Can A Hybrid Tow? We Put A RAV4 Hybrid To The Test 

Excellent Excellent reviews on Toyota RAV4 plus on 2000lbs trailer amazing u r the only person showing us real world 🌍 stuff thanks 🙏 keep it up 👍🏻

The RAV4 Hybrid would pair really nice with a small travel trailer. Good review.

2019 RAV4 XLE Hybrid. Just returned from second trip to Florida from Michigan 3200 miles. This is the second trip to Florida towing Aliner Classic. Factory sticker says 1901 lbs. Add two full propane tanks and battery to the front. Very little cargo in camper. Rav preformed perfectly. Lots of power going through the mountains. First trip was one year ago 2800 miles. 24 mpg going down and 21 mpg return trip with very strong head wind all the way. Yes a Rav 4 Hybrid can tow.

With my 2020 RAV4 XLE (all gas) Drove from NC to AZ and got 45mpg. Went on the rocky hills in Az and on the beaches of NC. RAV4 just goes. No matter where we have taken it. Great video...

Hwy 17 going to the summit. I've driven that highway many times heading into and out of Santa Cruz. Very hilly with a few sharp corners as well. The Rav4 looked good going through this portion of the highway while still passing cars. Thanks for the video.

A most interesting real world review. Alex is also one of the best in explaining what the hybrid system is doing between power split, regeneration, and ev.

I already love this channel but Alex this is next level stuff for a car reviewer. keep up the great work! this is why I trust you more than any other car reviewer

Highway 17. My daily commute. I bought a 2020 and had a trailer hitch installed. The dealer was clueless and it was the first RAV4 they had installed one on

Well done Alex, the fact-filled narration and camera work were excellent! You even added tasteful incidental music to your production. The only thing you neglected to cover was the suspension squat. If it is possible, I would also like to see the rear wheel traction this RAV4 Hybrid has going up a boat ramp with a REASONABLY sized boat in the back.

Here to comment, as a long time (multiple years) fan that these towing videos for all vehicles is super useful information and why you're one of my first channel visits for vehicle information.

Thanks, Alex. Yours was one of the most informative videos for people considering a RAV4 to tow. Looking forward to the continental divide update!

You definitely won’t buy this to tow often. But it is nice to see the occasional uhaul or flat bed can be towed on it!

Love the video. Makes me more confident to buy rav4 hybrid. I want to tow a kayak trailer. Even though my dealership told me towing with a hybrid would void my warranty.

Thank you! More towing videos! Love the real world tests!

Love this, thank you for testing. If there weren't mountains and such, do you think the RAV could handle 2,200 pounds? Trying to build a mobile wood-fired sauna on a trailer. Very hard to do under 2,000 pounds.

Alex, this answered alot of towing with hybrid questions for me. I was thinking about buying the rav 4 prime assuming it can tow a light weight trailer. Looks like the answer is yes, especially with electric brakes on the trailer. Thank you!

European perspective: I tow horse trailers occasionally with a Passat 2.0 TDI. Towing around 2500 pounds I get around 22-24 mpg on a 400 mile round trip. That's cruising at 55-60 mph and about 2/3 of the elevation change you had here. Backing up with trailers is much more fun with stick shift on board and tight spaces.

Alex, A precedent has been set. We want the exact same test done with the new Highlander Hybrid when you get your hands on that. ;)

I have towed a lot with trailer brake equipped trailers. If you drive and brake carefully and conservatively you can feel the trailer brakes are pulling the car back thereby reducing the braking needed by the tow vehicle. Hybrids rely on the regenerative braking as the MAIN source of recharging the battery while driving. I would love to see a repeat test with same setup but with NO trailer brakes, if it's legal and safe.

Thanks for pointing out the difference between the Toyota Hybrid CVT and other CVTs. It's classified as a CVT. There is not a better classification but it's not a centrifugal belt system. I wouldn't own a CVT yet own two Toyota Hybrids. Extremely reliable vehicles. Know the throaty sewing machine sound well. If I set my RAV4 cruise, it stays exactly on the mph setting unless the radar cruise slows me up because the car in front of me can't make the grade.

i have been towing with a gen1 2014 chevy volt towing a 1000 lbs RV for the last 6 months 24mpg , all is good

Good video. Your prediction about how much the new rav4 prime could tow turned out wrong, oh well. They say it tows 2500 lbs. Maybe you can do a towing video for it sometime?

