Outgrew the need for the 2011 Sienna and traded it in for a 2017 RAV4 Hybrid Limited for my wife's use and she just loves it. It comes standard with all the safety features which reinforces your confidence hauling the family around. I love your review on the RAV and nice family. Keep it up.
Adorable kids. Great review. Funny, I used to live in L.A. where this smaller one would be ideal. Now I live in Memphis, and it's SO much less congested, the Highlander Hybrid would be perfection. Different needs in different places. We're actually about to get a maxed out Prius 4, though. We want to advertise the Eco lifestyle with our vehicle here, where it's very needed.
Saying that Hybrid doesn't do anything for you on the freeway is like saying there is never traffic and I never travel downhill. It may not do as much for you on a freeway as in the city but in real life driving, especially with traffic, it will play a role. I drove a regular 2018 RAV4 recently for a week as a rental car in San Diego and driving carefully in unfamiliar areas and only pushing the car when merging or passing, I only managed to get 19mpg average city/highway. That is a far cry from what you can get on the RAV4 Hybrid.
In the market for a Rav4, I really want the hybrid but the wife absolutely hates the fact those seats don't fold flat. I realize there's the hump of the battery behind the seats, but shouldn't they fold flat and just leave a hump in the back? Because the fold is at an angle you lose so much usable space
Wow Ottawa, North Van and a bit of Gatineau all rolled into one great review. I do miss walking that white bridge behind the old Ottawa City Hall in Rockcliff. Toyota sells a ton of the RAV4's but pricing is just as high as the Highlander so if I had any say in the house I'm sure for the money (mine) the wife would drive out in a Sequoia lol.
Good review. I agree with most of your comments. I have the same trim and live in Regina, SK. In minus 40 weather, short trips, fan on high and heated seats fuel efficiencies isn't amazing, but still better than other vehicles who don't have start/stop or EV mode. There is a huge jump in fuel efficiency when the weather gets warm. A big sell for me was the standard safety features because I have two small kids, and there are lots of media reports of drunk driving and high speed collisions due to lane departures on the long flat highways. A long highway drive in the prairie winds and "sudden" bends in the road come up fast, lane departure with steering assist really does work. A surprise when it starts steering, but you do realize that this car is just an upgrade away from driving itself on the highway. Especially with radar cruise control enabled. I've had the car five months so far and I am really pleased.
a trick to save MPGs in colder weather on a Hybrid car is to NOT use the blower motor heater and ONLY use the seat heaters, at least until the engine has warmed up. This saves a lot of gas. yes it will be colder on your body but not that bad and its worth it. Using the real blower heater motor uses a lot of juice and will eat up MPGs
Also it's worth picking up the block heater if you make frequent daily short trips in the winter time. Doesn't cost much to electricity to use and saves some wear and tear on the engine.
We picked one up for my wife a few months ago. It runs great and we're happy with it overall but not a huge fan of the brakes. It still has those early on regenerative brakes that don't feel natural or like they initially grab the rotor as quickly as they should given the pressure you put on the pedal. You begin to depress the brake pedal and its nothing, barely anything, then suddenly GRAB. There's a lot of articles where people debate about regenerative brakes and whether or not they are a safety issue. If I drove the vehicle every day I'm sure I'd get used to it like my wife has, but I don't drive it regularly and dislike that aspect very much. My Honda Accord hybrid has regenerative brakes and you can't tell the difference between them and a traditional braking system. My guess is Toyota hasn't figured it out yet or simply rolled out the improved version.
Just like with a pedal clutch, If you drive it enough, you quickly learn just where the point between the regenerative brakes and physical brakes are. After that they won't feel spongy anymore.
i picked up my 17 Rav4 Hybrid LE+ back in Jan, and now that is spring here in Calgary, i have averaged 6L/100km on my last tank of gas. my 50 km daily commute consists of mixed (mostly) city, secondary highway and highway driving. for me, i definitely have no complains about he fuel economy. just curious, can you stay in EV mode easier and longer in you Highlander Hybrid? thanks, and keep up the good work.
I live in Calgary too and considering one. what fuel economy have you been averaging this last 6 months? My wife does mostly highway but we would used it for everyday stuff to as the other vehicle is bigger.
