Toyota RAV4 Prime City & 70 MPH Highway Range Tests

[@berthogendoorn722]

43 miles in cold weather is just awesome for the size of battery, way to go Toyota

[@kevinnagaoka5678]

43 miles is enough for me as the sole driver. This car is good for doing short errands. It isnt a Tesla. If you want longer range, go Full EV, like a Tesla.

[@WaywardAnalysis]

@@kevinnagaoka5678 But, if you want to go on a road trip, you want RAV 4 Prime so you don't have to make countless numbers of 30min to 1+ hour stops, instead of just 5 min stop after 500 miles or so and you do undertand that even +40 miles does not require having to re-charge, right? It's not like you are stuck after 40 miles errand, you go to hybrid mode and still get 40 mpg. I actually see no reason for EV, except if someone is just going to go less than 150 miles or less throughout their ownership of the car.....and you can go 500, 1000 or more miles in this car without needing to recharge. In fact, you never have to re-charge and just let regeneration along with 5 min stops every 500 miles (it'll go 560 miles after initial EV battery is depleted). EVs provide no freedom from needing 2+ hours of recharge for any considerable road trips...and all the off-highway drives to the EV chargers every two hours can make any long trips into a nightmare with EVs.

[@kevinnagaoka5678]

@@WaywardAnalysis I totally agree. One of the reasons why I wanted a prime over a Tesla. Long distance as in traveling outside city limits just make sense. But I am just talking about city driving in city limits. In Vancouver BC, there not many places that I go to that has open spots for charging consistently for errands. But yes I agree with what you are pointing out. 5mins to fill up and off you go vs 10mins to 45 mins at supercharging stations during long road trips.

[@badimpulses17]

It's been 6 months since I put gas in my Rav4 Prime. There is a Chargepoint near my work the first 2 hours of charging is free. I haven't spent a dime on gas or electric for 6 months. I put pump gas maybe 3 times a year when I go on trips.

[@schlotdoglaser]

I am getting a Prime XSE tomorrow. I will be using it to drive to work....about 150 miles. We have chargers at work and will be using them to recharge. When I am home the wife will use it to be-bop around town. I expect our gas cost to be cut in a third or even half.

[@einsweil]

I live on the Front Range in Colorado and have a Rav4 Prime (Maybe I'll see you around sometime, Kyle!). It's exactly what I needed to give me electric capability for daily use, but then long range gas capability for adventure in the mountains. Even here in Colorado where the charging infrastructure is relatively well built up and improving quickly, there are a lot of cases where our full EV car couldn't do what I want. The Prime recently replaced my gasoline only compact SUV. Let's say you wanted to bag a couple of 14ers on a long weekend... You'd drive out into the mountains to your first destination and camp overnight, but oh, no quick chargers nearby and very few AC chargers. You'd have to plan a long stop to make sure you get enough charge to get to your destination and back to the charger again, but then if you want to head to another trailhead with no chargers in between, you're stuck again. Further exploration into the Four Corners area is extra difficult. Heck, it's even hard to find a gas station around there sometimes. I think full EVs work well for people who stick to cities and interstates and mostly stay at hotels or guest houses. They don't work well if you tend to camp (I mean real in-the-forest camping, not at a developed campground) and string multiple days at different trailheads together and aren't really near much civilization for days at a time. That's why the Rav4 Prime is perfect for me, and I'm glad that it exists despite a lot of people questioning why!

[@scootsmcdoots80]

Good video. Don’t get me wrong but you seem pretty narrow minded with some comments you make. Example “why not make it a full electric”. There are many that don’t live in cities that love small SUVs. They’re making it so people can use electric power when doing short trips but not compromising when needing to travel a long way. Where I live there are upwards of 400 miles between towns so a gas or diesel would be needed. This would be great for me as I can use the EV when I’m staying in town and can still take the vehicle to the neighbouring areas.

[@qqqwark]

Exactly this, my company tried using full EV cars and after just 3 months they gave up, states gave the money to just waste on something that could not possibly work for medium to long range drives but hur dur EV , it’s all getting so tiresome. The same for me personally, this looks like a perfect combination EV for the city drive and engine for everything else which is mostly what I need it for.

[@justinkrizenesky]

Yeah, I'm not entirely sure this guy used his brain in the making of this video.

[@suniljotwani3462]

Yes exactly the reason why I bought my Prime for long trips with a range of nearly 600 miles. This is not for people who want to an EV.

[@OtherSteve]

Yeah. Really myopic and snobby approach to a review if you ask me, and (as a professional reviewer of tech products myself) seems to have done very little prep work/research going into the project, but *shrug* Oh well, still some helpful details in this video.

[@wphubert]

The ability to lock the power plug is changeable option on the dash. The lock could be useful when using a public charger and avoiding kids who might disconnect it as a prank.

[@byronconrad6468]

You probably dont care at all but does any of you know of a tool to log back into an instagram account..? I stupidly lost my password. I would appreciate any tricks you can offer me.

[@jacewalker5721]

@Byron Conrad Instablaster =)

[@byronconrad6468]

@Jace Walker Thanks for your reply. I got to the site through google and im in the hacking process now. Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@byronconrad6468]

@Jace Walker It worked and I finally got access to my account again. Im so happy! Thanks so much, you really help me out !

[@jacewalker5721]

@Byron Conrad You are welcome :)

[@ScottBergerMN]

Great gateway product for the masses. I hope Toyota starts building them in numbers.

[@qqqwark]

Gateway?

[@ScottBergerMN]

@@qqqwark Yep -- as in "gateway" to a full EV, etc.

[@qqqwark]

Well depending, EV are the lesser options compared to phev from a practical and effective stand point, people that are looking into EVs can just get them since they are just looking into EV nothing more, it shouldn’t be compared how practical it is because its not going to be. The phev versions need to get ranges above 130km in the one charge to be a perfect combination, currently mostly they have to low range and EVs needs a lot to be of any use for anyone that’s using the car for medium to long range driving

[@WaywardAnalysis]

@@qqqwark I think PHEV like this fits the bill because unlike pure EVs, one is not stuck with needing to recharge every 2-3 hours. They can continue to drive. Usually on weekdays most people don't go more than 50 miles, so, is it a big deal to spend 1/4 gallon of gas for these longer daily errands? With EVs, one has NO other options but needing a time consuming recharge, with PHEV, the hybrid mode can be used to continue the journey. EVs are only acceptable for people who recharge their car every day and don't make medium to long trips, people who don't mind the restrictions... because they don't drive more than 15K a year and dutifully re-charge their car.

