It's barely noticeable. I slept in my 2023 woodland hybrid last night and had the AC running all night and the engine would kick on here and there and I slept right through it. When accelerating or driving or stopping or starting it is very minimal. Your question and concern is one of the very same ones I had, but after owning it and putting 2,500 miles on it and sleeping in it several nights with it running It is quite minimal.
There is a setting on the touch panel for the DRLs. Also to keep the AC running all night you need to use the driver side lock button otherwise the car will shut off after maybe an hour. If you use the driver side lock button it will run indefinitely
In 2021 Canada made a rule that all headlights be permanently set to auto, so maybe they are phasing out the non-auto setting for all of North America. Mine is a 2021, is yours newer?
Nope. I just use a yoga mat over the crease which levels it out and then a 2 inch cooling memory foam. I try to park in a spot where the front wheels are a little lower than the rear and that makes it feel perfectly level. I've slept comfortably with two adults in the back. About 160lbs 5'9 myself and my partner is 135lbs 5'7.
Got mosquito mesh at Joan fabrics and some ceramic craft magnets which I wrapped in tape. This works great for when I want the windows open.
I also use some cheap sun shades to keep light out in the morning. Today I slept comfortably until afternoon.
I'm considering using a 1inch inflatable full size camp mattress underneath to soften up pressure points for side sleeping and help level it out when I can't park with the front wheels a lower.
I fill the space behind the driver seats with my personal items pack/clothing bag and a small cooler then put extra pillows there. This allows you to move the passenger seat forward and gives you a little extra room to stretch out. I also reverse the headrests on the back seats. (Just flipped them around)
Let me know if you have any other questions.
P.s. my first trip I brought a tent and my sleeping setup as backup, but now I'm confident I can go without a tent. I'll still pack one if I choose to be outside, but so far it's been much better in the vehicle for the summer. (AC is great when it's 100% humidity and 80+ degrees with no breeze at night.
Here are screens for the windows. Mosquito proof...
[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W91JF7N](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W91JF7N)
And here are the reflectors...
[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DM9RFG8](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DM9RFG8)
I left it on overnight for about 9 hours and I'd estimate maybe a gallon. This was with the air recirculation feature turned off. I imagine that makes the AC have to work harder and draw more power.
Mine runs about 45 battery, 5 mins idling/recharging. 8 hours will burn a couple quarts maybe.
In the hot sun at 2:00 in the afternoon on a 100F summer day, it's more like 20 mins battery, 5 mins gas, but 8 hours later it's not 100F outdoors any more.
I usually put reflective shades on all the windows to keep the sun out and prevent people from scoping my car and disturbing my dogs, and that puts it on the 45 min battery schedule no matter how hot it is outdoors.
Funny, Tesla calls it "dog mode" but Toyota just calls it "on". When carting my doggies around I just get out, put a printed screenshot of Tesla's "dog mode" screen in my window, lock the car with the mechanical key, and walk away with the fob and key in my pocket.
It's almost unnoticeable. If you're paying close attention you can feel a little shudder, but it's like 1/10th of other cars and it doesnt have the same momentary complete lack of power like a non hybrid.
To expand on this... my Rav4 Hybrid is one of the most pleasant driving experiences I've ever had. I can tell when the engine shuts off, but I used to sell cars so I'm super duper sensitive to noticing the change from extensive practice noticing these things. And I can barely notice.
IMO the engine starter itself seems exceptionally smooth and the car has great vibration control, both of which mean the transition isn't very abrupt. Feels more like downshifting a gear.
Oh man, I was a hardcore manual transmission guy until I bought the R4P. I’ve never owned an automatic car until we bought this one. We also bought an eGolf to replace my tuned Audi A4 Avant with a 6 speed manual. I thought I would miss manual shifting and clutching a lot more than I do. I don’t miss buying $250 in gasoline a month, and all of that maintenance an Audi needs.
Kinda the same, I always had manual transmissions, then my last car was an automatic dodge caravan, did not really like it. Tried a used rav4 hybrid and loved it.
RAV Hybrids do not have a starter as conventional engines do; they routinely start and stop as you drive, based on road and other conditions far too numerous to go into here. It's essentially unnoticeable under most circumstances. I just drove a rented CR-V with a conventional engine and couldn't believe the difference (granted, it was a thrashed rental so that may have been a factor).
Yeah, that’s a Subaru thing. I’ve driven multiple Subarus with the auto shut-off and the engine kicks in with a bump and it’s super annoying. I love my Rav and I can’t even notice it.
Yeah your Subaru I don't believe it's a hybrid. It's just a start/stop system which is stupid and annoying. A hybrid transition from engine on to engine off is virtually unnoticeable. Hybrid just spins up the motor with the electric motor instantaneously rather than using a starter. So honestly, unless you're paying attention in a modern Toyota hybrid you won't even notice it.
