Proving that a car doesn’t have to be small to maximise the potential of Toyota’s hybrid technology, the RAV4 Hybrid was singled out in the 2021 What Car? Awards for giving the best True MPG around town. RAV4 Hybrid fuel economy was put through the publication’s tough trials and used even less fuel than the Yaris Hybrid on urban routes.
“The RAV4 debunks the myth that large SUVs are gas guzzlers because when we put it through our True MPG test, its urban fuel economy was 10mpg higher than the next best car (91.9mpg compared to Yaris in second place),” said What Car? editor Steve Huntingford.
Exclusively available as a hybrid in the UK, the RAV4’s new 2.5-litre engine combines fuel and emissions efficiency and quiet operation with more power and greater responsiveness.
Need hints on how to drive a hybrid efficiently? Click here
The full system maximum output of 219bhp/163kW in the all-wheel drive model (215bhp/160 kW with front-wheel drive) compares to 195bhp/145kW for the fourth-generation model, signalling how Toyota’s latest self-charging hybrid technology is not lacking in strength; acceleration from rest to 62mph takes just 8.1 seconds (FWD model).
The 2.5-litre hybrid engine is a completely new unit that makes significant advances on its predecessor, delivering a better balance between fuel economy and power and achieving world-class thermal efficiency.
The engine adopts the Atkinson cycle and features a longer stroke than its predecessor – 87.5 x 103.4mm compared to 90.0 x 98.0mm. It also operates at a higher, 14.0:1 compression ratio (compared to 12.5:1 for the previous unit). It is equipped with D-4S direct and indirect fuel injection and intelligent variable valve-timing – electric VVT-iE for the intake and hydraulic VVT-i for the exhaust. The valve-timing range for both intake and exhaust has been increased.
Even greater efficiency is in store for the RAV4 range in 2021 with the introduction early this year of the new RAV4 Plug-in. The new flagship of Toyota’s hybrid vehicle line-up and the most powerful RAV4 yet made, it will deliver rival-beating performance all-round with 302bhp, 282.5mpg, 22g/km CO2 emissions and 46 miles EV all-electric driving range (WLTP data).
All information is correct at the time of publishing.
Hi folks, and apologies if this question has previously been answered. We are looking to move across to a plug in hybrid but also need 4WD. Can you confirm the fuel consumption figues for the Rav 4 plug in when running on the petrol engine alone (i.e. once the battery is empty)?
We have a cross country journey of ~100 miles every month and expect that we will be running on petrol for most of this.
Many thanks
Andy
Hi Andy, thanks for your question.
All-electric driving is the default, with a 46-mile EV mode driving range (WLTP) on a full battery charge. When you have depleted the allowed range on electric it switches over to hybrid driving. It is rare that the vehicle will run solely on petrol.
Thanks.
This article relates to the RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid, not the Hybrid model. It is misleading as some may think the Hybrid can achieve 90+ mpg which is not the case.
Only the Plug-in variant can achieve that figure
Hi Thomas, thanks for your comment.
The car tested by What Car? in 2021 was RAV4 Hybrid, because our Plug-In Hybrid variant was not available at the time of the magazine’s tests. The 90mpg figure refers specifically to the results achieved by What Car? on the ‘urban’ section of the test route. It is this impressive achievement that this article, which was published after the 2021 awards, is seeking to highlight. The RAV4 Hybrid’s average over the entire What Car? test route was 49.0mpg.
In the 2021 What Car? awards, over the entire test route the best performance was achieved by Yaris Hybrid. It achieved 80.0mpg on the urban route and 59.93mpg overall. Since this article was published, this performance has been eclipsed in the 2022 awards by Yaris Cross Hybrid, which was measured at an average of 60.1mpg (103.3mpg on the urban route).
Thanks.
Has the RAV4 plugin variant been tested from mpg point of view ?
Hi John, thanks for your question.
The RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid has a WLTP fuel economy of 282.4 mpg. You can find out more about this, here: https://mag.toyota.co.uk/toyota-rav4-plug-in-our-new-flagship-hybrid/.
Thanks.
I have a automatic RAV4 hybrid 2021 and have been doing normal driving getting 56-60 mph, also taking my touring caravan almost to its full towing capacity,
and getting between 25-28mph, I am well impressed compared to my old car a Mazda C5 automatic diesel average 22-25mph, sham I never see it advertised for its towing capacity
Hi Leigh,
I’m considering RAV 4 Hybrid (2017) and most of my driving (80-90%) is motorway; is your driving mainly motorway, town or motorway/town and what are the proportions, please e.g. 60/40 Motorway/ town?