[@qqqwark]

Yes my point exactly, EV are for city driving and small community driving, going on a trip or mid size drive range you will just get frustrated! On top of that most countries are going „green energy „ wind and solar so price of kWh is expensive and you don’t save money with EV

[@tom_hoots]

Kyle -- a few comments: First of all, about the "appliance." Sigh. "Not everyone wants a sports car." You're talking like the "car magazines" that won't give any pages to anything with less than 800 horsepower. Please, I think that most people "love their cars." Let me put this into perspective for you: "You do burnouts in your car." "You do burnouts in your $50,000 car." When I see someone doing burnouts in their car, I think, "Why don't you just take a sledge hammer to it?" "Why don't you just bash in a couple of fenders, bash in the windshield?" It's all "abuse," to me. Most of us don't buy cars we can just wad up and throw away after a year or two -- we pay for years, and hope to keep our cars for years after we're done paying for them. We take care of them. We clean them. Some of us do it every single day. And the guys who just have got to have all that horsepower? A Dodge Challenger entered the freeway behind me the other day, and then weaved through traffic that was going 65 MPH, while he accelerated to over 95 MPH. At least you have a track where you can use a car's performance safely. Beats me what the other folks are doing, other than getting tickets and risking everyone else on the road. OK? Whatever the case was with the "rest of the battery" that it wouldn't use, if it got 43 miles all-electric, that's nicely over its claimed 41-mile range, and that would work fine for most folks. Just get an electric car? Just get an electric car? Just get an electric car? Sorry, but the infrastructure just isn't there in many places. Some of us have reasons why we couldn't charge a full electric vehicle at our homes -- we live in apartments, we live in old houses that would cost big bucks to add infrastructure to do anything but 120-volt charging, and so on. With the RAV4 Prime and over 40 miles on electric power, we can just plug into 120, let it charge all night, and virtually never add a drop of gasoline, so long as we're doing our daily commute, shopping, and so on. And if we go beyond that 40-mile range, we don't have to fight the charging system -- we can keep on going. Even if we get to the point where "most people are driving electric vehicles," the charging infrastructure is woefully inadequate for that -- what do you do when you get to your destination, and need to charge up to get home, but all of the chargers are full, and the cars will be there for hours? It's not so much a problem now, but what happens when there are ten times as many electric cars? I'm just not that willing to make my one and only car that vulnerable to whatever infrastructure I might or might not find. There is all kinds of news about revolutions to come in battery electric vehicles -- perhaps some day they will make more sense. But now, using battery power for 95% of my driving, that can reasonably be charged via 120-volt infrastructure, and having a gasoline engine for the times when I need more range, well, that makes a whole lot more sense to me. And so on. That said, I appreciate everything you do. But yes, we love our SUV's and other "boring" cars. Trust me.

[@williem8510]

Well said almost like hes paid to bash the car I loved my Rav4prime XSE like having the best of both worlds. Only complaint is I Can never get 38mpg. I get around 33. BTW my tires came with 46psi off the truck, I thought that was too much. So I dropped it to 41psi

[@suvari225]

@@williem8510 That's why people should consider full electric. PHEVs are extra complicated and you are still getting 33mpg... Our 7 years old gas powered Mazda CX5 can get 31mpg. Long range EVs has a lot of range and infrastructure is not bad at all right now. It was worse 3-4 years ago, but argument about missing infrastructure is not true at all and keep in mind it will get a lot better in just a few years. Then, PHEVs will look unnecessary even more.

[@WaywardAnalysis]

@@suvari225 What HP does your Mazda CX-5 get? and Willie is talking about EV range only, the hybrid part of the car will still gets the 500+ miles off a full tank irrespective of the temperature...as the hybrid part is mainly gas too.

[@WaywardAnalysis]

These sites are filled with racetrack, NASCAR wannabees who want cars that can weave through 55 mph traffic at 95 and use the exit lane to pass car while fantasizing about NASCAR and Racetrack. They want cars that looks good (to their wannabee NASCAR friends) in the driveway.....22+ inch tires, which are useless with 1/2 the wear longetivity and no tolerance to any non-perfect road and the loud exhaust sound; those are the cars they fall in love with...

[@Kee_Didnt]

It reserves that extra power for a reason :). If it didn't reserve that power, you wouldn't always have the 302 claimed HP. Can you imagine a dangerous situation where you were counting on the AWD, and it just wasn't working because you depleted the battery? Or if you were in another dangerous situation where you were counting on the acceleration, but you just got the gas engine? I think this is the most genius feature of the whole car!

[@WaywardAnalysis]

and the battery is always re-generating, while one drives...though, sometimes this regeneration is quite slow, thus the HP, AWD and hybrid mode mpg is always mantained throughout the drive.

[@larzlarz7005]

That's actually not the reason why. Every EV or PVEH has to stop the battery draw when the get to about 10% of capacity because the voltage has dropped too much. Allowing the vehicle to keep running in this brown-out state will start burning up electronic components. Once the engine is fired up, the generator attached to the engine will instantly bring system voltage back up into a safe zone where the system can be run at full load.

