing the wrong Tank on your behalf. Cheers.

[@jeremybean-hodges6397]

We had one as a rental last year. It's a very boring but very competent and practical vehicle, in a segment that requires competence and practicality over excitement.

[@alvis1448]

Feels like this review is very ‘pro’ Toyota where things that are not so great, are conveniently skimmed over. The interior looks so scratchy with ugly dials but yet it is promoted as doing the job… the doors don’t open anywhere near 90 degrees but that’s good… the suspension is generally quite soft but again promoted as planted and good to drive… the interior is so noisy with the engine kicking in, but again it is promoted as smooth… What about the noise? The most annoying thing is there is never any comparison to other competitors in its class… it’s all good, good, good but is it really that good compared to others? I don’t know because he didn’t tell me… there was no attempt to inform me? A bit of a let down this review in my opinion…

[@chasingcars]

If the characterisation you came away with was that the RAV4 does the job, we’re happy with that. The reason this car is appealing is just that: it does a convincing job in every area. Is it perfect? No. Should the doors open wider? Sure. Is the engine rowdy when being revved out? Yes it is. But then it handles and rides very well, sips fuel, retains its value, is cheap to maintain, looks decent, is well-trimmed as a Cruiser or Edge… not surprising it does the sales numbers that it does.

[@ednis32]

​@@chasingcars a hybrid that sips fuel? Who knew! Some of us don't know how to read brochures, good thing there's this channel 😂

[@alvis1448]

@@chasingcars true, fair enough comment. Really appreciate the reply and keep up the great work : ) Look forward to the next review!

[@mings5161]

@@ednis32 Check the Subaru Hybrid and others. Even the Nissan X-Trail can't compete in the fuel sipping department.

[@MrNipsi]

If you want 7 seats, you could go for the Kluger hybrid.

[@chasingcars]

Yep, that should have made it in. Thanks for mentioning.

[@Filo_Guy]

They could have put a 3rd row in the RAV4 honestly.

[@BigPoppaAA]

6:12 6 foot?? are you living in USA?? 7:54 that's a Tank 300 image you are showing. Test drove one it's not even close to the price it asks for now. Constant droning from CVT and loud wind noise at freeway speeds.

[@zacchaeusm4085]

I’d get the 2.5 full petrol Edge

[@AnshunHE]

7:55. That's not a Tank 500.

[@ironlungthe3rd]

Went through all the palava to get a corolla cross order, told would be a 12-18 month wait, and we would have to sign the contract and pay 2k in advance to "secure a build slot", I told them to cancel the order, sorry im not signing a contract for a car they haven't got stock for, especially as they could turn around in that 12-18 month period and put the price up, as stated in the contract, and we would either have to shell up or pay a fee to cancel.. Toyota in sutherland

[@David-rf5dj]

Yep Stewart Toyota (Sutherland and Rockdale) are woeful. When I was looking to buy a Corolla Cross they also told me it would be a $2k non-refundable deposit. When I pointed out that was in contravention of Toyota Australia’s policy they wanted to argue the point. So I just walked out and ordered from another dealer where it was a $1k fully refundable deposit.

[@netsiteing]

If it’s that popular and in demand why doesn’t Toyota ramp up production instead of having customers still wait some 2y for one?

[@Richard-sl8we]

Capacity constraints in Japan.

[@amrindersingh3949]

No waiting 2 years. Mostly customer can get in 4 to 6 months

[@RodneyW]

Thanks for the review. It might be worth mentioning that - if you choose AWD, you lose the spare tyre. EDIT: I am wrong! I'm getting old. All variants of the RAV 4 get a spare.

[@danielkerr177]

I don’t think that’s correct.

[@RodneyW]

@@danielkerr177 You are right, I've edited my comment.

[@murrayent1able]

My younger daughter loves ❤️ her!! I'm still rocking my 04 Rav what I could afford at d moment 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾👏🏾👍🏾

[@djizzah]

I ordered one 4 years ago im counting down the days, why do reviewer's keep showing this car its not available in Australia

[@Richard-sl8we]

Nonsense.

[@chasingcars]

Don’t really know how to answer this. Clearly, it’s ’available’ in that Toyota are delivering thousands of backorders every month and they continue to accept new orders.

[@djizzah]

@chasingcars ok, the update version is not far away, you order today maybe 8 months wait maybe 18 months by then new model here it's losing situation but at least used rav4 are available and still last forever of course

[@Richard-sl8we]

@@djizzah More BS, you're just guessing.

[@djizzah]

@@Richard-sl8we The next-gen RAV4 is tipped to be available on our shores in 2025, but few confirmed details have been made public as yet, which is why speculation is rife and rumours are swirling

[@Hydrnaught]

Wait times are down now, way down... Ordered an NX350H fsport & it's on the dock ordered last August awaiting official launch date of the upgrade model Also ordered a Yaris Cross Urban Hybrid in January it'll be here September. That's pretty bloody quick.

[@chasingcars]

Good data points. Thanks.

[@_wat2do]

At $56k thats right up there with the Tesla Model Y at $58k driveaway with the EV rebate (qld). I wouldn't be going with the toyota at that price/spec.

[@stevenmuscat8126]

Starting to question wether any paper bags were exchanged in this review. Lrecently looked at Ravs and the only thing mindblowing about it was the price and wait times. The Honda CRV was a better car imo and the Sportage was equal to it for differnt reasons. However; at the dealership I was able to get a new Mazda CX60 for less money than the RAV. Thats a 6 cylinder diesel hybrid that objectively blows the RAV away for less money and immediately. Admittingly it doesnt come with electric seats or sunroof, but not a deal breaker. The RAVS a good car but not at the price theyre going for and there are better cars at the same money

[@chasingcars]

Haha, no. We famously don’t accept paper bags, and frankly Toyota doesn’t try to offer them (to us at least) either. The RAV4’s a good all-round vehicle, though it’s certainly a fair point that the price increases have diluted the original price.

