Happy Friday guys! Hope you all are having a great week! Just wanted to let you know in the driving scene, the footage from the secondary camera was corrupted so we weren't able to include it in the video, even though you see the GoPro recording it on the screen. We're hoping to get our hands on an XSE or Limited trim with the larger 10.3" display later this year!
Your analysis was solid. People heading to the woods with their RAV4 Hybrid would be better off with 17" rims and more tire sidewall. The lack of tow rating is inexplicable to anyone who has seen the impressive tow capacity illustrated on your colleague Alex's channel. In regard to the percentage of RAV4 Hybrids sold, I think we can safely assume that Toyota would have sold far more in 2022 if they could have produced them fast enough. There are massive waiting lists for all Toyota Hybrid CUVs.
The Woodland is also pre wired for all of the ambient floor lights that higher trims get! I bought the OEM floor and console lights and installed in 45 minutes. It is an easy process that only requires 2 Phillips screws, (1) 10mm bolt, and a trim tool. $40 got me ambient lights
@@Stressless2023 Yeah I like the look I am actually glad it does not have a moon roof option because I never use my current moon roof my factor is it is a hybrid looks a little different from the common XLE trim but has fog lights which the other Hy bird model does not have and I actually use that option on a lot of dark roads in my area. If you want more MPG you can always change the tires to another type when they get to the point of replacement. I actually don't want to pay extra for Leather aka Soft tech which requires maintenance that no one ever mentions you need to rub leather conditioner in those soft touch seats every year otherwise they will crack and tear overtime. Cloth does not need any maintenance like that.
Are they really calling it "off-road" though. I've been to a lot of national parks and just considering "woodland" it would handle a majority of the fire and park roads and do it better than other more standard vehicles.
@@landonfolken03 I agree now that I own this vehicle and handles the pot hole streets which I feel like I am off road driving in the major cities. The Rav4 Woodland drives over it much better then my previous Sport Rav4 rides so much smoother and the 38mpg city is so much better then my ICE version.
I have the 23 rav4 woodland in blue. Love it. I get around 37 to 39 mpg driving around. Leather, power lift gate, heated seats, sun roof, etc not available but I am ok without them. Less things that can break. My dealer can add aftermarket heated seats for 750 bucks, I'll think about it. Great car overall
I got one as well in Black also love it. If you remove the crossbars your MPG does go up. I am now getting 40.4mpg without them on. I have owned mine since Apr 8 2023 and only had to fill up twice after 800 miles.
Thanks for your detailed review! There seems to be some confusion about what the “TRD tuned suspension” is on the RAV4 Woodland. According to Toyota’s literature. It mentions different coil springs, bump stops and damper/shocks. But as you pointed out, it’s clearly not the same one as on the TRD off-road, due to the 8.1” of ground clearance. I agree with you regarding not having the available options to add on the Woodland trim as being a bit of a disappointment. Note that this is case for the US version. For the Canadian version, you can spec it out with heated seats, heated leather wrapped steering wheel, power lift gate, and moon roof.
I see the same comments from Sizzle on every single Woodland edition video I have watched. We all know the Canadian model has a few more nice add-ons but those add-ons over time wear out and are expensive to replace. When you manually open a tail gate that will never have an issue opening, or you don't have a moon roof to leak. Also for heated seats and wheel that is very over-rated. What did we all do without these options also what happens if your in a warm climate? As long a it lasts runs good and looks good that is what makes the most sense at the end of the day sometimes less is more. Some Cons, I do wish that they had other colors like got rid of the pain old white for maybe a dark green that would have been nice to have. Also wish the would have added a few more inside trim items to make it more unique then just a outlet and some floor mats.
What did we do without BLAH BLAH BLAH give me a break - who needs all this newfangled wheeled conveyance at all, after all we did just fine with HORSES for a lot longer than these gas powered devices have even been in existence! AMIRITE??!? @@DYIguy .....and no sunroof leaks on my 291k mile Camry so pretty sure that concern is as you like to say "over-rated".
The Woodland gets the TRD's springs, dampers, and bump stops, but it's not a full on TRD. It is TRD Tuned as well, per my window sticker. I wish Toyota would be more clear on presenting this information though. 1,500 miles on mine and I am 38.0 MPG. 75% highway and most driving in 35-55°F (none of this is ideal conditions for the Hybrid system). I expect 40mpg to be realistic come spring time, especially if you're doing city driving. I opted to remove the crossbars because it's so easy to and improves MPG. I only need them for ~1,500 miles a year. It is rated to tow 1,750lb.
