Toyota RAV4 Prime Review: Perfection... Minus One Thing
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 มิ.ย. 2024
- Let’s test drive and review the 2024 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE!
The Toyota RAV4 has been around since the mid-90s, when it debuted as a unibody SUV in a world of body-on-frame ones. It was meant to mix the comfort of a car with the size of an SUV, and these days, it’s a common thing - so common (and popular!) that in 2023, Toyota sold nearly 435,000 RAV4s in America alone.
The RAV4 Prime is the upscale, plug-in hybrid version of the RAV4. The base model starts at about $44,000, and this RAV4 Prime comes with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, which makes 302 net horsepower from gas and battery power. Power goes through a continuously variable transmission to electronic on-demand all-wheel drive, and acceleration is impressive: The 0-to-60 time on this car is 5.7 seconds.
The RAV4 Prime’s infotainment system also has wireless Apple CarPlay, as all cars should, because I’m not using the built-in navigation.
This RAV4 is from the fifth generation, which arrived in 2019, so it’s getting old now. Toyota’s also debuting a lot of new models and new generations, so it’s not a huge stretch assume that a new RAV4 is on the way.
But this RAV4, despite its generation’s age, is great. It looks good, drives comfortably, has speed, and is easy on the fuel consumption. The black accents, crisp red paint, double sunroof, and timeless styling make it look really tasteful (and ready for adventure). Plus, the RAV4’s electric-only range in EV Mode is 42 miles, which is the length of the average American’s commute. Odds are, you can get to work and back with no gas at all.
The RAV4 Prime works for a lot of people. Whether it’s the best choice for you is up to your personal preference, since Honda, Kia, Subaru, Hyundai, and so many more automakers also have plug-in hybrid SUVs. But it’s a really great car, even five years into this current generation.
And hey, if you’d rather buy it used… there are tons of them out there.
Thanks for watching my TH-cam channel. Enjoy the drive!
#cars #automotive #toyota #toyotarav4 #rav4 #rav4prime #hybrid #toyotahybrid #suv #crossover #hybridsuv #suvs #carreview #carreviews #alanisking
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I'm not an SUV person but I got to watch any review you do granddaughter. Super job (-;
Ah thank you so much! I appreciate it!
Ditto! Not an SUV person, but an Alanis fan!!
I was just thinking I really miss your reviews on Doug's channel, stumbled on to this, glad you are doing your own thing.
Awww thank you so much for finding me! I really appreciate it
The outro sounds like an excellent deal: You continue to give us excellent reviews, and we continue to watch and like them 😀
Awwwww you're the best. For real. Thank you
I have the exact same vehicle - color and trim. When I first picked up my car at the dealer, it was charged to 100% but only showed 36 miles of range. As the car learned my driving habits, I now get 46 miles of range on a full charge. Most of my EV driving is in flat terrain.
Another banger of a video! That EV test was great and the animations/background history in the beginning really added to the experience.
I enjoy this format but will admit I personally prefer the full in depth review one (although I will say the amount of detail you go into even with the 5 likes/1 dislike is really well done).
Keep up the good work!
Ah thank you! I also love the full format - some weeks, we just can’t do it. We had a few reviews in a row that we filmed while two deaths were occurring in the family, so we really had to truncate filming time. More full reviews soon!
@@AlanisKing thanks for the reply, so sorry for the losses by the way. Thoughts and prayers to you and your family 🙏
Great review Alanis !!!!
Thank you : )
I got 2021 Rav4 Prime XSE. I get around 52 miles EV range full charge when using Ecco Mode in Florida. Stop by gas station every 6 months or so. Love it. Thx for good review.
That’s awesome. Great choice. Thank you for watching!
Ahh,, just the person to ask. Zinzhu, does your Rav4 sit up just a bit higher than a regular say, gas Rav4? If it does, must be those red shocks found only on the XSE trim?
Great review. I have a 2021 Rav4 prime and love it. Got it 6 months ago. Living in the country, sometimes we exceed the battery range. With the way we use this vehicle, we are getting 94 miles to a gallon. Calculated for every tank a gas in the prime. we used almost 2 tanks in the Rav4 limited. It is a great vehicle.
Love that. Great choice! Thank you for watching
I love the excitement around 4:18 when the hatch is closing.
It’s always so exciting for me
AK - LOVE the review!
One big area no one really talks about is stop-and-go traffic. I wish the auto industry would measure engine idle time. There is MAJOR gas savings to be had in a hybrid.
You’re so right! Thank you for watching 🤠
What a solid real world test of range and good job explaining it as best anyone really can.
And it’s an impressive range for highway use.
With in town it would certainly excel far beyond that.
What an educational and entertaining review.
Ahhhh thank you Ted! I appreciate this!