Nice video! I learned a lot about range and fuel economy in hybrids!

Side note but I have a 2016 Prius. I have had it loaded up with 4 people and my flat hitch rack with 2 tubs on it. Never had the battery depleted in my two hour drive to go tailgate.

He's still passing alot of car towing uphill. I think this very good. If not it's incredible.

Should I use manual mode to simulate lower gear as I would do with traditional transmission ( to avoid overdrive) or should I just use D when towing with my hybrid RAV4 ?

Thanx you very much for this video, i thought the fisical limit was 1750 but now i know better.

Great video! No other channel is doing this

Thanks very much! I've b!en wondering if I could pull a flatbed utility trailer, say 5x10 feet, with my 2020 RAV4 Hybrid. This makes me feel like it's doable. Cheers and thanks for the usual thorough job1

Pulled around 1600lbs this weekend and my 2023 hybrid struggggggled

lol I tow with my 08 toyota prius. probably never been any more than 500lbs though. and the owner before me used to transport lamas with it. Crazy I know! Both my Priuses have over 150k miles on them but I never have any problems with them other than the front driver side wheel bearing! they keep needing replacing.

An update on my earlier comment about dual planetary gearsets. Toyota started using dual planetary gearsets in the 2006 Highlander hybrid and made that design standard by 2010 in their third generation Prius models. Basically only the Prius Gen1 and Gen2 transaxles through 2009 had single planetary gearsets. Another improvement in the dual sets was the elimination of a drive chain inside the transaxle. The newer 4th generation Prime (plug-in) models also allow both motor generators (mig) to supply power together. In the Prime models, one of the planetary gear sets is replaced with standard gears. Of course the most recent awd hybrid models add an additional electric motor for the rear wheels.

I'm not exactly sure how to interpret Toyota's claimed 1750 lb towing capacity. The fine print on the Toyota website says 'The maximum you can tow depends on base curb weight plus the total weight of any cargo, occupants, and added vehicle equipment.' That sounds to me like cargo and passengers in the towing vehicle count against the 1750 lb towing capacity, which changes the picture quite a bit. Could be a major problem if there was some kind of accident.

Any comments of loading this guy with the factory crossbars and kayaks? Best mount for energy use, overall difference in mpg? First time viewer, subscribed. That doesn't happen often.

As I remember from previous videos on this channel a PHEV version would have an extra benefit of bigger battery to regeneratively recharge it, eventually yielding better fuel economy. Anyway any vehicle halves its fuel economy while towing. With a boxy trailer like this towing with a classical Hummer one can expect 4 MPG overall in hilly area.

Fantastic. Keep the videos coming. Very excellent. So much better than studying my accounting. 🤓🤓🤓🤓

I own a ‘23 RAV4 with a 175hp 2 liter and manual transmission. It’s sold in Europe with a towing capacity of 2000kg which equals over 4400lbs. And….? works great! I’m towing an 1800kg (3969lbs) caravan over the Austrian Alps without any problems. Ofcourse the RAV4 has to work harder than my previous car, a Mercedes C220d with it’s 295 foot poinds of torque, but still works great. And this one will hopefully work flawlessly 😉

Hey Alex. Can you PRETTY PLEASE do this kind of test with Camry Hybrid (Model with Lithium battery). Thanks!

Fun video. I am glad you didn’t lose your load. :). Good job on the tailer hitch.

>"throaty sewing machine" Haha

I convinced myself that I don’t need a Tacoma. With 17mpg, useless bed, and cramped interior, it doesn’t suit my needs. Im looking at the rav4 hybrid or adventure. Hybrid for the mpg and the adventure for the tow capacity. Watching you pull this with the hybrid seems like a huge win. The only stuff I’d be pulling would be lowes or homedepot grips, IFF it can’t fit in the back. So a trailer with a fridge or large appliance. I originally wanted the adventure but with the math on the fuel economy over most loans the cost of the vehicle is insanely cheap compared to normal vehicles or even the Tacoma. Any advice on whether I should get the adventure or the hybrid?? Once in a blue moon. Maybe once a year I’ll tow the limit. It’s not gonna be a regular thing

Fun fact: Toyota hybrids are able to charge the battery without regenerative braking by essentially using the engine as a generator. MPG plummets, but your battery will essentially never go dead as long as you have fuel. I'm guessing that it was a possibility that the Rav4 Hybrid could have gone into charge mode at the cost of MPG in order to keep the battery charged. I may be dead wrong though... lol Loved the video.

