Featured 2016 RAV4 Hybrid Prices/Spec (incl. Towing)

Presuming you're a pv owner for example - you'd actually be picking up 29mpg driving on electricity. Still, nothing wrong with burning a little gas if you have to though

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RAV4 sales are on fire. Just look at its 3 month trend!

 

Did some light reading tonight. Found out Subaru is working on the next Crosstrek with Toyota for a plugin hybrid for MY 2018 release. Either Toyota will not have a plugin hybrid Rav in 2018 MY, or this hybrid will be obsolete very soon (like what the Volt ad says).

If I was sitting on a decision, that news might not be what I want to hear.

 

Obsolete? No, just due for a generational update.

 

Good luck getting anywhere near that IRL - I know two CX5 owners and they get much closer to 21/26. Pretty car, though.

 

Too bad the US version took the idle ICE and i-eloop off their Euro version. That would have been sweet.


merged

Are you saying there is a PHEV SUV in the pipe for Toyota? Toyota is all Fuel Cell, hater of plugin... at least that is what they are telling the public.

 

I see lots of them here on the road, mostly driving almost as fast as the Prius drivers, meaning 75mph plus. There's one where I drive to work, fairly plane Jane model. This woman commutes about 20 miles each way, drives no more than 70 on the interstate, not a lead foot anywhere. Since October, her mileage has been averaging 27 or so, pretty much the midline. Her best was a 31 mpg jaunt on all highway. A dramatic difference in driving though. The CX5 is a very fun drive.

 

Overlooking the obvious... that RAV4 is due for an update anyway... shows how effective the greenwashing campaigns have been.

Toyota got labeled as an "all Fuel Cell, hater of plugin" by those greenwashers. Their most common technique was to post information out of context. Simply limiting perspective is an easy way to mislead.

For example, when the first-gen PHV model production came to an end, they claimed the entire PHV program had been ceased, that support for plugging in had been abandoned. They were relentless too, continuing to make that assertion without any data to actually support it. The fact that Toyota didn't want to get stuck with inventory that would have to be marked down when the next-gen Prius was revealed was outright dismissed. They just kept on with greenwashing efforts.

Another example is Toyota's effort to diversify. We all know that EV won't work for everyone. We also know that the oil industry will wag a massive campaign against them. To portray Toyota as a fuel-cell only supporter, the greenwashers did everything they could to suppress plug-in endorsements by changing the topic to fuel-cells. That desperation to mislead about intent was amazing. They were relentless.

We've seen quite a bit of that in the past too. But there's no need to look back any further than 2015. Some have went to great extremes to build up false impressions... so effective, overlooking the obvious becomes common.

In this case, we know Toyota is expanding hybrid offerings to every passenger model vehicle they produce by 2020. The hope of eventually being able to provide a package-option choice with a plug should be obvious. Gen-2 PHV is helping pave the way, just like the original Prius did for expansion to other models over a decade ago.

 

What's all the fuss with the 4WD, don't they have paved roads over there in the US or it's just that Americans like going off road that much ?

 

It's more people worried about snow and ice on roads. Considering the state of funding for snow removal and salt in some areas, it can be a legitimate concern.

 

Roads are in much worse condition than they are in germany. In general they are better than some european countries. YMMV. In texas where I live, we normally need to go on a dirt or gravel road to get to camping or hunting areas. If it has rained heavily awd definitely helps, but you can avoid them during those bad condition times. We have a lot of snowy places and mountains that you need chains or awd to negotiate. Typically if you are buying a SUV like rav4, you either are a never never (never tows never goes off road) that doesn't need it, or awd is an important option.

Japan buys awd even more than the US. Subaru is a popular vehicle for the snowy/rainy awd in US.

From a design point of view, given the economics, I would only design hybrid or PHEV SUVs as eAWD. Once you have the hybrid drivetrain it is a lot less expensive to add eAWD than a mechanical one, so forcing the option makes it look like a much lower hybrid premium. MG2 could be down sized if you know there is going to be an MG3, and toyota doesn't seem to trust towing without a fwd hsd.

 

A Prius towing a caravan just might be the trigger for apoplexy:


Bob Wilson

 

Very interesting bit from Motor Trend regarding the 2016 RVA4 Hybrid...
"Our friends at Real MPG, however, brought us the first surprise: 34.3 mpg in the city and 39.0 (!) mpg on the highway for a combined 36.3 mpg."

Wow!

 

Boy can it get pricey when you configure one fully.

No spare tire I presume.

Loses about 8 MPG to the v.

Review did not speak of any noise issues which would be a plus.

Anyone seen one?

 

It has a "Temporary (165/80R17ST)" spare onboard, same as the regular RAV4.
2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Product Information | Toyota

People are driving them already...
4.4 Electric RAV4 Hybrid & EV - Toyota RAV4 Forums

 

Anyone seen the new Rav4 hybrid commercial with the wolves? I am surprised that it was allowed to air with the part of the guy nursing the pups. It's the way they made it was R rated comedy.

Just wondering if anyone noticed?

 

completely unnecessary in civilized areas of the u.s.

 

37.1 mpg after driving 70 miles on freeway at about 75 mph and 10 miles on local roads at 45 mph, not bad huh?