The Quickest RAV4 Yet Can Skip Gas for 54 Miles
Remember Transformers when you were a kid? You know, Autobots, Decepticons, robots that transform into cars, Michael Bay action movies, etc… Well, that’s what the new Toyota RAV4 PHEV reminds me of. The RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid may be the most interesting vehicle in the new RAV4 lineup because it essentially gives you two vehicles in one, but in this case, it’s not a giant robot and a car, it’s a RAV4 that you can drive around town in EV mode and when you need the convenience of a petrol car, you have that as well.
With 324 combined horsepower and as much as 54 miles of EPA-rated electric range depending on trim, you can realistically handle a lot of normal daily driving without starting the gasoline engine at all. Then, when you need to go farther, you simply keep driving. No charging-route calculations, no range anxiety and no major change in how you use the vehicle. Toyota also claims 0-60 mph in 5.4 seconds, which makes this considerably quicker than any previous RAV4 I’ve driven, and definitely faster than most people expect a RAV4 to be.
And it actually feels quick. The electric torque gives it immediate pedal response, and unlike some PHEVs, EV mode doesn’t feel like a reduced-power setting you’re constantly trying to escape from. There’s enough electric power to merge and pass without automatically waking the engine. However, when the gasoline engine does come into play you can hear and feel the transition more than I’d like, but the system as a whole works extremely well, and it’s pretty sorted. Brake feel is natural too, something that I personally don’t think is guaranteed with regenerative braking.
Unfortunately there is a downside in this car, the chassis is less impressive than the powertrain. The steering remains pretty numb and the ride can get a little busy over broken pavement, particularly on trims with the larger wheels. So despite the horsepower, I wouldn’t call it a genuinely sporty SUV. What it is, however, is an exceptionally complete PHEV. You get meaningful electric range, decent real-world performance, AWD and none of the long-distance anxiety-inducing compromises of a pure EV. For someone who can plug in at home but isn’t ready to go fully electric, this is one of the strongest arguments for a plug-in hybrid that I’ve driven. So if I had to sum up the RAV4 PHEV, I guess I’d put it this way, it seems you can have your cake, and eat it too (…with a few little compromises).