Seriously? Glad I still have my bulletproof 2012 limited rav4 AWD V6! It can tow 3,500 pounds! Very fast and fully loaded with leather, navigation, Bluetooth and many more! Why waste money on rav4 prime that can’t tow as the 3rd generation? What a shame and very weak engine on the prime! I will never replace my rav4!

I'm looking fwd to the Prime towing video.

Great video. Toyota hybrids seem to be great. I wonder how long the Rav4's hybrid battery will last. Where's your link on setting up the electronic trailer brake? Keep up the good work.

Did this come with the hitch and wiring for the trailer lights like a pickup? Or is it easy to install if not? I’m looking at switching to something like this from my gas guzzling pickup that is way overkill for what I need. All I’d ever be towing is one motorcycle or a tiny Jon boat.

Very helpful thanks. Any idea if that result would be similar for highlander Hybrid?

Just read today Alex about a class action lawsuit filed I think it was in California court on January 31 against Toyota on the issue of fuel tank issues on the hybrids

Overall this was a good video overall.... overall

I tow my 1500 lb Boler easily with my i4 rav4 sometimes I have to pull my 2500 boat and that's when realise 1500 is max for a reason. Those trail editions with 3500 limit must be rediculous.

Nice to hear it can tow but what about AWD function going from dead stop to slow up a slippery slope or up a boat ramp -will it really use the rear wheels to help the trailer get up?

The 2020 RAV4 hybrid (1750 towing capacity) weighs 340 lbs more than the standard nonhybrid (1500 towing capacity) and the Adventure grade weighs 335 lbs more than the standard nonhybrid (3,500lb towing capacity). They all use the same 2.5 liter engine with the hybrid version tuned differently but putting out more horsepower when the electric motor is factored in. So engine and vehicle weight have nothing to do with towing capacity. I understand that towing capacity in the hybrid is higher because some horsepower comes from the electric motor. And towing capacity is greatest in the Adventurer because it has a larger radiator and engine oiler cooler which cost Toyota ~ $100 more to produce. I would prefer a 2WD RAV4 with 3500lb towing capacity but instead of paying for the Adventurer, I will just go with a pickup.

Great video Alex!!

Great Video! We just bought Toyota Venza 2021(Limited trim), what do you think it can tow? I can't find anything which gives me information on tow capacity for Venza, not even dealer has that info. Would be nice if you can do similar video with Venza? Venza shares lots of common parts with rav4 hybrid such as engine, drive train and same TNGA architecture on the chassis.

I don't' get why you keep talking about the battery because the motor is always sending a charge into it when it's running.

Thanks for this I am looking at buying one of these I have a fishing boat that I would like to use to take my boat to the lake a few times a summer. I think this would be a good choice for me. I own a Prius. ( sold my pick up and want to still use my boat)

How much did the 200lbs compress the rear suspension? Wheel gap looks a lot less in the rear according to the side view seen at 0:22 in the video. 234lbs compresses the rear springs on my 2013 quite a bit. To my understanding, there is no difference in spring rate for the different trim levels of the 5th gen Rav's (maybe I can look up the rear spring part numbers for different trim levels to confirm this). So if the the same, more towing capacity does not equal stronger rear springs with the 1500lb, 1750lb, and 3500lb options.

Looks like you forgot to cross your safety chains. :) If the Euro version is rated for 3600, but the US is only 2000, why the discrepancy? Would be all over this vehicle if it could actually do 3500 with electric brakes.

What other upgrades do you need to get the max 1750lb?

WOW! The mpg going up hill in this rav4 hybrid, pulling a trailer is about the same as my 2013 Ford Taurus with the 3.5 V6.... incredible. Can’t wait to get a hybrid they are amazing

Great video mate

I'm looking for a small SUV for daily driving around town, light off road camping, (just loose dirt/sand small rocks, small streams) that could tow 2 motorcycles behind it. Would this do the job?

I believe the later gen Toyota transaxles have more than one planetary gear sets. Plus MIG1 in generator mode is capable of higher rpm versus earlier generations.

How’s the fuel tank going???

Any chance your willing to try a 4000 lb load on a Highlander Hybrid and let me know how that works out?