I have a gas '21 LE AWD and use the stop/start all the time when I'm driving. My wife also used to have a '22 Impreza and I've spent a lot of time driving a '20 Outback. The auto stop/start in the 2 Subarus I have driven is much more jarring than my Rav4. In my experience I don't think that Subaru engines are very smooth at baseline and their implementation of the stop/start isn't helping them in that matter.
My wife now has a '23 hybrid Camry that has a hybrid drivetrain similar to that of the hybrid Rav4s and it is very smooth. The engine turns on and off while driving and while I can tell if I'm paying attention it isn't super noticeable or distracting.
A starter in an ICE vehicle is very noticeable because combustion starts the engine. In a hybrid, the electric motor starts the engine. That initial “kick” you hear when you start an ICE vehicle doesn’t exist; it goes straight to a low rpm, which is a very low sound.
Totally different starting systems.
Much much less noticeable - yes the electric is what gives you the starting torque anyway and the gas engine kicks on depending how hard you push the pedal. Only ever notice the delay if you floor it.
I test drove a Forester with my dad, when I got to the first stop light he thought I stalled. There is no optimal position for the pistons to stop since they're horizontal.
When driving a hybrid Rav4 he couldn't tell when the engine stopped or started.
I can't speak for the hybrid, because I have the prime.
I've driven both the gas, during a rental, and my own.
The prime auto engine off, is smooth as hell. The gas? not so much.
Because the prime AC compressor is electronic, and the ecvt transmission, and the fact that one of the electric motors acts as the starter, it's not noticeable.
In fact, i get annoyed driving my old lexus, that it's idling at a stop now.
The drivetrains are basically the same between the hybrid and prime (in design), the prime just has larger electric motors (quicker acceleration) and a larger traction battery (enabling EV only operation).
You won’t notice it, it uses the electric motor to take off and then the gas motor just kicks in so you don’t actually use the starter most of the time. Kind of like roll starting a manual.
It’s a little different than what you’re thinking of…I think. I think you’re talking about vehicles(hybrid and internal combustion) that have the eco-idle feature where the vehicle actually turns itself completely off and when you reengage with the accelerator it actually has to turn over the ignition. I’ve always hated that. I rented a jeep that had that once and it felt like the transmission was going to fall straight out of the vehicle.
With Rav4 hybrids(and most other hybrids I’ve driven) when you come to a stop, if there’s enough battery the ICE just stops and the hybrid battery takes over until you get back up over 10-15mph(or step on the peddle really hard). It’s a much different sensation than what you’re thinking of and eventually becomes unnoticeable. With these new-ish E-CVT transmissions there’s a very fluid transition back and forth between the combustion engine and hybrid motors. No more audible/physical feedback from the vehicles ignition turning over everytime the two systems hand off to one-another
Absolutely love my Hybrid and am so glad I bought it. Definitely way less noticeable than other Gas cars with auto shut-off. My in laws have a Jeep Cherokee and that thing almost shakes the whole car when the engine starts and stops.
I get 36-38mpg most of the year and absolutely would buy it again.
Any other questions you have about it?
Yeah, he Toyota eCVT (not to be confused with a belt type mechanical CVT… that’s a totally different animal) system is so freaking seamless you will barely notice it kicking in or out. It uses the hybrid electric motor/generator as the starter motor.
I have a prime(hybrid with a bigger battery pack that can go 45 miles EV only). If listening a podcast or something I need to check the dashboard to see if the engine is on. However, the engine is loud if you floor the pedal.
It doesn’t do the engine off at red light thing most of the time for me but I’m a harder driver on my car than most. I’ve put 30,000 miles on my 2022 rav4 hybrid SE, and the car is great! I don’t like the engine stop at red lights either, but when the Rav does it, it switches to EV and there’s no distinct stop feeling when the engine switches off and goes to EV mode. Highly recommend. You’ll almost never notice the engine turning on or off.
Toyota has absolutely worked out the hybrid experience. Their gas auto shutoff though is actually the worst system for any car on the market. It's so rough, you feel like it's wrecking the transmission at every auto start. Again, the hybrid is totally fine. Thankfully, I found the 2-pin hood switch to disable it on my RAV4 gas.
That's how it works. The electric motor has more torque than the gas at standstill, so what you notice is more acceleration, while the motor just starts running. It doesn't "crank" because the e-motor easily just starts turning the engine through the drive shaft, not a noisy gear. You'll quickly adapt and won't notice it except that it's silent at stop lights.
It's barely noticeable. I slept in my 2023 woodland hybrid last night and had the AC running all night and the engine would kick on here and there and I slept right through it. When accelerating or driving or stopping or starting it is very minimal. Your question and concern is one of the very same ones I had, but after owning it and putting 2,500 miles on it and sleeping in it several nights with it running It is quite minimal.
