2023 Toyota Rav4 Prime Overview What’s new? The 6.6-kW onboard charger, which used to be optional, is now required. There are options for more giant touchscreens and digital instrument panels. Taking into account that the fifth-generation RAV4 will come out in 2019. The RAV4 Prime is a versatile compact crossover SUV that can do things that usually require two or three vehicles. It has enough space for a family’s cargo and people and can run on electric power without gas emissions. It can also run on electric and hybrid power for longer trips and doesn’t use gas. A gas engine and two electric motors give the RAV4 Prime 302 horsepower, making it the second-fastest Toyota car after the GR Supra. It takes 5.9 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph in a test. Think of the RAV4 Prime as an improved version of the RAV4 Hybrid. It has a bigger battery and more robust electric motors, so it can go 42 miles on electricity alone before its combined mpg drops to 38. In our tests, the RAV4 Prime went 48 miles on a single charge, which is much farther than the company says. When compared to other plug-in SUVs, the RAV4 Prime easily beats the Hyundai Tucson PHEV (33 miles), the Kia Sportage PHEV (32 miles), and even the Volvo XC60 T8 Extended Range (31 miles) (36 miles). Some things can’t be done: Our testers said that the car’s brakes were hard to use and didn’t handle well, but the rest of the driving experience could have been smoother. But when shopping in this class, those aren’t usually the most important things, and cabin comfort and quietness are generally good enough (except when the gas engine gets going). The standard RAV4 has 37.6 cubic feet of cargo space, but the RAV4 Prime has 33.5 cubic feet. Pros vs Cons Pros A long distance that an electric car can go Extremely quick acceleration A quiet and peaceful ride Enough room for passengers and goods Cons Insufficient management Too long of a distance between stops The feeling that the steering isn’t connected Uncomfortable seat for the front passenger Performance The RAV4 Prime gets going faster than the regular or hybrid versions. In tests done by InvoicePricing, it only took 5.9 seconds for the car to go from 0 to 60 mph. For example, it takes the standard RAV4 8.9 seconds. The RAV4 Prime is even more comfortable and easy to drive in everyday driving situations. The potent powertrain is excellent, but Toyota still needs to add athleticism to go with it. Handling could be better, with a lot of body roll and vague steering, making it hard to know how much input is needed. The computerized systems help the driver go crazy when pushed too far. The brakes are another problem. The pedals on the RAV4 Prime are too soft. In our tests, a small SUV did worse than average when stopping quickly. Comfort There are enough ways to change the driver’s seat so that you can find a comfortable position. There are fewer ways to adjust the front passenger seat, which might make some people unhappy on long trips. Because Toyota’s SofTex is a synthetic leather that breathes well, seat ventilation is helpful on hot days. The back seats also have thigh support that is better than average. The ride quality of the RAV4 Prime puts comfort over performance, making it smooth over bumps in the road. Some of the noise from the road and wind is blocked out, but the gasoline engine sounds rough when you speed up quickly. Other than that, it’s delightfully simple. Interior In this area, the RAV4 Prime is the best. The controls are grouped and labeled in a way that makes them easy to use. All other systems are straightforward to use, but the drive modes need to explain what they do thoroughly (you’ll need to read the manual). Large doors and the correct ride height make it easier to get in and out. Taller people won’t have to bend down to get in, but shorter people won’t have any trouble. Any seat is big enough for a person who is 6 feet tall. The narrow pillars in front of the windscreen help you see forward, but the big pillar between the front and back doors makes it hard to see to the side. The driver is also too far from the touch screen, another complaint. Technology Most infotainment interactions are quick and easy and don’t get in the way because of the optional 9-inch screen. It comes with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and responds quickly. Physical shortcut buttons’ size and placement may be changed to make things less distracting. Even though it’s not unique, the JBL audio upgrade improves the bass and clarity. In general, Toyota’s high-tech systems help drivers work well. The traffic-adaptive cruise control is our favorite part. It works well in heavy traffic and on the highway. But the lane-keeping aid option usually makes steering harder than it needs for anything but straight-ahead highway driving. Storage Regarding cargo space, the RAV4 Prime isn’t quite as good as the standard RAV4 because it can only hold 33.5 cubic feet, while the standard RAV4 can have 37.6 cubic feet. Still, there’s plenty of room for your things, and folding the back seats is easy. There are more shelves on the dashboard, a wireless charging station, and a large storage bin in the middle armrest. The RAV4 will be appealing to parents with young children. It’s easy to find lower car seat anchors and put safety seats on them. It’s also easy to connect to the three top anchors. The front seat will likely need to be moved up to make room for a rear-facing car seat on the passenger side. Booster seats and seats that face forward are easy to fit. The problem is that the front passenger seat is way too high. Fuel Economy On our set test route, the RAV4 Prime could quickly drive 48 miles on electric power alone (6 miles better than the EPA estimate). Most people will be able to get where they need to go daily with that. Once the gas engine was running, we got about 34 mpg on average, which is almost the same as the RAV4 Hybrid. After filling up with gas and recharging the battery, you can drive for nearly 600 miles. Value The price of the RAV4 Prime is much higher than that of the RAV4. Buying a Prime will take longer to save enough money on gas to pay for itself than purchasing a regular RAV4 Hybrid. The quality of Prime’s construction is good enough to justify the price, and this plug-in hybrid version only has a few nice touches. Toyota gives a more extended warranty on composite parts than it usually does on other factors. For the first two years, routine maintenance is also free. Wildcard Even though the RAV4 Prime doesn’t have excellent performance or entertainment while driving, it is a good plug-in hybrid SUV. It is easy to reach its 42-mile all-electric range, which is almost twice as far as its closest competitors (Kia Niro and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV). It helps so much that it can go fast on the highway, and the stylish design may make people choose it over traditional competitors. What is Invoice Pricing's Recommendation? As much as we’d love to drive a fully loaded RAV4 Prime, the XSE is the better choice. It needs to offer extra features to compensate for the hefty price jump. Also, the RAV4 Prime starts at a higher price than other compact SUVs. The basic SE will be enough for most people unless you need everything. Toyota RAV4 Prime variants The Toyota RAV4 Prime is a plug-in hybrid version of the regular Toyota RAV4, a small SUV with space for five people. It comes in two trim levels, SE and XSE, similar to the higher trim levels of the gas-only RAV4. 2023 Toyota Rav4 Prime Video Review