Finally! A great detailed review of this car. Can't wait for Driving Sports TV to get a tester and put it through the paces. To clear things up- this is a SOFTROADER. It's not the TRD or Adventure at all. For actual offroading- get a 4Runner. We bought my wife the White Woodland, which is the best color in my opinion. The TRD tuned suspension is definitely an upgrade along with the Wildpeak-esque wheels. This is an EXCEPTIONAL car in bad weather. It stays so planted, especially with the auto-4WD. Gas mileage is ridiculous and so is the acceleration when compared to a standard example. We had a couple of freezing rain storms and it was glued to the ground even in corners. I love how safe it keeps my wife and our future ninos. This is an everyday driver that can get through all types of sketchy weather. Wouldn't take it to Moab but it'll get you to and back from Costco in a snow storm with crazy MPG. I'm so glad we got this. I have a 4Runner for offroad.
So what, the MPG performance and reliability is the real value and what the bottom line is. Also without the moon roof and power lift gate saves 200lbs lighter and for 20 dollars I have a leather wrapped steering wheel.
You are missing the whole point of this vehicle. Toyota was trying to keep the price down with a cool looking, fuel efficient vehicle. You complained about it not having all of the options that make this same vehicle 44 thousand dollars.
You should specify that the missing options are for the ones in the united states. Just got mine in cansda with moonroof, power lift gate, heater steeering wheel and more for all those in the comments section. Its not noisier with the tires. It towes 1750 lbs.
Totally agree I did not want soft touch does not last over the years looks old and needs extra maintenance, also wanted fog lights which is not on the XLE unless you go premium which is more money. Also did not want a moon roof since never use it because of either road noise or just to much sun. Also the Cloth seats last no sliding and look good after 15 years on my other Rav4.
Actual buttons for the climate control: A welcome sight. I'd prefer a higher level trim myself; but the '23s are a great upgrade for the RAV4 all around.
These appearance only off0road trims are kind of pointless in my opinion. It's just an excuse to charge a higher price without giving you any more capability and cheaping out on the interior. Hard pass on this one.
I would have love to see the front of the adventure trim with a hybrid power train definitely a missed opportunity to actually up the sale numbers there
Please advise does the ride on this car seem similar to other RAV4 models? Or is it a harder ride due to the different shocks? I have an opportunity to buy one however there are no models to be found anywhere to test drive.
I'm looking at the actual sticker. The woodland edition comes with TRD tuned suspension. I can't add the picture, but that upgrade is huge. Please check and respond.
Thanks for the review on the Woodland trim. Great job with this review, as always. Currently shopping for a 2023 Rav4 hybrid. I love the exterior looks of the Woodland in all 3 colors. The urethane steering wheel is really disappointing. I would prefer to have heated seats but not a deal killer and I don't mind cloth. The cheesy mats are almost a deal killer but maybe those could be changed out. Would prefer the upgraded infotainment but that's not a deal killer either. I like the TRD suspension. Lack of a power lift gate does not bother me. I don't think just putting the Falkens on another trim would be exactly the same in terms of mild off-road capability but the tires are most of the diff off-road so it would help. I think the fuel mileage can exceed the mpg rating and you don't need to hypermile to do it. I would not let the slightly lower mpg rating deter anyone from buying a Woodland. Keep the speed under the posted speed limit and limit the jackrabbit starts between stops and the mpgs will be great. I don't think I would pay the out the door prices I am seeing ($35k+) but somewhere just under $33k out the door seems fair for a vehicle that is pretty Spartan by today's standard's. Oddly with all the trims and options and premium packages there is not one single trim that can exactly fit the bill for me. There will be a compromise or two with whichever trim I choose but I have no doubt it will be a great and reliable vehicle.
Still looks fresh even after five years in the market but this particular trim, with the quite significant fuel efficiency reduction, is pretty pointless.
