Uber Driver: Does the Rav4h pass the "Watermelon test"?

I am an Uber / Lyft driver who has been driving a 2013 Prius V 2 for 2.5 years. I choose the Prius V specifically for the back seat passenger comfort. I am at 76k on this Prius V, and I am starting to think about what it will be replaced with.

Now you may ask, "what is the "Watermelon Test"? Well simply put, imagine that the right rear door is already open, and you are a passenger holding a large watermelon in both arms. Can an average passenger get into the back seat without putting the watermelon down? (You could substitute a baby for the watermelon, but a watermelon is a lot funnier to imagine).

The 2013 Prius V passes this test with flying colors. Any replacement vehicle should pass it as well. The Prius V is very low to the ground, and the rear door is really wide. Also, the ability to move the seats all the way back exchanges cargo room, for more leg room. Yet (unlike the regular Prius) there is enough cargo space to take four large adults and their luggage to the airport. I am 6 foot 1, and I still have to move the driver seat up 4 notches from all the way back.

While the Prius V shares many parts with the Rav4, there are important differences. First is I assume the Rav4h has a higher ground clearance. Higher ground clearance is a big negative WRT the watermelon test. I suspect that the distance the seat can go back in a Rav4h might be less. Thirdly, the total width of the seat is important for the adult in the middle seat in back. I recall comparing the Prius V with a Camry, and the back seat is actually a few inches wider in a Prius V.

So I love my 2013 V. Any thoughts?

 

The vast majority of my passengers are under 35, and possibly drunk. The concern isn't mobility; the concern is the speed that three adult passengers can enter or exit through the single passenger side door. This is important in Philadelphia's "Center City", as cops like to give out $76 tickets for "double parking" when they are in a bad mood.

I am surprised that the Camry and Prius V have the same seat height. The Prius is so low to the ground compared to any other car I have owned. I will have to compare the Camry and Prius V for door width as well.

Still I am sad to discover that 2017 was the final year for the V. Camry's and Prius V's are among the most popular among taxicabs in Philly. The wheels on the Prius V just barely fit through some of the alleys in Philly that Google maps sends me down. I am serious, there are many named streets that are about 6' 0" curb to curb. Two inches wider would be a problem.