5th Generation Toyota RAV4 Master Thread

spwolf

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Unless you care about the Lexus emblem, the RAV4 makes a superior case against purchasing the current gen NX. The TGNA based RAV4 supremely undercuts the NX with soo much value for money.

New Rav4 is leaps and bounds better than before, but it is not an Lexus. NX is way superior in luxury quotient.
Sure, new platform, tech, engines - awesome... but new NX is coming soonish too, as those things go, there is always something new.
 

Sulu

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Yes, it will be as a normal hybrid, in fact it has a bigger battery so the regenerative braking with the battery can give you much more milage than the normal hybrid
Yes, it will operate as a normal hybrid but only a portion of the whole battery will be recharged in hybrid mode. To try to charge the whole (15kWh?) would require running the engine all time (or more), which would (greatly) increase fuel consumption.

That is what is bad about PHEVs. Unless you intend to plug in often to keep your your battery topped up -- if you only ever intend to use it as a regular HEV -- you are constantly dragging around the extra weight of the larger battery.
 

suxeL

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New Rav4 is leaps and bounds better than before, but it is not an Lexus. NX is way superior in luxury quotient.
Sure, new platform, tech, engines - awesome... but new NX is coming soonish too, as those things go, there is always something new.

To each their own, but with the number of things you listed, what else remains to define "the Lexus Luxury quotient" really?

The NX replacement is still not available until MY21, which I assume will rebalance the scales, but as of right now, the NX is a hard sell based purely on merit alone over the RAV4.
 

ssun30

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For once Toyota launched something well above my expectations! I was expecting 31mi/50km electric range and no more than 280hp. But they put enough battery for 39mi/62km and over 300 hp.

In ChDM its main competitor is the BYD Song DM with 320hp/387lb.ft in base trim and 466hp/572lb.ft in performance trim (with a 4.3s 0-100km/h time) for less than $35k. The larger Tang DM has 576hp/664lb.ft at $40k.
0-60 mph in a projected 5.8 seconds, which is the second quickest acceleration time in the Toyota lineup
Which media will be the first to use the title 'Toyota's second fastest car in US after the Supra is a RAV4'?
The RAV4 Prime employs the same version of Electronic On-Demand All-Wheel Drive (AWD) as the RAV4 Hybrid.
It's still using the same E-Four system as the current RAV4 Hybrid. So Toyota could be saving the more powerful E-Axle for Lexus.
do we know about charging and size of the battery? Is 90 MPGe competitive?
That's 20% more efficient than the Outlander PHV which is the best-selling PHV in this class. Above average for a mid-size SUV and slightly worse than sedans.
Quick math from efficiency (90 MPGe ~= 37 kWh/100mi) and range gives ~14.5kWh usable. Total capacity may be much larger than this.
If you don't have anywhere to plug it in, does it just function like a normal hybrid? Still the same performance specs, etc?
You'll get the peak 302hp much less often because your battery is more likely to be drained. However Toyota's hybrid system is quite good at managing SoC in hybrid-only mode so it won't go into 'useless mode' like competitor's P2 plug-in systems do.
 
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maiaramdan

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The RAV4 is killing it....is the Prius still needed now?

The next Gen. Prius will be BEV with some even talking that it will be the BEV of the next Gen. Mirai, we need to wait and see, and if that turn to be true, Toyota will finally has a winner

New Rav4 is leaps and bounds better than before, but it is not an Lexus. NX is way superior in luxury quotient.
Sure, new platform, tech, engines - awesome... but new NX is coming soonish too, as those things go, there is always something new.

The new Toyota corp strategy is making Toyota brand as 1 of Lexus brand competitors, if the ES / Avalon is a clue, with the TNGA Toyota actually started to enter the near luxury market to reintroduce itself as a premium car maker, in other words, Toyota as a brand will be in compete with Volvo, Acura, Volkswagen as a tier 1 premium car maker, not as the current, add to that theory the 4 coupes / cabrios they have the 86 & Supra with Celica bad MR to be revived, the FR cars they will have from mazda i6, the current crown & century
 
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spwolf

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To each their own, but with the number of things you listed, what else remains to define "the Lexus Luxury quotient" really?

