11:10 After surviving the snap oversteer threat from S2000 for decades and reviewing countless overpowered RWD cars like the Demon, Savagegeese meets his match, the Rav4 plugin hybrid.
@Nissan370Z Glass lol nissan designed the most invasive traction system ever created with the 370 after the 350 became the deadliest car ever, so much so that you can't even fully turn it off! Gtfoh. I literally work for a rental company that rhymes with Schmenterprise and I can tell you that this definitely isn't true, new Nissan's are just as invasive as Toyota. The only one that's so aggressive it's undriveable is hyundai
Probably the best and most honest review I've seen on RU-vid... most reviews are just advertisements for the product... glad to finally see a complete, thorough, and honest review... I saw one other review that confirmed that the handling on curvey roads for this car is very poor.
@Tom I think I saw a video where Toyota already corrected this with a VSC software update and the Rav4 now aces the moose test. However, they said that you'd need to ask for this VSC update at the dealership because it hasn't been implemented to current Rav4 vehicles by default.
Until you see the repair bills for cars like this 😂 that battery is gonna die 10 to 100 times faster than a bigger one due to the power cycling. Not to mention the complexity of a hybrid engine meaning higher maintenance cost. If you are buying this to save gas money, you are probably making a serious long term mistake! Good lease car though.
Marcos Gazamanes I’m specifically talking about Toyota’s hybrid. Once that battery die, you are looking at close to 10k of replacement cost. Straight from the mechanics and ppl who owned Toyota’s hybrids. So you should research it first.
@@happycamperjack Toyota builts the most reliable hybrid system out there. This car is going to last longer then most other hybrids or electric vehicles even ignoring the battery will have to be replaced in more than ten years.
I get that however at least they're building something worth its mark. I don't think they should charge a bunch extra either. A few grand should never stop anyone from the car they really want.
@@hedgehogthesonic3181 apart from Toyota, EVs and hybrids from other manufacturers aren't built to the same standards, they're usually expensive at with poor range and with hybrids they don't give their claimed fuel economy, and they're less reliable with all the complexity and lack of quality testing, so for this case, Toyota leads the industry in these things
A lot of SUV drivers, like people in general, are in denial. This vehicle, as presented, is up to the task of many Americans on the road, carting kids around, doing sales calls, or taking them to work to live their life. But many will look past its intrinsic goodness, and carp about it like people are cross shopping this with a BMW X5 or a Porsche Macan, or its inadequacies in the Camel Trophy. Once again, a great review Savagegeese; as always your presentation is next level. Bravo!
Biggest problem with this vehicle is very few Americans can actually buy it. It will only be sold in very few states and in very limited quantities as well. So even if I wanted one, Toyota gives me no way to buy it. Everyone should have the option or no one in my opinion. They are showing bias to where you live.
Another great review. I’ve had an EV, and the quiet ride is really nice. This RAV may not be an enthusiast vehicle, but I think Toyota has a winner here. They won’t be able to make enough.
I owned the 2008 Rav4 V6 Sports and that car is quick off the line, but the trick is , I had to keep the tranny on 3rd gear only. (Move the lever to the left and it’s designed to go 3rd gear max then shift the lever to the right when you want to shift to 4th… I traded it in after 6months (bought it brand new) and ended up replacing it with 2008 Infiniti EX35 AWD (they had 0% interest and I could not pass that deal!) I’m currently driving a 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness edition and I say, this is quicker than my Rav4 V6. Tested 5.8-6.1 secs 0-60
Mark, I hope you realize, you make some of the best vehicle reviews and the quality of your video shooting/editing skills are truly impressive. Keep up the excellent work fella!
Whatever the car is, you always manage to bring out aspects in your reviews that almost no other reviewer thinks to--particularly with regard to driving dynamics. For instance, for the Toyota RAV4 Prime, most other reviewers were content to mash the throttle, laud the acceleration, and maybe do some "real-world" testing of the EV-only range. Anyway, kudos.
