Toyota RAV4 Hybrid GX-R CVT E-Four Long-Term Review

REPORT 1

MILEAGE AT START: 10,159km

R676,700

MILEAGE NOW: 13,559km

WHY IT’S HERE 

Toyota’s pushing the hybrid thing now, so they’ve given it to us for 6-months to let you know what it’s really like. 

DRIVER

Avon Middleton

GOOD STUFF

Economy. Pace.  

BAD STUFF 

The infotainment system feels a little older than the rest of the car. 

As you read this, we’re into the second month of our long-term Toyota RAV4 Hybrid vehicle evaluation. Delivered with just over 10,000 km on the clock, we’ve managed to ramp that up to 13,559 km.

Most of its work has been the daily trudge of a five-strong family in urban Johannesburg, making haste in traffic, to and fro-ing in hardy Gauteng conditions and carrying the occasional load, the largest of which was a mass of luggage for an overseas visitor. 

The RAV4 Hybrid GX-R has taken it in its stride, showing off its efficient powertrain and easy-to-live-with disposition. The GX-R is the mid-grade specification, but that doesn’t mean short-changing you for much. In fact, it is the grade to have if you’re opting for any of the hybrid models in the RAV4 line-up. The VX grade will up the ante in terms of onboard Toyota Safety Sense tech and a few aesthetic niceties like digital mirrors. But really, R90,000 in, and the price will make you realise that this GX-spec is a good offering. 

The RAV4 Hybrid GX-R is offered in SA with a 2.5-litre petrol motor coupled to an electric motor and a CVT transmission. You would be right if you associate CVT with unrefined or downright irritating engine notes. However, the electric unit and this newer hybrid system lessen that to some degree. The admission of an e-motor means that a lot of the time, driving is done in silence or relative silence. You’ll only really hear the engine whine when you dial things up or drive up a steep hill that demands a lot from the powertrain. 

It’s a potent combination, too, with 163 kW of combined power sent to all four wheels, sometimes, depending on demand. It is the most punchy of the hybrids in Toyota’s line-up, with near-immediate torque delivery and exciting acceleration. Sometimes I don’t quite believe I’m in a hybrid with a Toyota badge on the front. The powertrain is a complex hybrid system with torque being shifted depending on the need. The car feels like a front-wheel-drive for the most part since it’s generally sending most power to the front wheels in a bid to save fuel, but it can run 80% to the rear should this be required. 

Efficiency really is something to boast about. We remain consistently in the 5.7-6.4l/100 km bracket, and that’s despite the loads and stop-go urban commuting. That’s the beauty of this system – efficiency in urban environments is real, and quite frankly, longer trips won’t hike those figures much higher. 

You may have some thoughts on this Urban Khaki colour, as do quite a few spotters, mainly with positive remarks. The more polarising comments come from the strong orange accents on the interior dashboard panels, stitching and seat details. I like it, but for quite a few people in the passenger’s seat, these were too much or simply disliked. 

This is proving to be a car that’s hard to fault as a value proposition. We’re set to take a much longer road trip in the vehicle within the next few weeks, and we’ll also take it for its first service. We’ll report back on the performance of the car and the dealership after-sales experience.  

SPECIFICATION

2,487 cc, 4-cyl, hybrid e-Four 

4.8l/100 km, 110 g/km CO2

0-100 km/h N/A, 180 km/h

1,765 kg

MILEAGE AT START: 10,159 km

R676,700

MILEAGE NOW: 17,247 km

WHY IT’S HERE 

Toyota’s been a pioneer in the hybrid technology space, and possibly has the most coverage of vehicles equipped with this tech. 

DRIVER

Lerato Matebese

GOOD STUFF

Economy. Ride quality. Decent specification.   

BAD STUFF 

Outdated infotainment system. 

Following our moot points introduction to our long-term Toyota RAV4 Hybrid GX-R, the vehicle’s first 15,000 km service beckoned. So it was that we reached out to Rand Stadium Toyota The Glen one Thursday morning to book the car in for the following morning.

Roxanne Kotze was swift to book the vehicle and promptly asked whether we would require a shuttle service, to which I took her up on the offer. Our booking time was between 07h30 and 08h30. I managed to arrive around 08h00 in the morning in question, and my Service Adviser for the day, Johan, swiftly booked me in and asked if there was anything else that required attention on the car, outside of the obligatory first service. 

