2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Reviews, Pricing & Specs

When the RAV4 was redesigned in 2019, it shed its softer and more typical crossover styling in favour of a more substantial and blocky appearance. The trapezoidal grille was adapted from Toyota's truck line to add some heft, with beveled and angled bodywork surrounding it to frame the headlights. It was a bigger deal immediately after the restyling, but in the years since, other carmakers have taken a similar approach as can be seen in the Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-50. 17-inch steel wheels are standard on the LE trim, while 18-inch alloy wheels are fitted on XLE with a package and are standard on higher grades.

The angular theme carries over to the interior, with a multi-tiered dashboard with beveled cutouts to add some visual interest to an otherwise plain surface. The basic layout is common for vehicles at the time, with an infotainment touchscreen mounted atop the dash and a good amount of physical buttons and knobs for primary feature control.

Materials quality is about average for the class and price. There are plenty of hard plastics, but most surfaces you're prone to come into contact with are lightly padded. The base model curiously leaves out the leather-wrapped steering wheel and opts for a very downmarket urethane wheel and centre armrest. It feels rubbery and cheap in your hands, which is a problem since that's what the driver is always touching. Thankfully, most other trim levels come with a leather covering. Build quality is strong, with no detectable creaks or squeaks when driving over rough pavement.

The RAV4 Hybrid is powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor/generator. They're mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that drives the front wheels. A second electric motor between the rear axle provides all-wheel drive (AWD). Combined, they produce power specs of 219 horsepower and accelerate the RAV4 to 100 kilometres per hour in a respectable 7.5 seconds (approximately). Most drivers will never need to floor the pedal unless they're trying to merge with highway traffic on a steep uphill ramp.

Compared to other RAV4 models, the Hybrid powertrain is about half a second quicker than the standard RAV4, while the plug-in hybrid RAV4 Prime reaches 100 km/h in roughly 5.5 seconds. Within the compact hybrid SUV class, the Kia Sportage hybrid is a fraction of a second quicker while the Honda CR-V Hybrid should reach 100 km/h in about 8 seconds, placing them on an even playing field when it comes to acceleration.

The brakes operate much like any other vehicle, hybrid or otherwise. The initial pedal stroke typically engages regenerative braking which uses the RAV4's braking momentum to charge the hybrid battery. Under more aggressive stops, or when coming to a full stop, the physical brakes are actuated, but you won't feel the transition.

The suspension ably smooths the ride quality over moderate bumps and potholes while also delivering confident cornering. It's not sporty, nor does it need to be. Instead, it does the fundamentals well and should appeal to most drivers. The RAV4 Hybrid's driving dynamics don't elicit any complaints from us, but it also doesn't impress. Then again, its rivals are somewhat similar in this manner. They're all fairly calm and effortless to drive.

The front seats have plenty of space for larger passengers while the rear seats will easily accommodate average-sized adults. On paper, you get slightly more rear headroom than the Honda CR-V or Kia Sportage, but a bit less legroom. In practice, the differences are insignificant, though if you have a rear-facing infant seat, you may have to scoot the front seat up to make room for it. The rear seat cushions are also set a bit low, which may leave taller passengers wishing for more thigh support on long road trips.

Behind those seats, you can fit as much as 1,059 litres of cargo. That's only three litres smaller than the non-hybrid RAV4. Cargo space is sometimes sacrificed for the battery pack, but that's not the case here. By comparison, the Honda CR-V Hybrid can hold 1,028 litres and the Kia Sportage measures 1,121 litres, so there's no significant advantage for any of these hybrids. The rear seatbacks fold flat with the cargo floor, but shorter owners will have a rather long reach to get to them.

One area where the RAV4 excels is in interior storage for your personal items. The front passenger has a wide shelf in the dashboard and there's a phone tray for the available wireless charging pad in front of the centre console. You also get very large cupholders that can hold those massive Super Big Gulp cups as well as a large centre armrest bin. Door pockets are about average in size. Dual-zone climate control is standard on all trims but the base Hybrid LE.

