Driven: Toyota RAV 4 Hybrid - Excellent Mileage But At What Cost?

CNN is reviewing cars now?! Next..

Are these EPA fuel economy numbers (34 MPG city, 31 MPG highway) supposed to be good?

My 2015 Audi Q5 3.0 TDI, with an automatic transmission and full-time AWD, has an overall fuel economy of 36.4 MPG (6.46 L/100 km) across 18,841 miles. That's real-world, mixed city/highway driving, including snowy winters, which hammer fuel economy. My best fuel economy was while driving from Virginia to Florida, when I got 51.8 MPG (4.54 L.100 km). And all this from a car that can also do 0-60 MPH in 6.4 seconds.

My car is certainly not the "best" in any way, but it does show you that a hybrid label on something, and a glowing MPG review by the media, might be less impressive in fact than what is being presented to you.

@TheSteve: Apples and Oranges comparison. You're talking about diesel vs gasoline.

@Aspy11 nope, he compared a nice vehicle (AUDI) to a POS RAV4 that no one cares about except people living on a budget, just read the article.

I would take that "gross" polluting diesel any day before a RAV4.

Aspy, the V6 3.0 engines did not pollute at 40x. In fact, it was the early model 1 four cylinder 2.0. Also, that was a maximum, worst case amount, and the typical NOx emissions were in the range of 3-5x worse. everything but NOx was still within limits. So no, none of the VWAG diesels emitted 40x the allowable emissions at all times.

Also, every model of diesel exceeds their EPA estimates, so that 24 rated city is closer to 30 real world. And yes, for the size and performance of the car that is exceptional mileage. My 2014 Passat is rated 32 city, and my average is 38. Highway is rated at 40, and I've exceeded 50 MPG. In a much more pleasant driving car than an RAV4.

Hey big shots, any of you guys know what the REAL tailpipe emissions of my car are in comparison to the REAL tailpipe emissions of the RAV4? Nah, I didn't think so. Just parroting what you read in the press is good enough for you! Carry on :-)

Maybe the best city fuel economy...the CX-5 is rated up to 35 highway

This vehicle is missing a larger battery and a plug to compete with the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. It's too bad that Coyota won't snap out of their hydrogen asphyxiation and build some serious plugins as the days of the non-plugin hybrids are numbered.

Are you really believing the VW software for MPG?

If you were referring to me, no. My MPG is calculated on Fuelly. Also, I've tweaked my car software and the dash display actually is quite accurate. From the factory, no, the display was quite optimistic.

The reasons the guy writing the article had for hating the RAV4 are precisely the qualities that Toyota drivers want. A ride that is so smooth you feel very little is a huge selling point.

The RAV4 would not be first on my list, but it hits a sweet spot with its intended audience.

I wonder if this guy is going to test a Buick Lacrosse and damn it for not handling like a Porsche.

Year ago - there was a Magazine called Motor Trend - and when it considered its Car of the Year - it did so based on the stated and intended purpose of the vehicle involved. IT was not until later that the Magazines sort of forced competition with German sports sedans that really messed up the market. But - Buick and Toyota and Lexus continued selling cars quite well - to their own customers - because - in the end - they gave the customer what they wanted - not what the magazines said they did.

The magazines created DeNysschen - whose motto is - Give the customer what I will sell - eventually they will come around to what is right - based on what I say.! And the companies that did that - Infiniti and Cadillac - have produced good cars that are packaged wrong and simply do not sell - because the customer are actually buying what they want - and refuse to be forced into cars they DON"T WANT.

Any manufacturer can make a reliable car - as Toyota does. Use old methods - and by now proven - technology - stay away from the newest and the best - and the cars will last a long time. Once upon a time - US manufacturers did that producing large cars with 6 cylinder engines or maybe a V-8 - with crank windows - an AM mono radio =- that had little to break - and they lasted forever. WHen the US companies added power windows, door locks, antennas, brakes, steering, HIFI radio systems, cruise controls, anti-lock, wipers that sense the rain, ETC - there was more to go wrong (WHich is why - for instance - the high end premium cars are not reliable) - and it did - so customer bought Japanese cars with 4 cylinder engines - crank windows - and AM-FM mono radio - the cars went forward and backward and lasted. OF course - the problem is that the magazines will revue these cars poorly.

THere was an ad on TV for an oil additive - and in one scene they showed a car encased in a block of ice - that started - albeit because it has used the new additive. While there is nothing special to an engine starting at 32 degrees - I was asked if the additive was something useful and I responded - If you regularly wake up with your engine encased in a block of ice - I would consider using a different place to park your car.

The problem is - a Buick LaCrosse will handle BETTER than a Porsche - in morning traffic on the Gowanus in Brooklyn. Once thing it will do is idle smoother. You will not feel every pot hole. And it will likely also get better gas mileage doing it too. Funny - no reviewer ever mentions that one!

@MDarringer - you know we have our differences but your comment above is spot on. Different customers with different priorities buying different cars. Explains why the Mazda3 and Mazda6 are well liked by car magazines with their fun-to-drive priority but the market for compact cars and family sedans prefer the qualities of a boring appliance that are more competitively price.

Toyota actually has lead in rolling out technology to the mainstream with reliability. Examples are 4 valve dual cams, VVT, hybrid power trains, and variable valve lift. Even early with port fuel injection and with direct gas injection. Toyota really enabled some of the most significant advances for the industry. The difference is Toyota does not use its customers as their testers and rolls out technology that provides value and reliability in their products.