Damn .. this is the sort of "review" other reviewers should be doing - anyone can talk about the numbers and fit and finish of the car - but going and explaining the small things about driving dynamics is so important! Great review!
Great review, you made to sure to emphasize what this vehicle is for, and what its not. Greatly appreciated, because alot of other reviewers sell it like its the Jeep Trackhawk
Car and Driver got this off in even less than the stated Toyota specs. They did 0-60 in 5.4 secs. How is that not great for a SUV in this class? Anything faster would cost way more. You didn't seem to put it in Sport mode to get the fastest time.
@@normt5463 It may be a decade late but nobody else has made something similar in the last decade. I will look into this when my 2014 Volt needs to be replaced.
You can launch it in 3 different WAYS but infinite amount of PLACES like: Over the parking curb at Starbucks. Into the shopping cart corral at Whole Foods. etc, etc
This model is in high demand in Canada, where gov'ts subsidises the cost, especially in the province of Quebec, where the subsidy is $13,000 k. People who ordered their Rav4 plug in prime in 2019 are slowly starting to receive their orders. We are fortunate here to have cheap electricity from water, and a great system of electric chargers for the public.
I think Toyota has done really well with this car, I personally think if u want the 5.7 0-60 get the xse, because it comes with better and wider tyres. Motortrend or Car and Driver was even able to get 5.6
That's not going to help this car, and this is not that type of car lol. Did you see the driving impressions part of this video? Not sure where the hype is coming from. I don't mean to be rude btw.
You have the best auto reviews! I MEAN i really both a Maita after your review.... We really needs a car which hauls around everything we need to our countryhouse and I believe this will be a good one! Ordered it and gope for the best! Anyway you have the best car reviews on the net! Keep it good!
Wow, was not expecting the prime Rav 4! Love your reviews, SG. It's an expensive vehicle, but I'm gonna have my wife test one out since she was considering the Rav4 standard hybrid. We've owned 2 used Prius cars and love their tank-like durability and practicality at the expense of performance.
Great video. Are you going to make another one of these soon? It had an updated instrument cluster, and that's about it. That i know of of at least. But im sure one of your videos would go more on detail about that .i had to update this comment. Because as im watching, i realize how so fuckin good it is. So much detail
I reserved an SE. And its being built in the next 2 weeks. My Dealership only took 5 orders. They are getting the SE's at first and the XSE are coming later 2020 fully loaded only so close to 50grand. Base XSEs wont be available until 2021. Going to be trading in a Prius Prime cannot wait.
My Camry handled like you describe with the factory Bridgestone tires. They inspired zero confidence new and went downhill quickly with just initial wear. I replaced them at 13,000 miles. I'm on my second set of Pirelli Cinturato P7s and it's an entirely different experience. This would probably be a great vehicle with a set of good tires on it.
Toyota quality and reliability makes this a worthy contender to cross shop with more hyped up cars. The practicality and repair-ability of PHEV is something that suits a good majority of people. 40 miles of range is good for most daily commutes + errands. When things need to be replaced or repaired, most parts are common and available.
Buddy of mine has the Prius Prime and he loves it. Then again, he is a boring ass lawyer. For some reason, when I see this thing, I feel like it would be the SUV the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would drive.
BarnStangz I don’t understand how someone would buy something like this. What brings someone to want to buy a car like this? Have they given up on life and this is what it’s come to? Dudes a boring ass lawyer.. why not get a Tesla if he wants to feel like he’s helping global warming (or is it climate change, or climate disruption.. they keep having to change what it’s called)
@@geraldgoodiii6993 Yeah man, I don't know. I think some people just want an "appliance" type car. He is also very cheap when it comes to just about everything. No way in hell would he spend money on a Tesla, although the Model 3 isn't that expensive.
