RAV4 Hybrid buying advice

These cars should go beyond 100k miles without major issue, and neither have excessive mileage for their age. With putting 10k miles on it a year, I'd opt for the cheaper 2016.

 

I agree with all the above but would tack on that, if everything else is equal, I would go with the 2-year newer battery.

 

That seems to be the case with what has been reported. NiMH generally has a higher self discharge rate than other chemistries, which can lead to a car that isn't used much having a pack sitting at too low of a charge for long life. 10k to 15k annual miles is the average in the US, and that generally comes about from regular daily use, and that is probably the case for most cars. Unless these cars were an outlier of being parked most of the time, and only driven the occasional grand tour road trip, this shouldn't be an issue. Same if your kilometers come about from near daily use.

How long have you owned the C-max? Do you plan to keep this Rav4 as long or longer? I recommended the 2016 based on the fact that it will likely take you over 5 years to reach 100k miles, and even the non-Toyotas in my family get to 120k to 130k miles from new before replacing, and that generally is more about wanting something different than the cars having problems.

If you keep cars for a very long time, the newer one might be worth the extra cost. Take a look at replacement costs for the battery first. In the US, a refurbished pack will cost less than $6000 installed.

 

I wouldn't have concerns with the older one over that time. Odds say the newer one has better chances of not having a issue, but we are looking at a 10 year old vs 12 year car by the time you think replacement might be needed. The age difference isn't that big then, and cars are lasting longer. Our Sable(Mondeo)was 17 years old when we finally replaced it, and its issues were stemming fro rust and lack of use.

There are chargers for hybrid batteries that will rebalance and recondition the cells available that will extend the life of dying packs. Installing one, and using it once in awhile, while the pack is still good will help ensure a long life if you do have concerns about the battery. ProLong is the company I know of, and I think their system is under $500 here. I have no idea if they are available to you, but hybrid popularity has really grown in Europe, so such products and refurbished batteries will likely become available over the time you own the Rav4.

 

I wouldn’t consider either of your contenders low mileage. My 2 cents, unless the prospective car was completely mothballed, say sitting for 6 months to a year or more, the low-usage thing is overblown.

Our 2010 Prius sat at dealership, brand new, for about 15 months, before we purchased. Now, over 10 years later, it’s only at 90k kms, and I’ve noticed no change in hybrid battery behaviour, fuel economy, etcetera.

hey maybe revise your location, to “Doesburg, Netherlands”? I’ve lost count of the times I’ve gone to Google Maps to look it up, lol.

 

Consider taking those elder folks with you and seeing how they are with entry and exit of the cars you are considering. My wife and I (75 and 78) have completely different opinions of what type of car is easy to get in and out of. She prefers a sedan height, I the higher SUV type. So since they are a consideration, let them have input.

 

What kind of driving will you be doing? How much of a price difference is there between the previous generation Rav4 Hybrid and a same age non-hybrid Rav4 where you live? The previous gen Rav4 Hybrid has good fuel economy in city stop and go driving but doesn't have dramatically better economy at motorway speeds. The current generation hybrid improved motorway fuel economy quite a bit.

 

My family is on its 6th Toyota hybrid with the oldest racking up 362K km before retirement. None has needed extraordinary maintenance.

Something to think about are any upcoming EU wide or NL rules regarding ICE engines or even hybrids. Such rules may affect where you can drive a car and even how long you can keep it.

Good luck in your search.