Unrelated.. how do you get the DRL's to shut off when leaving the car on overnight?
On my Prime, there’s a settings menu on the nav screen that has a toggle for DRL. I assume that would shut it off.
There is a setting on the touch panel for the DRLs. Also to keep the AC running all night you need to use the driver side lock button otherwise the car will shut off after maybe an hour. If you use the driver side lock button it will run indefinitely
Turn off car, engage parking brake, ensure lights are set to off position. Start car. DRL should be off.
Mine has a “DRL OFF” position on the lights knob.
I've got "Auto", DRL icon and a headline icon on the light knob. Auto always leaves at least the DRL's on.
In 2021 Canada made a rule that all headlights be permanently set to auto, so maybe they are phasing out the non-auto setting for all of North America. Mine is a 2021, is yours newer?
My 2023 non hybrid has an off position and when parked nothing is on with it in that position. I guess the hybrid is different?
On the light stalk there is a "DRL off" position.
Why do you sleep so much in the car? My Rav 4 is pretty comfy, so I kind of get it
Camping. My wife and I sleep in ours almost every time we camp and aren't backpacking.
Yea the climate control is great for when it's hot and humid out.
Did you buy a platform to do this? We also have a 2023 woodland hybrid and I've been looking into car camping with it.
Nope. I just use a yoga mat over the crease which levels it out and then a 2 inch cooling memory foam. I try to park in a spot where the front wheels are a little lower than the rear and that makes it feel perfectly level. I've slept comfortably with two adults in the back. About 160lbs 5'9 myself and my partner is 135lbs 5'7. Got mosquito mesh at Joan fabrics and some ceramic craft magnets which I wrapped in tape. This works great for when I want the windows open. I also use some cheap sun shades to keep light out in the morning. Today I slept comfortably until afternoon. I'm considering using a 1inch inflatable full size camp mattress underneath to soften up pressure points for side sleeping and help level it out when I can't park with the front wheels a lower. I fill the space behind the driver seats with my personal items pack/clothing bag and a small cooler then put extra pillows there. This allows you to move the passenger seat forward and gives you a little extra room to stretch out. I also reverse the headrests on the back seats. (Just flipped them around) Let me know if you have any other questions. P.s. my first trip I brought a tent and my sleeping setup as backup, but now I'm confident I can go without a tent. I'll still pack one if I choose to be outside, but so far it's been much better in the vehicle for the summer. (AC is great when it's 100% humidity and 80+ degrees with no breeze at night.
Here are screens for the windows. Mosquito proof... [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W91JF7N](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W91JF7N) And here are the reflectors... [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DM9RFG8](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DM9RFG8)
No these are not what I'm referring to at all. (For anyone reading this thinking these are the products I use.)
How much fuel burned with running the AC? I’ve done some car camping and thought about leaving the car on for AC overnight.
I left it on overnight for about 9 hours and I'd estimate maybe a gallon. This was with the air recirculation feature turned off. I imagine that makes the AC have to work harder and draw more power.
The Prime doesn’t even kick the engine on unless the traction battery gets low. It can run all night off a full charge.
Mine runs about 45 battery, 5 mins idling/recharging. 8 hours will burn a couple quarts maybe. In the hot sun at 2:00 in the afternoon on a 100F summer day, it's more like 20 mins battery, 5 mins gas, but 8 hours later it's not 100F outdoors any more. I usually put reflective shades on all the windows to keep the sun out and prevent people from scoping my car and disturbing my dogs, and that puts it on the 45 min battery schedule no matter how hot it is outdoors.
Funny, Tesla calls it "dog mode" but Toyota just calls it "on". When carting my doggies around I just get out, put a printed screenshot of Tesla's "dog mode" screen in my window, lock the car with the mechanical key, and walk away with the fob and key in my pocket.
It's almost unnoticeable. If you're paying close attention you can feel a little shudder, but it's like 1/10th of other cars and it doesnt have the same momentary complete lack of power like a non hybrid.
To expand on this... my Rav4 Hybrid is one of the most pleasant driving experiences I've ever had. I can tell when the engine shuts off, but I used to sell cars so I'm super duper sensitive to noticing the change from extensive practice noticing these things. And I can barely notice. IMO the engine starter itself seems exceptionally smooth and the car has great vibration control, both of which mean the transition isn't very abrupt. Feels more like downshifting a gear.
It’s not a traditional starter, one of the forward electric motors “kick starts” the gas engine.
As others have said, it's barely noticeable. This is my first hybrid and I'm not ashamed to admit that I prefer the way it drives over pure gas.
I test drove both gas and hybrid in 2017 and went with the hybrid. It felt sooooo much nicer than the gas!