[@Richard-sl8we]

Mazda CX60 diesel looks like a good buy; what's the boot size and service intervals?

[@andrewmihaleff]

Interesting. Not shooting Chasing Cars per se, but it seems the language is different for Mazda (if anything their interiors feel premium and have at least the same tech as the Rav). They are often derided for the same thing Toyota is praised for. Don't get me wrong I'd happily use either, and in fact we've got a Toyota and Mazda at home. Both fantastic

[@stevenmuscat8126]

@@chasingcars When your paying with your own hard earned, the RAV just doesnt stack up. Its an above average car atr a ridiculous price point. There are way superior cars at the price point but it seems lime theres a pic of a RAV in the dictionary next to FOMO. No offense was meant with the paper bag comment, just trying to high light that they seem to be over rated, when compared wholistically against what is available at the price point.

[@stevenmuscat8126]

@@Richard-sl8we The boot seems to be as big , if not bigger than a RAV and the service intervals depend on motor. The real concern is the servicing costs against the RAV. The CX60 gets annihilated when service costs come into play. I liked the RAV for its rustic charm; however it seemed poor value for what they waere asking me to do, to sign on the dottedd line

[@Brayant25]

There's Kia sportage hybrid and the amount and the features you get it is better than the Rav 4 hybrid.

[@Richard-sl8we]

I really like the new Sportage hybrid, SX spec would be my choice. However, the use of the shiny piano black interior trim makes me rethink this!

[@nollypra2752]

One of my neighbours has the Rav 4 and another has the latest Honda crv. The Honda is vastly superior in just about every way! I don't know if their in the same price bracket but the price of the Toyota should be way less! The interiors tragic and the driving experience is very average!

[@kienmac518]

I'm getting my RAV4 2WD Hybrid in a few weeks. Waited exactly 1Yr almost... loading on most of the options... but found the Window Tinting from Toyota quite EXPENSIVE $500 for 2 windows... other charges for extra coating protection seemed expensive also... a Toyota dealer thing! With Japan Yen dropping it will be interesting if Toyota is dropping prices to reflect exchange... quick to go up but slow to drop prices.. I'm losing faith the value I get from a Toyota and considering other cars manufacturers such as BYD. I feel less extorted after the purchase

[@FFXIVArtist]

In this class there really isn't anything that will touch the Rav4's combination of fuel efficiency, power, features, practicality, reliability, resale value, ownership cost and dealer network support. It's just a truly all-round great product with nothing about it that can be considered a deal-breaker. The Honda CR-V Hybrid probably comes closest but is much more expensive than the Cruiser while also missing a few key features. The Rav4 will also beat it handily in fuel efficiency, resale value and dealer network. Nothing else even comes close.

[@chasingcars]

Yep. CR-V is close - albeit more expensive. We are running the Honda as a long-termer at the moment so considering whether it’s worth the upgrade from the Toyota.

[@Richard-sl8we]

Agreed, Toyota are very good at making good functional cars; RAV-4, Camry and Corolla. Nothing exciting, but are good at most things. Some may call it boring, but it's often the best at lowest overall cost motoring.

[@tonyz9066]

too many choice now, potential buyer will buy any other car instead wait 6 months, cheaper choice like h6 hybrid, same price like bud seal u

[@CT-uc6jw]

The excessive silver surfaces blinds me during my daily commute. Come on Toyota, silver=cheap look these days.

[@timothydevries383]

The weak Aussie dollar is making these basic new cars hideously expensive.

[@raynerlauder8226]

That car looks nice, but it is a plastic toy ! I have a 1998 Rav4 ! That one is so much better, i will never change to that one!

[@ians3859]

How dangerous, parking over double lines.

[@chasingcars]

No, because it is a private facility.

[@vsboy2577]

This channel is filled with nerds

[@chasingcars]

Fine by us

[@andrewlavender4311]

This just sounds like an ad for Toyota.

[@chasingcars]

Nope, we don’t do ads. It’s a generally positive review, because this continues to be a generally good car.

[@justsayno5176]

Honda CRV is miles above at least Europe's version 😂

[@Richard-sl8we]

But the RAV-4 hybrid is still the best seller in it's category in Oz, by a big margin. Honda is expensive to service and also needs servicing every 10k km, RAV-4 is every 15k km. I agree, the RAV-4 is not fancy; but it beats every car in the category in terms of functionality and low running costs.

[@chasingcars]

The CR-V is a really decent vehicle, but it’s also $4000 more expensive to buy and as Richard pointed out, less convenient to maintain if you do bigger miles.

[@holidayusa098]

Subaru Forester is much better

[@Richard-sl8we]

Disagree, monthly sales also support this; in this category Subaru is not in the top 5.

[@holidayusa098]

@@Richard-sl8we Really.. your a joke you never have looked at the forester : interior, space, safety etc

[@Richard-sl8we]

@@holidayusa098 Yes, looked at a Forester; engine and gearbox are not great, gutless. That's why I'm still a fan of diesel, Sportage has over 400 Nm of torque and gets 5.5 litres per 100km on the freeway on a long run. It also has an excellent 8-speed TC gearbox.

[@robertceroli3512]

until the tcv fails

[@Gopinathk17]

​@@holidayusa098Yes, Forester is a decent car..Interior comfort and safety are good. But its very underpowered, also the mpgs and resale values are better for Rav4, and its power train is not as reliable as Rav4, also I heard the maintenance costs are slightly high for Subaru.

[@hinan187]

Hyundai and Kia are better than Toyota.