Excellent video as always Alanis! I actually like the RAV-4 it came such a long way! The idea of a plug-in hybrid sounds very interesting! It’s a Toyota, so you can’t go wrong! Probably one of the few SUV’s I’d drive, you’ve given me something to think about! Again, excellent review Alanis!
Thank you so much, as always 🤠
Great job with that range test
Ahhhhh thank you! Thanks for watching
This was a brilliant review (as usual).
This is exactly what the average American needs for everyday driver duties. If i could afford one, it's exactly what I need
Truly, thank you so much 🤠 I appreciate you saying this
Another great review!!! I stand behind the “How many Alanis’s test” as the best unit of measurement for car space. I figure my RDX is about 2.5 Alanis also.
I’ll have to try an RDX out! Thank you 🤠
I have one and in the same color. I absolutely love it!
Really great choice
Love my 2024 Rav 4 prime!!! EV mode charges to 50, sometimes 51 miles. I have gotten about 45 miles in EV only mode with it in city driving mainly. Main issue I have with it is volume control pause issue when using android auto. Definitely they need to fix that!!! Otherwise, super comfortable for me on long road trips and a very stable, quiet, phenomenal car!!!
51 miles! That’s awesome!
Great vid! Quick question: no more Alanis Report Card?
Great question! I do that on my long reviews (non-“5 Things”), so when I do long reviews, it’s there! These 5 Things reviews are my shorter format 🤠
Great review. Definitely appreciate the criticism of the seat comfort for long drives. I’m currently looking for something to replace my daily that is very comfortable for long road trips. What car or manufacturer makes cars with the most comfortable seats? I’d definitely like to see a video where you go over your best roadtrip picks
That’s a really good question! The Mazda CX-90 (also on my channel) was very comfortable for an eight-hour round trip
Volvo . By far .
You’re spot-on that hybrids solve so many issues. Especially good for non-home owners without charger access.
Now if only Toyota USA would partner with Mitsuoka to let us get an official Buddy package here from Japan!
Yes! They're sooooo good
This color is amazing!!
Isn't it! I know some people will say it's just red, but it really does make the car look like it's in 4K
@@AlanisKing Call me a simp, but you have amazing eyes.
You are so correct about the seats. I drive one for the last 5 years, and the only complain I have, are the seats. I have the lumbar adjustment, it still doesn’t help.
I’m so glad my assessment resonated!
I agree; I had one in this same beautiful color but the seats are what made me let it go.
I’ve owned a 2023 with the softtex seats since last July, I’m 5-10 175lbs with boney prominences and I agree the vehicle can get uncomfortable during long drives on my elbows and knees, but the seat stays comfortable for me.
Nice choice! Thank you for watching 🤠
Great video! Can you do more real world test of plug in hybrids?
I will definitely try!
And thank you 🤠
The biggest problem with this vehicle is you can't find one!
So many RAV4 sales!
We bought the same car (in white) last fall, to replace my wife's daily driver. I love driving it- the technology/comfort/cargo/etc makes it such a nice car to live with. I must have the seat dialed in for me (5'11") as we regularly do a 2.5-3hr drive and i've never noticed the seats being uncomfortable. My only complaints, aside from the price, is that the passenger seat always feels a bit higher than it should be, and I wish the blind spot monitors would beep if you hit the turn signal with a car in your blindspot. It hasn't been an issue, but my ND miata has this and our previous mazda 3 had this, so i've become accustomed to it. Plus the car beeps for a million other reasons, it seems like the blind spot beep would be a no-brainer.
I'm so glad you like it, and thanks for the seat feedback! It bothered both husband and I, so we figured there was definitely something to it
@@AlanisKing I was almost positive the "one thing" mentioned in the title was going to be the price 🤣 I'm sure you've already moved onto a new press car but lowering the back so that the seat is tilting upwards was a game changer in the comfort department
I totally agree that a PHEV is a great compromise between an ICE and an EV! Going even 35 miles on electricity is going to cost well less than half the cost of 1 gallon of gas to go the same distance!
Yes! Exactly!
C'est toujours mieux qu'un moteur 1.3L downsizer sur Renault ou Peugeot
Good afternoon Alanis! I found the squeal you gave when the tailgate was going down very hilarious! 😂
Francisco! Hi! Thank you 💙
Looked into buying one of these a few years back. Went with the forester instead, more off road abilities!
I want to try one out!
One of the rare times a car is super common but holds its value so well.
Makes so much sense
The modern day Camry (in terms of popularity)!
I understand the appeal, its the perfect mass market car. I’ve seen many around here in The Netherlands as well since PHEVs are so popular. I just can’t believe during Covid, the markups on these were so high in America…I remember seeing these listed for 60-70k, 🤯
Omg! Hello! Love talking to you in the comments so much. I agree. It’s like the SUV Camry!
