2019 / 2020 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid | The Best Compact Crossover 

Toyota being super awesome, keeping the spare tire in their hybrid vehicles!

I've had my limited for 2 months now and I'm averaging 41mpg in mixed driving. I love it, and upgraded from the 2018. A few points you didn't mention: The speedometer display can be changed to digital. The car has the ability to read the speed signs on the side of the road and displays them on the dash. The cargo net has been reconfigured from the 2018 and no longer can stretch across the back. I think this is unfortunate - how hard would it have been to include the extra hooks? The cargo space is amazing. With the seats down, I can easily haul my concert grand harp, a big amp, and all my accessories with plenty of room to spare. The limited also includes built-in dynamic navigation, which makes hooking up to a phone unnecessary. Also, this year the red color is a really good red, unlike the 2018. For Amazon fans, the limited is also Alexa-capable, which means you can request Despacito, have audiobooks read to you, or ask whatever silly questions you usually ask Alexa. The ability to change the rear-view mirror to camera view is a game changer if you have the back loaded up high. The gas tank button is now in a much better location.

Best full review on the RAV4, bar none. I had already decided on the RAV4, now I’ve decided on the XSE model. Thank you 🙏🏼

I’ve been considering RAV4 for my next vehicle. I’ve had a (2008) Hybrid Toyota Highlander for 11 years. I love it so much, it’s been an amazing vehicle for our family. Not ONE mechanical issue (outside of regular maintenance) in 11 years! My plan is to get a new car next year. Then when the kids get their licences, I will give them the Highlander and I’ll know that I’m giving them a solid reliable vehicle. Thank you for this review

Leased the XLE trim with all the options. Love it. Comfortable fun car to drive, significant upgrade in terms of the 2016 Rav4 Hybrid I had, and effectively the same lease payments. Actual MPG (verified versus fillups) has been between 39 and 42.

For me, in term of experiences build hybrid cars, Toyota is a King with more than 20 years of R&D and practical world. Plus high value resale Toyota so that no question to ask, Toyota is a good choice.

thank you for actually understanding what a hybrid transaxle actually entails.. 1 gear ratio (no gear no ratios) with gas and secondary electric assist.. so many reviewers are ABSOLUTELY CLUELESS to how hybrid transmissions work and pass it off as a CVT.

Alex, as always, an outstanding presentation!

Alex on Autos - you are the best youtube reviewer. Straight to the point, informative and very thorough. Your diagrams showing MPG, interior dimensions, and cargo space are always so well organized and very professional. You really are the best car reviewer!

Got the RAV4 hybrid! Love it! The Mazda was fun, but the RAV4 is fun and practical.

Very tempting 👍 I currently have a 2002 RAV4 4WD, I love it . Very practical , reliable & great gas mileage . Best of all - no monthly payments :)

Please never stop doing these videos. I have the Chevy Malibu Hybrid and I'm switching to the Rav4 because these videos are so informative

I've had the 2019 RAV4 Hybrid LE (that's base, but they did swap the seats for heated seats and installed an aftermarket remote start system...Which won't void my lease since they did it) for 5 months I FREAKIN' LOVE THE CAR. It's my 4th lease. The audio is 2nd best to my first Nissan but that had Bose. I average 38mpg. The power is amazing and for once I'm in a crossover that I feel like will, when winter comes, HAVE NO PROBLEMS IN SNOW. I have complaints but the compliments FAR outweigh them. BRING IT ON WINTER!!! Like with my 2nd lease, I HAVE A CAR THAT'S READY FOR YOU!!!

RAV4 Hybrid, definitely. Can’t beat fuel economy and reliability. And t has pretty good pick up and go.

Thanks for very informative video 🎥Alex on Autos. I have seen many videos about reviewing Toyota RAV4s Hybrid … but yours is very precise on data, components and comparison. You are the “pioneer” of RU-vid generation 👍🏻👍🏻…. so many of them during pandemic time. Keep up the great job. Bravo!

Alex, you're the best car reviewer on RU-vid in my opinion. I'm likely going to be picking up a 2020 RAV4 Hybrid in a couple days. Thank you for helping make my decision easier.

Thanks Alex. This is the most thorough review of the XSE Hybrid I have seen. I wish Toyota offered the Seat Memory feature on the XSE Hybrid, at least as part of an option package. It's a big negative for me, but I bought a 2020 anyways!

I'd like to get the hybrid, but my daily commute is 95% highway. Seriously, I live near the highway entrance and work near the exit. Doesn't seem much of a savings when the highway mileage difference between the hybrid and non-hybrid is 3 mpg. Also, I work the nightshift and experience absolutely no stop and go traffic. Whatever fuel savings I do get will not constitute the cost of a new battery. I plan to put 300,000 miles on it.

