The 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime is the best of both worlds
Cars
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There's a new member of the rav4 family.
Toyota sent out the birth announcement at the Los Angeles Auto Show last year when they unveiled the rav4 prime.
Remember auto shows?
Remember doing anything other than quietly sobbing while locked in the house?
[LAUGH] me neither.
This plug in hybrid offers impressive electric only driving range and efficiency, as well as unexpected performance.
Here are a few things you need to know about this amped up SUV.
And we start with a few technical tidbits graced with 302 horsepower.
The rav4 prime is the second quickest Toyota after the yara sedan.
I mean after the Supra sports car.
It can hit 60 miles per hour in just 5.7 seconds.
And I'll tell you, it feels every bit that speedy.
A 2.5 liter Atkinson cycle engine and a trio of electric motor generators.
Give it that boot.
scootin Boogie 18.1 kilowatt hour lithium ion battery pack provides an estimated all electric range of 42 miles which is a few more than the Ford Escape plug in hybrids 37 driven conservatively and in perfect weather conditions, I managed to milk this Toyota for 45 miles on a charge, though it may not fare quite as well in a Minnesota winter.
Speaking of charging, I plan on about 12 hours to fully replenish this rav4 when plugged into a standard 120 volt household outlet.
The optional 6.6 kilowatt onboard charger can do the deed in about two and a half hours when hooked to 240 volts But what about efficiency?
Well, when running purely on electrons the prime offers an estimated 94 MPGE that's Miles Per Gallon Equivalent Operated roughly 50% on electricity until the battery was depleted and then about 50% as a conventional hybrid.
I averaged 45 mpg and change during my time with the vehicle, which is a damn good figure.
And remember, this is a plug-in hybrid.
So when the battery is depleted, you can still drive around using the gasoline engine.
Moving inside the primes cabin is basically the same as what you get in other RAV4's meaning it's cleanly designed and comfortable.
Cargo spaces generous even if it is around seven cubic feet smaller than non plug in model.
On the tech front, Apple CarPlay Android Auto and Amazon Alexa compatibility are standard.
You also get five USB ports.
Top Shelf accessory models also come with a lovely nine inch tablet style screen.
Though Toyota's native infotainment system is, well it's middling at best.
Optional amenities on the SSE trim include a rear view camera mirror, adaptive headlamps, a panoramic moon roof, and even a premium JBL sound system.
What you don't pay extra for is Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, the automakers suite of advanced driver aids, This includes things like Lane Keeping Assist and automatic emergency braking.
Most of these features work well though the adaptive cruise control can be a bit jerky in stop and go traffic.
So how's the raft for Prime drive?
Well when running off battery power it is silkier than satin sheets and nearly silent it has ample around town punch And can hit 60 miles per hour in around 9.2 seconds.
Of course, when operating as a traditional hybrid with the gasoline engine in play, it is significantly quicker than that, sprinting to 60 in the advertised 5.7 seconds.
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Compared to other RAV4's I have tested this plug-in model rides more smoothly and this is likely because the prime is such a poor car clocking in at around 4300 pounds in XSE trim, and that's about 930 more than the lightest conventional RAV4 offered Likewise, this Toyota steering is soft to the touch but not particularly Chrisp.
Its interior is luxury car, hushed thanks to extra sound deadening and laminated front side glass.
Refinement is really one of this vehicle strong suits.
What might be a little uncouth however, is the pricing.
You see two flavors of the 2021 RAV4 primer offered, there's SE and XSE, with the former starting at about $39,220, including 1120 bucks in destination charges with all three available options packages.
The top shelf model I've been testing goes for around 49 grand.
That's a steep price to pay for what is a mainstream vehicle, though it should be eligible for up to $7500 in federal tax credits as well as other state discounts.
This plug in utility vehicle is slated to start arriving at dealerships in all 50 states later this month Thanks to its energetic performance and impressive efficiency, the prime is my pick of the Rav 4 litre Hey, if you liked this video, why don't you consider giving it a thumbs up also for more information Information on the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime, head over to our website the roadshow.com, where you can check out my complete written review, which is much more comprehensive than this video.
Thanks again.
