Toyota RAV4 2.5 PHEV Design 5dr CVT Review

Category: Family SUV

Section: Version review

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RRP £44,175

Fuel type:

petrol parallel phev

Gearbox:

auto

Doors:

5 doors

The RAV4 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) has an impressive all-electric range and low emissions, but the extremely high list price limits its appeal for private buyers and company car buyers alike. The regular front-wheel drive RAV4 hybrid is the sweet spot in the range. It’s fairly ordinary to drive, but strong resale values, astounding economy and a fantastic reliability record make it a tempting option in the large SUV category.

The trim

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We’d take the small hike in price and go for this trim because it adds front parking sensors, sat-nav, 18in alloys and keyless entry. This is also the starting point for the RAV4 Plug-in, and our favoured trim for that car. The plug-in version in this trim gets even more equipment, such as heated rear seats, and some slightly different exterior styling.

The engine

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The plug-in hybrid version of the RAV4 is very quick and offers a claimed all-electric range of up to 46 miles – although it will be more like 30 miles in real-world driving conditions. It’s quick, has an all-electric range which is farther than most rivals, and with a topped up battery fuel economy should be impressive. It’s very expensive to buy, though, so while it can make sense as a company car, it’s difficult to recommend as a cash buy. We’d stick with the standard hybrid RAV4.

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