An excellent presentation. The main question I have is "what does 'boring' mean?" If that means reliability, low depreciation, ease with finding spare parts (including body parts) for previous models, then I am all for it. That's aside from the fact that you can hardly tell one brand of subcompact SUV from another. They all look the same! I grew up in the 60s, when you could easily tell one manufacturer's product from another. Also, I have purchased only one new (current year) car in my life. The rapid depreciation in the first years is ridiculous. So, I won't be taking advantage of the 2019 for several years. I'll just have to limp along on my 2017 for several more years. If no one has noticed, the real attraction in cars now is the technology, especially electronics. Almost every technical feature mentioned in this overview is present in my 2017 Limited. Well, I'm just an old guy, what do I know?

I snagged a hybrid xse in may. Best purchase ever.

There are 26 (2019) RAV4 Hybrids listed on one of my local Toyota dealers' web site inventory. Another local dealer has 67 2019 RAV4 units listed in the inventory. This is in the Mid-Atlantic (east coast, USA). The fuel economy numbers are attractive and the overall power rating seems decent for a commuter vehicle in mixed traffic (most urban centers). Stopping distances might be able to be improved upon with different brake pads and tires (obviously, that would have to be tested and verified). Love the potential for a full sized spare tire.

I notice some graphics are updated like the fuel savings table. That's probably why they reupped this.

Imagine showing this review video to someone back in time in the 80s.

I like the Rav4 hybrid, however, just saw the 2020 Honda CR-V hybrid debut. I am looking forward to your 2020 CR-V Hybrid videos!!

This would an amazing family car, I have had my eye on used Prius V’s (Wagon) for a while but this is a great mpg for the fam on a whole different level. Can’t wait to get one off-lease!

The active safety is not just in the USA it across all developed nations Canada, Europe, U.K., Australia &New Zealand Japan middle east nations South Africa and others. This is very much a global car.

Test drove a new Rav4 Hybrid in 2016.. It was slow and had a mushy suspension.. Glad to see they fixed those problems. And it looks great.

Once again Alex has given us a knowledgeable..thorougj review. Alex well done..belive me..you are the reason o bought a 2014 Corolla

when making the videos for suv and crossover talk about towing. without towing and awd I would rather drive my prius to me that makes the difference. I am happy you talked about the AWD.

We got the 19 rav4 hybrid and it's the best vehicle I've ever had.

Sir, thank you for your time and your hard works to bring so many knowledges of shopping new car for consummers. Believe or not between you and Doug M I watch Mr. M for entertaining but I scrucrided with your channel and belled for shopping my next car. Again thank you very much.

Hi Alex, do you ever do real world tests with rear facing child seats? By that I mean do you maybe post it elsewhere as an article/pictures. I do love seeing the combined legroom numbers and how they compare to others in its class, but as I'm sure you know, depending on the child seat they all fit a little different. It'd be great to see pictures of real world fitment maybe just overlayed in the video while discussing the rear room? Thank you for your amazing and informative reviews!

I wonder if Toyota will ever make another V6 RAV4. They probably won’t because of fuel economy but I’d love to see it

Hi Alex, I was so intrigued about what you said on the lack of engine braking that I went to a dealer and drove a 2019 RAV4 Limited just to confirm. The manual mode has 6 speed. I happen to have a 2015 Sienna so I am familiar with the shifter arrangement. In my Sienna, the default speed when you switch to manual is 4th gear. In the RAV4 hybrid, the default speed was 3rd gear (but it may depend on the real time speed). I shifted the gears exactly the same way I did with my Sienna (for engine braking and for sharper throttle response). And I am very impressed on how Toyota executes those simulated engine braking and throttle response to the RAV4 hybrid. For me, the simulated engine braking on downshifts makes the driving even more fun. There is an online pdf owner's manual on RX450H and on page 240, it say "You can choose from 6 levels of engine braking force." using the manual mode (or sport [s] mode). drivers.lexus.com/t3Portal/document/om-s/OM48C02U/pdf/OM48C02U.pdf

Hybrid should be standard on all Toyota vehicles.

Great car! But perhaps a couple things folks might consider while shopping: 1) Gas engine noise, 2) gas tank filling issue for some RAV4s not yet addressed by Toyota, and 3) very dinky sounding horn.

Am waiting on your comments on the XLE. I am currently driving the '16 XLE Hybrid. Thanks for your comments. I was surprised to learn there is no remote start for my vehicle.

