1 Year With Our RAV4 Prime

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1 Year With Our RAV4 Prime - Good or Bad?

Рет қаралды 8,795

Күн бұрын

This is our one year update video on our 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE plugin hybrid PHEV SUV. I discuss repairs and maintenance, oil change cost, fuel economy and more. Do we regret trading in our Tesla to buy it? Absolutely not.
#Toyota #RAV4Prime

Пікірлер: 58

@DocMicrowave 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the 1 year review! I hope to be getting an XSE with the same color combo you have next month. Checking as many reviews as I can. Looking forward to owning one.

@InternetDude 2 жыл бұрын

Right on! Let me know if you have any specific questions.

@buzztrucker 2 жыл бұрын

Let's see these at 100k and the testimonials. That's really a true gauge of a vehicle. First 100k a lot things can go wrong. Let's see one normally maintained. For Toyota's history their vehicles should go 200k with normal maintenance and no major issues.

@InternetDude 2 жыл бұрын

I hear ya! Toyota has a reputation and I'm optimistic it will easily last 100-200K with minimal maintenance. Other than the battery in the Prime, the rest of this stuff has been in production since 2019 so they have had times to work the kinks out IMHO.

@peterfessier9780 Жыл бұрын

I agree, but I'm still interested to see how it's going for other folks. I'm betting on the fact that Toyota has been making hybrids for a long time and they already had the Prius Prime. We'll see. : )

@gregpadberg1402 11 ай бұрын

Would certainly like another update on this vehicle if possible, including any additional comments on recent availability and pricing with the current vehicle market. My sister in Alberta is looking and there seem to be no good choices available. Kia website suggests that cars are in stock but dealer says they are all sold or allocated, and selling 6-10 above MSRP without any negotiation and then plus taxes and fees of course.

@InternetDude 11 ай бұрын

Yeah still really long wait times here in Sask. I have heard dealers are doing markups in the way of mandatory add-ons like winter tires, etc. Shady stuff going on, I think many brands dealers are doing that. I wish everyone would stop paying over MSRP so the dealers are forced to stop doing that scam.

@gregpadberg1402 11 ай бұрын

@InternetDude Problem is, demand is much greater than current supply. And the dealers know it.

@peterfessier9780 Жыл бұрын

Hello. Thanks for making this review. I like that you commented on the fact that you can't really tell what your actual gas mileage is when you are mixing electric and HV gas mileage. I find it interesting that the car has an MGPe rating, but no way of seeing that when you are driving the car. I have my car set to so that it gives me the average mpg for my trips so every time I start the car it starts over. I do this so that when I'm driving beyond my EV range I can see my actual mpg. After I make my first stop I have accurate mpg without electric mixed in (other than normal hybrid function). If you do leave it so that it doesn't reset when you start the car or fill the tank, you are really just getting a number that reflects how much you drive in EV mode. Which can be interesting, but it doesn't tell you about efficiency of the car as Toyota is counting all that charging you do at home as being free. It's as if you were driving without using any fuel at all most of the time. That said, it's not a big deal to me, just an annoyance. The car does what it is supposed to do, it gets the EV range it should, it gets the MPG that it should and it's a lot of fun to drive both as an EV and HV. I don't really like to drive as an HV around town as the engine doesn't sound great and the extra power is not necessary, but on the freeway it's a hoot. The one thing that is not as advertised is the overall range of gas + electric as the car does not use the full 14 gallons. You have to drive about 100 miles after the range says 0 to get near the 600 mile range, and you can do that, but I'm not sure if it is good for the fuel pump. Not sure if it matters for the fuel pump that's just a concern I heard someone bring up. When my range is 0 the car only takes 10.5 gallons which means there should be 3.5 gallons left in the tank.

@InternetDude Жыл бұрын

Hi, you are right. Toyota could have improved on the MPG and e-MPG calculations for sure. I think they do provide better info on the Prius Prime. And the gas light coming on too soon that's a Toyota thing, as my Lexus hybrid also tells me I've run out of range too soon. I think Toyota doesn't want you to hurt the fuel pump as it is cooled by the fuel in the tank. It is a bit misleading but yes generally you can drive quite a bit longer than they suggest on the screen.

