I have a regular 2023 RAV4 Hybrid and I had zero issues moving in my driveway after approximately 12" of snowfall in Pocono Mountains ,PA just about 3 weeks ago.
Agreed. It's a very useful and practical car for my around-town driving in the Puget Sound area, and also gets me out in the Arizona desert for remote photography and camping when I want. It's not a Moab rock crawler, but most of us don't want to accept the compromises that involves (*cough* 17MPG *cough*).
Just received last week my new RAV4 PHEV. What a machine! A 10/10 on fuel consumption and reliability , and a 8/10 in all the rest! Comfort, design, capacity, interior, options...
Great episode. Thanks a lot. i think about the over heated gearbox in the snow that if you'll take the subaru crosstek sport it will alsooverheated because it does not have a cooler oil gearbox. this is a big reason why the crosstrek wilderness pass the test so good, Apart from the improvements in the Xmode system and the gearbox with the improved transmission ratios. Thanks again.
This is my first viewing of this kind of content from you with the course layout, testing etc. Love to see it and from what I've seen the format is informative and well done. Liked and subbed, looking forward to seeing more. Thank you!
But when he was stuck and only the wheel in the air was spinning.... The system can't move enough power around to get unstuck. It wasn't about traction, at that point, it was about lack of power.
@@mtbrdudenah. When the ground is wet the wheels which are contacting the ground gets less friction therefore less maximum traction, therefore couldn’t move forward compared to dry
@@RRr-yl8zrsure but when you throw traction control into the equation, the same amount of brake power and time to a free spin wheel would be enough to get the vehicle unstuck in dry and not enough in wet due to the contacting wheels don’t get enough traction in wet.
except it is not the fact, most modern vehicles have some kind of traction control systems that applies brake to the free spinning wheels, by doing that some torque will be going to other wheels, and in this video you can tell RAV4 does exactly that.
Yeah, Toyotas get the bad day and that’s just how it is. He likes to say it’s just bad luck of the draw. I do think he just prefers Subaru so there may be some bias. Who knows. Both have good vehicles.
Am I a bit disappointed? Maybe. Okay, it's just an off-roadie looking suv but it's a Toyota with a trd batch on it and maybe because of that I was expecting more. But I bet with better tires and a slight lift it would do better. Thanks for another great video! 👏
I've had a Rav4 and the issue is it's 4wd system, not the ground clearance or tires. It just spins the wheels freely without locking the one that lost traction to send the torque to the other wheel. I currently drive a 2018 ford escape and the 4wd system is on a whole different level when offroading. It simply is better. Search "Ford Escape diagonal test" on youtube and you'll see. I once went uphill on a very uneven and steep climb, often balancing on two wheels and the escape did terrific! Can't think I would've even tried that with the Rav4... I repeat: I drove them both.
Great review Ryan ! Since the Rav will be redesigned next year in 25, have you heard of anything about Toyota carrying over the TRD suspension system to the 25 year model or will there be new features?
I have a rav4 trd, with Maxxis Razr upsized tires on 17s and have ripped it around all sorts of true ORV trails in the San Juans Colorado and beyond and never had a problem. It’s a great car and very capable. Obviously being a CUV you’re gonna have to play with your momentum when off roading more than is done in these videos. In reality nobody is isolating variables to test the torque vectoring, you just punch it up the hill and it goes lol.
I believe there is a video of a Quebec Toyota dealer drag racing these two in deep snow, and the TRD did better off the line while the Prime closed the gap near the finish. Off the line capability, IMO, is more important if you are doing a lot of stopping and going, which is what you will be doing in these conditions.
Hey Ryan! Another great video! I just picked up a new '23 Forester Wilderness and, for the price the FW and RAV4 TRD sells for, I don't think there is any comparison.. the FW wins all day long it seems like.. esp as I got my ~$39k stickered FW for right at $35k.. it feels like the FW is a bit of Goldilocks vehicle if you want a capable vehicle that gets decent milage, has some room, and still has some physical buttons etc.. the CTW and OBW are both really nice, but I just don't like the lack of hard buttons..
Subaru better. Toyota only makes good 4wd. Their awd are inferior to everyone except honda. A car could get through that course so not sure why you call this fantastic
I really hope it’s body on frame. That would bode well for Toyotas Corolla truck as well. Unless it’s EV only and bigger than the name “compact cruiser” would suggest
Army green is such a great color. Had a 4Runner in AG and regret selling. The Rav4 did much better on this course vs the deep snow. That deep snow was pretty extreme for a crossover though.
The CrossTrek Wilderness kicked butt on the same snow trail (plowing the trail ahead of the Rav4 TRD OffRoad no-less) that the Rav4 TRD OffRoad failed on, so some crossovers can take it in stride...
@@RRr-yl8zr Cost me extra grand. I sold the originals and covered most of the price of the new ones. I had Toyo AT3 and have been using them for 3 years during summer, extreme winter, on road, off road. No issues so far.
Yeah, unfortunately if they don't make the clutches strong enough it will do less in heavier load then brake traction, it's happening to Honda too... That's where the Subaru deserved credit in your other video because over it's CVT it still held better then this, even the IVTM4 response to traction loss on other videos was so slow in comparison to top brake based systems just like this Rav4 here, so many wheel spins before it finally sends power, while i've seen some brake systems take half wheel spin and off it went
I've had a Rav4 and the issue is it's 4wd system, not the ground clearance or tires. It just spins the wheels freely without locking the one that lost traction to send the torque to the other wheel. I currently drive a 2018 ford escape and the 4wd system is on a whole different level when offroading. It simply is better. Search "Ford Escape diagonal test" on youtube and you'll see. I once went uphill on a very uneven and steep climb, often balancing on two wheels and the escape did terrific! Can't think I would've even tried that with the Rav4... I repeat: I drove them both.