What about toyota testing rav 4 phev. 5 days ago some photos appeared . Our lexus rx hybrid bought in 2007 from US had no issues at all with hybrid system, 150 000 km around europe.

A year and a half ago I purchased a gas CRV EX because of the way it drove. I really liked the RAV4 Hybrid but the cost with the features I wanted was too high and the gas model is way underpowered. Because trade in prices are insane I am now upgrading to a Rav4-XLE Hybrid with all the package options. I was able to get it below MSRP and I am getting about $2k more for the CRV than I paid for it with taxes and fees.

Yeah, Still a best hybrid SUV for me to buy.

Good job with this, I liked how you dove into the little features like the rear view mirror.

This is much better than the Cayene Turbo S E-Hybrid Great review

As an hybrid fan: I might buy it 1 day Alex.

Any word on gas tank filling problem??

Wow. One of the best most thorough reviews I've ever seen. Wow! Rock on! I'm gonna check out more. Thank you ❤️😄

After watching this vedio, I would definitely consider purchasing the Toyota RAV4 hybrid. Thank you for your your thorough reviews.

Awesome presentation, I like the fuel economy chart comparison from other competition. Definitely showing the RAV4 is the best!

Toyota has been totally caught off guard since they can’t keep up with the demand. Dave in Phoenix Arizona USA

We have a 2019 Hybrid LE and love it.

Picking my xse hybrid up sometime this week! Same color as the one in this video. I'm so impatient 😂😂

To All RAV4 haters - The new RAV4h is obviously not a perfect car. It lacks in so many areas. But it shines where it counts: reliability, cargo, AWD and fuel efficiency. It is expensive , no question about it. I paid for mine almost 50K cdn (Limited HV) I did consider other options: Audi Q5 base, BMW X3 base, MB GLA, CRV, Rogue. All in similar ballpark when it comes to $ All German brands have nicer interior and better rides. But they require premium fuel, hybrids aren’t available at the moment. Reliability is hit and miss. The cost of ownership of a Toyota vs Audi or BMW in the post warranty period is no brainer. Until CRV hybrid is released the RAV4h is the king.

Great overview! This was very helpful.

We own a CX5 and it is driven primarily by my wife. If I were to trade in our other SUV, a 2005 Toyota Highlander, it would either be another CX5 or a Hybrid RAV4. They are the 2 best SUV available on the market as recommended by Alex. Good review.

Wonderful explanation Alex . I Bought 19 XLE, Amazing .

2019. Gas has been a big plus. All the bells and whistles are ok. Hybrid LE. I think only the sound system is a negative. Lane assist and cruse control has been aggressive. 2019 le doesn't have the remote start. Adding some fog lights and upgrading the sound.

Production has caught up on the regular hybrid but is now behind on the Prime.

what is the battery life span for the hybrid?

As usual great video. Now if you have to choose... we're just a couple (no kids), between Honda Insight hybrid vd. Rav4 hybrid ...we are city drivers, occasional long drives...what would you choose???

11:11 from what I understand, it was Apple and Android that wouldn't agree to Toyota's privacy terms, hence the delay.

None other than John Davis of MotorWeek has called out the problem. In an email to AN, Davis said, “On highway trips, when the gas gauge reads between 1/8-1/4, it will take about 9-9.5 gallons max in a fill-up. At that point the gas gauge reads nearly full, but just barely.”

I was, like you, very keen on an XLE hybrid with all the packages. The problem is, last I heard, they're still going for something like $2000 *over* MSRP while you can get a regular RAV4 for a couple of thousand under MSRP. That makes a pretty big difference to the equations. Also, I do very little actual central city driving (where hybrid shines) and a lot of highway (where it makes little difference) and I actually needed a car in early April when I moved to the US. I ended up with a 2017 Outback Touring for exactly $30k out the door, which I'm very happy with. Driven carefully it gets pretty good economy -- yesterday from South Lake Tahoe to Incline Village it got 41 mpg at 10 over the speed limit (i.e. 55), was still at 39 at Sacramento (downhill of course), and 33.4 when I got to San Jose. All the freeway driving was at 80 when traffic permitted, which was most of the time. The full 500 miles round trip (on one tank) from San Jose up 88 to Minden then Tahoe and home via Truckee was 30.5 mpg. That of course includes quite a few climbs over 8000 ft, descend, and climb again. I'm really curious how the RAV Hybrid actually does at 80. MPG varies so much with speed on most vehicles that I think you really can't compare without actually doing a road trip in convoy. I feel like the 2019 RAV4 Hybrid is going to be an interesting car to look at used in two or three years. The shortage and over-MSRP pricing makes me think it's not such a good deal new right now.

ooh I am excited to see your upcoming videos on this. I have my eye on the Rav4 Hybrid but I can't buy a car for at least 6 months or so, and I might get a more budget car. So you will help me decide!