Hi Alex great information video. If you pull almost 2000 lbs I should have no problem to pull a 16 foot camper in my RAV4 trail?

This downrating of towing capacity for the American market is so universal, I have to wonder if it's not on purpose, so that carmakers can convince people you need the kind of big pickup to tow anything that simply wouldn't sell in Europe. It's incredibly annoying.

I have a another question, can you tow a Toyota Hybrid, is it save for hybrid drive? For example towing a pure electric car can be broken.

There is a typo in the description

All well and good while on clean dry road surfaces, but, would like to see if conditions are held in rainy or snowy slicker conditions.

Not sure why everyone calls a Rav4 a compact crossover, it's huge.

I think those were bags of cement not concrete. Cement isn’t concrete until mixed with water and aggregate and left to set.

What class hitch are you using Class 1 Or Class 3

Have they ever tested a Prius V made after 2015?

Great video! I have a 2022 Rav4 XLE Premium Hybrid. Towing my bass boat. Toyota says not to tow in D but gives no other details. Should I tow in 5 or 6? Thanks.

Alex, the prime will have a bigger battery, but lithium - it might be much closer to the nickle battery in weight than you fear-

Hi Do you have a video of the Highlander reviewing the towing?

I live in an area surrounded by mountains.....what goes up must come down to leave the valley 20 mpg up? and 70 mpg down?.....=== 40-45mpg round trip yea? Actually, my Prius pretty much uses zero gas going down and lots of battery charge due to brake use around the many mountain corners....😎

Can you please tow this trailer with the model Y too? Curious to see the impact on range.

Well done. 👍🏻

Can a 2023 Rav4 Hybrid tow a 17' Casita trailer??

the battery will not fill up faster if you have trailer brakes set high, as that energy is lost in the trailer brake system

Hi Alex Any chance that your trip is going to bring you near Colorado? Would be amazing to see a cross over episode (pun intended) with The Fast Lane Truck and to do an Ike Gauntlet run with this!

What model weigh safe is that?

What is the gas usage when idling all night for AC for sleeping my Prius would burn about a gallon per night if I had the AC on 75

do you need to go TRAIL mode on hybrid while towing ?

What kind of Brake Controller were you using ?

uk version is 3500 lb towing 1650 kg with brakes

l just wish we could get the xse rearview mirror camera put on a trailer so to switch to video only when connected. I asked local dealer I got mine from & they can't do it, maybe if I try where they're built now better luck might occur. Also the possible engine rebuild if my block happens to be porous..., might it also improve tow capacity/hp/torque too?

May I know which OBD tool you use?

You described the CV transmission as two electric motors rather than a belt and pulley CV. I am lost here. Can you explain further.

I see you're using the 4" weigh safe hitch. Do you think the 6" or 8" drop hitch that they offer would fit or would it rub against the bumper. It's a bit hard to tell with the angle of the camera @1:08

Hello, I was thinking of purchasing a Rav4 XSE Hybrid Adventure to use for towing our 2014 VW Jetta on a car dolly. Do you think that it could handle that?

What region is your house in? Because I want to buy there when I get sick enough of Canadian winters haha

Hi Alex, because you seem to have experience with Toyota Hybrids, what would be your opinion about a 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid pulling a 2500 lbs caravan. The capacity is 3500 lbs but I like to keep a good security and capability margin. Do you feel the vehicle would still be at some ease? I think it would be just right but I'm worried about some short steep 30 degree grade over about 300 feet. Its a patch of dirt road at my country place. Thanks for any comment you might have in terms of confidence in driving in these conditions.

I'm DESPERATE! Can anyone help me figure out why my 4flat connector is only outputting 6 volts? I've ensured there are no shorts in the circuit. I have a 2022 rav4 hybrid. Any help is appreciated.

When pulling with a vehicle that does not have a real frame (a unibody) you do risk stretching the unibody if you over do it. Then the doors do not shut right.

I have a 2020 Rav4 xse hybrid and was wondering what's the best hitch class if I'm only going to be using for a bike rack?

The towing capacity goes down to only 1000 lbs if the trailer is not equipped with brakes. Nobody seams to know that. (according to the owner's manual in Usa and Canada for the hybrid as well as the gasoline models).

hi, I'm on the market or looking for rav4 hybrid,, how the hybrid work and the engine? what in speed (kilometers) thus before the gas engine start to works? thanks for answering, and by the way nice/interesting video