[@daniellouis8722]

The gas engine is for those who live in areas where electricity may be an issue or reliable charging stations...I.e the rest of the world

[@qqqwark]

Or for those who need to drive medium to long trips

[@internetabyss]

I have the exact car but in gray. My gas and electric doors don't squeak either. There is settings that you that will unlock the electric lock holding the charging handle or not lock it at all. Many of the reviewers that have the car for a short period of time miss out on all the little settings that are in the dash menu as there is also a settings menu for the car in the infotainment. Just so you know there is around 100 -150 miles left in the huge gas reserve after the gauges all are at zero range left. Technically the Rav4 Prime is the fastest car Toyota fully manufactures in Japan, the supra is a BMW for the most part. The pseudo shift paddles on the steering wheel are used to get more regen put the gear shifter in sport, it holds it. Use the dynamic cruise control everywhere if you want to get the best mpg on hybrid or full EV. Yes the Prime gets the full $7500 tax refund. There is also of people like myself that are in love with the car and there are forums on the net with thousands of people that love the Rav4 prime. People like myself flew across country to get the car and I drove 1800 miles to get it back to TX from CT. Many have done the same as the car has only been sold in the 12 ZEV states. I had the choice of a Tesla model Y or The Toyota Rav4 Prime XSE, on my personal break down The Rav4 Prime check off more boxes for my needs. 600 Miles gas range and 40 miles is huge, full electric for small trips and 600 miles for long trips. Have you ever sat and waited for a super charger?? Have you tried to find a super charger in cities that done have them? The reason why the Rav4 Prime is due to keeping the long life expectancy (150k miles) of the battery and keeps the hybrid functionality. Once Solid State batteries are main stream and I can get 10 minute fill ups and 600 mile range then ill jump on the full EV bandwagon.

[@daboob24]

Could not agree with you more 💯 going to be doing the same thing and flying to go get one and drive it back home here real soon

[@abeiam1357]

I’m with you on this

[@anthonyg8435]

Where would you recommend purchasing one? I'm on an 18-month waiting list in Michigan which is ridiculous any suggestions would be helpful 👍

[@internetabyss]

@@anthonyg8435 Im in Texas, I put a bounty on messages board on Reddit and others for $500 and listed the exact RAV4 Prime I wanted. Someone told me in 4 days that the car was coming to a dealership in Connecticut. I called the dealer and did the deal on the phone. In 2 weeks it’s arrived which it was one of the first XSE Premiums to arrive in the country. I flew out picked up my new SUV and drove 30 hours straight to my home in Dallas and was the first Prime registered in Texas.

[@anthonyg8435]

@@internetabyss wow cool story 👍👍.

[@sahilp70248]

Anyone notice he drove through a red at 8:43?

[@damienrozon1393]

Yep I sure did, that wasn't so good!

[@moultonlavagaming]

So where I live I rent a house and there isn't any high speed charging anywhere where I live. A plug-in hybrid makes a lot of sense for me

[@TeslaDragon]

The charge handle lock is indeed a setting. You can disable the lock entirely, or have it auto-lock and remain locked until unlocking with the key, or you can have it auto-lock and then auto-unlock once charging completes. The "blue" area of the battery is the buffer reserved to keep the depth-of-discharge lower on the battery, and for use in HV mode for things like instant acceleration. The blue area isn't really proportional from what I can tell; it's not actually reserving 25% of the battery capacity for HV mode like the gauge would make it seem. There's somewhere around 14-15 kWh usable out of 18 kWh, similar to the 2016+ Chevy Volt.

[@TeslaDragon]

Also I've noticed the same brake blending weirdness you did...it seems to be better if the brakes are a little bit warmed up. I almost wonder if Toyota changed brake pads for the Prime but didn't re-calibrate their software for them.

[@timtoni123]

Thank you so much for the video. I have a RAV4 prime as well as a Prius prime. Here’s a little hack that helps with EV mileage when using for EV mode. If you only fill your gas tank to a quarter or a half. You’ll be surprised what the weight saving does for your electrical miles. I have not put gas in my Vehicles at all this year.

[@kreator-ys1yz]

Sly person you are...Interesting observation. How about we also ditch the spare tire also. Jk

[@LookieChannel]

Really? The RAV4 tank is like 60liters max I think, so if I put half, does the 30kg really make that difference?? Than I should loose some weight too :D

[@anjansingh3093]

how about driving naked? no shoes, clothes, phones?

[@jpdoc5722]

nice 👍 ( I wish hybrid is a Plug-in 😞)

[@growler1149]

Unless your putting ethanol free gas in the car it’s a good idea to use the gas to basically cycle it. Hate to see you save money on gas and have the regular gas go bad. Flushing out the system would be costly.

[@InternetDude]

I have my name on the list for a RAV4 Prime. It’s really an excellent all-around vehicle. Stylish, dependable, AWD, good cargo space, very good EV range, etc. Perfect? No but did I mention it’s a Toyota so it will last and last without any drama? For the record I had a plug-in Prius before going to Tesla, that car had limitations let me tell you!! No heat without the gas engine running, too small of EV range, etc.

[@EdWord1583]

It doesn't let you use the blue section so you can have the full power of acceleration in hybrid mode vs other PHEVs get slower when the battery goes flat. Helps for towing and long climbs to keep it from going into turtle mode like other PHEVs do.

[@douglasalanthompson]

I love the Police Leaf shout out. Our municipal vehicles here on north side of Chicago are Leafs too. Super use case for them.

[@sg1friz]

All government vehicles should be leaf

[@rncondie]

Today I drove 28 miles to work on the interstate with temps around 55 degrees F and I drove between 65 mph and 72 mph and I netted 2.7 miles per kWh Usable battery is 14.68 kWh x 2.7 miles = 39.6 miles of range Not bad. Around town under 30 mph I can net 3.3 miles per kWh x 14.68 = 48.4 miles of range. The absolute best I have netted from a full charge has been 50 miles of range with 75% around town under 30 mph the other 25% around 65 mph If temps drop to where the heat pump turns on which is around 40 degrees you will loose between 15% -20% range.

[@voltspc9394]

The plug not comming out is a security thing so someone can’t unplug your car if you park in a public place

[@voltspc9394]

8:40 damn just ran that red light lol

[@billcox9792]

Hope you do a review of the Ford Escape PHEV once it becomes available. The Kuga reviews make it look promising. As a Leaf owner (2015), I think the PHEV is a great compromise until battery and charging technology further improve. I've been using ABRP to model my usual road trips virtually with 3 Long Range, Mach-e and Ariya. If all the stars align and I owned the Tesla, I could almost do my road trips in a comparable drive time to my ICE. But, as your many road trips demonstrate, the stars seldom align. I honestly don't have the patience to sit at a charger for 30ish minutes so road tripping an EV isn't something I see myself doing yet. For local trips, the Leaf is my preferred ride. On the road, the PHEV and ICE better fit my disposition. Living in rural Georgia, also limits my choices to the Big 3 and Nissan. Love your videos Kyle. Keep up the great work.