Great review, very professional!

I would Buy the 2020 RAV4 Hybrid Blue w/Black interior and Blindspot with Rear Cross Traffic Alert also a Moonroof.

Alex - great review as usual! Would you consider this a good cross-country road trip vehicle? Any other suggestions in that department, even if a little bigger SUV or even a truck?

Your reviews on vehicles is very good, you cover many practical and essential points. If this vehicle was available in 2018 I would have purchased instead I went for the Kia Niro hybrid which you reviewed as well. I enjoy my Kia but I definitely would like a higher clearance for some off road driving and for the 4 wheel drive the kind of fuel economy you describe is very good and plus has good power. If I only could get a good trade in I would go for it. Great review, thanks.

appreciate the video, liked and subscribed, i drive lyft/uber this seems so perfect for me, gonna inquire about one next week. thanks again

I did test drive the 2020 Rav4 XSE Hybrid today. It does come with Android Auto, it still makes the weird sound during backing up sadly, however, no clue about the gas tank being able to fill it up completely.....the sales rep sounded like he didn't know anything about that. Overall, comfy drivers seat, the JBL radio was good, I did hear the stock radio, not that good if you're a music enthusiast. Also, there was a bit more road/wind noise than I've expected. The 2020 seems to have a bit of a design change in the rear tail lights from what it seemed. MSRP on the XSE with a couple of packages was 41K....good pickup, comfortable, and with the good gas mileage are all pluses, but not sure if it's worth 41K for me..

The Subaru Crosstrek plug in Hybrid interested me but their based model is $7000 more with less features and no space for a spare tire due to the over sized battery. You can't go wrong with a Toyota, the engines go forever and they're built like tanks.

The best car review channel! Succinct and clear!

Excellent review. Very thorough. I don't subscribe to many channels, but I just subscribed to this one! Thank you.

My XSE is scheduled to be delivered to the dealership around 9-11-19. I will let you know if it has Android auto yet or not. Also as a timeline, I purchased my car from the dealership on June 29th. They already had it ordered.

A lot of people have no idea how advance the engine and hybrid system is.

The hybrid LE is around $28k, which really is a tremendous value for an AWD compact SUV.

Thank you for the excellent report and analysis of the 2019 Hybrid! I drove a Venza with V6 for 7 years and loved it except for the big gas consumption. I wanted to go with a RAV4 Hybrid but honestly, I wasn't happy at all when tested the 2018 model because of the obvious lack of power in acceleration! I ended up getting the 2018 Camry Hybrid which is helping me save 2/3 of my gas bill from the Venza. Acceleration is great too on the Camry Hybrid if you put it into normal or sport. However, my wife really finds the Camry too low in getting in and out! I also miss the excellent cargo space of my Venza. Now that the 2019 RAV4 Hybrid seemingly has a big improvement over the old models, I am tempted to change to a say a 2020 RAV4 Hybrid. First question is, can you tell us the difference between a 2020 and the 2019 models? Secondly, do I also hear that there is a RAV4 Hybrid with plug-in coming may be even in 2020? Do you know if that is going to be true of just a rumor, Alex?

I want the 2019 rava4 hybrid xse with it being sliver color and have the fog lights done as same as headlights and mats I want and a lil higher packages

I have a 2011 RAV 4 , bought brand new, I would love to get the 2021 RAV4 hybrid when it comes out but it's almost a $40,000 car.

Love my rav4 hybrid getting 45mpg. Still haven't tested the awd. Soon I will try it in the sand hope it does ok. Not expecting 4x4 performance but should be better than a single drive axle

I thought the video test of the 2020 Rav4 was fantastic. Today is 10/25/19 and (according to the Toyota main web site) the "android Auto" feature is definitely included in the 2020. But, I didn't hear anything about any updates to the 2020 versions. So I'm holding off until the 2020's are in. They also mentioned something about Digital Rearview camera's. I'm really hoping that its the "Rear View mirror that they were talking about and that its similar to the 2019 version of the Honda CRV... I was also hoping to hear something about "Front View" camera's in the 2020 RAV4? I tested the feature in both the Rogue and Tucson and its a featured i'm definitely interested in. WIll look for more reviews from your channel. Keep up the great work!

