Newbie researching RAV4 PHEV

[Toomanytoys]

Hi.

So, even over the last 16 months I have managed to rack up about 26k miles. About 16k more than I expected to with work.. 

So.. I am looking at alternatives to my personal vehicle.. both BEV and Hybrid, as a company car.. 

Out of my research so far, the RAV4 PHEV could be a viable option on the hybrid list..

So here to find out the real world running costs and how it is to live with.. 

Thanks

Si

 

 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Hello Simon - welcome to Toyota Owners Club.

Toyota service intervals are 1 year or 10,000 miles, whichever come first. Intermediate service for service 1, 3, 5, etc, and Full service for service 2, 4, 6, etc.

Toyota doesn't have extended service intervals, so at 26,000 miles per annum you will need the car serviced twice in year 1, and three times in year 2, and so on.

Moved to the Rav4 club.

[Nick72]

2 hours ago, Toomanytoys said:

Hi.

So, even over the last 16 months I have managed to rack up about 26k miles. About 16k more than I expected to with work.. 

So.. I am looking at alternatives to my personal vehicle.. both BEV and Hybrid, as a company car.. 

Out of my research so far, the RAV4 PHEV could be a viable option on the hybrid list..

So here to find out the real world running costs and how it is to live with.. 

Thanks

Si

 

 

Best car I've ever had. And I've had AMG Mercs, Jags, and all kinds of stuff.

BEVs can work if your round trips are always less than 150 miles. But if more, prepare to completely change your approach to travel. Add in plenty of contingency and another 2 hours to every trip over 150 miles. 

2pc versus 7pc BiK tax difference isn't much. My company fuel mileage all paid for and I make a profit on it because of the way the system works. 2.5litre car. Yet usually 54mpg if driving reasonable.

Plenty of space. AWD works well.

All a bit industrial but with car play or AA you've got the main tech. Safety features all good. Cross traffic alert and blindspot indication are excellent. HUD on the premium version is superb. 

All very industrial but rock solid as a car. Drive train is the best I've ever known. Smooth, quiet, and massive levels of instant power.

Handles better than most SUVs. 

Seating position good for someone 6ft2.5. 

Some quirks to the design but nothing major. 

And it's the best Battery range by far of any PHEV. Had a 3008 hybrid4 300GT previously. 37 miles claimed. 9 to 12 miles reality in the winter. Whereas in the R4P I get 40 plus miles in the winter and nearly 60 in the summer without trying. Covers 90pc of my journeys.

 

Hope this helps.

[ernieb]

Simon, I think Nick has summed it up pretty well. Suggest you head down to a local dealer and try to arrange a few hours test drive but request that the starts fully charged. You can then get the feel of the car in EV mode, manually switch to HEV mode and I'd be surprised if you noticed the change, smooth and quiet and feels planted.  The claimed 46 mile range in EV is a good annual average taking into account summer/winter.

The service costs seem very reasonable to me as apposed to my recent Subaru/Yeti/Freelander, I took out a 5 year/10Kpa plan for about £1100. Toyota offer a rolling extension to the 5 year warranty if you have the car serviced with them up to 10 years.  My last 3rd year service for the XV was nearly £400, the 4th year was around £500!  So far I've been happy with the OEM tyres, I'd budgeted to replace them immediately  with CrossClimates but so far, frost. snow. summer etc. they have coped well and currently expect to run them unless the deteriorate with time.

The MyT app works the 99% of the time and records trips, performance data and gives you a 'find my car'.

If you have any specific questions, fire away? 

There are plenty on the forum who will give you the HEV version experience.

[Roger_N]

1 hour ago, ernieb said:

Toyota offer a rolling extension to the 5 year warranty

Only 3 years now Ernie as I'm sure you know, (a quote in 30 seconds not 60)

[Flatcoat]

And in the WhatCar reliability survey the current RAV4 came second with around 98% in the hybrids section. First was a Lexus built on the same platform and underpinnings. The cold weather EV range really is impressive and way ahead of my previous Volvo PHEV. About the only benefit the Volvo had was fabulous seats, a horn that could be heard 50 miles away and possibly quieter too. Otherwise the Toyota is everything and more we could have wished for. And we spent over 3 months looking at a wide range of PHEV’s across many brands before settling on the RAV. 