The thing I think that's overlooked a lot with modern CUV's is how ground clearance is considered. With SUV's of the past like 4Runners and Grand Cherokees, ground clearance was measured as "minimum ground clearance." So 8.7" ground clearance meant the lowest place on the undercarriage. Nowadays, especially with modern CUV's, this is "running ground clearance," which is a completely different beast. It usually means that most of the undercarriage of a vehicle has at least this much ground clearance. So instead of a minimum in one or two specific areas, like the front skid plate that's protecting the radiator/oil pan/whatnot, or a differential that has a pumpkin hanging a bit low, it's instead nearly the entirety of the underside that has that "running" ground clearance. My 2006 4Runner has a minimum ground clearance of 8.7" at the front skid plate, I believe it is. This was the low point of that generation of 4Runners, rectified with the 5th gen. But I digress. The 8.7" can be misleading. You see a Subaru Forester with 9.2" of ground clearance and think that must be better, right? In reality, my 19-year-old 4Runner with it's 8.7" ground clearance will outdo the Subaru, at least off road. It has ATRAC and other fancy systems involving braking to send torque to the correct wheels, but it's nothing as advanced as the Subaru system. It is nearly 20 years old, after all. With that said, off road it's going to be able to crawl over obstacles you'd be hard pressed to get the Forester over, at least without significant risk of damage. Running ground clearance is simply a VERY different thing. It's a good marketing ploy manufacturers came up with to sell CUV's when most people were still opting for SUV's, and it's still going strong. Another thing worth noting, torsen diffs are the ultimate form of differential, yet so rarely used these days. These could still be used in CUV's as well. Clutch-based systems (that don't wear as well nor work as well) are used for various reasons. Or brake-based systems, instead of an LSD in the differential. These methods are often cheaper. I'm not sure why Toyota has strayed from the torsen LSD's though. They used them for decades before. These just work. Instead of being reactive, they're proactive, preventing slippage in the first place. There's nothing like feeling as if your vehicle is glued to the road like that. Again, I digress. Kudos to those of you who've read through all of this. Thanks for giving my 2 cents a little consideration.
I like Toyota, but I just don't see this being worth around $42k. I really think the Forester wilderness and the Grand Cherokees are better values for unibody. You can even get a 4runner SR5 for $40k too.
This Rav4 offroad actually did better than I thought it would. The price seems a little higher than it should be. Though the gas mileage would be noticeably worse, you could get 4×4 Sr5 4Runner for close to the same price as this particular trim Rav4. Thankyou for sharing.
@@IowaHiker fair enough, but you can still get army green which is arguably the best color ever put on a vehicle. You don't need to Offroad, because as you said the rav4 has no business going there.
@@IowaHiker yeah, it's an appearance package. Toyota only does this to attract customers, and it worked for Honda, Mazda, and Nissan with "rugged" vehicles with appearance packages. It's working and brings more buyers. Plus the TRD is the same as the Adventure model. If I could get an Army green rav4 that's like an LE or XLE for like 30 grand that would be great.
@@FullsendOffroad so true! I know it's just for profit. If they really wanted to bring it the Rav4 Off Road would have 4Runner esque lift and manual transmission w/ manual 4x4. What we have here is a joke and for 40,000 (we all know it's more like 45k) forget it. I'm a huge Toyota fan but I will call them out all day long
The proper Land Cruiser is about to be released though at the next price point over this or the 4Runner. I would wait a model year to see what the portfolio is going to look like first!
I paid the same price for my Tacoma TRD off-road 6-speed manual transmission & 120K 7yr warranty with gap insurance! 🆒 lil suv tho. I would get the hybrid wilderness package little bit cheaper & you get an extra 10 mpg
I have this exact same trim level 2024 Rav4 TRD and it DOES have tracking on the backup camera. I noticed an "X" in the field of view on the backup camera, and that leads me to believe that there was a system issue on this vehicle where the display software was not getting the proper steering angle input data for the overlay.
I think it would be silly to take a RAV4 off road, maybe a dirt road. I have a RAV4 hybrid 2024 and I wouldn’t scratch it up in the woods. I’ve also had 2006 Tundra 4wd for 18 years and I wouldn’t go up a steep grade in deep snow. Unless there was someone around to tow me out.
The gasoline Rav4s awd system on the Limited, Trail/adventure/trd pro, is great on road with its torque vectoring systems as it improves handling, but off road they are bad. We had better experience with the standard awd system found on the LE awd and XLE awd. Hope you can do a comparison.
@user-tb7rn1il3q I agree with your larger point that the Rav4 will likely last longer than the Forester. But SK generation Foresters do not suffer from headgasket failures, or oil burning. And get better mileage than the non-hybrid Rav4.
@@0HOON0 All Horizontally Opposed Engines suffer head gasket failure and oil burning to some extent. The gas RAV4 gets better mpg. We can agree to disagree. I will say that Subarus are better off road or in the snow but at a cost.
@@user-tb7rn1il3q EJ18, EJ22, late-FB20, late-FB25 and many many Porsche flat engines do not suffer from headgasket issues. Consumer Reports gas Rav4 : 27 mpg. SK Forester: 28 mpg. SL Forester 29 mpg. If you want to sound knowledgeable about modern FB25 Forester, Crosstreks and Outbacks you should bring up the Thermo Control Valve issues. Note that the latest FB25 no longer has a TCV.
For about $8k more than a forester Wilderness or $10k more than a Crosstrek Wilderness, this seems to be missing a lot. How can you not have tracking on the backup camera? That's stock even on the $25k Crosstrek. Nice car but seems really expensive for what they give you.