[@JohnDiMartino]

I know this is an old video but I just watched it and your comment at 18:18 Really aggravated me. You seem pretty ignorant as to what you’re actually driving even though it’s on a big emblem on the fender, lyou are not driving a full EV,Yet you make comments, as if you expect it to perform like one.You went 43 miles in cold weather in EV mode ,It has plenty of power in EV mode, you went further than it’s rated to go,Instead of being happy you’re aggravated because it won’t let you use the last bit of battery. Remember that part about it not being a full EV.Maybe you’re not aware of this but the high-voltage battery is what starts the gasoline engine. The 12 V battery simply runs the interior and lights. It does not start the gasoline engine and jumping it would not help it if you ran the EV battery dead.You want to use the rest of the high-voltage battery ,and that is what it needed to start the car,now do you see why that’s a problem, it’s not there for you to use, it already delivered the full rated distance it was advertised to give. If it gave you what you wanted you would be stranded when your gasoline engine wouldn’t start,And you had a dead HV battery.Not only is this a big problem it’s very bad for the battery to run the it that low anyway, unfortunately people need to be babysat clearly or one of them.

[@petegalindez9961]

Watching this again as I’m about to purchase a RAV4 Prime SE with the climate and moonroof package. I agree the XSE is not worth it, even without the tax credit. I’d get a Volvo if I’m getting into that area…The dilemma between PHEVs and EVs is a good discussion. I owned a Tesla Mode y and still have my Model 3. While they were both good on long trips to see my parents which is over 600 miles, but it ‘s a bit of a hassle to stop and charge for a longer period than for gas. As a result, we’re getting the Prime. EV range is deal for my commute to and from work (19 miles each way), and the room is enough for our long trips (we currently have an ICE CRV that we use that we’re selling). But, as someone who doesn’t make long trips that often, having a large battery that I won’t use most of the time was somewhat of a waste. Especially until they get the recycling process down. Til then, the PHEV is hard to beat. Interesting comment about the braking…some other reviews mention they liked the brake feel…

[@anjansingh3093]

volvo will break 10 times more than this toyota.

[@P.EVA1]

Yes, you can change the power plug to allow it to be removed without unlocking the car. It is a setting in the computer screen of the dash.

[@borisdemelo]

Thanks for making this. Very interesting. Have you done this test with the Clarity PHEV?

[@petegalindez9961]

I’m looking hard at this vehicle. I own 2 TESLAs (3 and Y), but want a PHEV for my son to drive...From what I understand, by making this a PHEV vice all electric, you can make a lot more of them (although making 5k of them isn’t proving that point) and use smaller batteries. And, since most people don’t need much more than 40 miles of EV range for 90% of what they do, you eliminate the range anxiety by having the backup engine...Not sure why you are so surprised it kicked out of EV mode at 43 miles...that’s beyond what it’s rated for...Great review! Hope my local Toyota dealer will get one so I can test drive it. I’d get the 3kw charger in my build...will mostly charge it up overnight, so extra speed not worth the price. FWIW, the Kia PHEVs also require you to click the unlock button to take out the charger. Not a bad thing so someone can’t just come up to your car and pull it out. That said, they should have it so that if you approach with the key, it unlocks.

[@daves1646]

Lower segment (blue below split) is the hybrid use portion of the battery that is available to permit full hybrid capability (gas and electric supplement of propulsion). AND 42 is 1 over the stated 42 miles of range in EV mode)

[@TWARDOWSKY.]

And what the fuel consumtion in full range ~600miles with full battery on full range on hay way in hybrid mode?

[@aharquail]

Perfect vehicle. Hopefully Toyota makes more PRIME models. I live on the west coast of Canada (Vancouver Island) and between work, driving kids to and from school, grocery shopping etc I only drive about 15km (9 miles) per day. However, the ski resort is 260 km (160 miles) round trip and the surf town is 415 km (260 miles) round trip. We do a lot of camping, biking, hiking and I'm not ready to go full electric for our main vehicle. Would like to see a Sienna Prime and 4Runner Prime to have a few more options in the next 2-3 years.

[@babyganga8786]

Make sure to order one ASAP bc in Québec it's a 2 year wait time, I just reserved mine

[@davesutherland1864]

At 16:45 you asked why not make it a full EV. If you go to 12:45 of this video you answer your question.

[@802asher]

Main reasons for getting a PHEV instead of EV are RANGE and LACK OF CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE. 500 miles vs 220 miles of range when you are driving in the winter with your entire family? Seems like a good idea to me. Every time you hit the road in many places with an EV, there is some level of stress as to whether you can actually find a working charger when you need one. And regardless of whether you find a charger, a 4 hour drive is often going to take you 4.5 to 4.75 hours depending on which charger you find and what you are driving for an EV. Driving around Boston and New York metro areas (and namely in between), there aren't a lot of chargers you run into where at least one charger isn't out of service and most are fully occupied during daytime hours. Driving into Northern New England, good luck finding an available fast charger. There isn't one (non-Tesla) charger with a charge rate over 50 kwh in the entire state of Vermont (many fast chargers go to 350 kwh). I think it is a bit of a failure of both public policy and private enterprise that there are not chargers at every single rest area in between these densely packed metro areas. WHY not??? I think part of it is that the grid is not up to the challenge in many of these more rural areas beside the interstate. Part of that could relate that a lot of the companies are offering years of free charging, so there is limited money to be made off chargers? Not sure how manufacturers are reimbursing the charging companies or what not. And too many companies seem to be reliant on Electrify America for their network when they are constantly having issues with chargers going down. Charging at home is great if you have that ability, but charging on the road in 2023 is so arduous with the current network. Also noteworthy is that fast charging regularly is damaging to the battery- not advisable to do even on a weekly basis! If your family already has one EV, a PHEV is the perfect option for a second vehicle. Why commit fully to EVs when you are clearly at a disadvantage for ability to move around? Not when they get the dry cell battery tech figured out (Toyota and others working on it) where you can get a 'flash charge' in under 5 mins and have a bit more range with an EV, and the infrastructure is in place, then EVs will be a no brainer. Until then, the PHEV is still quite a swiss army knife of efficiency and practicality. With PHEVs like this one, you are retaining basically all of the benefits of an EV when you are driving locally around home, yet still have that capacity to roam wherever you please without a worry.

