2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime

　　

2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime Review

byCameron RogersManager, News

　　Cameron Rogers has worked in the automotive industry since 2013. He has tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Today, he leads the news team in developing cutting-edge news articles, opinion pieces and sneak peeks at upcoming vehicles. Favorite cars that he's driven during his tenure at zzdcar include the 991-era Porsche 911 Turbo S, Rolls-Royce Ghost and several generations of Honda Odyssey (really).

　　The RAV4 Prime is a jack-of-all-trades compact crossover SUV, fulfilling a variety of roles that would usually take two or three vehicles. It offers emissions-free electric range, hybrid efficiency for longer trips, and enough cargo and passenger room to be suitable for families. And on top of that it packs plenty of punch, with 302 combined horsepower from the gas engine and a pair of electric motors that make the RAV4 Prime the second-quickest vehicle in the Toyota lineup after the GR Supra, with an as-tested 0-60 mph time of 5.9 seconds.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below

　　

Toyota RAV4 Prime PHEV Insights

Trim:RAV4 Prime SE

　　SE 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid CVT) - $43,090 MSRPXSE 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid CVT) (Most Popular) - $46,960 MSRP

　　

All Electric Range

　　42 miles

　　EPA Estimated Electric Range

　　The RAV4 Prime will automatically switch to gas when the electric battery is low.Electric cars typically experience 1-2% of range loss per year with slightly faster degradation over the first 50,000 miles as the car settles into its long term state, according to Recurrent's study of 15,000 EVs.

　　Estimated range mapThis map is a visual representation of the possible one-way and round-trips by this vehicle (on a full charge) from the geometric center of Rutland, North Dakota. The depicted ranges are based on the estimated new vehicle range value provided by the EPA, rounded down to miles for one-way and miles for round-trip. Actual range will vary depending on the condition of this vehicle’s battery pack, how you drive, driving conditions and other factors.Map display generated using: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © Recurrent contributors | Recurrent

　　from 58067

　　

Hybrid Parts Warranty

　　8 yrs or 100,000 milesHybrid batteries are federally mandated to carry at least 8 years or 100,000 miles of warranty coverage from the manufacturer. Batteries that lose capacity more rapidly than expected should be eligible for replacement under warranty. Coverage of additional hybrid components beyond the battery itself will vary by automaker.

　　

Charging at Home

　　4.5 hours

　　Total Charging Time (240V outlet)

　　

EV Tax Credits & Rebates

　　$400

　　Available Rebates. Restrictions apply.

　　Utility EV Charger Offer

　　$400

　　Restrictions: Otter Tail Power offers EV owners a rebate of up to $400 towards the installation of a Level 2 charging station. To qualify for this rebate, the customer and/or charging station must meet the following requirements: Receive electricity from Otter Tail Power.

　　To learn more, visit Recurrent

　　See All PHEV incentives

　　

Cost to Drive

　　Not Available

　　RAV4 Prime

　　vs

　　$183/mo

　　SUV Avg.

　　Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　See All PHEV Insights

　　Think of the RAV4 Prime as a tuned-up version of the RAV4 Hybrid. It has a larger battery and more powerful electric motors that give it a robust 42 miles of EPA-estimated electric range and then 38 combined mpg once that's exhausted. In our testing, the RAV4 Prime beat that mark easily and covered 48 miles on just the battery. That also puts the RAV4 Prime comfortably ahead of its plug-in SUV counterparts, besting the Hyundai Tucson PHEV (33 miles), Kia Sportage PHEV (32 miles) and even the Volvo XC60 T8 Extended Range (36 miles) by healthy margins.

　　There are a few caveats: The rest of the driving experience isn't as dialed in — our testers noted its mushy brakes and subpar handling. But those aren't usually priorities if you're shopping in this class, and overall cabin comfort and quietness are good (except for when the gas engine really gets going). The RAV4 Prime does have slightly less cargo room than the standard RAV4 with 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space compared to 37.6 cubic feet, but that's still plenty of room for large items.

　　Please note that this rating was conducted on a pre-2023 RAV4 Prime. We'll update the score once we test the RAV4's new touchscreen.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Good

　　7.9

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

7.0/10

　　How does the RAV4 Prime drive? The RAV4 Prime gets up to speed much better than its standard or hybrid siblings. In zzdcar' testing, it reached 60 mph in an impressively quick 5.9 seconds. The regular RAV4, for example, needs a comparatively unhurried 8.9 seconds. The RAV4 Prime is also smooth and easy to drive under typical commuting conditions.

　　Unfortunately, Toyota has failed to back up the muscular powertrain with any sort of dynamic athleticism. Handling is pretty abysmal, with prevalent body roll and vague steering that makes it hard to judge the right amount of input. The electronic driver assistants also freak out at the smallest provocation. Another demerit comes from the brakes. The RAV4 Prime's pedal feel is overly soft. Panic-stopping performance in our testing was below average for a small SUV.

　　

Comfort

7.5/10

　　How comfortable is the RAV4 Prime? The driver's seat has enough adjustments to allow you to easily find a comfortable seating position. But the front passenger seat has fewer adjustments, which might lead to a few complaints on long trips. The available synthetic leather upholstery (Toyota's SofTex) breathes well and is definitely helped on hot days by the available seat ventilation. The rear seats are also praiseworthy for the better-than-average thigh support.

　　The RAV4 Prime's ride quality is biased more toward comfort than performance, delivering a smooth ride over road imperfections. Road and wind noise is abated to pleasant levels, though the gasoline engine sounds unrefined when you're aggressively accelerating. Otherwise, it's pleasantly muted.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below