I have this exact same trim level 2024 Rav4 TRD and it DOES have tracking on the backup camera. I noticed an "X" in the field of view on the backup camera, and that leads me to believe that there was a system issue on this vehicle where the display software was not getting the proper steering angle input data for the overlay.
TRD used to really mean performance but in the last 10+ years, TRD is usually nothing more than a pretty appearance package on most Toyota’s. Seems to be the case here again. All bark and no bite :( I really miss the Toyota’s of the old days that had some actual muscle behind the punch
$42k?! How much is a 4-Runner? If you want do off-road stuff. Wonder if you just get a base RAV add a lift, wheels, tires etc for the occasional trail ..
these have been so useful, a tree fell on my beloved honda fit this week and i'm looking to upgrade so i can stop borrowing a subaru every weekend. the fit can get to most of my trailheads, but not all of them, and it's not great in winter as soon as i pull into a parking lot. so if i can get to my trailheads for the same or better than Fit mpg + cargo space, well, it could be worth an overall bulkier machine especially since i do so much less city/town driving now. i do kind of feel like i wouldn't need a super powerful machine to do what i want if that machine was just compact and lightweight. but the hybrid HRV isn't on this continent :/
I own this car. The first thing I had to do is replace the fake off road tires which have only about 1/4" of tread, for the real Falken tires, which are severe snow rated. The stock tires are not snow rated. Shame on Toyota for putting these 01 tires on this vehicle. The real Falken tires are not noisy, and handle much better in the snow. Other than that, it's a great vehicle.
The rear axle electric motor fails to provide enough power to move the hybrid in some situations. In more normal snow driving, the hybrid is almost as good as the traditional awd setup.
Is this channel sponsored by Subaru? I really like his reviews. They are so good and cover what I want to learn and know. Just seems to lean toward Subarus on a regular basis. I like Subarus also. Just some Toyotas don’t seem to get a completely fair shake. Life happens.
I would argue that it was the tires that failed not the system for the snow/ice review Toyota is notorious in putting trash tires for their "off road capable" vehicles with the same tire as the subaru I would say it will be closer
@@RRr-yl8zr so you're already paying a premium for the RAV4 and then you have to buy a new set of tires as well? I love that Ryan tests the vehicles with the OEM tires.. "run what ya brung"..
How does this compare to the Toyota Land Cruiser? You mention getting a 4Runner if you want more power, but you did not mention the Land Cruiser. Do you think the 4Runner is better for off-road than the Land Cruiser? Thank you.
It's funny that my 19' rav4 adventure model goes through deep snow with ZERO problems. I have everything that the TRD model has (just not the badging).
It is interesting how he mentioned the RAV4 over heating in the snow and not the subaru. It didn’t mention both vehicles made it up the snow covered road/ trail. Just interesting to mention the negative and not the positive.
Buy a Rav4 for the legendary Toyota quality and reliability, and if you go to the mountains a couple times every winter. If you live in the mountains, or where snow and ice are common on the roads, or if you actually do some light off-roading on a regular basis, you probably already drive a Subaru wagon of some kind. Which honestly, is far more affordable, capable, and just as reliable. I think it comes down to aesthetics and personal preference. I lean Toyota for the above reasons, but with prices these days, it will almost certainly be a Subaru I end up purchasing later this year.
Curious about people's thoughts about buying this over an Outback wilderness or Forester wilderness which are the same price if not a little cheaper? I feel like from the reviews I've seen Ryan do and other car reviewers is that the Outback and Forester outshine the Rav4 in capability and comfort. Rav4 to me only has an edge on ventilated seats, Toyota reliability, & good MPGs
I think some people, me being one of them, would also point out that the RAV4 has an edge by having a traditional 8-speed transmission vs. the CVT in the Subaru models. The Subarus are exceptionally capable vehicles, of course, and the Wilderness models will certainly best this RAV4 in deep snow conditions (as seen in the recent video) and in more rugged non-snow conditions, but long term, that tranny in the RAV4 is going to be near bulletproof. Not sure the same can be said of the CVTs--I have relatives who have Subarus but not with a ton of miles not them, well under 100K (and so far, so good on the CVTs). I have an 06 Sequoia with 235K miles on it, and the transmission is smooth as silk with no work being done on it other than transmission fluid flushes.
@@RedPanther2030 I feel like this take is pretty pedestrian / outdated. Subaru's reliability was really only an issue when they were having the head gasket problems. I'm not sure exactly when that ended (around 14'?) but since then I've heard nothing major about repairs or reliability issues in all the Subaru groups I'm in
@@TeamMasterFunky CVT has always been a problem and these Subarus are still new and hasn't been through the reliability test, give it more time and you'll see the difference. Toyotas also keep their high values
@@RedPanther2030I have a 2022 Outback XT and a friend has 2022 Rav4, whenever I’m in the Rav I feel like I’ve gone back in time with dated interior and it’s slow vs my turbo. The Subaru CVT has been around for 15yrs. Go to any Toyota Dealer or any Dealer/Make including Subaru, guaranteed that every Service Dept has replaced transmissions, engines etc under warranty, they’re not just doing oil changes.
A 4runner would breeze through this, but that's not a knock against the RAV4. Totally different design criteria. The rav 4 is a great vehicle for what it is designed to do.
I have a Forester MT, my wife has the Premium Outback CVT. Gotta say, that CVT is...unnerving. I have NO feedback from the road or car. The manual feels bette rin every way. And I'm getting better MPG than her currently, but it's the first winter she has had it, and it's been subzero for two weeks here.