[@jpdoc5722]

only if we can find one 😞, ( forget about reasonably priced 🤦‍♂️ )

[@802asher]

@@jpdoc5722 Tons of Rav4 Primes and Tucson PHEVs in Boston metro right now. Hyundais are $3k off in some places and Rav4 Prime has a $6,500 off lease deal that you can buy out of immediately and realize about half of that discount (taxes here and lease buyout fee of $699 negate about half of that amount).

[@greggclarkjr9387]

Giving the information and doing testing that matters. This vehicle has to be geared toward the growing exurban communities.

[@berthogendoorn722]

we actually have one of those old Rav4 EV with Tesla drive train in Sechelt, BC!

[@theodoredeleon6660]

Your so lucky. Poor Toyota. Their ROI with tesla would have been billions. Fuck toyota. Rumor has it that tesla engineers and toyota engineers couldn't get along when they made your car. Toyota engineers insisted that tesla engineers had no clue how to make a car. Here we are today and the CEO is so pissed at Tesla. He's so pissed at Tesla, he swears toyota makes food and tesla only has recipes.

[@hoantrinh2816]

I do quite like the premise of the RAV4 Prime, 43 miles of electric range is enough for a lot of folks. A crazy efficient gas engine that get close to 40 mpg for all the other times is super convenient.

[@InternetDude]

For sure. Add in AWD, towing capacity, and dependability and you have a fantastic all around vehicle.

[@DUNGSTA]

Only 50k for a fully loaded one! 😭

[@alanmay7929]

@@DUNGSTA you don't need to buy the fully loaded version.

[@DUNGSTA]

@@alanmay7929 yes I do 😭

[@williem8510]

Yes I Did :)

[@KeeperOfTheSevenKeys.]

Any plans to test the Ford Escape? The RAV4 is better on spec but I'm more interested in the Escape for being a cheaper intermediary, especially for my parents who aren't totally sold on EVs yet. At the RAV4's price I think you should just buy a full BEV. A PHEV needs to be cheaper but also have 30-40 miles of EV range imo to be both worth the buy, and be practical for the average commute. Many PHEVs simply have too little range at around 20 miles for a lot of drives to get to work and back on pure EV range.

[@InsideEVsUS]

Yes, we will in the next few months for sure.

[@KeeperOfTheSevenKeys.]

@@InsideEVsUS Awesome ♡

[@howardparker6342]

i have my RAV4 PIH hopefully arriving this week. Very interesting review and imho over 30 miles on EV mode rattling along at 70mph isn’t that shabby.

[@markschrader7223]

Can you please help me with scheduling a charge!!?? I have yet to successfully charge on a schedule!! I couldn't take the 11 hour wait haha so i installed a 240 level 2 charger, it only takes 2.5 hours so much better. My new level 2 also can be scheduled for a charge so any help would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you

[@802asher]

The Hyundai Tucson 100% hits its 33-mile range on a 50 degree day. Maybe not on a 25 degree day. Gas engine will run for heat at 50F if you have HVAC on in the Tucson. Surprised at how many reviewers are making an issue about the range difference if the things do the exact same mileage in EV mode on the highway...Tucson PHEV also has a smoother sounding engine and leather seats at much lower price point. Biggest diff in the two vehicles I believe is the fact that Tucson uses gas engine for heat, but I am still getting 50+ mpgs around town (better the longer the in town drive) and over 100 mpgs highway when engine is running in background. You need to burn some gas off here or there or you are going to get stale gas. Gas goes stale in 3-6 months.

[@garyclark6747]

If you can commute on all electric what is the recommendation for stabilizing the fuel that may go used for weeks if not months on end? Amount of fuel, avoiding condensation and keeping it fresh.

[@InternetDude]

Well you could put Stabil in the tank but better would be to only keep 1/4 tank of gas in there and add a few gallons every few months. The amount of EV vs hybrid driving is such an individual situation type of thing. The Prime isn’t for everyone but there is a large percentage of the population where it makes a lot of sense if you want to save fuel but not ready to go full EV.

[@tompappas2695]

5 fill-ups a year implies each tank is used up in about 70 days, well before it goes stale, and accounts in total for less than 4k non-elec hybrid miles out of a typical 10-12k. So primarily electric. My XSE coming in mid Feb and that's what I plan to do.

[@InternetDude]

@@tompappas2695 I have a R4P on order, hope to have it in the next month. Sub my channel as I will have a video...

[@wzDH106]

If it's designed anything like the Volt, then it has a pressurized tank with some sort of automatic fuel maintenance mode, allowing new fuel to enter upstream. We never had to worry about the fuel in the Volt, never added anything, and we go months without running the engine.

[@kevineastler9001]

You could use ethanol-free fuel if it’s available in your area - that should help. Shelf life of pure gasoline is 3-6 months, but only 1-3 months for ethanol. The idea above of only keeping the tank partially full is good suggestion, also.

[@hollypark2752]

the car reserves a small portion of the traction battery for HV mode. Thus, the battery gauge is in 2 sections. one is for hybrid mode, one is for ev mode. so the lower portion is for hybrid mode. You are correct, you cannot use the entire battery for EV. Toyota's range numbers for EV mode is not for the entire battery, but for the available EV portion of the traction battery (upper portion of the gauge).

[@timdsd]

Regarding the supersized charge port door, I read that it's designed to accomodate charger connectors in all international markets. Could that be the case?

[@kostasmilisis]

Hello great review! can you please breakdown the 99mpg? is it with the car mainly charged? what is the average on city and highway? also what is the average when the battery is depleted?

[@rncondie]

After 6 months owning a Rav 4 Prime 90% of my driving has been in EV Works great for my needs Happy as punch

[@philmanglicmot2528]

As you continue the helpful information research on the Rav 4 Prime can you operate this Rav 4 prime without passenger and back seats, to set up a camping type vehicle? Also support a portable refrigerator, without the key turned on, if possible functioning estimate running time a weekend would be a good base. Plus run a portable microwave or instant pot. Still without key turned on. Hoping this Prime will allow better off the the grid fun. Best regards, Mango.

