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2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Review

Jil McIntosh Apr 20, 2021

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Summary

A Canadian best-seller with impressive fuel economy

Pros
Fuel economy
Cargo practicality
Intuitive controls

Cons
Front headroom trails competitors
Awkward inner door handles
Rear seats don’t fold Pat

8.2 AutoTrader SCORE

This score is awarded by our team of expert
10 reviewers after extensive testing of the car

STYLING 8/10

SAFETY 9/10

PRACTICALITY 8/10

USABILITY/ERGONOMICS 8/10

FEATURES 8/10

POWERTRAIN 8/10

COMFORT 8/10

DRIVABILITY 8/10

FUEL ECONOMY 9/10

VALUE 8/10

If you take pickup trucks out of the equation, it’s the

Toyota RAV4 that’s the best-selling vehicle in Canada.

It comes in a handful of ways, including as a conventional

gas-powered model, a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) with some
dedicated electric driving range, or as my tester: the 2021
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. The regular RAV4 is available in a
front-wheel-drive version, starting at $28,590, and with all-
wheel drive (AWD) ranging from $30,690 to $41,690
before fees and taxes. The hybrid comes with standard
AWD, and starts at $32,950 in LE trim and rises to
$43,350 for the Limited. My tester was the XSE with its
available Technology package, which rang in at $42,170
before freight and taxes.

Styling: 8/10

The RAV4 has come quite a way from its quirky

beginnings in the 1990s – for a while, you could even get
a two-door with a foldable rear roof. It’s of course much
larger now, and it wears its angular proportions well. The
standard wheel size is 17-inch, but the XSE bumps them
up to 18-inch black alloys. Also included are LED
projector headlights, a power tailgate, and a power
sunroof.

The interior continues that chunky, angular styling and it

looks good – especially since it includes big dials and
buttons for controls. The dark interior is livened up with
good-looking metallic accents and contrasting stitching.
The overall impression is a satisfying combination of
technology and practicality.

Safety: 9/10

The RAV4 earns the top ive-star rating from the United
States National Highway Trajc Safety Administration
(NHTSA), as well as a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance
Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

All RAV4 trims come with a bundle of driver-assistance

features, including adaptive cruise control, emergency
front braking with pedestrian and bicycle detection, lane-
keeping assist, and automatic high-beam headlights.
Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-trajc alert is also
standard, and, of course, so is the back-up camera that’s
now mandatory on all new vehicles.

Features: 8/10

In addition to the safety features mentioned above, all

RAV4 Hybrid models include a seven-inch touchscreen
with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone
automatic climate control, heated front seats, and heated
mirrors.

My XSE tester then added such items as rain-sensing

wipers, a power sunroof, power driver’s seat, heated
steering wheel, power tailgate, push-button start, fabric
and faux-leather seats, wireless charging, integrated
garage door opener, remote starter, digital instrument
cluster display, and eight-inch infotainment touchscreen
including navigation, and a one-year trial of Toyota’s
remote services.



User Friendliness: 8.5/10

I like simplicity in a vehicle, and for the most part, the

RAV4 delivers. The cabin temperature is controlled by
large dials with knurled rubber around them, so they’re
easy to grab and turn – even with gloves on. The fan and
vent modes are a little tougher, using smaller toggles, but
it’s back to large switches for the heated seats. The
tablet-style infotainment screen has hard buttons to bring
up the menus, and once you’re there, the icons are large
and intuitive.

It’s easy to get in and out of the RAV4, with its wide-
opening doors and not-too-wide sills. However, once
you’re inside, the door pull-handles need some work.
They’re at the front of the door, so you have very little
leverage when pulling them closed, especially on a windy
day. A hand-hold farther back on the armrest would be
very much appreciated.

Practicality: 8/10

Between the RAV4’s size, and all-around visibility from the

driver’s seat, it’s a good it for crowded urban areas. There
are large door pockets, and for small-item storage, there’s
a cubby ahead of the shifter. Mine was occupied by the
wireless charger, but that can be turned off and the space
used for storage.

The RAV4’s tailgate opening is wide, and the liftover is

relatively low, so it’s easy to get items into the trunk. A
tonneau cover is standard in the XLE trim and up. The
rear seats are easy to fold but they don’t go completely
Pat. That’s due to the hybrid battery being under them,
although it’s better than having it chew up the rear cargo
space. If you’ve got too much stuff, the RAV4 Hybrid can
tow as much as 973 kg (1,750 lb).

Comfort: 8/10

With its power driver’s seat, and an upholstery blend of

fabric and faux leather, along with supportive
construction, my RAV4 offered long-haul comfort. The
rear seats are a little Pat but still well-constructed, and
legroom back there is good. However, while rear-seat
headroom is on par with many of its competitors, the
RAV4’s front-seat scalp-clearance is between 58 and 83
mm (2.3 and 3.3 in) less than that of the Subaru Forester,
Ford Escape (which also comes as a hybrid), or Nissan
Rogue.

