Rav4 Hybrid, Will It Last?

[Darrell Green Fan]

We drive our cars into the ground and at our age our next cars could be our last. Considering this SUV for my wife, love the MPG and AWD of the hybrid but I've never owned one. I would expect a standard engine to go 250,000 miles, can I expect the same with a hybrid?

 

[outofyourmind]

Good question. I don't see why not. Toyota's seem to last forever.

I have had only a limited exposure to Toyotas but this is my impression.
1. Step Daughter had a Rav4 years ago, probably a new generation now.
It rode terrible. Rough and loud. Seats are very uncomfortable. Don't remember that she had any problems with it. Wouldn't own one if it hasn't gotten better.

2. Drive a Corolla myself for a company car. Drive a lot of miles. 2015 model with 200,000 miles on it.
Great for the company, terrible for the driver. It's loud and rough and has a lot of road noise. The seats are very hard an uncomfortable for any length of time. Because of the alignment configuration it had from the factory, it wants to drift all over the place with correction input being constant on my part. It's especially bad in the wind. The pro's are that it runs and runs with no problem. Gets 40 miles to the gallon like clockwork with a regular small 4 cyl engine. And requires virtually zero maintenance, so cost to drive is great.

I would look into a Toyota for my next care because I'm like you. Might be the last car I have and will need to last. But will need to overcome my expericence of:
1. Terrible Seats.
2. Uncomfortable ride.
3. Noisy on the road.
4. Hard time with reward vision.
5. Interior controls seem out of place for me.

Toyota probably has some upgrades in their models that might take care of some of these issues for me, but I don't know that yet.

My Step Daughter dumped her Rav 4 and bought a new Honda HRV.
She loves it. Gets good gas mileage. Runs much quieter. Much better ride. No warranty problems and is new enough I can't tell you what the extended miles will bring as far as service problems.


That's all I got.

 

[Rex Racer]

The 2.5 liter engine should last that long with regular maintenance, but my concern would be the shelf life of the battery. They are not cheap to replace.

 

[Rex Racer]

Good question. I don't see why not. Toyota's seem to last forever.

I have had only a limited exposure to Toyotas but this is my impression.
1. Step Daughter had a Rav4 years ago, probably a new generation now.
It rode terrible. Rough and loud. Seats are very uncomfortable. Don't remember that she had any problems with it. Wouldn't own one if it hasn't gotten better.

2. Drive a Corolla myself for a company car. Drive a lot of miles. 2015 model with 200,000 miles on it.
Great for the company, terrible for the driver. It's loud and rough and has a lot of road noise. The seats are very hard an uncomfortable for any length of time. Because of the alignment configuration it had from the factory, it wants to drift all over the place with correction input being constant on my part. It's especially bad in the wind. The pro's are that it runs and runs with no problem. Gets 40 miles to the gallon like clockwork with a regular small 4 cyl engine. And requires virtually zero maintenance, so cost to drive is great.

I would look into a Toyota for my next care because I'm like you. Might be the last car I have and will need to last. But will need to overcome my expericence of:
1. Terrible Seats.
2. Uncomfortable ride.
3. Noisy on the road.
4. Hard time with reward vision.
5. Interior controls seem out of place for me.

Toyota probably has some upgrades in their models that might take care of some of these issues for me, but I don't know that yet.

My Step Daughter dumped her Rav 4 and bought a new Honda HRV.
She loves it. Gets good gas mileage. Runs much quieter. Much better ride. No warranty problems and is new enough I can't tell you what the extended miles will bring as far as service problems.


That's all I got.

Toyotas are very durable cars, but the small, inexpensive models do offer a rough ride. My ex girlfriend had a RAV4 when I met her (probably a 2010) and it was a pretty basic car. It had enough power to get going, but not much more, it rode rough and was noisy at speed just like you said. However, it got great MPGs and other than oil changes and brakes it never needed maintenance.

If you want a Toyota that is a going to be quiet and comfortable, you have to start with a Camry. Going top shelf (in the Toyota line-up) and buying an Avalon gets you a very smooth car.