[@derekrivera9487]

Nice video Boss I have that model in silver but my charge for some reason only goes to 28-32 miles. I took it in and toyota always gives me a run around plus no one know how install any software for the dash it's so frustrating I want to get the full experience but so far it's a no go.😔💔 Side question do you have any tips to get more use in ev mode I saw at 27:57 your ev economy and your fuel economy was maxed out to 60 and your getting the 99mpg🤯 mine stays at around 40mpg

[@ht3880]

Maybe it's 40mpg over the lifetime. Hold OK on that screen to reset the average. Also he's been driving 100% city so it'll be higher than if you drove both city and highway.

[@theexmann]

Range anxiety is still a worry for many people which is why the Prime is NOT a full EV. Also, a full EV Rav4 would obviously be more expensive because it would require a much bigger battery and more robust charging infrastructure for high level 2/3 recharging. Toyota has announced that they will finally come out with 2 full EVs next year and another PHEV this year. They should make an official announcement soon.

[@johncrump328]

Good video I still cannot get that 600 miles of range, though. By the way, EVs and PHEVs do not produce fewer emissions when you take into account the emissions created in the production of these types of vehicles-specifically the production of the battery to say nothing about the disposal of the battery. I bought my Prime because of Toyota’s reputation, 87 octane fuel need, and the federal and state tax benefit. Drafting advantage? Wouldn’t you need to be tailgating horribly?

[@WaywardAnalysis]

If you ever have to drive more than 400 miles roundtrip, pure EVs, including Tesla is useless, unless you want to take all day to make your commute. Not too fond of 30min stops every two hours....even if the EVs say 300+ miles, most EVs drivers make tons of stops to prevent the hour+ stops when the EV is near empty. In my opinion, this vehicle is superior to BMW X3, X5, Mercedes GLC and others because of panaromic roof, better audio system and double the fuel efficiency along with longer range and comparable acceleration. I like to make multiple annual 1- 7k round trips and under no condition could I even consider pure EVs, I don't have enough vacation days for the EV vehicles.

[@Vxvx22]

Is heating (from air vent) available when the car is in EV-only mode?

[@verynick]

Yes. Prime has a heat pump that does not use gasoline/engine

[@wzDH106]

All assumptions here, but once the battery reaches typical hybrid, Prius mode, levels it assumes the engine will be used..... thus requiring a quick warm-up for further hybrid operation.

[@14u2nv9]

Will you be reviewing/testing the Sienna hybrid?

[@InsideEVsUS]

I will! But it won’t end up on this channel since there’s no plug. It’ll be on Out of Spec Reviews - Kyle

[@johncrump328]

Good video I still cannot get that 600 miles of range, though. By the way, EVs and PHEVs do not produce fewer emissions when you take into account the emissions created in the production of these types of vehicles-specifically the production of the battery to say nothing about the disposal of the battery. I bought my Prime because of Toyota’s reputation, 87 octane fuel need, and the federal and state tax benefit.

[@Pekirt79]

Hey Kyle, love your videos! Can you test the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid? I would love to see a range test since it can go over 30 miles electric and I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

[@InsideEVsUS]

Tom has one coming up in a couple weeks he will test on video for us! - Kyle

[@ht3880]

I've had one for 2 1/2 years and it can easily get 26-28 miles on electric at 70 mph without using climate control. The only bad thing is you won't be able to replicate the testing since it does not have an HV Hold Mode.

[@tomrybold]

thanks for the video

[@berthogendoorn722]

From what I learned is that this PHEV exceeds what I thought was an efficient vehicle the Chevy Volt (appears aerodynamic, small etc), absolutely numming that this large vehicle gets better efficiency, so Toyota get us some EV's you know how to make them efficient!!!

[@updlate4756]

The Volt was never the most efficient vehicle in terms of gas or electric efficiency, but the Rav4 Prime doesn't have better MPG or electric efficiency than the Gen 2 Volt; not to say it doesn't do pretty good for its size. I imagine the Volt has a better drag coefficient, so the range drop off between city driving and highway driving should be proportionally smaller than the drop off in the Rav4 Prime. The RAV4 is also a brand new vehicle using the latest tech and batteries as of 2020, whereas the last update to the Volt happened in 2016, which was a refresh of the version they introduced in 2011, and likely used a lot of the same components.

[@frumpd63]

We were super excited for this vehicle until we learned that it won't get Openpilot support due to Toyota adding CAN encryption. Spent 6 months on a waiting list but ordered a Model Y instead.

[@karlsindrebaathengelstad2126]

Thank you for telling me this, I was planning on going for the Prime! (Well, Plug-in Hybrid here in Europe). But would that encryption indeed apply to all markets? And is the non-Prime hybrid still good?

[@frumpd63]

@@karlsindrebaathengelstad2126 The hybrid still works but the Prime, Venza, and maybe new Sienna all use Toyota's latest architecture and so have the encryption. I think all the Primes are currently built in Japan so won't be different based on market. It's possible Comma could eventually crack it but for now, they have too many other priorities.

[@InternetDude]

Thanks for the heads up! I had looked into Comma.

[@mletouutube]

It is like the Prius Prime. There is an EV only alocated battery then the rest of the battery is used for the hybrid mode.

[@cjoe6908]

For Toyota, the EV is only an asist, gas/hybrid is still the norm. They don't believe in using batteries only yet, environmentally or technically. The EV on this car serves as an enhancement of performance for the car, by giving more torque at the start. This car is meant to be used with the Auto mode, although the EV mode is good enough for many situations.

[@luiggi0102]

I like it but my daily commute is 110 miles . I’ll wait for a full electric version of it

[@caseyat88]

Excellent. My family of 5, could make great use of a RAV4 Prime. As for the PHEV debate, I currently am against it. For commuting and errands, we use two, sub 100-mile range BEVs, a MB B-Class ED and a Fiat 500e, we bought both of them used for 17k total. Over 90% of our road miles are EV. We use our older Corolla for the 2-3 road trips we take a year. No need to lug around a gas engine for city commuting and errand running, and no need to lug a large battery around on a long road trip. That's my take, though I applaud anyone who gets a PHEV, if they can only have 1 car, as it is the next best thing. Having a long range EV is best, but in my price range, my location and destination needs, currently I can't make it happen, just yet.