@savagegeese thanks for the review! There is 3 things PHEV buyers want to know, and car reviews never tell this because they don’t have experience owning those. I have hope that you might in the future. 1. Does heating/cooling run without ICE? examples, Outlander PHEV and Koreans does not, super frustrating. 2. Does it have enough power in EV only mode to keep up with the traffic. 3 is it easy to adjust when ICE comes along? Can you just floor the gas pedal in EV mode without ICE starting?
1. Yes AC runs in EV only 2. Yes it has more than ample power in EV only mode, feels like a 1.8L 4 cylinder. 3. In EV only mode, mashing throttle does not kick on ICE. Only when EV battery range is depleted it goes into HV mode.
Another great review as always, SavageGeese. I can’t wait to see your reviews on the new Bronco and Suburban whenever you get the chance to review them. Keep it up!
How’s the wind and road noise on long distance hwy drives? My biggest complaint on compact crossovers is that they tend to be really loud on the highway.
I really do not understand why people do not keep their cars longer. I am already at 9 years on my car and it acts like its just broken in. I plan on keeping for at least 5 more years
The RAV4 Prime is the first hybrid that convinced me to look into hybrid-types vehicles. For me it looks like a no-compromise solution. It's even capable off-road, if you get the H3 version. For the price it seems to me as the best all-around vehicle you can get at the moment.
It's just crap tires. Pure and simple. They put those tires on to get the eye popping efficiency, but the first thing I'd do is put decent rubber on it and take the 10% efficiency hit. It's still great efficiency.
may sound ungrateful but i still don't think it's a real rav4 V6 replacement, it's still too soft. the old rav4, you could throw it around like a little miata, the new ones are just mall-crawlers
Hmmmm.... I wonder how many batteries I could cram in the back... could I get a 500 mile range? of course, it would take 1.5 years to charge. And, if we all get electric vehicles, we could crash the grid... AWESOME !
I'll be keeping my '12 v-6 Rav4 for a long time, but not buying a Hybrid or BEV because of potential battery replacement costs make as much (little) sense as not buying a gas car because of the potential engine replacement costs.
@@realkarfixer8208 Yeah, that's a really great way of putting it. The little hybrid and PHEV batteries that cycle almost daily have lasted over a decade now, so with these large-form EV batteries that only do a partial cycle once a week, I have a hard time imagining they'll fail before the cars are rust-buckets.
(1) 14:55 "If you're going to use this as … a highway cruiser …" Are you saying this vehicle would be good for a road trip (500 miles in a single day)? With constant passing of other cars on the road, would the battery slowly run down, or would the times during which you are not passing other cars be enough time to restore the battery charge? To ask this a different way: after driving non-stop for 400 miles, would the battery still have sufficient charge available to quickly pass other vehicles? (2) I don't have any place for a plug-in charger. Would it be reasonable to charge the battery with only the gas engine while driving (that is, NEVER use a plug-in charger)?
One essential concern in this hybrid cost-benefit equation, and one almost never addressed by car journalists: when will the battery need changing and at what cost?
Too bad you won't be able to get one for a year or more. Especially if you happen to live in the state of Washington. And those that buy early will be paying a premium above MSRP of any where up to $5K or $10K.
Toyota is smart moving dev to the rav4 because it is now their money maker with market needs. But at the end of the day its still an appliance like most new vehicles with ground clearance.
Funny to see how it is a complete different review then Alex on auto who reached a 5,2 sec to the 0 to 60 and gave a pretty good review of the Rav4.Some talk about the Rav4 prime as a decent alternative to Tesla cars for less money
Pure virtue signaling. Have you ever seen a lithium mine after all the materiel has been stripped? Its a 20 story hole in the ground. And those batteries decay as soon as you use them. They certainly wont decompose. EV's are a fad and a bad idea. A vehicle to show how woke the buyer is.
Probably the best and most honest review I've seen on RU-vid... most reviews are just advertisements for the product... glad to finally see a complete, thorough, and honest review.