Fantastic review! I am trying to help my sister get into one but YIKES they cost a lot 😂 On a separate note, great article on Jamie Chadwick! I saw it on Motorsport and it was really a great read.
Omg! Thank you so much for watching AND reading
Great review, as usual. Keep the reviews as awesome as you are.
Awwww thank you, truly
Thanks!
Omg thank YOU! I appreciate this so much
The background music at the beginning had me laughing😂
🤠🤠
The seat comment is the sole reason I went with the limited hybrid (2024). The seats are FAR better and the passenger side is power/height adjustable as well.
Very interesting! Thanks for adding to the seat convo
I got rid of my 2021 RAV4 hybrid for the same reason. Not good on long trips!! I got my maverick hybrid and I can honestly say it’s better all around. Love the MPG, practical, comfortable, fun, great daily, and great on long trips.
Two really good cars! Hope you enjoy the Maverick for years to come
Seats were uncomfortable? I've sat in a few at dealers and they are hard.
on waht?
The best thing for me is the driver seat. It is sooo comfortable for me. I was constantly in pain in my Sube Forester seat, this is a relief for me. Weird, right?
Very weird! Thanks for watching!
Nice review. I always wondered how the transition went when it switches from EV to gasoline motor. Pretty smooth from what we saw here. Question for anyone: does the Prime trim sit up any higher than a regular gas trim model? It just looks kicked up an inch or so....anyone?
It was so smooth! I’m out running errands right now, but if you Google the dimensions of both cars, there should be one for ride height
OoOo the seat comfort might be sadly due to the type of Prime you had. Your’s was the Premium Package XSE (the rarest to find) which ideally should be the most comfortable but I have feeling it is not with the type of ventilated seats they put in it. I have the XSE Prime without premium package and have no issue with driver seat comfort. Did you get to try the other RAV4 Prime trims seats? Nice video!
That’s a really good point! I only had this one, so I could only try these seats. I’ll try to get another one! Thanks for watching 🤠
I just did a 5 hour road trip and found the same dislike in the front seat and what I found helped was using the heated seats.
Good idea! I do that too!
Cool review. Why the ‘Wedding March’ song?
Husband’s choice!
Seats seem to be your enemy in a lot of cars. I would love to see at the end of the year rankings of the cars you drove a seat ranking as well. It would be a hilarious little bonus to the countdown. Just saying.
Hahahahaha we have had two seat issues in close proximity! They’re usually fine. The only cars I remember having bad seat issues in were the Maverick, this one, and the C8 Corvette
They are expensive, and not the cheapest to run vehicles necessarily...but most Volvos have possibly the most comfortable seats that don't include ultra-fancy electronic luxury features (50 way adjustments, massagers, etc.) in them.
RAV4 Prime is very fast. That is so much more important than its amazing fuel economy and almost as impressive as its ability to fit 2.5 Alanis in the trunk. 😉
It is fast! And it fits multiple Alanises!
wouldve been a great addition if you had a POV of the cluster being on EV then having the engine go on
It would have! But it’s very hard to place a stable camera when you’re moving. It would need to go on a suction mount, and there aren’t a lot of areas you can suction to that face the instrument cluster and can get that close of a frame on it
5th gen RAV4 looks good, wonder why this setup ain’t available on the new 4Runner hybrid.
It’s sooooo good looking
❤❤Lovely car but the price 😢. Number one stealing too.😊
You should review the rx500 h
I had 7 videos in my queue this morning. I watched yours first.
I'm a shorter guy (5'4") and I rented a RAV-4 a few years ago. I found it difficult to get into, but otherwise I liked it.
Ahhhhhhhhhh thank you for putting me first! That's so cool!
I like the idea of the prime but the last time I looked, the prime is about $10,000 more than the RAV4 hybrid. I don’t think that one can make an economic argument for buying one.
Totally fair!
With the gov't rebate I figure I paid about the same as if I would have bought an XSE hybrid. I bought an Prime XSE without the technology package.
Braking will never be a net benefit to range because theres some energy lost to heat. Regenerative braking only captures a fraction of the energy lost to breaking, so you'll always get a better range if you continuously moving at a steady pace.
You'll increase your range if you coast to red lights & stop signs. This way I get the total benefit of the regenerative braking with very little braking. Way too many drivers are constantly on their brakes while driving. I rarely brake before a corner, I just coast a little and then glide around the corner without braking 99% of the time.
haven't watched the video yet, but wondering if the one negative thing is no wireless carplay!?
Nope! Has wireless
then i have to watch it after work to find out 🙂
@@AlanisKing my only complaint on my new Prime is the infotainment since Toyota changed it to subscription based from your smart phone. It's slow and a horrible experience, my 2020 Rav4 hybrid's infotainment was way better! 😭
I believe her,hips don't lie!