We did indicate that the rearview mirror auto dimming sensor housing had come loose and required to be stuck back in place. Of course, this requires a special window adhesive, so we were asked to take the vehicle to our nearest windscreen fitment centre, as they (Toyota) were not equipped to do the job. That said, we will have this looked into. Back to the service experience, though – I was shuttled back home and told that the Service Adviser, Johan, would keep in touch with me regarding progress. 

Throughout the course of the day, Johan indeed kept me abreast of progress and his last call was around midday that day to inform me that work on the car had been completed and that it was now in the washing bay. Seeing as I had a 14h00 meeting, at around 13h00, I decided to take a taxi to the dealership, which is 5 km from my humble abode, so as to save time and not wait for the shuttle. Upon my arrival at the dealership, I was told that the vehicle was still in the wash bay, not a problem, as I likely had another 15 min to spare. 

To my unpleasant surprise, 15 min had lapsed, and I asked the service receptionist to please check on my car and, if it had not been attended to, I would take it as is and have it washed later that day on my account. While I understand that the dealership’s policy is to ensure that customers’ vehicles are cleaned before handover, should the said customer ask the opposite, as in my instance, then the dealership should comply with the customer’s request.  

That aside, the service experience was relatively seamless, and Johan even showed me the parts that were replaced, replete with the invoice. These included: an element filter (R507.20), gasket  (R13.49), oil filter (R217.72), engine oil (R423.77), consumables (R78), labour (R846). This came to a total of R2,399.11 incl VAT – that was covered under the vehicle’s service plan contract. 

Those are relatively good prices for parts when customers are looking for value for money on vehicle maintenance. Our RAV4 Hybrid GX-R is purring along nicely as we look forward to spending the holidays and exploring our beautiful country in its care. 

SPECIFICATION

2,487 cc, 4-cyl, hybrid e-Four 

4.8l/100 km, 110 g/km CO2

0-100 km/h N/A, 180 km/h

1,765 kg

Price: R698,700

Mileage: TBC 

Why It’s Here: To find out if hybrids make viable options in SA. 

Good Stuff 

Efficient, great road manners, comfortable, well-appointed interior. 

Bad Stuff

Transmission whine still exists.  

We welcomed the Toyota RAV4 hybrid in its GX-R form to the TopGear SA long-term garage a few months ago. It’s been a welcome addition as we continue to explore hybrid viability while getting on with our daily duties. 

In our last issue, we took the RAV4 GX-R in for its first service to get it spruced up and ready for the holidays. And while I was sceptical at first, the RAV4 hybrid proved to be an excellent companion, handling all our festive duties with ease.

Here’s the thing: fully-electric cars are becoming a thing, and hybrid and plug-in hybrids are the closest to a fully-fledged EV that would make sense to Joe Average. And let’s not forget the infrastructure struggles, especially in South Africa. It represents a happy medium, then, and as far as local hybrid availability goes, it’s among the best of ’em. 

As you would have read from our previous report, the rain sensor on the windshield had come undone, but I managed to put it back on with only minimal DIY skills and some help from my brother. 

Unlike the local run-around trips, the long journey to Mpumalanga allowed me to flex the RAV’s muscles, testing its comfort, fuel consumption, performance, and practicality. 

While not top-spec, The RAV4 GX-R hybrid still has an impressive arsenal of features such as front heated/ventilated leather seats, keyless entry, wireless charger, dual-zone A/C, five USB ports, several storage pockets, and the display audio system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. 

There is a generous amount of space inside for people of all sizes; ask me how I know. It allows for hours of comfortable driving with ample space, even with a full complement of passengers.  

The best thing about the RAV4 hybrid’s boot, except for the 733-litre boot space, is the placement of the hybrid battery under the rear seat bench. Naturally, this positioning doesn’t compromise the usable boot space, as it could easily swallow all our luggage for the journey to Bushbuckridge. 

While I was quick to judge the CVT gearbox paired with the 2.5-litre engine, the one fitted in the RAV4 hybrid is better than most SUVs carrying these usually dreaded three letters. It’s not the best in its class, and as you’ve guessed, the whining still exists, yet it delivers a good amount of usable tractability when commanded to do so. 

Besides that, the RAV4 has impressive road manners and delivers excellent comfort. However, there are measurable amounts of wind noise entering the cabin at speed due to the RAV’s boxy shape, but nothing harsh enough to detract from the SUV’s other great qualities.  