My other consideration is a CH-R that gets more mpg but the boot is smaller and things have to be lifted in and out due to the dip, as opposed to the RAV4 where items can be slid in and out due to the boot being on the level.
I carry equipment to show in hospitals, have just got a paddle board (which is surprisingly heavy) and though I’d like a camper van, am most likely to be able to afford a caravan.
I am thinking about getting a RAV4 hybrid i would like to know what the fuel consumption is on a4 wheel drive against a 2wheel drive
Hi Martin, thanks for getting in touch.
Please provide a vehicle registration so that we can look into this for you.
Thanks.
We bought a RAV4 hybrid and are shocked by the fuel consumption. We drive exceptionally carefully trying to boost the mpg but the best we have achieved is 40mpg. Is this what we should expect.
Reg SO67CMZ
Hi Alan, thanks for getting in touch.
We are sorry to hear you are experiencing these issues.
Your Toyota centre is best placed to advise with this as they can view your vehicle.
You can locate your nearest centre here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/find-a-dealer
Please let us know if we can assist further.
Thanks.
Hello,
HY71OCK is the car registration number. I talked to the seller and am unable to get the MPG. Would it be possible to get this car’s MPG.
Hi Mohammed, thanks for getting in contact.
If this was a private seller, your Toyota Centre are best placed to advise on this. You can locate your closest centre here:
https://www.toyota.co.uk/find-a-dealer
Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Thanks.
I have a Toyota Rav4 Dynamic Hybrid which up to the end of last November before it was serviced was getting between 51 to 53 mpg combined which did equate to between 360 to 383 to half a tank of petrol.
Since the service on the 28th November and a recent trip up north which was 106 miles to destination and same on return and a bit of mileage before our trip we have only got 247 miles to the half tank.
Prior to the service the onboard computer did confirm it would give 628 miles before the next fill. Filled it up yesterday and now does confirm now 546 on a full tank. .
The car is on the Mobility Scheme
SOMETHING DEFINITELY NOT RIGHT HERE.
Hi Diane,
Thanks for your question.
It is important to consider that the very cold weather we have been having recently will have an effect on fuel economy.
This is because firstly, you’re more likely to be using the heating, lights and wipers and secondly, the car will use more fuel whilst it heats up to its optimum temperature.
Therefore, it is likely that cold weather will be a contributing factor to the reduced fuel economy that you are experiencing.
However, if you believe there to be a problem with your Toyota, we would recommend getting this physically inspected at your nearest Toyota Centre.
Thank you.
The car today Tuesday the 30th January has been to the Toyota garage where I got it from snd they could not find any problem apart from my ther complaint with regards to the sat nav freezing and confirmed it did need updating. I would hsve thought this would have been done on the 28th November 2023 when serviced.
Going back to rhe very poor mileage consumption on the 22nd January we did go up to Durham which is an 106 mile run and back again which totals 212 miles plus 34 miles before going up to Durham and the vehicle had used half a tank of fuel , this is not right !!!
This is the third winter that I hsve had this car and the mileage in these previous 2 years up to this year has been 51 – 53 mpg..
I did mention that having the wrong oil in can cause this problem and the reply thst I did receive was not when I hsve read that this can be a cause of poor fuel consumption.
Therefore in view of this please can you assist and advise me for the mileage we are getting now is not right. This has been since it was serviced on the 28th November 23.
On the service and vehicle health check papers they had made errors in which this alone is not good..
Yesterday they rang me with regards to me dropping the car off for today to be looked at which was incorrect for I did ask thst it be collected when I booked it in last week. A short while later received a call back the paperwork had been put into the wrong file..
It would appear that this garage is like faulty towers.
I do suffer with very poor health, don’t drive , therefore my husband is the named driver however, through this problem of this very very poor fuel consumption it has exacerbated the chronic pain etc that I do suffer.
Hi Diane, thanks for your comment.
We are sorry to hear that you are having problems with your vehicle. We are unable to advise further on this matter as it needs to be investigated by your Toyota Centre. It is not possible for us to provide technical advice through comments as the vehicle needs to be fully assessed.
Thanks,
Toyota UK