Great review as always! Will you be test driving the refreshed 2017 Highlander soon? I would like to hear your take on its new 8 speed transmission. I just picked up my 2017 HL and finding it really hard to adjust to it. It's always hunting for gears to shift up to 8th gear as quick as it can.
I do 50-50 highway city driving, but sometimes I am stuck in traffic on the highway at peak periods? I am considering a Rav4 SE Hybrid, what do you think?
If you're in stop and go traffic or slow moving highways a lot, then a hybrid would definitely work well for you. Toyota hybrids will coast in ev mode upto 45mph so they work well for slow crawling traffic.
Thanks for the quick reply. Do you think it's worthwhile getting an extended warranty from Toyota? I worry about all the electronics in these cars these days. Especially considering Dr. Evo's comment about a $5000 repair for a faulty screen.
9L/100KM is brutal for a hybrid, what's the point for the added cost compared to the regular gas version. You're saving 15K CAD buying the gas version. Brutal numbers
Terrible from a safety perspective. The girls should use rear facing seats + not wear jackets, this also goes for the driver. Loose items on the boot floor ?! 😮
Nice real world review. Its a SIN that Toyota doesnt allow customers to have the option to add the "kick to open" tailgate. Even if you get the top of the line Limited Ed in the Hybrid its not available. Whats up with that??!! esp if you are going to spend almost 40k (Lexus area now) and you dont even get real leather seats (fake simulated leather)!!. The Ford CMax Hybrid (yes a different animal but our other option we are looking at for my wifes next new car) comes with REAL leather seats and the standard kick to open rear hatch and a lot better MPGs for a lot less. She has a gas guzzling 1999 Toyota 4Runner Limited now and needs something new and better on gas for her daily commute. NO small kids to take around so no real meed to get an SUV she just likes to sit up high and is used to the SUV driving feeting so the Rav4 Hybrid and the Ford CMax Hybrid are the only 2 real options to get over 30mpg and still sit up high (she doesnt want a standard sedan where you sit low to the ground).... Toyota should not cheat their customers from allowing to add on the kick to open option. Why does the engine make a difference in an electrical system to open a rear hatch?!! The kick to open option should be available on ANY trim level as long as you pay for it as its very useful and needed for most people getting this type of vehicle.! Sad Sad Toyota. they missed the mark there.
Toyota has a very bad habit of leaving options and features by the way side and not even offering them period. Just look at the difference between the Accord Hybrid vs the Camry Hybrid. The base model Accord Hybrid has nearly as many features standard as the xle Camry does. Other than the fact that Honda dealers around here tend to be quit scummy to deal with I'd seriously consider an Accord over a Camry.
i have two friends that have the new Rav4 Limited (2013 and 2014 - gas), and both their info screens crapped out within 3 years. one of them, who drives a lot is out of warranty, and the info unit will cost her $5000 to replace. she did a bit of research, and apparently the software is the issue; so even if she replace the unit, it will probably break again. *buyer-beware*
Outgrew the need for the 2011 Sienna and traded it in for a 2017 RAV4 Hybrid Limited for my wife's use and she just loves it. It comes standard with all the safety features which reinforces your confidence hauling the family around. I love your review on the RAV and nice family. Keep it up.
Bert Macalino you should add openpilot for level 2 autonomy works unbelievably
😍 Aww your kids are so adorable. Thanks for the car review, I've been looking into this car for a while.
Thank you 🤗
Adorable kids. Great review. Funny, I used to live in L.A. where this smaller one would be ideal. Now I live in Memphis, and it's SO much less congested, the Highlander Hybrid would be perfection. Different needs in different places. We're actually about to get a maxed out Prius 4, though. We want to advertise the Eco lifestyle with our vehicle here, where it's very needed.
+godfatherNYC The RAV4 is a great size for city driving. Thanks for the comment.
or desert or mountain driving, with the intuitive i-AWD it works great in my '17 Limited Hybrid, highly recommend!
A professional and entertaining review. Well done.
Saying that Hybrid doesn't do anything for you on the freeway is like saying there is never traffic and I never travel downhill. It may not do as much for you on a freeway as in the city but in real life driving, especially with traffic, it will play a role. I drove a regular 2018 RAV4 recently for a week as a rental car in San Diego and driving carefully in unfamiliar areas and only pushing the car when merging or passing, I only managed to get 19mpg average city/highway. That is a far cry from what you can get on the RAV4 Hybrid.