@@js2000hondaDid you see the video when Ryan compare this one against the Crosstrek Wilderness? The Subaru killed the RAV4 and, the RAV4 AWD overheated few times. That never happened to the Crosstrek (so much for not a CVT transmission). I am like the other guy. If it’s an off road vehicle I will never buy a Toyota before the Subaru. I got over the CVT transmission like 11 years ago.
Just get a 4Runner or Tacoma if you want to go off the path. I almost made the mistake of getting a rav4 it’s not capable for what I need. But it’s a great soccer mom suv though.
Im hoping these get better reqlly looking into these these couod be toyotas most reliable 4 cylinder off road cars lol the 2.4 taco and 4runner arent convincing people
hey ryan the heated steering wheel is the whole steering wheel heated or just at the 10 and 3 position,i have a 2020 trd off road my heated steering wheel is only partialy heated i whish toyota made the whole thing heated,there reason i read or herd is thats the your suspose to drive 10 and 3 position .poor reason in my eyes,toyota has more than all the money in the world,so cost is no excuse.
My 2024 Rav4 TRD w/weather package has it heated from 8-10 and 2-4 positions. The heat strips run about a hand width above and below the crossbar on each side of the steering wheel.
We're just tough on it because we know they can do better. And we know it's the bean counters that are causing this loss of potential. Also, CUV's can be plenty capable off-road; just look at the Defender; it's just a giant CUV on air bags, independent suspension, and real lockers, or an optimally aggressive traction control system. Just like you can't build "Defender" without a low range and locker availability, you shouldn't have a "TRD Off-Road" badge with a low stall weak transmission, poor gearing, and a watered down version of their traction control system, or a torque vectoring unit that hardly works
What I don’t understand is if Toyota owns 20% of Subarus shares, why can these two giants share their mutual expertise on Hybrids vehicles and AWD systems. Doesn’t this make more sense? I guess we will have to wait until Toyota buys another 30% of Subarus shares.
I have a regular 2023 RAV4 Hybrid and I had zero issues moving in my driveway after approximately 12" of snowfall in Pocono Mountains ,PA just about 3 weeks ago.
9/10 for me. For a SUV that's suppose to be on the road 99% of the time with good mpg, this does the job. No wonder it sells like hot cakes
Agreed. It's a very useful and practical car for my around-town driving in the Puget Sound area, and also gets me out in the Arizona desert for remote photography and camping when I want. It's not a Moab rock crawler, but most of us don't want to accept the compromises that involves (*cough* 17MPG *cough*).
rain makes videos look incredibly good though
Just received last week my new RAV4 PHEV. What a machine! A 10/10 on fuel consumption and reliability , and a 8/10 in all the rest! Comfort, design, capacity, interior, options...
I got a New Rav4 Prime and it says that it has a 14.5 gallon tank, but I can never get more than 10 and a half gallons on this vehicle. What gives??
Reliability after a week..?
I will never get tired of commenting “Love your Quality of Content” 🤩
Great episode.
Thanks a lot.
i think about the over heated gearbox in the snow that if you'll take the subaru crosstek sport it will alsooverheated because it does not have a cooler oil gearbox.
this is a big reason why the crosstrek wilderness pass the test so good, Apart from the improvements in the Xmode system and the gearbox with the improved transmission ratios.
Thanks again.
Thanks for your video i just got one RV4 yesterday , I'm very satisfied with it
This is my first viewing of this kind of content from you with the course layout, testing etc. Love to see it and from what I've seen the format is informative and well done. Liked and subbed, looking forward to seeing more. Thank you!
I can't wait for you to put the Toyota Land Cruiser through these courses.
Oh we need the wilderness to try that one spot in the same conditions. Head to head combat haha
Good looking car. Not unloading the Bronco any time soon to have one though. lol Great vid Ryan, that cold and wet is miserable like you said.
Such a great video. Thanks. Love the color (!) but the bouncing would bother me after a while.
great review, just keep in mind that the rainy/wet condition adds about 30-50% difficulty to the trails.
But when he was stuck and only the wheel in the air was spinning.... The system can't move enough power around to get unstuck. It wasn't about traction, at that point, it was about lack of power.
@@mtbrdudenah. When the ground is wet the wheels which are contacting the ground gets less friction therefore less maximum traction, therefore couldn’t move forward compared to dry
@@RRr-yl8zrsure but when you throw traction control into the equation, the same amount of brake power and time to a free spin wheel would be enough to get the vehicle unstuck in dry and not enough in wet due to the contacting wheels don’t get enough traction in wet.
except it is not the fact, most modern vehicles have some kind of traction control systems that applies brake to the free spinning wheels, by doing that some torque will be going to other wheels, and in this video you can tell RAV4 does exactly that.
Yeah, Toyotas get the bad day and that’s just how it is. He likes to say it’s just bad luck of the draw. I do think he just prefers Subaru so there may be some bias. Who knows. Both have good vehicles.
Am I a bit disappointed? Maybe. Okay, it's just an off-roadie looking suv but it's a Toyota with a trd batch on it and maybe because of that I was expecting more. But I bet with better tires and a slight lift it would do better. Thanks for another great video! 👏
I've had a Rav4 and the issue is it's 4wd system, not the ground clearance or tires. It just spins the wheels freely without locking the one that lost traction to send the torque to the other wheel. I currently drive a 2018 ford escape and the 4wd system is on a whole different level when offroading. It simply is better. Search "Ford Escape diagonal test" on youtube and you'll see. I once went uphill on a very uneven and steep climb, often balancing on two wheels and the escape did terrific! Can't think I would've even tried that with the Rav4... I repeat: I drove them both.
Ryan, your new course is eating up new vehicles, first the Honda Passport and now the Toyota RAV4. 😂
you need to have a leader board!
Yes
Great review Ryan !