@canadianroadtrips2833 2 жыл бұрын

You should do a video of why you traded your Tesla for the Toyota

@InternetDude 2 жыл бұрын

Hi, see kzfaq.info/get/bejne/eqenjaiU2dKnnZ8.html but poor quality and needing service way too often for the price.

@EverydayJ1786 2 жыл бұрын

I appreciate the straight to the point video ! . However may I suggest as a automotive technician do not continue to do such long oil change intervals .. 16.000 kms is terribly too long . Yes I understand that's what the owners manual says but Toyota wants to sell you another car in 5 years ! . if you look further into it the 16k intervals are for what they call "normal" driving ... Being in Canada we fall under severe service .... I own a 21' RAV4 non hybrid gas version and I've done 3 oil changes and I only have 12,000 kms on mine . 1st @1000kms to remove the break in material , 2nd @5000 , 3rd @10k. Oil changes are cheap and easy insurance for a trouble free engine that will last hundreds of thousands of kms.

@InternetDude 2 жыл бұрын

Hi thanks for the feedback. I would point out one thing though specific to the Prime regarding the oil change interval. I am OK with the 16,000 km interval at this time because so much of my driving is in EV mode where the gas engine does not even run. I really could only guess but I would say 1/3 of that mileage was EV only, no gas engine running. So effectively my oil change interval is considerably less than 16,000 km.

@InternetDude 2 жыл бұрын

With that said, I would personally like to see some kind of "smart" oil change reminder system based on some kind of drive/oil analysis rather than being time or distance based. If there was some way to analyze how often the oil gets heated up fully, etc and tell the driver an oil change is due based on individual driving I think that would be a nice thing to implement. I think Ford has more of a "smart" oil change interval/reminder system.

@EverydayJ1786 2 жыл бұрын

That's fine . I see your point coming from an average consumer who is not automotive experienced and educated and That's ok . We all have our points of expertise. Here is another question. If the engine only runs 1/3 of the time , does it ever fully warm up to (Operating Temp )? . If it doesn't that would be equal to short tripping. Which is horrible for engine oil .. if it never heats up enough to burn off moisture that builds up it will significantly decreases the service life the oil .... This is just one point, There is much more to consider when choosing a OCI than just a "maintenance minder" on your dash board

@aussie2uGA 2 жыл бұрын

@@EverydayJ1786 As a longtime BMW owner going through their "oil changes are included free, your car will tell you when to bring it in..." program, I'd agree that draining the oil proactively is one of the smartest ways to ensure long life of the engine. Too much moisture and gas seepage gets into it and it can it really take a toll on the internals.

@InternetDude 2 жыл бұрын

I have a 700km trip twice every other month so I think it does get warmed up sufficiently throughout the year.

@sloanemichaele 2 жыл бұрын

Great summary video. Thanks for sharing! Have you driven it much on dirt roads or forest road/trails? I know the RAV4 Prime isn't a hard core off-road vehicle, but I'm just curious how it does in a bit of dirt. TIA.

@InternetDude 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks. This vehicle has been on very little dirt or gravel roads... not enough for me to judge it's capability. It does absolutely wonderfully on ice & snow, however, that is slippery conditions.

@Ryanstuff 2 жыл бұрын

With all of the crazy work you've personally done on other cars I'm surprised you paid the dealer for an oil change as opposed to doing it yourself.

@InternetDude 2 жыл бұрын

I could see why you’d say that. I have the dealer do oil changes when the vehicle is under the main 3 year warranty just for piece of mind, then I DIY after.

@parrishtung3960 2 жыл бұрын

Have truck liner. Found it make so much noise that I took it out. Sure wish they can have a better design.