In the market for a Rav4, I really want the hybrid but the wife absolutely hates the fact those seats don't fold flat. I realize there's the hump of the battery behind the seats, but shouldn't they fold flat and just leave a hump in the back? Because the fold is at an angle you lose so much usable space
Wow Ottawa, North Van and a bit of Gatineau all rolled into one great review. I do miss walking that white bridge behind the old Ottawa City Hall in Rockcliff. Toyota sells a ton of the RAV4's but pricing is just as high as the Highlander so if I had any say in the house I'm sure for the money (mine) the wife would drive out in a Sequoia lol.
Thank you for this review; much appreciated your thorough helpful approach
Good review. I agree with most of your comments. I have the same trim and live in Regina, SK. In minus 40 weather, short trips, fan on high and heated seats fuel efficiencies isn't amazing, but still better than other vehicles who don't have start/stop or EV mode. There is a huge jump in fuel efficiency when the weather gets warm. A big sell for me was the standard safety features because I have two small kids, and there are lots of media reports of drunk driving and high speed collisions due to lane departures on the long flat highways. A long highway drive in the prairie winds and "sudden" bends in the road come up fast, lane departure with steering assist really does work. A surprise when it starts steering, but you do realize that this car is just an upgrade away from driving itself on the highway. Especially with radar cruise control enabled. I've had the car five months so far and I am really pleased.
a trick to save MPGs in colder weather on a Hybrid car is to NOT use the blower motor heater and ONLY use the seat heaters, at least until the engine has warmed up. This saves a lot of gas. yes it will be colder on your body but not that bad and its worth it. Using the real blower heater motor uses a lot of juice and will eat up MPGs
Also it's worth picking up the block heater if you make frequent daily short trips in the winter time. Doesn't cost much to electricity to use and saves some wear and tear on the engine.
excellent review, we have a slightly older 7 seater version called vanguard, exceptional all rounder. beautiful angles you got there
We picked one up for my wife a few months ago. It runs great and we're happy with it overall but not a huge fan of the brakes. It still has those early on regenerative brakes that don't feel natural or like they initially grab the rotor as quickly as they should given the pressure you put on the pedal. You begin to depress the brake pedal and its nothing, barely anything, then suddenly GRAB. There's a lot of articles where people debate about regenerative brakes and whether or not they are a safety issue. If I drove the vehicle every day I'm sure I'd get used to it like my wife has, but I don't drive it regularly and dislike that aspect very much. My Honda Accord hybrid has regenerative brakes and you can't tell the difference between them and a traditional braking system. My guess is Toyota hasn't figured it out yet or simply rolled out the improved version.
Just like with a pedal clutch, If you drive it enough, you quickly learn just where the point between the regenerative brakes and physical brakes are. After that they won't feel spongy anymore.
Nice review and update ! Great real world review ,always nice to see .
Thanks
Joe
i picked up my 17 Rav4 Hybrid LE+ back in Jan, and now that is spring here in Calgary, i have averaged 6L/100km on my last tank of gas. my 50 km daily commute consists of mixed (mostly) city, secondary highway and highway driving. for me, i definitely have no complains about he fuel economy.
just curious, can you stay in EV mode easier and longer in you Highlander Hybrid?
thanks, and keep up the good work.
I live in Calgary too and considering one. what fuel economy have you been averaging this last 6 months? My wife does mostly highway but we would used it for everyday stuff to as the other vehicle is bigger.
0:48 Be careful dad! You must check your behind! Always!!!
great review as usual
+silas acha Thanks for taking the time to comment. Cheers!
Great review as always! Will you be test driving the refreshed 2017 Highlander soon? I would like to hear your take on its new 8 speed transmission. I just picked up my 2017 HL and finding it really hard to adjust to it. It's always hunting for gears to shift up to 8th gear as quick as it can.
+dingmah Funny you say that. I have a 2017 Highlander to test right now except it's the Hybrid so CVT transmission. How do you like your HL otherwise?
Love it, especially with the brown interior and 360 camera on my Limited trim. I like to think of it as Lexus-lite.
Everyday Reviews I am interested greatly in the Highlander Hybrid 2017. When will that review be posted?
You buy a Toyota you are gonna make it where you need to be for a very long time!
