A few years ago, I went shopping for the best compact SUV on the market. I had my requirements which included things like cost, fuel economy, brand reliability, engine and horsepower. And then, of course, it had to look good and have a few bells and whistles.
The Toyota RAV4 made it to my short list and I was particularly excited because I was trading in my Toyota Avalon Hybrid which had been purchased after I traded in my Toyota Camry Hybrid. I wanted an SUV but I loved not only the fuel efficiency of a hybrid but I also just love the way hybrids drive. (They have a lot of torque which makes them feel very zippy).
But, alas, that year’s Toyota RAV4 Hybrid didn’t make it to my short short list for a couple of reasons. The fuel economy wasn’t was good as I had seen in my hybrid sedans and it felt rather cheap inside. It was a small SUV geared toward a market that either didn’t have a need or desire for a few extra luxuries.
Finally, in 2019, Toyota got it right with the 2019 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.
Back in April, I toured the Washington Auto Show on Media Day to get a sneak preview of what I’d be showing to the public and amidst the huge Toyota display, I was drawn to the RAV4 on display. It was the XSE trim level – one that tends to have all of the luxury while still maintaining sportiness. It looked cool on the outside but it had yet to pass the interior test.
When I sat inside, I carefully examined all of the materials used, looking for any sign of cheapness. I looked for the extras I want and need and found them – wireless charging, heated seats, Apple CarPlay. The last test was to take it for a drive.
I spent a week behind the wheel of the 2019 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid XSE AWD SUV. That’s a mouthful, right? And if you’re looking for a compact SUV, I think you’re going to like what I have to say.
Why you’ll like the Hybrid version of the Toyota RAV4
If you’ve never owned a hybrid, you’d probably be initially drawn to the fuel economy. With a combination electric and gasoline engine (no plug-in required), you’ll typically see fuel economy of 41 city / 38 highway (note that all gasoline engines usually have an opposite ratio with better fuel economy on the highway). For the week I spent in the Toyota RAV4, I averaged about 38 mpg with more highway driving. And when I kicked it into sport mode, my fuel economy dropped down to 33 mpg but, man, was it fun!
Once you learn to love the fuel economy, you’ll also love the driving. It has a quiet engine (although I found the transition from gas to electric to be a little rougher than I’d like), regenerative braking, and amazing torque. While the acceleration is good with 219 hp, the real fun comes from the torque which allows it to maneuver rapidly while driving.
Everything You Need in a Compact SUV
You want fuel economy? Clearly, the hybrid has that covered. You want comfort? These seats were some of the most comfortable I’ve spent time in. You want space? There’s tons of leg room behind the front row
And the cargo space offers a healthy 37.5 cubic feet in the rear and 69.8 cubic feet with the second row folded flat. Compared to my compact SUV, that’s quite a few inches more (insert joke here about inches mattering).
Now that the basics are covered by the RAV4, you need to hear the differentiators.
Toyota RAV4 Offers Plenty of Driver Extras
Although passenger comfort and amenities are something I look at for every vehicle, I’m ultimately focused on the driver’s experience. The driving is smooth and the handling is very responsive. But where this vehicle excels is with all the extras it provides.
Let’s start with the gear shifter. It’s normal enough. But behind it, you’ll find a Qi wireless charging pad (which is quickly becoming a must-have luxury item for me). And next to the electronic parking brake, you’ll find the Brake Hold, a feature that, when engaged, keeps the brakes automatically engaged when you come to a complete stop.
That means that you can stop at a traffic light and then take your foot off the brake and still remain still. To re-engage, simply press on the gas to go. I loved this feature.
When you’re behind the wheel, you can decide if you’re a digital girl or an analog dude when it comes to your speedometer settings. I thought this was a nice feature to be able to change (you can also change from mile to km for that last minute road trip to Canada).
(In case you’re wondering, I prefer the digital read out).
Here’s another thoughtful feature that is designed for driver convenience but also offers an improvement in safety. When using the backup camera, you have the ability to toggle from a regular camera view to a wide angle view, which captures much of your periphery.
Totally by accident, I discovered that the RAV4 has Toyota’s first camera-based digital rearview mirror. If you are looking to increase your visibility, especially when you have kids’ heads or giant rolls of paper towels in the back, a quick flip of the switch gives you a full digital view of the rear.
Regular rearview mirror Digital rearview mirror
In addition to these extras, I also enjoyed options like a heated steering wheel, panoramic sunroof, Apple CarPlay, premium JBL sound, and all of the safety features of the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 and the option safety features as part of the Technology package.
How to Price your Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
It helps to know what you’re looking for before you go to the dealer. So I always use the Build & Price tools online. For this vehicle, I ended up choosing the same trim level and optional equipment and ended up with an MSRP of $37,405. You can, of course, choose what’s important to you. And once you know exactly what you want, make sure to look for and bargain for the best deal.
