2019 RAV4 vs Outlander PHEV fuel consumption

[Oscarmax]

Last year I put the new Mitsubishi Outlander 2.4 PHEV on my shortlist due to it plug in technology and reduced running cost, the majority of my journey are around 25 -30 miles maximum plus I live in a semi-rural area. Fuel consumption wise if you disregard the Mitsubishi fuel consumption was probably no worse or better than the 2017/2018 RAV4 Hybrid, but add the PHEV factor and the running cost for me are substantially reduced or so I thought.

However, the new 2019 Toyota RAV4 has completely turn things around, from what I read the new model is substantially better than the old model. My question what has changed the balance is it the Toyota drive train technology or is the Mitsubishi PHEV technology becoming obsolete?

[FROSTYBALLS]

The Outlander received some updates for 2019  - larger, more efficient engine, increases in generator and electric motor outputs, etc - though the GKN Driveline eTransmission remains unchanged.

[jonlaw]

 

On 8/27/2019 at 7:09 PM, FROSTYBALLS said:

The Outlander received some updates for 2019  - larger, more efficient engine, increases in generator and electric motor outputs, etc - though the GKN Driveline eTransmission remains unchanged.

I agree ! Also, some facts such as; tyre condition, road conditions and weather might effect the MPG Performance too. However, if you need some alternative results while comparing them you can use https://mpgfinder.com I do some comparings monthly for checking out the condition of my car :)

[PeteB]

The problem with the Outlander and comparing mpg is the same as with the Prius PHEV.  The length of typical journeys and amount of charging opportunities can create astronomic differences in the mpg achieved by different owners.

There is anecdotal evidence that a significant number of company car users with Outlanders return them at the end of a 3 or 4 year lease without once having plugged them in (charging cable still sealed in a bag apparently), choosing it solely for the good benefit in kind tax rates made possible by the government test results, which assume a degree of charging.

Clearly, a company car driver who never plugs in, drives long, high speed journeys and has a leaden right foot will get vastly different results to a private owner who drives mostly electric and plugs in every day at home.

10 years ago I had occasional use of a Gen 2 Prius that my company had converted to plug-in, and it did about 40 miles on EV mode in the right conditions.  I forget the mpg figures, but I know I exceeded 1,500 miles on a tankful a few times.

[IanML]

On 8/27/2019 at 4:43 PM, Oscarmax said:

…..

However, the new 2019 Toyota RAV4 has completely turn things around, from what I read the new model is substantially better than the old model. My question what has changed the balance is it the Toyota drive train technology or is the Mitsubishi PHEV technology becoming obsolete?

Not quite the same thing, but if you compare the Kia Niro SCHybrid with the equivalent PHEV, the latter gives over three times the mpg of the former.  The comparison is not exact, because the measures (average vs weighted average) are not directly comparable, but they can't be far removed.

So, I would say PHEV technology still has a lot to offer, provided the usage is low miles per day, compared to the EV range