What is the gas consumption combined Hwy and town in the hybrid ? Nice review all in all. Thank you.
mechanic1756 im avg 5.6 to 6.5 L per 100km
I do 50-50 highway city driving, but sometimes I am stuck in traffic on the highway at peak periods? I am considering a Rav4 SE Hybrid, what do you think?
If you're in stop and go traffic or slow moving highways a lot, then a hybrid would definitely work well for you. Toyota hybrids will coast in ev mode upto 45mph so they work well for slow crawling traffic.
Great video, I was wondering did you get Rust proofing for this car? Is that something worthwhile for folks in your neck of the woods?
+Dower Chin I didn't buy this car. I have a Highlander Hybrid. I didn't buy rust proofing though.
Thanks for the quick reply. Do you think it's worthwhile getting an extended warranty from Toyota? I worry about all the electronics in these cars these days. Especially considering Dr. Evo's comment about a $5000 repair for a faulty screen.
It's really a Non issue, some people just want to add controversy. Essentially fake news.
What brand/model were those car seats?
They're called Foomf and the name of the company is called Clek. Best seats you can get. Absolutely love them
When or have you reviewed that driveable suitcase yet?
+Curtis Stevenson I'm reviewing a scooter suitcase right now but not the motorized driving one. That ones a little expensive for my blood.
Was this filmed in BC
Yes
You have kids lol Jesus! Your nightmare's just beginning buddy lol
Thanks for that. Just what I needed :)
Toyota's e-CVT uses actual gears.
9L/100KM is brutal for a hybrid, what's the point for the added cost compared to the regular gas version. You're saving 15K CAD buying the gas version. Brutal numbers
Patrick S im getting 5.6 to 6.2 L/100km avg combined. Its not great until it gets warm.
Terrible from a safety perspective. The girls should use rear facing seats + not wear jackets, this also goes for the driver. Loose items on the boot floor ?! 😮
Nice real world review. Its a SIN that Toyota doesnt allow customers to have the option to add the "kick to open" tailgate. Even if you get the top of the line Limited Ed in the Hybrid its not available. Whats up with that??!! esp if you are going to spend almost 40k (Lexus area now) and you dont even get real leather seats (fake simulated leather)!!. The Ford CMax Hybrid (yes a different animal but our other option we are looking at for my wifes next new car) comes with REAL leather seats and the standard kick to open rear hatch and a lot better MPGs for a lot less. She has a gas guzzling 1999 Toyota 4Runner Limited now and needs something new and better on gas for her daily commute. NO small kids to take around so no real meed to get an SUV she just likes to sit up high and is used to the SUV driving feeting so the Rav4 Hybrid and the Ford CMax Hybrid are the only 2 real options to get over 30mpg and still sit up high (she doesnt want a standard sedan where you sit low to the ground).... Toyota should not cheat their customers from allowing to add on the kick to open option. Why does the engine make a difference in an electrical system to open a rear hatch?!! The kick to open option should be available on ANY trim level as long as you pay for it as its very useful and needed for most people getting this type of vehicle.! Sad Sad Toyota. they missed the mark there.
Also look at the Kia Niro.
Toyota has a very bad habit of leaving options and features by the way side and not even offering them period. Just look at the difference between the Accord Hybrid vs the Camry Hybrid. The base model Accord Hybrid has nearly as many features standard as the xle Camry does. Other than the fact that Honda dealers around here tend to be quit scummy to deal with I'd seriously consider an Accord over a Camry.
new RAV4 Adventure 2019
i have two friends that have the new Rav4 Limited (2013 and 2014 - gas), and both their info screens crapped out within 3 years. one of them, who drives a lot is out of warranty, and the info unit will cost her $5000 to replace. she did a bit of research, and apparently the software is the issue; so even if she replace the unit, it will probably break again. *buyer-beware*
that is some bs right there
Dr Evo so it cost more then the engine lol. i would just go to the junk yard and pull it from a totalled car.
sweet, good to know, thanks.
yeah just grab a unit from the scrapyard
safety alert is useless; you need Subaru's eyesight where it will brake the car for you in an emergency situation
toyota has safety sense P where it does do that
One plus for Toyota, all their cars are coming with safety sense standard now.
More than 1:30 min fasten his girls? Is that really necessary?
He can do whatever he want...asshole
a lot for you money.. none of then useful...
Please don't drive in this kits garbage vehicle