My soon to be 88 year old father recently leased a Honda CRV. I find it to be a tad spartan, but he is happy with it.

 

[DHoey]

The Rav4 is an expensive Subaru Forester...and nothing more.

 

[outofyourmind]

The Rav4 is an expensive Subaru Forester...and nothing more.

While looking at this thread I read a comparison between the 2.
The Forester won just about every category, but it's downfall, I guess, is styling.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

Subaru has a huge following of loyal owners. And that makes perfect sense, like me with Nissan and Mazda Subaru makes damned good cars and trucks. But they simply do not have the reliability and longevity record of a Toyota or Honda. Nobody does. And the Forester gets worse gas mileage.

I'm looking at them all: Forrester, CX 5, CRV and Rav4. Since it's my wife's last car I gotta go with Toyota or Honda. I just don't particularly like the CRV's looks. The reliable ratings for the CX 5 just aren't up there with the big 2.

I also share the concern about the battery but a new battery is cheaper than another SUV.

 

[outofyourmind]

Subaru has a huge following of loyal owners. And that makes perfect sense, like me with Nissan and Mazda Subaru makes damned good cars and trucks. But they simply do not have the reliability and longevity record of a Toyota or Honda. Nobody does. And the Forester gets worse gas mileage.

I'm looking at them all: Forrester, CX 5, CRV and Rav4. Since it's my wife's last car I gotta go with Toyota or Honda. I just don't particularly like the CRV's looks. The reliable ratings for the CX 5 just aren't up there with the big 2.

I also share the concern about the battery but a new battery is cheaper than another SUV.

Whats the gas mileage difference between the hybrid and the regular one.

 

[outofyourmind]

Oh
And I'd put her in an F150.
You won't regret it.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

Whats the gas mileage difference between the hybrid and the regular one.

Pretty substantial when compared to the gas only front wheel drive. Bonus of the hybrid is the electric engine kicks it into AWD as needed.


Rav4

Hybrid 34 city/30 Hwy
Standard 23/29

CRV
26/32

Forester
22/28

Compare Side-by-Side

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

Oh
And I'd put her in an F150.
You won't regret it.

She won't set foot in my Ranger. Something about dog hair and the stink

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

Yeah @Rex Racer nailed it. I found the batteries were 2-5 grand depending on the model. I had no idea they could go that high. You just know they will fail eventually, certainly in the 20 years we plan on keeping this thing, so I'm thinking no on the hybrid despite the positives.

 

[outofyourmind]

I'm going with the New Ford Super Chief on my next vehicle.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

I'm going with the New Ford Super Chief on my next vehicle.

Good Lord. I didn't realize your penis was so small.

 

[outofyourmind]

Good Lord. I didn't realize your penis was so small.

That thing more than makes up for it.
It needs wider tires though.

@Darrell Green Fan
how/why are you putting so many miles on your vehicles?

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

That thing more than makes up for it.
It needs wider tires though.

@Darrell Green Fan
how/why are you putting so many miles on your vehicles?

I like to drive and I always put a lot of miles on my car. As this will be my wife's car as we retire this will be our trip vehicle and we plan on doing a lot of driving. And finally it makes no sense to replace a perfectly good vehicle at 100,000 miles when all the good ones will go at least twice that far.

 

[ill]

While looking at this thread I read a comparison between the 2.
The Forester won just about every category, but it's downfall, I guess, is styling.

GF has a Forester and it isn't so bad. I don't know if it is what I would have chosen, but it isn't bad.

 

[ill]

have you checked out the Mazda CX-5?

The Best Compact Crossover SUV

 

[Hank Kingsley]

1. Step Daughter had a Rav4 years ago, probably a new generation now.
It rode terrible. Rough and loud. Seats are very uncomfortable. Don't remember that she had any problems with it. Wouldn't own one if it hasn't gotten better.

My mother had a fully optioned 2012 with the V6.

You could not pay me to own that thing.

Felt like it was going to fall off it's wheel on any corner.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Good Lord. I didn't realize your penis was so small.

I couldn't imagine driving one of those either.