Since the Rav will be redesigned next year in 25, have you heard of anything about Toyota carrying over the TRD suspension system to the 25 year model or will there be new features?
I have a rav4 trd, with Maxxis Razr upsized tires on 17s and have ripped it around all sorts of true ORV trails in the San Juans Colorado and beyond and never had a problem. It’s a great car and very capable. Obviously being a CUV you’re gonna have to play with your momentum when off roading more than is done in these videos. In reality nobody is isolating variables to test the torque vectoring, you just punch it up the hill and it goes lol.
I would love to see a comparison to the TRD vs RAV4 Prime.
apples and oranges
RAV4 Prime wouldn’t make it very far with lack of ground clearance… it would lose its front bumper at the first dip in the trail
I believe there is a video of a Quebec Toyota dealer drag racing these two in deep snow, and the TRD did better off the line while the Prime closed the gap near the finish.
Off the line capability, IMO, is more important if you are doing a lot of stopping and going, which is what you will be doing in these conditions.
Hey Ryan! Another great video! I just picked up a new '23 Forester Wilderness and, for the price the FW and RAV4 TRD sells for, I don't think there is any comparison.. the FW wins all day long it seems like.. esp as I got my ~$39k stickered FW for right at $35k.. it feels like the FW is a bit of Goldilocks vehicle if you want a capable vehicle that gets decent milage, has some room, and still has some physical buttons etc.. the CTW and OBW are both really nice, but I just don't like the lack of hard buttons..
Did fantastic especially with the wet, slippery conditions.
Subaru better. Toyota only makes good 4wd. Their awd are inferior to everyone except honda. A car could get through that course so not sure why you call this fantastic
@@billricheter5678 it did get through the course….
@@billricheter5678 Nobody asked. This is a review, not a comparison
@@billricheter5678which one of Honda’s awd is inferior than that of Toyota? You’re not talking about the vtm-4/sh-awd I hope?
@ccs9271 he said most if not all cars do. It was one obstacle and it did everything else easy.
Just a better tires and lift- kit .. that’s all
Nice job 👍
Toyota always skimps out on tires
Funny enough you can get a lift kit for the rav4 from 'torq engineering', albeit it's just strut spacers
@@chibbyylolI have a 2.5” lift kit from rough country on my rav 4
@islandhopper100Currwntly have a 2.5” lift kit on my rav 4. No accident happening.
Great Video, all the best from Germany!
Ryan, These are the exact conditions where the upcoming, affordable, body-on-frame Land Cruiser FJ should shine. 😉🤞🤞
I really hope it’s body on frame. That would bode well for Toyotas Corolla truck as well. Unless it’s EV only and bigger than the name “compact cruiser” would suggest
Really. Why would you need a body on frame for that. A decent car could get over most of that course. This thing is garbage for offroad
are you in good standing with toyota ask them why the system over heated when you were going through all that snow maybe they saw your video
Army green is such a great color. Had a 4Runner in AG and regret selling.
The Rav4 did much better on this course vs the deep snow. That deep snow was pretty extreme for a crossover though.
The CrossTrek Wilderness kicked butt on the same snow trail (plowing the trail ahead of the Rav4 TRD OffRoad no-less) that the Rav4 TRD OffRoad failed on, so some crossovers can take it in stride...
Tires were a big factor in that test@@miller1
Tires make big difference even in deep snow
Sure they were. Amazing how the WildPeak tires made the Rav4 "TRD OffRoad" AWD system overheat and shutdown like that isn't it...
@@RRr-yl8zr Cost me extra grand. I sold the originals and covered most of the price of the new ones. I had Toyo AT3 and have been using them for 3 years during summer, extreme winter, on road, off road. No issues so far.
Yeah, unfortunately if they don't make the clutches strong enough it will do less in heavier load then brake traction, it's happening to Honda too... That's where the Subaru deserved credit in your other video because over it's CVT it still held better then this, even the IVTM4 response to traction loss on other videos was so slow in comparison to top brake based systems just like this Rav4 here, so many wheel spins before it finally sends power, while i've seen some brake systems take half wheel spin and off it went
I've had a Rav4 and the issue is it's 4wd system, not the ground clearance or tires. It just spins the wheels freely without locking the one that lost traction to send the torque to the other wheel. I currently drive a 2018 ford escape and the 4wd system is on a whole different level when offroading. It simply is better. Search "Ford Escape diagonal test" on youtube and you'll see. I once went uphill on a very uneven and steep climb, often balancing on two wheels and the escape did terrific! Can't think I would've even tried that with the Rav4... I repeat: I drove them both.
This is when it would be excellent to see a direct head to head with the Forester (regular & Wilderness) vs the TRD Rav4, same day same course.
The thing I think that's overlooked a lot with modern CUV's is how ground clearance is considered. With SUV's of the past like 4Runners and Grand Cherokees, ground clearance was measured as "minimum ground clearance." So 8.7" ground clearance meant the lowest place on the undercarriage. Nowadays, especially with modern CUV's, this is "running ground clearance," which is a completely different beast. It usually means that most of the undercarriage of a vehicle has at least this much ground clearance. So instead of a minimum in one or two specific areas, like the front skid plate that's protecting the radiator/oil pan/whatnot, or a differential that has a pumpkin hanging a bit low, it's instead nearly the entirety of the underside that has that "running" ground clearance. My 2006 4Runner has a minimum ground clearance of 8.7" at the front skid plate, I believe it is. This was the low point of that generation of 4Runners, rectified with the 5th gen. But I digress. The 8.7" can be misleading. You see a Subaru Forester with 9.2" of ground clearance and think that must be better, right? In reality, my 19-year-old 4Runner with it's 8.7" ground clearance will outdo the Subaru, at least off road. It has ATRAC and other fancy systems involving braking to send torque to the correct wheels, but it's nothing as advanced as the Subaru system. It is nearly 20 years old, after all. With that said, off road it's going to be able to crawl over obstacles you'd be hard pressed to get the Forester over, at least without significant risk of damage. Running ground clearance is simply a VERY different thing. It's a good marketing ploy manufacturers came up with to sell CUV's when most people were still opting for SUV's, and it's still going strong.