I hate to break it to you, but Toyota already made a full electric Rav4, the Rav4EV - I know because I owned one. The idea that this is a road map to get them where they already were is nonsense.
Joe Egan “Hot take,” like a brown hot take that is left in the toilet. Yes, there will always be Tesla haters out there, just like there were with Amazon and Apple. People cannot stand the “disruption,” especially when they are not a part of it.
@@bitkahuna in the first year. That might change if they keep selling these $10,000 over MSRP. The dealers will scream for some more so they can keep raking in the cash.
Impressive vehicle and as usual a detailed, balanced review, especially in view of the short time with one of the few pre-production RAV4 Primes that Toyota has distributed to automotive journalists. The vehicle itself is a compelling alternative to both existing hybrids and pure EV's and arguably more environmentally positive than the latter as a result of the wider distribution of smaller capacity batteries than the latter. Batteries that are still usable for most commuting and urban traffic duties and the elimination of pure EV's "range anxiety" in a vehicle that matches American consumer's twin demands for performance and fuel economy. The fly in the ointment is that Toyota has set the entire first year production target at 5000 units. And even for the 2022 model year Toyota promises only 25,000 Rav4 Primes will be available. Thus, virtually every RAV4 Prime available until the fall of next year is either already spoken for and/or the promised $7500 tax rebate will be largely consumed by dealers' "market adjustment" sticker. Even in 2022, I suspect demand will far exceed supply. Making a few "pre-production" vehicles available to automotive journalists is only one step short of sending a concept vehicle around to be evaluated. So what is Toyota's strategy here? It's two-fold. First, to draw customers into Toyota showrooms where the will be easy prey for dealers who'll be happy to take orders for the currently available RAV4 hybrid models. Second, to put the brakes on sales of competing conventional hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and EV's that are or will be on sale significantly before a RAV4 Prime can be driven home. At best it's a clever marketing strategy and little more. At worst it's a rather underhanded bait and switch tactic.
There's nothing environmentally friendly about a 300 lbs cast-metal engine block. I don't know where this anti-battery myth originates from (maybe from the days of NiCD batteries?) an engine and battery are both principally solid metal components, with all the material source and manufacturing that goes into that. Conversely, this car is not going to be so environmentally friendly in 10-15 years when many of them fall into disrepair and start leaking extremely toxic used engine oil into the environment, something which pure-EV's do not do.
@@Summerbeeuty Because Toyota took a decade to make a good electric vehicle, and now there's no supplier left to sell them batteries. Manufacturers who are actually serious about making EV's set up their supply chains 10 years ago. Also, this is probably just a compliance vehicle to get ZEV credits or some shit like that.
I have several friends who bought RAV4 just for Toyota's reliability. I also respect RAV4 as the best all-rounder on the market now. But I personally would never buy one simply because its lack of driving dynamic...
I'd be totally fine with hybrids and EVs taking over the mainstream (minus the lithium murder machine) if that meant more gasoline left for the enthusiasts, but sadly that's not how the ecofascist conquest works. It's a war for total domination, and you can resist it, but fear will always win in the end, because that's a majority decision. Love is more difficult and thus a specialty. The ecofascists help the cause of the vulture capitalists and the vulture capitalists help the cause of the ecofascists. In the big picture they're both on the same team, very much like US Red&Blue tribes.
Thanks, you're the only reviewers that discuss the differences in the steering between the SE and XSE models. Can you help figure out another oddity? The Canadian XSE model of the Rav4 Prime has 7.5 inches of clearance, whereas the US version has 8.2 inches. Same size wheels etc. Any idea what makes the difference?
I would love to have one of them, phev are one of the best options for buying a car, you can drive it in EV mode in the city, not spending too much gas or polluting (if you are worried by that) and you can have a great range on long trips, better than diesels.
For a one car family that makes vacation trips, a PHEV with decent range in EV mode is ideal. This fits the bill. Very practical and reliable and durable. Nice capacity for hauling things too. If I were buying a vehicle today, I would want one of these.