I drove the USA east coast in a rental RAV 1,5 years ago. The seat was comfy for me. The only thing I didn't like was the steering. It was too unconnected and American for my taste
“Unconnected and American” is a hilariously fun way to describe it
That's most Toyotas (as well as many other mainstream vehicles) in North America unfortunately. I had a similar complaint with my brother-in-law's Corolla SE. The car handled decently for an economy sedan, but the steering was far more disconnected than my old 07 Honda Civic Coupe. Funny enough, my husband's 2015 Yaris has some of the more connected steering of any Toyota I've driven. It's not amazing, but gives me much more confidence, and compares favorably with my old Honda. I think the Yaris steering is different than most American-aimed Toyotas since it is primarily designed for the European, Japanese, and other markets where small, affordable city cars are bigger sellers.
62?! Holy moly you like a cold car
Hahahahahaha no I like a hot car! When husband is filming B-roll (or A-roll) in the Texas heat, turning on the car is his one break from it
I own the Prime SE for 2 years now. The cloth seat is not comfortable for longer driving. It needs more firmer cushion!!!
Hope you love it otherwise!
I bought 2022 rav4 prime SE. It is almost 2 years now drove over 13k miles with less than $150 gas. Isn't that amazing.
During the summer time charge goes up to 55 miles, but i got arround 47 mile while driving in the city. During winter it only goes up to 49/50 and able to drive 42/43 range.
My nephew bought 2023 prime XSE. He is getting less than manufactures offer 42 miles .i dont know why but he paid more money.
Ragarding the seat comfortability, i did not notice anything bad even though it is not leather seat. I think it is comfotable.
That’s awesome. Glad you love the car and seats 🤠
Your nephew might be a little aggressive with the gas pedal. Easy does it & he will easily get 42 miles. I just bought a Prime XSE last week and I'm already exceeding the 42 miles range Toyota says I'll get. I'm like you I get around 50 miles in EV mode and I drive in ECO mode which helps. I believe I can probably get an extra 10 more miles of range after my Prime is broken in.
435,000 vehicles in one country is nearly the same number of Kia Telurides just recalled in the US for fire danger.
I love Hyundais and Kias but they love fires
It can't be long until someone phones the authorities saying there's someone locking women in the trunks of motorcars in deserted parking lots. :D
We’ll record it if it happens!
I bet there’s no “prime” roller coaster at six flags
Also, someone asked on a Cars & Bids post where Alanis went. Still waiting for the what really happened “The True Story of…” video
Awwwwww I love the Six Flags joke. Thanks for always making it.
Unfortunately I am not allowed to speak about the last place 🙈🙊
@@AlanisKing my creativity is shrinking on the six flags joke 😂 I had to resort to emojis once
As for the “last place”… this is making it even more juicy that you can’t talk about it 😂… someday there will be a tell all book
Can I ask you something?
Yes
@@sethgunn8256 😂😂😂😂
Hell yeah
Hell yeah
Toyota should just discontinue this model and the Sienna hybrid. They tell ppl it will be a few years wait so what's the point of playing the lottery trying to buy one. Residents in Canada have the longest wait times I hear. CRV hybrids are pricey but are easily attainable.
Tons of comments about wait time. I wish people could get them more easily!
Why does it look like a Pontiac Aztec?
Hahahaha
You're kidding right?
Careful when posting videos in your house Alanis.
Totally! We kept any street signs and numbers hidden in that bit. Thanks for looking out!
@@AlanisKingOh no you didn’t. I found your exact Address and I never even been to that State
You've got to be careful...but at the end of the day, someone motivated can string together enough clues to figure out where you live no matter what. It's virtually impossible these days to have your location completely off the grid, especially if you are in any way a public figure who needs to do videos and social media as part of your career.
@@ryannatividad3137 I agree. This one was wayyyy too easy to find. Put a couple of streets togethere and that was it
Nice pants
🤎🤎🤎
: )
Nice hips
I love Toyota, soooo superior to Tesla.
They have such a great lineup right now
@@AlanisKing Does this RAV4 use a CVT?
@@Stijn5 eCVT which is MUCH better than a CVT...... no belts or chains in this one (very simple & ultra reliable).
@@henryhonda8408 Thanks for the answer, but does it also sound like a normal CVT then?
Toyota’s supersonic red is such a great color, we have an older Barcelona red Prius in our family and the red is so dull in comparison. The only red I prefer to supersonic is Mazda’s soul red metallic, but I’ve heard that it is pretty prone to chips and scratches :(
Great job as always!
Thank you so much. Soul Crystal is one of my favorite colors ever. It’s stunning!