Rav 4’s are hard to find and sell like hot cakes here in Washington and they are higher priced than msrp because of this… there was 1 of these left and we’re trying to go look at it and then it was being purchased before we could even get to the lot. Been looking around and what I really don’t like is the steering wheel plastic like a McDonald’s play bin, it reminds me of and that’s the one thing you constantly touch … we were gonna get a brand new Rav 4 le for 32k… but I just couldn’t get over the steering wheel and tires.. for 32k it just lacked anything that said special. So after months of looking, we finally found a 21 xle premium, with all the bells and whistles. Jbl 11 speaker system, heated steering wheel and seats both leather, with only 20k miles. For 33k. In a nice pearl white exterior all and all very hard to find around here in Washington for price and color and upgrades jumped on that one and, happy we did 🤗🤗 love it. And worth to buy a little bit used one if you can find one, that’s fully packaged. For the same price as a new one that’s basic af
I love Toyotas, am on my 8th one (an 06 Toyota Sequoia), but I do not understand this model. Instead of introducing this, why not just give buyers the option of a hybrid engine in the TRD Off Road Pro? More ground clearance on the TRD Offroad, can tow, has softe seats, etc. The lack of obvious options is very disappointing--I was really hopeful about this trim, and for someone who wants a do-it-all SUV that can get me to the trail head, a cabin, to a river, on forest roads/BLM Roads, this model for me is decidedly "meh." Come on, Toyota, you kind of swung and missed on this opportunity
Glad this car doesn't come with all the aesthetic garbage I wouldn't care less about. There's a different trim model for that. I'm okay with saving thousands with them not having that stuff in the car. Leather garbage which feel awful in this 110 degree climate I live in, heated seats/wheel. um... no. Its hot enough. Auto lift gate, nice perk, wouldn't pay $100 for it, let alone the extra thousand it cost. I just need the mechanical side of this car. Glad they made it this way. Glad they have trims for some, and different trims for others.
Why I bought this one too! I have arms that work and can hop the 1” to close the hatch door😂. I wanted the TRD suspension for when I drive on the family farm, and my quarterly trip up the mountains.
@@sarahcrotts1151 Totally understand. Sometimes I wonder how some people complain, I can't drive without heated seats! No, you can't drive without a steering wheel, you can drive fine without heated seats. Besides. My family Jeep Grand Cherokee heated seats caught on fire and burned the car down back in 97. Maybe that lasting memory has me hesitant to heated seats. That being said, the cloth seats I have don't get hot, don't get cold. I know you can't get cars ala carte but I could cross off so many things that cost hundreds if not thousands I could save. Self closing lift gate? Neat, for a thousand... I could spend the thousand on something else. What's next? Self opening/closing car doors? Oh no, I can't drive this car without the car doors/open and closing itself!!
I just preordered one! Wondering if I could upgrade the speakers to their JBL premium sound package or maybe it isn't available for RAV4 hybrids? I did not see it as an option package.
I prefer the previous gen RAV4 2013-18. That gen is more spacious, and the engine transmission combo are far more refined and smoother. Plus that gen XLE model had a nicer interior than the current one
That cable issue was on the 2019 and 2020 models and has been fixed. They had to open up the plastic shielding which would collect water which was causing the issues.
@@DYIguy The first fix for this corrosion problem and subsequent failure of the cable was an orange cover that fit around the high voltage connection. The cover did not work. Water and debris still collected around the cable. So the bandaid was modified by cutting the side out of the cover to allow the muck to drain. Still not working as water, etc. is still corroding the connection. It just seems that the location of the cable connection is the problem. And it is still a problem on the newer vehicles. The cable is in a vulnerable position. And the problem certainly seems to be ongoing.
@@patriciapowers4097 Thanks for the updated info I will have to keep an eye out for that issue. I know the Toyota CarCarNut channel has mentioned that this issue has been resolved but he might be wrong.
Our 19’ Rav in base trim is missing so many basics and feels cheap compared to our lower trim crosstrek. Window buttons, fuel latch and are not lit at night. Engine sound-proofing removed. Boring engine and lifeless handling. Can’t believe the Rav sells so well.
You can get 40.4 mpg, without the roof rails, The soft touch is over rated. Has Fog lights standard which is a plus. Cloth last decades no maintenance and your rear passengers will not slide in the back. Also you can scotch bright the seats so you don't have to worry about your mud comment. Which I don't think any one is seating in a car all muddy to begin with. The features like heated seats is over rated.
Great detailed review! Ty for showing the remote start!🙌 would be nice if the RAV got the horn from the Camry.. it’s about time. The RAV4 is no longer the cheapest Toyota SUV you can buy so a Camry horn would fit it. Also the XLE “premium” still has this cheap interior😖 they need to discontinue that trim and bring over all the standard equipment from that to the non premium XLE. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, the XLE Premium trim CHEAPENS the RAV4 lineup! If I were getting a XLE Premium I’d just spend the extra money and get the limited w the complete package.
That's incorrect. The XLE Premium absolutely does not get the same interior as this Woodland/the XLE trim. I'm not sure what gave you that idea or where you got that information, but it is simply not right, at all.
