2023 Toyota RAV4 Cruiser Hybrid: owner review

There is a reason why there are so many Toyota RAV4s on the road.
Owner: Wayne

We’ve had this car since November 2023, purchased as a second-hand unit with 30km on the dial! We did pay a premium for it as we were not prepared to wait 2 years for new delivery. However when I look at our trade in and how much it would have depreciated in those 2 years, I believe this was the right thing to do.

This car is a downsize from our previous vehicle and is much smaller, making for easier parking and driving, whilst still retaining the elevated seating and all round vision of a much larger suv.

The entertainment system caters for both Apple and Android, and can have more than one phone connected at a time.

The fuel efficiency is awesome, I average ~5l per 100km around the city and the acceleration with the hybrid is on a par with some of the electric vehicles out there. I previously had a Prado Diesel so was filling up every 2 weeks for ~$200 whilst this car is costing~$75 every 2 weeks to fill. I am running 95ron fuel as advised by my brother in law who is a Toyota service manager so the fuel is a little more expensive.

There is a very active Rav4 facebook community online with tips and gotchas, and it is interesting to see the environments some of these cars are used in.

The entertainment system will only run Android Auto by connection with the USB cable, whereas Apple Carplay works with Bluetooth.

I went to install a light bar but found that I have to mount it behind the grille to find a solid mounting point, as the number plate is simply screwed to a flexible plastic fascia. The Toyota roofbars (not fitted at the moment) are quite noisy and have an annoying gap between the mounting base and the roof rail when screwed in.

If you run the accessory battery flat, you cannot start the car from the Hybrid battery, as the accessory battery is charged from the hybrid when the car is on and is required to power the car electronics. I found this out when sitting in the car one morning playing with settings on the dash and entertainment system. However there is a handy jump point under the bonnet in the fuse box, that can be accessed with a jump pack ( do not use jumper leads, you run the risk of destroying the electronics).

The spare tyre is a space saver, although there is room for a full-size spare. The rear-view mirror/camera takes a little getting used to and can be annoying at night as it blurs out the lights of following traffic.

This car makes my morning commute enjoyable, and has saved me significant costs in fuel.

It has plenty of space (we took all the requirements for an inflatable projection screen and sound system along with various other plastic boxes for a weekend away with 20 families in Jurien Bay from Perth and it did not seem to be affected when accelerating past slower traffic).

Distance following cruise control has been a life saver for my license! I set this when driving on highways and can be sure that I am not speeding, so no nasty surprises in the mail. We have transported multiple people to events and they have all remarked how comfortable the car is.

There is a reason why there are so many Rav4s on the road and that is that they are economical, reliable and a well matured design.

The market place for small SUVs is crowded but the Rav4 hybrid is popular because it is fuel efficient and still has sufficient power to accelerate out of trouble. There are many out there that like to bash Toyota but they have built their reputation on providing reliable motoring.

Owner: Wayne