[@qqqwark]

The problem with long range EV is it’s just usable for that range that it has. Or you just waste a huge amount of time , in the 3 months my company was using them we had approximately 40% longer traveling time which turned out into a total chaos

[@williem8510]

the tesla model y weighs just as much as the rav4 prime

[@goldwingrocks3859]

EV No, PHEV yes. Redundancy is key in cold climates. Toyota way too costly for that Prime. Only thing I see with that prime is the power it produces. Thanks for the video.

[@petegalindez9961]

Not sure why you’re confused about Toyota not marketing a full EV RAV4…batteries are expensive and heavy! Also, why are you confused about the battery range…you’ve driven a bunch of PHEVs…I’ve always found, and it’s the same for my Kia Niro PHEV, that it kicks out of EV mode when it reaches the blue. The hybrid system is always working, so it needs to reserve battery for that part of the car…Besides it’s in the manual…makes perfect sense.

[@Jeff-yf8pf]

2022 rav4 ev was announced

[@sushi8204]

I just love then someone who doesn't know the car reviews it. 399 on a full tank. No way. If the tank is full it should show over 500 miles. My shows 510. Full charge shows 55 miles. Am I getting it? No. Maybe 48-50 miles but certainly not 39 miles. So why making it PHEV? That is because many of us love to travel long distances without stopping every 2 hours. Also, you drove aggressively so that is why you got 43 miles. And the reserve is for Hybrid so that is why you can't drive and use the full battery. You know that hybrid uses battery also, right? Just love the guys who don't know anything test cars.

[@sv991311]

I dont get it 🤔 Tank size is 14 gallons 94 mpge 14x94=1316 mpge full tank? 🤔

[@Sandwich137]

94 miles = 1 gallon of gas + 1 full battery it’s stupid way of calculating EV numbers. In reality it gets like 40mpg total

[@erikpenabella599]

MPGe is supposed to be miles per gallon equivalent. The better way to determine its efficiency is to calculate cost per mile. With gasoline, you take cost per gallon divided by miles per gallon. With electric, you take cost per kilowatt hour divided by kilowatts per mile. Depending on where you live and how much it costs for both will determine which is more cost efficient.

[@borisdemelo]

With the point about using the full battery. Using the gas engine alone if the battery runs out will be very inefficient given the weight of this car. Having the battery reserve some energy for assist is necessary to maintain decent MPG in hybrid mode.

[@DUNGSTA]

It gets 38 mpg...

[@alanmay7929]

The engine is actually amazing and very efficient, it runs on Atkinson cycle

[@rncondie]

Wind is a killer for our Rav 4 Prime. At 70 mph no wind in cold temps I can get about 34 miles of range Temps above 60 degrees at 70 mph no wind I can get 38 miles of range. The heat pump pulls 30 amps and operates down to 14 degrees F If above 60 degrees the heat pump will not be on pulling 30 amps

[@sg1friz]

I need one of these for the golf course!

[@petegalindez9961]

Not sure why you’re confused about Toyota not marketing a full EV RAV4…batteries are expensive and heavy! Also, why are you confused about the battery range…you’ve driven a bunch of PHEVs…I’ve always found, and it’s the same for my Kia Niro PHEV, that it kicks out of EV mode when it reaches the blue. The hybrid system is always working, so it needs to reserve battery for that part of the car…

[@DJTrinivibes4U]

Price ridiculous now 😩😩

[@lowk3yo]

Still think they are innovative for sticking to what they know. I feel more fees will come come with full blown EV, hence no gas tax. Lot of states aren't set for full blowm EV and charging, not to mention cross country trips

[@basicallybangbang]

It's a setting

[@sptrader6316]

Rav4 Prime eliminates the range anxiety of a full EV. No need for Toyota to go EV. Rav4 Prime gets much better range than EV's too.

[@wgemini4422]

Maybe this is a Canadian thing, but there is no comparably pure electric vehicle in Canada. The Prime is $45K (not counting the $5K government rebate). The Leafs is $44K, being a much smaller car. The Bolt is cheaper at $38K, but again a much smaller car. The Tesla model 3 is $53K. It is only $46K if you choose 151km range which is not upgradable. The model Y is $70K and no government rebate. To me, PHEV makes no sense, especially with another car for long drives, but there's no alternative.

[@golfish8589]

Kyle, if you listen to yourself you will know why people buy phev's. 1. People like to explore offroad 2. Infrastructure socks. You said it at the beginning of your video. Don't you have a BMW I3 PHEV with range extender. 70-120 mile range depending on battery size

[@John-209]

I struggle with PHEV. It makes sense but then they make no sense. Why drive around in ev mode all the time and drag along that big ice system when I rarely go over 40 miles a day

[@markfitzpatrick6692]

209John there are people that like the protection of the gas back up. Everyone doesn’t need to be the same. I like full electric but can see why someone would by it Toyota has been great cars for me I have had 5

[@John-209]

@@markfitzpatrick6692 I agree with you Mark I am about to buy one tonight and I am just struggling with it a little bit. We have a Tesla and a Nero EV but I need something a little bigger. I wish they made a fully electric Ford bigger SUV but it looks like a plug in Pacifica.I agree on the Toyotas though my 2005 Avalon has 300 K miles and runs in drives like a new car

[@InternetDude]

Using the same logic why haul around 800-1,000 pounds of battery in a full EV for 40 miles per day?

[@mmavcanuck]

@@InternetDude exactly. Either way you’re carrying around extra weight

[@markfitzpatrick6692]

@@InternetDude people do what they want. I got my Prius for good gas milage when no evs existed. I still like my car. You and Kyle need to realize not everyone will go full ev until they have to. Even if you don’t think it is logical people are happy with hybrids and this looks like a winner if you want a hybrid

[@carlosedgarcruzcorrea1615]

Yea no! Some of us don’t want the commitment of a full EV. EV charging infrastructure has only gotten worse. So a very efficient SUV makes sense in the market today 2024. Look at where EV sales are now vs hybrid cars. Plug in is where it is at for our current time. Not EV. Not yet.

[@kabbythedog9409]

Everyone knows why Toyota isn’t full ev / I may get one of these as my other Toyota’s get 14 and 24 combined

[@gondorian1006]

Don't forget about the Honda Clarity PHEV. More electric range than the RAV4, lower price, and even though it is only stocked at California dealerships you can order it nationwide.