@Jxmar No, that's not all you get. You get Softex, heated seats, a moonroof, a power liftgate, & several other convenience features. I'm not sure what purpose making things up serves. Misinformation isn't good for anyone.
It was a big disappointment to discover that there is only one way to open the rear (hatchback) door on the 2023 Toyota RAV4 Woodland Edition, which is to press the electronic release above the license plate. I never imagined that a vehicle as sophisticated as the Toyota RAV4 would have this limitation. There is no mechanical key port allowing the rear door to be opened in the event that the electronic release might fail; and there is no interior door release for the driver. This is a design flaw which impacts safety. The driver should have a button to unlock the rear door - even in models which do not include the Power Back Door (PBD) feature. The back door release should also work from the key fob - even in the absence of PBD.
@@jonathanacuna2397 It is probably on every trim lacking the Power Back Door (PBD) feature. Toyota took an all or nothing approach. I was not overly concerned about the lack of PBD, because I just assumed there would be both an interior Latch Release button for the Driver and a Latch Release button on the Key Fob. I was also expecting a key port allowing the back door latch to be released mechanically. None of this is provided.
The headlights on the XLE XSE are far nicer than other Camry models Not to mention the taillights on lower trims are just awful. The XLE XSE ones are so much more premium looking
@@naveenthemachine well XSE/XLE is the premium version of the LE/SE sooo yes I expect everything to be better… also a base 4 cyl XSE or XLE isn’t that much more than a optioned out LE/SE.
Sir, When is Toyota going to install the upgraded 245 hp , AWD, 2.5 Hybrid powertrain in their upscale RAV4 models? Why do they make two versions of the 2.5 AWD Hybrid system when Toyota is famous for uniformity in production to maximize manufacturing efficiency? How can there be no tow rating on the 'toughest' version of the RAV4 Hybrid? 🤔
6.7s 0-60 in this segment is pretty fast and considering the MPGs.. I’m honestly fine w the RAV4 keeping 220 HP. It’s perfectly adequate. Plus they have the RAV4 prime if you want ultimate performance and MPG. Also the Lexus NX has the upgraded system from the sienna/highlander so you could get that if you want a RAV4 sized vehicle w that setup.
@@jxmar_ For me it has nothing to do with speed. The Highlander and Sienna offer 3,500 tow rating which would be very, very handy in an 'outdoorsy' RAV4 Hybrid. I will take the opportunity to remind people that the 2GR-FE was once the base engine in the Highlander and the upgraded engine in the RAV4. Today's 245 hp Hybrid powertrain would simply be the modern equivalent WITHOUT a fuel economy penalty. Furthermore, there cannot be a meaningful cost difference in manufacturing the 245 hp system versus the 219 hp. In regard to the NX, it's interior space efficiency is terrible compared to the RAV4.
canadian spec of the Woodland Edition is so much better, we have moonroof, automatic trunk, heated seats, leather wrapped steering wheel, heated steering wheel all standard...
20:39 what they really mean when they say used rav4, never driven hard, slightly used, like new condition. I've only be in crossovers like the rav4, and crv for car services. But their ride quality seemed harsher and more jarring than sedans. Also I've never liked the front end of this generations rav4. Hopefully they change it and while toyota are at it make the corolla sedan rear end look as good as the hatchback rear end, which is much more cohesive design.
Why don't they just make the Toyota rav4 adventure a hybrid instead?? Wouldn't they just make more sense and probably be a better looking trim also? The rav4 adventure is basically a forgotten trim that I wish they would do more with. Also the adventure front bumper grille looks way better that this front end as an off road trim, especially if it were a hybrid.
@@alengreen589 when he means “cheap” interior he means hard plastics. The plastics itself don’t feel cheap and the fit and finish is great. The top trims have more soft touch materials on the doors too and it’s carried to the back unlike some competitors which yes give you nice materials on the front doors but cheap out on the back.. the RAV doesn’t.
Can tell this trim level is purely a gimmick - Smart business move on Toyota though, throw some rugged tires, trim/graphics, and roof racks on it and essentially charge more for the same.
Having driven a new 2023 RAV4 for a week, the infotainment system is definitely better, but it's not nearly as user friendly as some of the competition still. And their driver assist features are still garbage. I was very disappointed.
To me it seems like Toyota is trying to capitalize on the "off road" craze, without actually offering any features. This is a low trim vehicle dressed up and charged a premium for.
If you’re like me, I’d rather be in a tractor… farm girl through and through. And this is the car, I’ve been waiting on since the press release last year, finally ordered it- once my 07 Pontiac Vibe died.