The RAV4’s cabin is quiet, and the vehicle feels tight and
sturdy. The ride is more on the irm side, but it’s still
pleasant, and only the nastiest potholes make their way
up to the occupants.

Power: 8/10

The RAV4 starts with a 2.5L four-cylinder that, on its own,

makes 176 hp and 163 lb-ft of torque. It’s mated to dual
electric motor-generators under the hood, which boost
net horsepower to 219. That combined power goes to the
front wheels through an automatic continuously variable
transmission (CVT), while a separate electric motor in the
back drives the rear wheels. The lithium-ion hybrid battery
self-charges through regenerative braking, and while you
can get a plug-in version of the RAV4, this one doesn’t
come with a cord.

You’re not going drag-racing with this model, but it has

enough power for pretty much all driving needs, including
highway passing. Unlike a gasoline vehicle with AWD,
which has a mechanical connection between the front
and rear axles, the RAV4 uses an electric motor to drive
the rear wheels when needed for extra traction or stability,
without using extra fuel.

Driving Feel: 8/10

The hybrid system switches automatically between

gasoline and electricity (or a combination of the two)
depending on driving conditions. There’s an “EV Mode”
button that keeps the RAV4 on electricity alone, but only
at low speeds and with a very light foot – which it does
on its own anyway, and the button’s really just a waste of
console space. The “Trail” button is far more useful, as it
optimizes torque distribution to the wheels when needed
for deep snow or slippery conditions.

The RAV4 drives as you’d expect of an everyday

commuter. The steering is light, and while there isn’t a lot
of feel to it, the vehicle responds quickly and accurately.
It’s smooth on turns, and feels well-planted on the
highway. The brakes have a bit of resistance to them,
which is common with hybrids since they capture kinetic
energy when they slow down, but they stop quickly and
conidently, and you only have to spend a bit of time
behind the wheel before you’re used to them.

Fuel Economy: 9/10

When I gassed up the RAV4 Hybrid after my week with it, I

thought I’d neglected to ill it all the way because the bill
was so small. It’s rated by Natural Resources Canada
(NRCan) at 5.8 L/100 km in the city, at 6.3 on the highway,
and 6.0 L/100 in combined driving; and I got 5.8 L/100
km overall.

Hybrids get a better rating in city driving over highway, the

opposite of conventional cars, because they can drive
more on their batteries at lower speeds. Among non-plug-
in hybrid SUVs, only the Ford Escape Hybrid is rated
better than the RAV4 at 5.9 L/100 km combined, with
AWD. A non-hybrid RAV4, depending on the trim level, is
rated between 7.9 and 8.5 L/100 km in combined driving.

Value: 7.5/10

A hybrid’s fuel-sipping attributes usually come with a

higher price tag than non-electriied versions, and that’s
the case here. In base LE trim with AWD, a regular RAV4 is
$30,690. It’s $2,260 to get that same trim as a hybrid.
NRCan estimates you’ll save $475 in gas with the hybrid,
or a little more than four and a half years to make up the
difference.

You’ll have to igure out if a hybrid is right for you. For

many, its ability to run fuel-free and with reduced
emissions is worth the difference. While both the regular
and hybrid RAV4 models have ive-year/100,000-km
warranty coverage on the gasoline engine and
mechanical driveline components, the hybrid adds eight-
year/160,000-km coverage on components related to the
hybrid system, and 10-year/240,000-km warranty on the
hybrid battery.

The Verdict

Adding it all up, it’s easy to explain the RAV4’s popularity.

It’s well-sized, comfortable, and practical, and it scores
high for its safety and reliability. Cross-shop it against
regular compact sport-utes, as well as its few hybrid
competitors in the segment, such as the Ford Escape and
Kia Niro. It’s a price jump to get the hybrid, but it might be
the right vehicle for many drivers.

Related Hot Deals in Your Area View All

2021 Toyota RAV4 2021 Toyota RAV4

$40,500 $34,988

Competitors

Ford Escape Hyundai Tucson

SpeciTcations

Engine Displacement 2.5L

Engine Cylinders I4

Peak Horsepower 176 hp @ 5,700 rpm (engine); 219 hp net

(hybrid system)

Peak Torque 163 lb-ft @ 3,600 rpm (engine)

Fuel Economy 5.8 / 6.3 / 6.0 L/100 km cty/hwy/cmb

Cargo Space 1,064 / 1,976 L seats up/down

Model Tested 2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid XSE

Technology

Base Price $39,340

A/C Tax $100

Destination Fee $1,840

Price as Tested $43,660

Optional Equipment
$2,380 – Technology Package (wireless charging, LED fog lamps,
intelligent clearance sonar, premium audio with navigation, 11-
speaker JBL Audio system, digital display rearview mirror with
Homelink, and rear cross-trajc braking), $2,380

Jil McIntosh See more

Jil McIntosh writes about new cars, antique and classic

cars, and the automotive industry. A member of the
Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC),
she has won several awards for her writing, including
Journalist of the Year in 2016. In addition to testing new
vehicles, she owns two from the 1940s.

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