RAV4 Prime PHEV for 2021 - anyone considering adding / jumping ??

4sallypat

4sallypat

Active Member
I posted on the Toyota forum:

https://insideevsforum.com/communit...ooking-at-this-new-39-mile-ev-range-cuv.7960/

Anyone here thinking of jumping ship or adding the RAV4 PHEV ???

2021-toyota-rav4-prime.jpg
 
If it had 50 miles of EV range I would be very interested. But...

I don't need the extra power or acceleration. I would trade all of that for more range. Sadly I'll pass on this one.
 
Range? Meh. 39 miles is not bad for an SUV and with a gas backup it will go as far as needed. It's on our list for the 2008 Sorento replacement when we decide it's time. I'd keep the Sorento until it falls apart, but $50 fill ups get old.

We drove from LV to SLC and back for Christmas. We spent over $100 on gas. We left the Clarity home because of expected weather and no snow tires. I do not trust the stock tires in bad weather.
 
It more or less matches the range of my late lamented Volt and that worked very well for me and my commute. My question would be how powerful it is in EV mode. If I have to feather the accelerator in fear of kicking in the ICE then I'll pass on this one.

If Honda keeps working this hard to prevent me from getting a new Clarity and the RAV4 ends up too much of an ICE vehicle, I'll probably stick with our 2011 Prius and 2007 LEAF and be okay.
 
Nope. We wrote off Toyota’s after the Prius. Worst seats in the industry.

They’d have to build something pretty spectacular to even get my attention, and that isn’t it.
 
I'll gladly keep my Clarity. If the RAV4 PHEV is actually available outside CA, I might try to get my wife to test drive it and replace her Jeep Cherokee which does good to get 20 mpg in winter.
 
If it's anything like the Prius prime with it's "air-cooled" to cool the battery, better run and not walk away from it..

Wish Honda would make a passport or Ridgeline plug-in... I'd trade my Clarity in for that
 
mattheo0118 said:
If it's anything like the Prius prime with it's "air-cooled" to cool the battery, better run and not walk away from it..

Wish Honda would make a passport or Ridgeline plug-in... I'd trade my Clarity in for that
Click to expand...
Honda was testing a Pilot Plug-In Hybrid in 2018. Honda whiffed.

upload_2020-1-3_23-3-4.webp
 
Large vehicle plug-in testing. Was never intended to come out on the current pilot platform. Close Friend working in Torrance R&D confirmed it last October 2018. Leased the parents a regular Pilot in Dec 2018 until the hybrid / plug in version comes as a 2022 model
 
I am 1 year into my 3 year Clarity lease. I have 2 years to decide. The choices are buy out the current Clarity, new Clarity, Rav4 Prime, or other fuel economical vehicle. Perhaps Honda will have a CRV PHEV or HRV PHEV by then.

The Rav4 Prime is very appealing. Yes the electric range is less than the Clarity but the Rav4 Prime has: AWD, spare tire, ground clearance, sits up higher, AWD, faster 0-60, & is based on Toyota’s mass produced Rav4 hybrid thus presumably less of a “unicorn” and will have high build quality. These are things that appeal to me enough that I would accept the electric range hit.
 
The Gadgeteer said:
I am 1 year into my 3 year Clarity lease. I have 2 years to decide. The choices are buy out the current Clarity, new Clarity, Rav4 Prime, or other fuel economical vehicle. Perhaps Honda will have a CRV PHEV or HRV PHEV by then.

The Rav4 Prime is very appealing. Yes the electric range is less than the Clarity but the Rav4 Prime has: AWD, spare tire, ground clearance, sits up higher, AWD, faster 0-60, & is based on Toyota’s mass produced Rav4 hybrid thus presumably less of a “unicorn” and will have high build quality. These are things that appeal to me enough that I would accept the electric range hit.
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The Rav4 Prime will have much better resale value, too, because it's a newer model and not an old-fashioned, undesirable car.
 
The Gadgeteer said:
I am 1 year into my 3 year Clarity lease. I have 2 years to decide. The choices are buy out the current Clarity, new Clarity, Rav4 Prime, or other fuel economical vehicle. Perhaps Honda will have a CRV PHEV or HRV PHEV by then.

The Rav4 Prime is very appealing. Yes the electric range is less than the Clarity but the Rav4 Prime has: AWD, spare tire, ground clearance, sits up higher, AWD, faster 0-60, & is based on Toyota’s mass produced Rav4 hybrid thus presumably less of a “unicorn” and will have high build quality. These are things that appeal to me enough that I would accept the electric range hit.
Click to expand...
I agree with all of your positive Rav4 comments. It surprises me how very attractive the spare tire is. Right now we have a spare and tire change kit for the Clarity. But it takes up space in the trunk. We have to remember to put it in the trunk for out of town trips, and it is heavy to deal with. I just wish the manufacturers would provide an under-floor cavity for spare tires. If they don't want the extra weight, cost, and loss of mpg fine. But let me decide for myself how I want to handle it. There are conditions under which I would rather depend on a spare than other options. Some areas not far from home have no cell service and where we may not see another car for long periods of time.
 
Our 2003 CRV is getting long in the tooth (160k) miles so both the RAV 4, the CRV hybrid and Subaru hybrid/phev are on the list. It may depend on what's actually available when the time comes.

geo
 
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