Another thing worth noting, torsen diffs are the ultimate form of differential, yet so rarely used these days. These could still be used in CUV's as well. Clutch-based systems (that don't wear as well nor work as well) are used for various reasons. Or brake-based systems, instead of an LSD in the differential. These methods are often cheaper. I'm not sure why Toyota has strayed from the torsen LSD's though. They used them for decades before. These just work. Instead of being reactive, they're proactive, preventing slippage in the first place. There's nothing like feeling as if your vehicle is glued to the road like that. Again, I digress. Kudos to those of you who've read through all of this. Thanks for giving my 2 cents a little consideration.
I like Toyota, but I just don't see this being worth around $42k. I really think the Forester wilderness and the Grand Cherokees are better values for unibody. You can even get a 4runner SR5 for $40k too.
Agree 100%
Toyota resale light years better. Jeeps are complete garbage. Toyotas just live longer
Why would you buy a jeep? You're going to spend more fixing them.
This Rav4 offroad actually did better than I thought it would. The price seems a little higher than it should be. Though the gas mileage would be noticeably worse, you could get 4×4 Sr5 4Runner for close to the same price as this particular trim Rav4. Thankyou for sharing.
ARMY GREEN IS BACK
Yeah for 40K + in a vehicle that had obvious no business being offroad
@@IowaHiker fair enough, but you can still get army green which is arguably the best color ever put on a vehicle. You don't need to Offroad, because as you said the rav4 has no business going there.
@@FullsendOffroad army green is great! I just wish they would make affordable off road vehicles again. This TRD BS needs to stop
@@IowaHiker yeah, it's an appearance package. Toyota only does this to attract customers, and it worked for Honda, Mazda, and Nissan with "rugged" vehicles with appearance packages. It's working and brings more buyers. Plus the TRD is the same as the Adventure model. If I could get an Army green rav4 that's like an LE or XLE for like 30 grand that would be great.
@@FullsendOffroad so true! I know it's just for profit. If they really wanted to bring it the Rav4 Off Road would have 4Runner esque lift and manual transmission w/ manual 4x4. What we have here is a joke and for 40,000 (we all know it's more like 45k) forget it. I'm a huge Toyota fan but I will call them out all day long
About the hard climb-out: would a 4runner without front or back lockers have done significantly better?
Way better if it was 4x4 4runner. The power delivery to wheels is going to be stronger than the AWD system
Most likely.
The 4Runner has larger tires, better articulation, and a far superior traction control system.
The proper Land Cruiser is about to be released though at the next price point over this or the 4Runner. I would wait a model year to see what the portfolio is going to look like first!
I think it's a decent value however not compared to the Subaru Forester which could handle those off-road situations much easier and not fail
@@kidamere2408 Wanna bet? Just watch Ryan's other videos on the Forester.
yeah i seen this guy drive so if your impressed with that ill pass on any "bet" with you@@eskieman3948
i seen him drive its not that impressiv at all@@eskieman3948
love this car over subaru
I wonder if it will drive any better with good tires.
I paid the same price for my Tacoma TRD off-road 6-speed manual transmission & 120K 7yr warranty with gap insurance! 🆒 lil suv tho. I would get the hybrid wilderness package little bit cheaper & you get an extra 10 mpg
Hey fantastic video for the rav4. Big fan and long time watcher. Just wanted to see Canadian pricing along with US pricing too please!
I have this exact same trim level 2024 Rav4 TRD and it DOES have tracking on the backup camera.
I noticed an "X" in the field of view on the backup camera, and that leads me to believe that there was a system issue on this vehicle where the display software was not getting the proper steering angle input data for the overlay.
RAV4 is perfect car for comfort and commute.
I think it would be silly to take a RAV4 off road, maybe a dirt road. I have a RAV4 hybrid 2024 and I wouldn’t scratch it up in the woods. I’ve also had 2006 Tundra 4wd for 18 years and I wouldn’t go up a steep grade in deep snow. Unless there was someone around to tow me out.
The gasoline Rav4s awd system on the Limited, Trail/adventure/trd pro, is great on road with its torque vectoring systems as it improves handling, but off road they are bad. We had better experience with the standard awd system found on the LE awd and XLE awd. Hope you can do a comparison.
Looks good in Army Green!
Toyota needs to step up their AWD game in the next gen Rav4. I believe even a base Forester would have performed better. Much less a Wilderness.
Until a head gasket blows or the belt and pulley CVT fails. Subarus are also known to develop oil burning. Not to mention poor mpg. No thanks.
@user-tb7rn1il3q I agree with your larger point that the Rav4 will likely last longer than the Forester. But SK generation Foresters do not suffer from headgasket failures, or oil burning. And get better mileage than the non-hybrid Rav4.
@@0HOON0 All Horizontally Opposed Engines suffer head gasket failure and oil burning to some extent. The gas RAV4 gets better mpg. We can agree to disagree. I will say that Subarus are better off road or in the snow but at a cost.
@@user-tb7rn1il3q EJ18, EJ22, late-FB20, late-FB25 and many many Porsche flat engines do not suffer from headgasket issues.
Consumer Reports gas Rav4 : 27 mpg. SK Forester: 28 mpg. SL Forester 29 mpg.
If you want to sound knowledgeable about modern FB25 Forester, Crosstreks and Outbacks you should bring up the Thermo Control Valve issues. Note that the latest FB25 no longer has a TCV.