Agree with you. Provided the kinks from the 2019 model are worked out, the Limited version of the hybrid seems like the best suv out there considering the gas mileage. Which would give it the edge over the Mazda turbo. If Mazda comes out with a slightly larger CX6 or CX7 would probably go for that. The Santa Fe seems too slow and too many issues with turbo lag from a standstill with reports of 2-3 second delays that seem scary. Even videos show a pretty slow SUV. This one seems much safer accelaration wise. The only negative I see in chat groups is that larger and heavier passengers feel a little constricted in the seats, and the padding for knees isn't quite there. Would probably want to rent one of these short term before leasing or buying to test out drive comfort. Look forward to seeing the new Tuscon but doubt it will match the Rav4 as Hyundai hybrids have used the slower 2L engines. They would be wise to use the 2.4L. But again, I doubt the overall Tuscon can match this.

Is this a reupload? I remember commenting "cries in 12mpg hemi" on this vid and now its gone

Hi Alex, I am waiting for the RAV 4 PHEV how soon will you get your hands on one to review?

Awesome Review. Trying to decide between a Forester and the Rav4 Hybrid. Looks like you made my decision. Now to convince the boss!

Most definitely the RAV4 I just special ordered the 2020. Great review thank you

Alex! Would you choose this new hybrid over the latest generation of the Lexus RX 450h? Thanks!

How come during your review the gas tank issue was never mentioned, I think you should mention it since there were rumblings about well before review and most importantly before I would have purchased one:))) this is just a thought .

@Alex on Autos. In this video, you have confused trims quite a few times. FOrexample towards the later part of the video you say XLE instead of XSE. THis happened in quite a few instances. However, humans make mistakes. And I have been watching your videos quite often and they are good!

Known issues from reported drivers, cannot refill gas tank all the way full? People report cannot fill more than 10 gallons at once despite being almost empty. This affects driving range and rated 41 MPG. Has Toyota address this issue?

Hi Alex, Do you see any changes in upcoming 2020 Rav4 and or Subaru Forster also when they arrive would be able to put them side by side and compare them both in one Video thanks again love your reviews.

I have had the Rav4 Xse hybrid since September - it gets about 32 mpg combined. I have taken it on long trips and city - it has about 6500 miles on it now - I like the car but it does not get the mileage they say it gets.

Has Toyota fixed the problem with their hvac systems tending to go moldy? There's a class action for previous years, but not sure if it's been corrected?

Hey Alex, thanks for the detailed review. Your reviews were priceless in factoring in my lease earlier this year. As a city driver, the RAV4 Hybrid is pretty attractive - and one of the reasons I've not taken the plunge yet is because of the lack of a spare tire in the back with some of the competitors. That being said, I'm "essential personnel" and have to go to work even when the roads get closed for snow. Living in northern NJ, they're pretty good about keeping the roads clear, so it's really only the hours during/after the storms "hit" that I have an issue. I've had a Subaru Legacy, Subaru Outback, and now drive a 2019 Subaru Forester for my ride, mainly because of the AWD in bad conditions. I would love your opinion on the RAV4 Hybrid vs. the Subarus all things considered. I don't offroad, and the savings for gas is pretty attractive to me to switch brands. My lease on my Forester ends in about 2 years, so that might put me in a good position to dump it off and buy a RAV4 hybrid, and since I drive about 75% city, I'm sure I would exceed the 40 mpg that you suggested in your video. My daily commute is only 10 miles each way, but it takes about 30 minutes because of traffic. Due to my lifestyle (kids, sports, etc.) I need to have enough space for rear passengers and all our sports stuff, so that generally rules out anything smaller than a CUV/Wagon. Anything smaller than a Crosstrek is probably not a good fit for us. My wife has a Honda Pilot so that's our "big family vacation" car... Part of me was hoping that Subaru would come out with a Forester Hybrid or Outback Hybrid in the USA soon since I'm used to their system/interfaces... Hoping that in the next year or two the RAV4 would also get a Lane Centering or possibly a HUD on the top trims... A little concerned about the new 2020 Outback/Leggy Subaru infotainment controlling EVERYTHING - one failure point controls multiple systems... Thoughts? Thank you!

Reuploaded but who cares, I'll watch it again

The Rav4 Hybrid XLE, which MSRP is under $30k, is simply the best new car buy in America

I don’t recall him mentioning the very annoying sound it makes at low speeds and even worse in reverse. It has TPMS but no way to tell what your tire pressure is without checking each tire manually.

I’m totally impressed. Only question I got is, it obviously can fit 4 people. Can you add in 2 German Shepherds and a standard poodle in the rear?

I’m very interested in the RAV4 Hybrid in LE trim, just for basic transportation.

I like it.. My f150 trade in value is $10k

In Australia, waiting times have blown out to six months for RAV4 hybrids. It seems to be a perfect fit for a lot of people

This would be a wonderful vehicle if Toyota would address the fuel tank issue with the hybrid.