2019 Rav4 Hybrid review with periodic updates

We got our new Rav4 hybrid 2 weeks ago and overall love it so far. It is a Limited Trim with weather and tech packages. We buy a new vehicle every decade or so and are at the time of life where we want all of the safety and convenience features we can get. The weather package includes heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and heated steering wheel. The tech package includes bird eye 360 degree camera and kick motion activated hatch. Another feature is a digital high def rear view "mirror" which gives a bright wide view that eliminates the pillars.

Ours was the first to arrive in Southern Colorado, was test driven by a few drivers so had about 75 miles on it when we bought it the day after arrival. We now have about 700 miles on it. Displayed mpg is about 40. I can't get accurate calculated mpg yet because we have only done one fill up.

The hybrid tech is clearly superior to my 2010 Prius (which I am keeping). It goes into EV status more frequently and at higher speeds. I can't hear or feel any change when that happens.

The safety features are impressive to me. The radar cruise control is effective but it feel a little strange when it steers to keep the vehicle in a lane, even around curves on the interstate. That feature can be turned off but we are still playing with it. On windy mountain roads (lots of them around here) I don't use the cruise control and turn off the lane departure warning because sometimes I choose to hug one edge or another.

The birds eye camera really does help with parking. The kick to open hatch is unnecessary but actually convenient.

One minor negative is that the hybrid display features, while prettier, don't seem as useful or user friendly as on our Prius. For example, on the Prius each trip meter shows miles driven, average mpg and average speed while on the Rav the trip meters just show miles driven. On the Prius I generally reset one trip meter when I fill the tank and use the other one when I want an estimate of mpg on a given route.

On the dash display there is an option of showing a fuel efficiency display which has a graphic showing instant mpg and a digital mpg number. That number can be current trip mpg, tank mpg or a re-settable number but there is no easy way to flip through those numbers. You must go to a settings page and choose one of those three (which I believe can't be done while driving). There are trip and history displays available on the audio screen but I don't find those especially helpful either, still playing with them. Perhaps CamryDriver can comment because I'm guessing that has similar displays.

There have been some complaints about the new Rav4 but mostly about the gas version: noisy rough sounding engine on acceleration and clunky shifter but those, of course don't apply to the hybrid

 

Here are the pics:

2019-04-05 13.03.21 A by royrose posted Apr 20, 2019 at 10:56 AM

2019-04-05 13.03.42 A by royrose posted Apr 20, 2019 at 10:56 AM

 

MSRP is an even $800 more than an AWD non-hybrid at the same trim level. The hybrid (except for the base LE) also includes better headlights than the non hybrid: LED Projector beams instead of LED reflectors. IHS tests of the reflectors produced a "marginal" rating. The projectors haven't been rated yet. In some places dealers are asking even more for the hybrids because they are still scarce. Fortunately they agreed to a fair price here.

We did do one fill up but I don't think it is accurate. Calculation came to about 44mpg. Dealer did first fill and may have topped up and then pump at Costco may have shut off early.

Here is the displayed current tank. Some on the Rav4 forum are saying that the displayed mpg is more accurate than previous Toyotas. We'll see. Trip A was reset at time of fill:

2019-04-20 14.20.42 by royrose posted Apr 20, 2019 at 2:42 PM

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I believe that is part of the Limited package, gas or hybrid.

 

OK. Second fill up, first after I had filled to first click both times. Different gas stations, so not definitive, but looking good.

396.8 miles, 9.55 gallons to first click. Displayed MPG 42, calculated MPG 41.55.

So it seems that mileage is beating EPA and dash display is much more accurate than my 10 Y.O. Prius.

 

Just did third fill up. 464 miles. 11.101 gallons, calculated mpg 41.5, displayed mpg 42.1

Some new Rav4 owners are complaining that the miles to empty gauge is too conservative. It does seem that there are 3 or more gallons in the tank when the miles to empty says zero and the fuel gauge is at E. I would prefer less of a reserve so I could go 500 miles on a tank without making my wife nervous.

On the plus side the displayed mpg is much more accurate than my 2010 Prius.

Some more observations after owning the Rav for a month:

Of course a new model may have flaws but the New Rav4 seems to have quite a few.

Fortunately for Rav4 hybrid buyers the most serious problems seem to be with the conventional gas drivetrain: loud, rough sounding engine on acceleration, automatic transmission that downshifts at just the wrong time when doing a "rolling stop" resulting in a thumping lurch, and clunking when the drive shaft to the rear axle engages and disengages. Some owners are very unhappy about these issues. Lots of chatter and arguing on the Rav4 forum about these issues.

Other problems:

Clock on multimedia screen randomly reverts form 12 hour to 24 hour display

Front seat heaters are very weak (in models with the weather package that includes ventilated front seats.

Shaky and distorted side rear view mirrors.

We do have the clock and seat heater issues. I will report those to our dealer and to Toyota but don't expect much action. In reality they are minor issues.

Overall I love how it drives, how it looks and how easy it is to beat the EPA numbers.

Trip A was reset at last fill up:
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