Video Review of the 2019 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
This is a definitely a car that’s better seen than written about. So if you’re interested, take a look at my video tour where I show you some of the options I loved as well as my few (very minor) issues.
9 comments
In your video you state that it support Android Auto and Apple Carplay. In fact it only supports Apple Carplay
Howard – you are 100% correct. I made the same mistake when I was reviewing the Acura RDX. Because I have an iPhone, I’m only ever testing the Apple CarPlay so I usually *assume* that Android Auto is also offered. I should have learned my lesson! Apparently the API for Android is much more complicated but I have read news that Toyota will be offering it on future models.
Thanks for keeping me honest!
Hi Fadra: The model you test-drove has a few more perks than the one we bought, the XLE Hybrid. We didn’t add heated/auto movable seats or the improved entertainment system. we’ve been told by our dealer that Entune will probably be replaced with Apple Car Play and Google Play next year, and the maps feature was going to be ditched too. One thing I would remind your viewers too: If they belong to Costco, they should take advantage of their Auto Buying program. It offers the best discounts over AAA and other entities, and if you buy extended warranties or maintenance pacage like Toyotacare, you get a discount and a lower finabce rate too. Thanks! Wayne
Hi Fadra: One more thing: Moving from a base AWD gas-powered Rav 4 to a base hybrid that includes AWD is just an $800 price bump to $nearly $28K. That’s a great deal, at least for my wife and me, compared to the other vehicle we were considering, the Prius Prime, for the ride and safety alone. Good job on the review. Glad to have found your work! Thanks! Wayne
Congrats on your new car purchase! I live for bells and whistles so I’d probably go for the XSE but you’re right. The price difference from gas to hybrid is so small, it’s a no-brainer! And I honestly couldn’t figure out how to use Entune (and I’m pretty tech savvy). The only reason I liked the Entune upgrade is because the JBL sound system was AMAZING. But you definitely don’t need nav anymore with Apple CarPlay.
And thanks for the tip on car buying. I’ve never used Costco for carbuying but I’ve heard great things!
Hi Fadra: Honestly, our Toyota salesguy helped us hook into Entune through bluetooth, but Apple CarPlay was a snap from the get-go. No doubt, the JBL sound system was awesome, and that was a thought but we didn’t like paying a premium merely to have access to Sirius XM satellite radio, when TuneIn could do the trick and for $100 per year.
The Costco Auto Program is the best for discounts. I checked AAA, AARP and others, but even our sales guy said the Costco program topped them all, and they really treat members extra special. We bought the car we traded in for the XLE, a 15-year-old Subaru Forrester with 171K miles, and saved 10 percent (about $2300-2500) on the car. I think we may have saved as much on this car, just with the $1250 cash back and dropping the interest rate from 4.99 to 3.75 by adding the maintenance/warranty packages alone. Also, Costco doesn’t work with all dealerships, and you work with set prices based on the extras you need on the car from the invoice price, I believe.
It’s a great car, and the first two full tanks, we’ve been able to get up to 47 and 49 MPG, respectively. I wasn’t sure about the hybrid car learning curve so we could get the most mileage wise, but it’s been very easy. I haven;t had to push buttons because the car slides easily into EV mode so long as you’re not gunning the car once the green light flashes…
Glad your experience mirrored ours. Thanks for the kind words… Wayne
I just stumbled across your channel today. I bought the 2019 RAV4 Hybrid XLE on father’s day. I drive a lot. And I mean A LOT, like 85 miles each way to work. I am a pretty big fan of the RAV4 and traded my 2012 RAV4 limited 4×4 6 cylinder for my first hybrid. I gotta tell you that I just love the new design and all of the features. When I went to test drive the car I was concerned I would lose some power going to a 4 cylinder and lose some features when going to an XLE. Neither is the case! In fact this car is pretty fast and very comfortable. I absolutely love this car and the gas savings is simply amazing. I used to have to stop at the gas station every other day and now I am stopping every 3rd day which is just awesome! The hybrid really helps with the fuel savings especially when I’m in stop and go traffic. I just can’t say enough about how much I love this car. Your video was just spot on!!
I think the rav4 price for XSE with package going around $38k is too high for toyota brand. I would rather have Acura RDX that has lot of standard features and That is a luxury brand too.
Another interesting thing to watch out is Honda CRV Hybrid is coming in 2020. That is when the competition kicks in.
The 2019 Toyota rav4 hybrid video you presented was very good, clear and to the point. My main gripes with this vehicle is the unavailability of the android car play, and the Entune system. Other than that, everything else is alright. The price for the model presented is too outrageous. We could get a luxury model with all the trimmings elsewhere like the Accura that one the users in site mentioned. I don’t know what’s coming up in 2020 and beyond, but is PHEV is the new in-thing with Toyota, and we had to expend more money in price increases for the vehicle, and more money to install a charging station at home, I don’t want anything to do with it. The hybrid model will do just fine, without any extra hassles and expenses.