[@InternetDude]

Uglier, way less utility, no towing capability, and no AWD. But a good fit for some. The trunk is a total deal breaker when I looked into the car.

[@DUNGSTA]

No power. No ground clearance. No babes!

[@alanmay7929]

The honda clarity is not an SUV and the toyota hybrid system is the best in the world, people have been living in their 2010 prius for years now and travelling countries

[@theodoredeleon6660]

I still prefer the Prius.

[@sg1friz]

My Diesel 2500 Truck Self Identifies as a Prius. So you have to accept it as one!

[@Jeremy-fy1sz]

Remember to only put 20$ in fuel in per fill-up to maintain its a safe space.

[@bmx7596]

super narrow minded review

[@carperdiem8754]

I can't even configure one online. I tells me these are too hard to get in my area. Toyota sucks.

[@fredfisher474]

YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE YOUR HOMEWORK ABOUT COSTS & EQUIPMENT LEVELS MADE VIDEO POOR QUALITY

[@directorjustin]

Model Y over this all day, every day. ♥️

[@fredfisher474]

WHY DID YOU NOT GET ADVICE ABOUT BRAKES BEFOR YOUR JOURNEY ALL YOU DID WAS CONFUSE THE VIEWER DO YOUR HOME WORK FIRST I WILL NOT BE SUBSCRIBING YOU SOUND LIKE AN AMATEUR

[@goldwingrocks3859]

I cannot understand why Toyota has such an ugly dash and display on this vehicle, its pathetic, come on toyota.

[@justinkrizenesky]

Did you do ANY research at all before this?!? Borderline unwatchable.

[@joshuarosen465]

As an ex Volt owner I understand the appeal of a plug-in, as an engineer I see them as an overly complex and obsolete piece of technology. On the plus side for people who've never owned an EV and aren't familiar with the state of the charging networks it's a way of getting your feet wet without having to worry about charging on road trips. For manufacturers who aren't Tesla it's also a way of providing a road tripable EV that can go anywhere. After I bought my Volt in 2016 I was sold on EVs so I watched the Supercharger map to see when all of New England was covered, that happened in 2019 so I bought a Model 3. That hasn't happened yet for CCS. There are 50KW chargers in Maine and Vermont but no EAs outside of Massachusetts. Untill EA covers every state I wouldn't want a non Tesla BEV. On the downside a RAV4 Prime is inferior to a Model Y and yet it costs just as much. As a former Volt owner my other complaint about every current PHEV including the RAV4 is that their range sucks. I could get 72 miles of range out of my Volt but it wasn't enough. I was always restricting myself to back roads so that I could stretch the range and shorten my trips so that I wouldn't turn on the ICE. Once you've experienced electric motors you don't want to use an engine. I wouldn't recommend a PHEV to anyone because their pitiful range is so frustrating.

[@DUNGSTA]

The top of the line RAV4 prime is still less than a base model y so it doesn't cost just as much TBH. This vehicle gives you the option of using it just as a hybrid or only as a ev. For me I'm never gonna plug it in. I'm only gonna use it in hybrid mode. It's the only SUV that has decent power and good MPG.

[@alanmay7929]

Because you're engineer doesn't mean you actually knows everything, toyota has the best/most reliable hybrid system in the world and they have been in use in bus, trucks, vans....... the hybrid technology is not complicated at all, the belt driven accessories on the gas 3ngine are all replaced by more efficient electric motors with better control, plus there are millions of prius from 2010 still doing well

[@joshuarosen465]

@@alanmay7929 Sony had the best CRT, the Trinitron was far better than other CRTs. When was the last time you bought one? CRTs are obsolete, when LCDs came along all CRTs disappeared including Sony's. Internal combustion engines are also obsolete. There are hundreds of parts in an ICE, an electric motor has a tiny number of parts. You need a catolitic converter for an ICE, there are no emission controls in an EV. If a part doesn't exist it can't fail. Hybrids are more complex than regular ICE vehicles because they contain two full drivetrains so that's even more parts to fail. Simpler is better. PHEVs solve a problem that no longer exists, battery range and on the road charging. GM killed the Volt, which was a true was a much better plug-in than the RAV4, because it didn't make sense anymore. Toyota dominates hybrids the way Kodak dominated film so they are desperately trying to hang on to them even though they are obsolete.

[@alanmay7929]

@@joshuarosen465 youre totally clueless mate, CRTs are still in use in many countries around the world. Technology always reaches the poor countries the last. ICE will still be far superior to EVs for decades to come. The ICE is what built the modern world, even all the solar/windfarms the batteries and metals are still made because the ICE exist. Trains crosses deserts with million pounds of metal ore and ships crosses the ocean with all goods. The other limitations of batteries is the impossibility to increase the range by adding more batteries. tractors, agricultural machines, mining equipments heavy duty equipments in general needs to work almost 24/24 to improve production.

[@alanmay7929]

@@joshuarosen465 youre a total disappointment as an "engineer" the GM volt is a tiny vehicle compared to the rav4 which can actually go offroad and has around 600 miles total, the toyota hybrid vehicles have way less problems than other "SIMPLIER" ICE like bmw, mercedes, Hyundai.... finally there are still millions of ICE from the 80 and 90 on roads, mercedes from the 70's are used in Morocco as taxis and they have already millions of miles each.

[@ianbladuell2694]

For 50k, Tesla y is better deal. Heck model y standard range is even better w extra money left over.

[@tompappas2695]

I disagree. Dashcam, lower carbon footprint, overair s/w upgrades, no ICE maintenance were only Tesla +s imho. On other side, R4P has much better build, much better interior, flexibility, access to dealer network, and lower price (and that's for top of line XSE prem w/level 2 charging) net of tax credits.

[@ianbladuell2694]

@@tompappas2695 agree to disagree but I see your points.

[@WaywardAnalysis]

@@ianbladuell2694 So does one have to stop for recharge after 40+ miles with this car? Does one have to stop for either 30+ min recharge after 2-3 hours or one plus hours after 4-5 hours with model y? Yes, they do...and for RAV 4 Prime, the answer is NO, they dont. You seem to forget that one doesn't have to stop after the EV runs out in these PHEVs, unlike the EVs ...like Tesla...and you don't have "out of order" or wait couple of hours in the line at supercharger locations either.