[ernieb]

3 hours ago, Roger_N said:

Only 3 years now Ernie as I'm sure you know, (a quote in 30 seconds not 60)

That’s news to me I’m sure it was 5 years when I bought mine, May ‘21?

[Roger_N]

3 minutes ago, ernieb said:

That’s news to me I’m sure it was 5 years when I bought mine, May ‘21?

Changed with relax extension to warranty coming in 3 years standard but if you have it serviced at a Toyota dealer gets extend up to 10years or 100,000 miles.

You got your before the change so it will still be 5 years.

Warranty

[Catlover]

Ernie, your purchase was just couple weeks before the change.         
Relax still applicable to you though. When your car gets beyond 5 years every service at a Toyota dealer (no option on that) extends the car warranty 12pm the/10k miles for just the cost of the service. And of course you can keep up with the hybrid Battery health check, free at time of service, and get extra 12 month u to 15 year. Hybrid health check currently circa £45 if you don’t have the car service.

[ernieb]

Thanks for the clarification Joe, I was just wondering  if my one remaining brain cell was beginning to fail.

[philip42h]

15 hours ago, Toomanytoys said:

So, even over the last 16 months I have managed to rack up about 26k miles. About 16k more than I expected to with work.. 

So.. I am looking at alternatives to my personal vehicle.. both BEV and Hybrid, as a company car.. 

Out of my research so far, the RAV4 PHEV could be a viable option on the hybrid list..

In this thread you report doing 26k miles over 16 months - so around 20k miles pa

In another thread you say:

13 hours ago, Toomanytoys said:

...Currently commuting 64 miles each day, mostly busy motorway.. 

Currently running a Subaru Outback 3.6 (took me ages to find one as only 184 were ever sold in the UK) and am getting an average of 30mpg. Comfort, performance, space, all weather/allroad capable and towing ability.

Am looking at BEV, but the range anxiety and recharge rates may not be acceptable for the usage.. (20k a year and more..) so looking at PHEV as a possible solution ...

The only way I can afford to go this route would be through the LTD co as a company car, hence the BIK importance.. 

 

So, wouldn't your ideal solution be to get a BEV as your company commuter car - with a realistic / any day range of over 150 miles it will cover your daily commuting needs and more ...

... and keep the Outback for longer trips and towing?

The RAV4 (PHEV) is a decent compromise but you'd be better off with two cars.

[Toomanytoys]

Thank You.

Great replies (better than the nonsense I have received on an EV forum, such as "a leaf can do 120 miles")

Well.. getting a BEV and keeping the OB was the thought..  but with the uncertainty of continuing charge at work etc, I wonder if it would work in reality..

That's why I am researching the PHEV  options.. the Rav4 PHEV looks to be an ideal fit to most of my requirements.. without the range anxiety with decent EV range to make it "cleaner", added performance etc.. I can possibly forgoe the towing as if I pull my Finger out and get my classic vehicle back together, it could do that duty when required...

The compromise BEV would have to be something like the Kona which has good range with efficiency and at a lower cost.. and keep the OB... 

But I am probably more confused at this point on the best direction.. 

Oh.. I currently do all my own maintenance, tho a new/lease/pcp car will have to be dealer serviced of course.. 

[Toomanytoys]

Suppose my biggest question is can I see an improvement in mpg over longer trips with intelligent use of the EV/HEV modes... And of course the environmental benefits... 

 

[philip42h]

1 hour ago, Toomanytoys said:

Well.. getting a BEV and keeping the OB was the thought..  but with the uncertainty of continuing charge at work etc, I wonder if it would work in reality..