The hybrid system shines during stop-and-go inner-city driving as it continually assists the petrol engine. Out of town and on the open road, the two motors work in tandem to extract the maximum required power. It’s also on the efficiency front where the RAV4 scores decent points with good fuel consumption figures hovering around 6.4l/100 km. In a rush? No problem, the numbers drift around the 6.9l/100 km mark, which is still great, thanks to the hybrid system that works seamlessly in the background. 

The Toyota RAV4 remains one of the best-of-both-worlds hybrid vehicles currently on sale in SA. You get enough space, a crossover SUV that drives well while consuming considerably less fuel than its closest competitors. 

The RAV4 hybrid continues to be a valuable asset to the TGSA team. Not only is it efficient, but its reliability and impressive suit of creature comforts and safety make it an excellent companion for ferrying us to launches, meetings, and photoshoots. 

Price

R698,700 

Mileage

27,700 km 

Why It’s Here

To find out if hybrids could work in SA

Good Stuff 

Great fuel economy, comfortable, well-built interior 

Bad Stuff

CVT still whines, outdated infotainment system, lack of electrically-operated tailgate.  

Mileage at Start

10,159km 

As we bid farewell to our Toyota RAV4 Hybrid E-Four in GX-R guise, which has been a welcome addition to our long-term garage for the past six months, it’s worth noting that despite the increasing focus on electrification, there’s still a lot to appreciate about owning a hybrid vehicle in South Africa. 

In fact, the RAV4 Hybrid has proven to be an impressive option that is also more affordable than going fully electric. As our previous reports have detailed, the RAV4 Hybrid has been a reliable workhorse, transporting our team to meetings, shoots, and launches in and around Gauteng easily and efficiently. It’s been a pleasure to experience firsthand the practical benefits of owning a hybrid vehicle, and we’ll certainly miss having it as part of our fleet.

From its stylish boxy shape, superb interior built quality, and excellent fuel economy, to the stunning urban khaki grey shade worn by our tester, it all added to RAV4’s sensible appeal.  

During a conversation with TG’s Editor, Lerato, we discussed the RAV4 Hybrid’s strengths as a compact crossover SUV, including its excellent road manners, practicality, and impressive fuel consumption. As far as the latter goes, the RAV4 Hybrid boasts figures of around 5.2l/100 km, making it one of the best hybrids I’ve encountered in my motoring career. 

While its CVT transmission may not be the best in its class, it’s still more enjoyable than many other vehicles with similar whining gearboxes.

At the same time, the interior is nicely finished with dashes of orange on various touchpoints to give the SUV that funky charm, and cushy seats with heated and ventilation features in the case of our long-termer in GX-R dress. 

While the RAV4 Hybrid’s 7″ infotainment system with a CD slot may look and feel outdated, it’s surprisingly intuitive. It offers useful features like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, five USB ports, and a smartphone wireless charging pad.

As a family of three, my wife was initially sceptical about the RAV4’s space, but the 733-litre boot proved more than sufficient for our weekend trip to the in-laws. We missed having an electrically-operated tailgate, but it’s worth noting that this is not the top-spec RAV4 in Toyota’s lineup.

On the road, the RAV4 Hybrid handles well and smooths out bumps thanks to its impressive E-Four AWD system. While it has three driving modes (Eco, Normal, and Sport), the Eco and Normal modes are the most suitable for everyday driving. In fact, I found the Sport mode to be unnecessary.

One interesting aspect of driving the RAV4 Hybrid is adapting your driving style to maximize the regenerative system and top up the hybrid battery pack. I could even do a quick school run on battery power before the engine took over.

With all the technical stuff out of the way, what was the RAV4 Hybrid like to live with? Well, for the most part, great. As stated earlier, hybrids seem to work in SA since they self-charge themselves as you drive around, unlike full EVs, which require recharging batteries using a conventional power socket or a dedicated EV charging station. 

Toyota SA currently sells a plug-in RAV4 hybrid variant, which is also a good proposition since it’s backed up by internal combustion that kicks in as soon as the battery pack is depleted, so there is no need to worry about running out of power there. 

Regarding the RAV4 Hybrid, it’s fit for purpose, and, quite simply, it does almost everything right in a reliable manner. The RAV4 Hybrid is a reliable and practical option, with its hybrid system working hard in the background to make it stand out from the crowd.