Have had the basic Australian 2021 AWD hybrid version (SE I think) since April built in Japan to order. This is a bit different to the US basic version as it has many safety options like rear side traffic detection as standards though it doesnt have pointless add-ons like a heated stearing wheel. It now has 4000 km on the clock. It would be more except for coronavirus limiting travel outside the metropolitan area here in Sydney. We need to do 500km round trips every 3 weeks once quarantine lifts. And we need to tow a small but significant trailer. These needs can only be achieved with the RAV4 AWD hybrid if a hybrid is what you want. EVs are no use for towing very much very far and they cost a lot. Other hybrids arent warranteed for towing which is not talked about much. We also chose this because of Toyota’s longevity reputation and their proven experience with hybrid technology and its efficiency compared with many other brands.
Yesterday we did a 200 km round trip, 100 km on motorway, 100 km in 60 or 80 kph zones and went from sea level up to 2300 feet and back for our destination. The read out for the total trip calculated 4.9L/100 km which is in line with the Toyota claim of 4.8 L/100 km (48 mpg US) and much better than the USEPA claim of 40/38. I did not gun it but let it do its thing using cruise control wherever practical. By contrast the short city trips I’ve been doing have averaged 7 L/100km (33 mpg US). I suspect latter this may relate to cold engine and cold battery preventing short trips from being very economical.
So far its all performed well aside from a couple of computer glitches which reset after turning off the motor. This was related to the AWD setting being accidentally activated. The cruise control setting can be finicketty but you get used to it. There are ridiculous number of bells and whistles but they seem to also make the car pretty safe or give that feeling. The motors are quiet. I used to religiously detest the idea of buying an SUV (local insult names include Toorak Tractors and Urban Assault Vehicles). But I have been seduced by the impressive ‘basic’ technology this thing sports.
Main complaints are 1. in Australia stupid Toyota arent planning to release the Prime plug in version even though its so appropriate here with our long distances, few charging stations and lack of government subsidies for EVs. 2. a bigger battery when going down a very long hill would be good to retrieve even more energy for later use. I have seen complaints on blog sites and in reviews but for the most part they appear wrong or trivial or perhaps the product of an opposition troll.
The greatest difficulty seems to be ordering time. Ours was 7 months but its now up to 12 months here between coronavirus, Toyota line shutdown in Japan, Chip shortages and the popularity of this model.
Oh and petrol prices jumped but we arent too fussed we can use low octane (91).