Can you not charge a BEV at home? If you can't then a BEV is pretty much a non-starter; if you can then you will need to pay the cost of the electricity that you use and factor that into your considerations - I've always thought that the notion that a BEV is 'free' to run is a little daft.

The PHEV promises a WLTP figure of 282.5 mpg (that last 0.5 is really important!!! 🙂 ) which you'll never see in practice. One of or number quotes a realistic 64 mpg which is very plausible - you might do better; you might do worse; it all depends on your journey profile ...

The HEV will return something between 45 and 50 mpg - the PHEV will nearly always be better than that on the same journeys.

[Toomanytoys]

No, charge at home isn't possible presently.. that would change, but not for some time.. Charging at work would be the primary.. currently 14p kwh I think was mentioned.

[philip42h]

25 minutes ago, Toomanytoys said:

No, charge at home isn't possible presently.. that would change, but not for some time.. Charging at work would be the primary.. currently 14p kwh I think was mentioned.

I hadn't realised that from your previous posts ... that would change the picture for me - without the ability to charge at home I wouldn't consider either a BEV or a PHEV since you would be reliant on third-party charging infrastructure for all the electricity you use. On that basis I'd stick with the HEV if you wanted to stay with RAV4 (which I did but for entirely different reasons 😉 )

The HEV has exactly the same space and ride comfort, is more than quick enough (the PHEV is quicker though) and can tow 1650 kg against the PHEV's 1500 kg ... but it is a different compromise.

And that said, it may be that BIK considerations make the PHEV more attractive as a company car even if you never charge it at all ... 😞 

[Toomanytoys]

Would have to be PHEV.. HEV has a high benefit tax.. and the only way this could work for me and the company.

I would be plugging in whenever possible.. (that will improve over time)

I want to lower the environmental  impact of my driving, however that's possible under my circumstances, unlike some it seems, who obviously have low morals and just scamming the system.

 

[ernieb]

The PHEV can be charged overnight using a granny cable, 240v and that works for me without any issues. Schedule charge over night so no problem with other equipment if you are on a restricted supply. (7.5 hours for full charge)

[Toomanytoys]

I could do with trying a vehicle for a week or 2..  

Never going to get one on demo for a week, I wonder if Toyota would hire one out for a week?

 

[Flatcoat]

I think you will struggle with that! However if you want to be environmentally friendly then keep the car you have. Building a new car uses a lot of energy - and depreciation is the biggest single cost of car ownership so why not just run the OB until it drops? 

[Nick72]

Toyota a solid company also. Some shocking companies out there like Peugeot. 

Wife had a Toyota from new for years. Couldn't fault them. She would show up and ask then to pump her tyres up (tired of waiting for me no doubt). They never used to bat an eyelid and just sorted it. Even price matched tyres for her.

[Stopeter44]

11 hours ago, Flatcoat said:

However if you want to be environmentally friendly then keep the car you have.

So true. Except Men & boys, cars & toys, and shoe sizes 😉 !

[Flatcoat]

34 minutes ago, Stopeter44 said:

So true. Except Men & boys, cars & toys, and shoe sizes 😉 !

So true too! I have run cars until they have almost expired. Had an Audi A2 for 12 years and over 150,000 miles. One of my top 3 all time cars. 

[Stopeter44]

1 minute ago, Flatcoat said:

Had an Audi A2 for 12 years and over 150,000 miles.

I've only recently started hanging out on car forums, TBH only this one, but I've seen that the Audi A2 is considered a good'un !

[Toomanytoys]

Valid point on not buying another car.. and have been a great exponent of this with 2 of my current fleet owned for over 14 and 22 years, but they are not daily drives (any more).

Without the research, you can't make an informed decision on what's best.. 

I am researching, BEV is likely not going to work for me yet, PHEV could be an option. Keeping the current car is always an option.. just started feeling a little guilty of the large amount of fuel I am using..  

Of course, buying a used smaller, nippy but economical car is an option to do the commute's in..