For about $8k more than a forester Wilderness or $10k more than a Crosstrek Wilderness, this seems to be missing a lot. How can you not have tracking on the backup camera? That's stock even on the $25k Crosstrek. Nice car but seems really expensive for what they give you.
I have this exact same trim level 2024 Rav4 TRD and it DOES have tracking on the backup camera.
I noticed an "X" in the field of view on the backup camera, and that leads me to believe that there was a system issue on this vehicle where the display software was not getting the proper steering angle input data for the overlay.
TRD used to really mean performance but in the last 10+ years, TRD is usually nothing more than a pretty appearance package on most Toyota’s. Seems to be the case here again. All bark and no bite :( I really miss the Toyota’s of the old days that had some actual muscle behind the punch
Great review!
$42k?! How much is a 4-Runner? If you want do off-road stuff.
Wonder if you just get a base RAV add a lift, wheels, tires etc for the occasional trail ..
Amazing work Ryan. Does the torque-vectoring AWD in the RAV4 work at speeds higher than 25 mph, to improve safety while driving in the rain? Thanks.
Love the Army green. Are the TrDs models rated for 3500 pound tow capacity?
Toyota should make a 4x4 Rav4, i would buy it in a flash
They used to have that a long time ago. Gone are the good old days.
these have been so useful, a tree fell on my beloved honda fit this week and i'm looking to upgrade so i can stop borrowing a subaru every weekend. the fit can get to most of my trailheads, but not all of them, and it's not great in winter as soon as i pull into a parking lot. so if i can get to my trailheads for the same or better than Fit mpg + cargo space, well, it could be worth an overall bulkier machine especially since i do so much less city/town driving now. i do kind of feel like i wouldn't need a super powerful machine to do what i want if that machine was just compact and lightweight. but the hybrid HRV isn't on this continent :/
Thank you for this video!
I own this car. The first thing I had to do is replace the fake off road tires which have only about 1/4" of tread, for the real Falken tires, which are severe snow rated. The stock tires are not snow rated. Shame on Toyota for putting these 01 tires on this vehicle. The real Falken tires are not noisy, and handle much better in the snow. Other than that, it's a great vehicle.
How much capability difference is there in snow between trd RAV4 and the hybrid RAV4?
Never lift a Toyota.
@@billricheter5678 I don’t believe I implied I would 🧐
The rear axle electric motor fails to provide enough power to move the hybrid in some situations. In more normal snow driving, the hybrid is almost as good as the traditional awd setup.
Is this channel sponsored by Subaru? I really like his reviews. They are so good and cover what I want to learn and know.
Just seems to lean toward Subarus on a regular basis.
I like Subarus also. Just some Toyotas don’t seem to get a completely fair shake. Life happens.
Would love to see the hybrid
I would argue that it was the tires that failed not the system for the snow/ice review Toyota is notorious in putting trash tires for their "off road capable" vehicles with the same tire as the subaru I would say it will be closer
@@RRr-yl8zr so you're already paying a premium for the RAV4 and then you have to buy a new set of tires as well? I love that Ryan tests the vehicles with the OEM tires.. "run what ya brung"..
The tire choice from the factory is an odd choice.
Love your content ❤️
How does this compare to the Toyota Land Cruiser? You mention getting a 4Runner if you want more power, but you did not mention the Land Cruiser. Do you think the 4Runner is better for off-road than the Land Cruiser? Thank you.
At the time of the filming of this episode, nobody had driven the new Land Cruiser yet. But price wise the LC is too far above this for comparison.
@@drivingsports Thank you for the reply. Look forward to seeing a comparison between the RAV4 TRD & the upcoming new LC mini.:)
It's funny that my 19' rav4 adventure model goes through deep snow with ZERO problems. I have everything that the TRD model has (just not the badging).
Me too I have no problem with m 2019 rav4 adventure going to deep snow and mud specially around the farm
It is interesting how he mentioned the RAV4 over heating in the snow and not the subaru. It didn’t mention both vehicles made it up the snow covered road/ trail. Just interesting to mention the negative and not the positive.
Buy a Rav4 for the legendary Toyota quality and reliability, and if you go to the mountains a couple times every winter. If you live in the mountains, or where snow and ice are common on the roads, or if you actually do some light off-roading on a regular basis, you probably already drive a Subaru wagon of some kind. Which honestly, is far more affordable, capable, and just as reliable. I think it comes down to aesthetics and personal preference. I lean Toyota for the above reasons, but with prices these days, it will almost certainly be a Subaru I end up purchasing later this year.
Why didn't you try different modes when you got stuck? I think sand and mud mode had to much spin.
I would get the Adventure trim because of lower cost.
I plan on getting a 2025 Rav4 any recommendations on trim level? I want leather & all the bells & whistles
Curious about people's thoughts about buying this over an Outback wilderness or Forester wilderness which are the same price if not a little cheaper? I feel like from the reviews I've seen Ryan do and other car reviewers is that the Outback and Forester outshine the Rav4 in capability and comfort. Rav4 to me only has an edge on ventilated seats, Toyota reliability, & good MPGs
I think some people, me being one of them, would also point out that the RAV4 has an edge by having a traditional 8-speed transmission vs. the CVT in the Subaru models. The Subarus are exceptionally capable vehicles, of course, and the Wilderness models will certainly best this RAV4 in deep snow conditions (as seen in the recent video) and in more rugged non-snow conditions, but long term, that tranny in the RAV4 is going to be near bulletproof. Not sure the same can be said of the CVTs--I have relatives who have Subarus but not with a ton of miles not them, well under 100K (and so far, so good on the CVTs). I have an 06 Sequoia with 235K miles on it, and the transmission is smooth as silk with no work being done on it other than transmission fluid flushes.