For 2023, the RAV4 receives a new multimedia infotainment system that represents a huge improvement over previous attempts. The touchscreen graphics are much more modern and sharp, plus the menus are arranged logically. The screen placement on top of the dashboard helps to reduce distraction when driving. Most trim levels come with a rather small 8.0-inch display while the higher trimmed models upgrade to a 10.5-inch touchscreen. The base display's on-screen buttons are rather small and require more effort to press them accurately.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on all RAV4 models, but a wireless charging pad is an option. That means you'll still be stuck with a cable if you want to stay charged up unless you can add the charger. The infotainment system is capable of over-the-air software updates to keep features current and connectivity includes a Wi-Fi hotspot along with remote monitoring and control over the vehicle. The top RAV4 Hybrid trim also upgrades to a fully digital instrument panel. Six-speaker audio is standard on most RAV4 models and delivers decent clarity and power for a base system. The top XSE and Limited trims come with a more powerful 11-speaker JBL audio system.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded the RAV4 Hybrid five out of five stars for overall and side crash protection, and four stars in frontal and rollover crash tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the RAV4 its highest score of "Good" in all tests except for its new moderate overlap frontal and side-impact tests where it scored a second-best "Acceptable" safety rating. It also named the RAV4 a Top Safety Pick, the Institute's second-highest honour.

All 2023 RAV4 Hybrid models come standard with the Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 suite of safety features. That includes forward collision warning with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, lane departure warning with steering assist, automatic high beams, and a traffic sign reader. In Canada, blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are also standard. The top Limited trim adds front and rear parking proximity sensors with automatic braking when backing up and a surround-view camera system, while these features are availble on the XSE. A digital rearview mirror is equipped on both trims. The latter will allow you to see what's behind you, even if the cargo area is loaded to the roof.

In our time with the RAV4, we never received any false alarms from these systems and they all functioned as they should. The adaptive cruise control is notable for its smooth throttle and brake inputs, as well as its gentle stops.

New car prices for the 2023 RAV4 Hybrid start at a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $38,135 (including $1,930 in destination charges and other fees) for the base Hybrid LE AWD trim. From there, trims continue to Hybrid XLE AWD, Hybrid SE AWD, Hybrid XSE AWD, and Hybrid Limited AWD, with a variety of packages offered in between. As far as the base model goes, its price is roughly $2,500 more than the standard non-hybrid RAV4. Natural Resources Canada estimates RAV4 Hybrids will return 5.8 L/100 km city, 6.3 on the highway, and 6.0 in combined driving. The non-hybrid RAV4 fuel economy is estimated between 7.9 and 8.5 L/100 km.

With these figures and taking into account 20,000 kilometres driven per year with gas costing $1.50 per litre, it would take less than two years to recoup that $2,500 premium over the standard RAV4. Given the lower price gap and higher fuel cost in Canada than the U.S., that makes the RAV4 Hybrid a better value proposition for us than for our friends south of the border.

The Kia Sportage Hybrid is all-new for 2023. It starts at a slightly higher new vehicle price of $39,483 fees in, but it also comes with a more robust set of standard features. It’s estimated to consume 6.2 L/100 km in combined city/highway kilometres with its standard AWD. But if you’re looking strictly at base trims, it will take longer to break even versus the gas model.

The Honda CR-V is also redesigned for 2023, though the only hybrid trim available in Canada is the Touring. A slightly more affordable EX-L Hybrid trim is coming for 2024, but this still launches pricing into the high $40,000 range. A similar strategy for the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid gives it a higher entry price in the same ballpark.

The 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid remains a solid choice among these newer rivals, but it trends more expensive than some rivals as more equipment is added. As a result, we suggest checking out the Sportage and CR-V before committing to the RAV4 Hybrid.

Note: Images show a US model.