The NX replacement is still not available until MY21, which I assume will rebalance the scales, but as of right now, the NX is a hard sell based purely on merit alone over the RAV4.

Sit and drive both vehicles and tell me. Rav4 is not a luxury vehicle. Yes it is more luxurious than before, it is still not a luxury vehicle.

It is not a numbers game, you just have to sit in the vehicle and thats it. You can not find if something is luxury or not by looking at numbers or specs.

And of course, Rav4 will always make more sense than NX... even 2022/2021 NX. It will have more space and be $10k cheaper.
Rav4 Prime is very fast, probably faster than any NX. It is also faster than most X3 and GLCs sold, which in Europe are 7.5-8s 0-100kmh with 2.0d engines.

So it never makes sense to buy luxury vehicle by numbers.
 

CT200h

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I am betting we do not see a redesigned NX until spring/summer 2021 and debut as a 2022 model. The plug in version who knows
one thing to think about Toyota dealers have had plug in cars for years starting with gen 1 prius plug in and now Prius Prime. Lexus dealers have no plug in cars , no training , and most( all?) have no charging stations, so this will have to be worked out and rolled out to stores before a plug in launch like NX300e. NX was first sold as a 2015 model ( I purchased 2015 NX300h in November 2014) so the car has been the same except some refresh since 2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020.
2020's are on dealer lots currently. 2021's would arrive November 2020 normally , could 2021 be an all new NX ? maybe but I doubt it.
 
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Gecko

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We have had this Rav4 and NX conversation many times now. I have driven both recently. In terms of luxury and fit and finish, there is little difference between the Rav4 Limited and NX. I would personally give a nod to the Rav4 because it's got a nicer design that's better looking to my eyes, but design is a matter of personal preference.
 

maiaramdan

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@Gecko , totally agree with you on that RAV4 / NX dilemma how's better and I am with you in the same RAV4 camp dare I say Toyota camp
Highlander, Avalon to be included over RX, ES and I even confess it in there respective forums
 

spwolf

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We have had this Rav4 and NX conversation many times now. I have driven both recently. In terms of luxury and fit and finish, there is little difference between the Rav4 Limited and NX. I would personally give a nod to the Rav4 because it's got a nicer design that's better looking to my eyes, but design is a matter of personal preference.

Interesting... I drove Rav4 Hybrid Premium recently and didnt purchase it. It is not an luxury vehicle at all. It is much better than before, but you know it is Toyota just by the way electric seats work. Or amount of noise you get when you step on it. Everything is gray and cold, unlike in NX for instance.

Sure, NX is old now and older tech and I would never buy it either. But Rav4 is not an luxury vehicle. For instance European Corolla Hybrid gave much better impression to me overall, despite being almost half the price. You can see the difference when it was designed for Europe, attention is more on the details.
 

spwolf

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39m at EPA test is good... should be 70 KM in WLTP, or similar.

Now the pricing will be crazy in markets that they dont consider this a core model.

Since it is a CUV, I doubt it will get price breaks like what Prius Prime gets.
 

Gecko

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Interesting... I drove Rav4 Hybrid Premium recently and didnt purchase it. It is not an luxury vehicle at all. It is much better than before, but you know it is Toyota just by the way electric seats work. Or amount of noise you get when you step on it. Everything is gray and cold, unlike in NX for instance.

Sure, NX is old now and older tech and I would never buy it either. But Rav4 is not an luxury vehicle. For instance European Corolla Hybrid gave much better impression to me overall, despite being almost half the price. You can see the difference when it was designed for Europe, attention is more on the details.

I do not disagree with you, but I also do not think NX has ever really been a luxury vehicle. There is faux leather on the dash, yes, but Rav4 has that also. When you compare the NX to the GLC, X3 and Q5, it is very obvious that NX is just not in the same league and lacking the fit, finish, trim and design aesthetic that the Germans have. Rav4 is very nice for the mainstream segment, and NX is barely acceptable for the luxury segment, so there is overlap between them IMO.