Toyota gives you reliability, Subaru don't..
@@RedPanther2030 I feel like this take is pretty pedestrian / outdated. Subaru's reliability was really only an issue when they were having the head gasket problems. I'm not sure exactly when that ended (around 14'?) but since then I've heard nothing major about repairs or reliability issues in all the Subaru groups I'm in
@@TeamMasterFunky CVT has always been a problem and these Subarus are still new and hasn't been through the reliability test, give it more time and you'll see the difference. Toyotas also keep their high values
@@RedPanther2030I have a 2022 Outback XT and a friend has 2022 Rav4, whenever I’m in the Rav I feel like I’ve gone back in time with dated interior and it’s slow vs my turbo. The Subaru CVT has been around for 15yrs. Go to any Toyota Dealer or any Dealer/Make including Subaru, guaranteed that every Service Dept has replaced transmissions, engines etc under warranty, they’re not just doing oil changes.
The dual clutch system was unable to transfer power to the passenger rear wheel on the last obstacle
what's the difference btw Woodland Edition vs. TRD Rav4 ?
Woodland is hybrid, TRD Off-road is non-hybrid
When does the Toyota Camry TRD come out 😂 will probably be better off-road hahah
Very tough conditions for RAV4. I think that over half of 4runner owners will not do this course which Ryan does with RAV4. Greetings
A 4runner would breeze through this, but that's not a knock against the RAV4. Totally different design criteria. The rav 4 is a great vehicle for what it is designed to do.
Test the new Outlander PHEV.
The sh1t you gotta go through filming your video. Appreciated the hard work.
Thanks for all the effort that you put into these reviews, Ryan. You looked absolutely soaked and miserable in the beginning.
I have a fwd 2011 rav4 4 speed transmission and it’s faster than today
Hi. my Toyota RAV4 plugin hybrid 2023.I can't find Downhill system . are there any function to achieve. thanks
Would rather get a Subaru wilderness.
Yeah, CVT FTW /s
I have a Forester MT, my wife has the Premium Outback CVT. Gotta say, that CVT is...unnerving. I have NO feedback from the road or car. The manual feels bette rin every way. And I'm getting better MPG than her currently, but it's the first winter she has had it, and it's been subzero for two weeks here.
@@js2000hondaDid you see the video when Ryan compare this one against the Crosstrek Wilderness? The Subaru killed the RAV4 and, the RAV4 AWD overheated few times. That never happened to the Crosstrek (so much for not a CVT transmission). I am like the other guy. If it’s an off road vehicle I will never buy a Toyota before the Subaru. I got over the CVT transmission like 11 years ago.
Only toyota I’d buy over a Subaru for heading off the paved path is a 4 runner or Land Cruiser. Anything less, no way!
I think the Subaru takes the lead in off roading with a crossover.
I think Army Green looks the best on Rav4
My question would be, is it worth going up the trim from adventure to trd?
IMHO… no.
Come on, Toyota! Add a front facing camera to the RAV 4.
Especially the 2024 TRD!
How this do against the 2022 Toyota Rav4 TRD Off Road thats been lifted about 12 in from stock with metal skid plate and front and read metal bumpers.
Lift all you want, the AWD system is still pretty weak.
I like the Army Green, but it would look a LOT better if it had Brown interior.
@@RRr-yl8zr I Love the Saddle Brown leather interior in my Forester Touring.
For an offroad-capable CUV, at this price point the Bronco Sport Badlands trim seems like a better choice.
This may be a silly question but, at what angles do you need to worry about oil starvation?
Upside down
Just get a 4Runner or Tacoma if you want to go off the path. I almost made the mistake of getting a rav4 it’s not capable for what I need. But it’s a great soccer mom suv though.
So it’s not equipped with a CVT transmission
TRD❤
Thanks for the laugh! Off road proving ground!
Im hoping these get better reqlly looking into these these couod be toyotas most reliable 4 cylinder off road cars lol the 2.4 taco and 4runner arent convincing people
Can u do outlander sport plz
15:20 Why did you choose Mud and Sand mode if you know it would only dig holes?! Just keep it in Rock and Dirt!
hey ryan the heated steering wheel is the whole steering wheel heated or just at the 10 and 3 position,i have a 2020 trd off road my heated steering wheel is only partialy heated i whish toyota made the whole thing heated,there reason i read or herd is thats the your suspose to drive 10 and 3 position .poor reason in my eyes,toyota has more than all the money in the world,so cost is no excuse.
My 2024 Rav4 TRD w/weather package has it heated from 8-10 and 2-4 positions. The heat strips run about a hand width above and below the crossbar on each side of the steering wheel.
They need a trd version of the hybrid rav4.
We're just tough on it because we know they can do better. And we know it's the bean counters that are causing this loss of potential.
Also, CUV's can be plenty capable off-road; just look at the Defender; it's just a giant CUV on air bags, independent suspension, and real lockers, or an optimally aggressive traction control system.
Just like you can't build "Defender" without a low range and locker availability, you shouldn't have a "TRD Off-Road" badge with a low stall weak transmission, poor gearing, and a watered down version of their traction control system, or a torque vectoring unit that hardly works
How does this compare to the Forester Wilderness?
Get a used Armada, best bang for your buck! Hopefully you can do a snow/towing test on the Armada.
What I don’t understand is if Toyota owns 20% of Subarus shares, why can these two giants share their mutual expertise on Hybrids vehicles and AWD systems. Doesn’t this make more sense? I guess we will have to wait until Toyota buys another 30% of Subarus shares.
Bronco Sport 2.0 is still the standard.
I love cvt