@InternetDude 2 жыл бұрын

I assume you mean trunk? I have the cargo tray liner too it’s not too noisy to us but I think you can buy a carpet version of it from Toyota, that would be quiet

@badimpulses17 2 жыл бұрын

I bought the 5 year maintenance for my Prime. So far I have 15,000 miles been to the scheduled maintenance They change the oil 3 times already, so every 5,000 miles they change the oil. The only issue I have is the gas gauge only read about 420 miles at ful tank. It's supposed to be around 550 miles. I told the dealer about it they told me it depends on your driving. So I guess I have to take there word on that.

@InternetDude 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment. Yeah oil changes depend on your driving, not everyone's conditions are identical. There is a pretty large reserve of gas when it tells you it's time to refill, I estimate I could go 100km or more before it actually runs out.

@badimpulses17 2 жыл бұрын

@@InternetDude The oil change is from the dealer just to make that clear. I may self don't change the oil.

@IgnatiusDoJa 2 жыл бұрын

8-12 months wait time in the US (March 2022)

@InternetDude 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the info, that’s not too bad!

@sammydavis991 2 жыл бұрын

Probably shorter wait time as Toyota makes close to 6000$ more per Prime with American pricing.

@stephenfiore9960 2 жыл бұрын

The “Car Care Nut” (Toyota master mechanic) on KZfaq would have changed your oil more often (see his videos on this).

@InternetDude 2 жыл бұрын

Hi, I have watched his videos, he's great. I am following what Toyota recommends so 16,000km is OK for an oil interval. The car care nut does tend to recommend more frequent oil changes but considering I drive a lot in EV mode I think I am effectively changing my oil sooner than 16,000km on the engine so it's not a big deal for plug-in hybrids.

@goranpetrovic2321 Жыл бұрын

Hey How often do you plug it in. If you drive 50km daily Mon to Friday that means you should be able to drive on,y on electric? Correct? Also how much more did your electricity bill go up? Last question… how Is electrical range summer vs our Canadian winter 🥶

@InternetDude Жыл бұрын

I plug it in on average 2x per week. It will use approx 15 to 16 kWh per charge from what I've read. Once the outside temp drops below -11C the gas engine will come on to provide heat but it still goes in and out of EV mode. In extreme cold -25 to -35 expect very little EV range because of that.

@goranpetrovic2321 Жыл бұрын

@@InternetDude this is great info. Thank you so much

@mechanizer007 5 ай бұрын

Nice video; how much has the battery deteriorated with charging? I usually charge 1.5 to 2 times in a day, will it detroiate the battery a lot?

@InternetDude 5 ай бұрын

The deterioration should be pretty minor. We just traded this off last month for a 2024 RAV4 Prime XSE without tech package. So we had the '21 in the video almost 3 years, didn't notice any appreciable degradation.

@kyleevjen5766 2 ай бұрын

@@InternetDude How's the 2024 been treating you? I just ordered the exact same model as yours. Dealer in Saskatoon told me 3-8 month wait.

@InternetDude 2 ай бұрын

@@kyleevjen5766 it's been flawless. The '24 seems a little better built, slightly quieter inside.

@msb46688 2 жыл бұрын

Did you pay any additional markup on top of MSRP?

@InternetDude 2 жыл бұрын

No, I’m in Canada, dealers can’t charge above MSRP on new cars. They can do anything they want with used car pricing, however.

@msb46688 2 жыл бұрын

@@InternetDude thanks. That's great. Wish we had similar mechanism.

@wgemini4422 Жыл бұрын

@@InternetDude sigh, that comment didn't age well.

@InternetDude Жыл бұрын

@@wgemini4422 why do you say that? Dealers can't charge above MSRP in Canada.

@wgemini4422 Жыл бұрын

@@InternetDude Don't think I can post link here, but dealers have been charging "market adjustment fees" in Canada. "Adding fees to vehicles that catch a customer's eye at the dealership is allowed, as long as they are clearly indicated in the contract, according to an OMVIC spokesperson." This was from a CBC story from Nov 21st, 2022. In fact, most car ads says dealers can add additional fees now. Worse yet, the thing we sign when ordering the car (expecting it to be delivered months later) is not considered a contract. Therefore, dealers have been adding these fees when the cars arrive, so pay or lose your spot.