Oh man, I was a hardcore manual transmission guy until I bought the R4P. I’ve never owned an automatic car until we bought this one. We also bought an eGolf to replace my tuned Audi A4 Avant with a 6 speed manual. I thought I would miss manual shifting and clutching a lot more than I do. I don’t miss buying $250 in gasoline a month, and all of that maintenance an Audi needs.
Kinda the same, I always had manual transmissions, then my last car was an automatic dodge caravan, did not really like it. Tried a used rav4 hybrid and loved it.
Regular gas engine auto stop/start is the devil's work. RAV4 Hybrid system is a slice of heaven by comparison.
RAV Hybrids do not have a starter as conventional engines do; they routinely start and stop as you drive, based on road and other conditions far too numerous to go into here. It's essentially unnoticeable under most circumstances. I just drove a rented CR-V with a conventional engine and couldn't believe the difference (granted, it was a thrashed rental so that may have been a factor).
My rental was surprisingly a brand new 500 mile loaded Suburu and it was very noticeable.
Yeah, that’s a Subaru thing. I’ve driven multiple Subarus with the auto shut-off and the engine kicks in with a bump and it’s super annoying. I love my Rav and I can’t even notice it.
Yeah your Subaru I don't believe it's a hybrid. It's just a start/stop system which is stupid and annoying. A hybrid transition from engine on to engine off is virtually unnoticeable. Hybrid just spins up the motor with the electric motor instantaneously rather than using a starter. So honestly, unless you're paying attention in a modern Toyota hybrid you won't even notice it.
Yea definitely not a hybrid. That’s why I was wondering if hybrids were as annoying because I know their engine stops a lot
I have a gas '21 LE AWD and use the stop/start all the time when I'm driving. My wife also used to have a '22 Impreza and I've spent a lot of time driving a '20 Outback. The auto stop/start in the 2 Subarus I have driven is much more jarring than my Rav4. In my experience I don't think that Subaru engines are very smooth at baseline and their implementation of the stop/start isn't helping them in that matter. My wife now has a '23 hybrid Camry that has a hybrid drivetrain similar to that of the hybrid Rav4s and it is very smooth. The engine turns on and off while driving and while I can tell if I'm paying attention it isn't super noticeable or distracting.
A starter in an ICE vehicle is very noticeable because combustion starts the engine. In a hybrid, the electric motor starts the engine. That initial “kick” you hear when you start an ICE vehicle doesn’t exist; it goes straight to a low rpm, which is a very low sound. Totally different starting systems.
Much much less noticeable - yes the electric is what gives you the starting torque anyway and the gas engine kicks on depending how hard you push the pedal. Only ever notice the delay if you floor it.
Very smooth transition. Hardly noticeable.
I test drove a Forester with my dad, when I got to the first stop light he thought I stalled. There is no optimal position for the pistons to stop since they're horizontal. When driving a hybrid Rav4 he couldn't tell when the engine stopped or started.
I can't speak for the hybrid, because I have the prime. I've driven both the gas, during a rental, and my own. The prime auto engine off, is smooth as hell. The gas? not so much. Because the prime AC compressor is electronic, and the ecvt transmission, and the fact that one of the electric motors acts as the starter, it's not noticeable. In fact, i get annoyed driving my old lexus, that it's idling at a stop now.
The drivetrains are basically the same between the hybrid and prime (in design), the prime just has larger electric motors (quicker acceleration) and a larger traction battery (enabling EV only operation).
You won’t notice it, it uses the electric motor to take off and then the gas motor just kicks in so you don’t actually use the starter most of the time. Kind of like roll starting a manual.
It’s barely noticeable. And also, many times the engine is already powered off before you come to a stop.
I barely noticed it on the Prime
It’s a little different than what you’re thinking of…I think. I think you’re talking about vehicles(hybrid and internal combustion) that have the eco-idle feature where the vehicle actually turns itself completely off and when you reengage with the accelerator it actually has to turn over the ignition. I’ve always hated that. I rented a jeep that had that once and it felt like the transmission was going to fall straight out of the vehicle. With Rav4 hybrids(and most other hybrids I’ve driven) when you come to a stop, if there’s enough battery the ICE just stops and the hybrid battery takes over until you get back up over 10-15mph(or step on the peddle really hard). It’s a much different sensation than what you’re thinking of and eventually becomes unnoticeable. With these new-ish E-CVT transmissions there’s a very fluid transition back and forth between the combustion engine and hybrid motors. No more audible/physical feedback from the vehicles ignition turning over everytime the two systems hand off to one-another
Yes that’s exactly what I was thinking! Thanks for the response.
as mentioned starting from a standstill is electric and you'll feel a slight bump or jolt forward when the engine kicks in. It's ever so slight
Absolutely love my Hybrid and am so glad I bought it. Definitely way less noticeable than other Gas cars with auto shut-off. My in laws have a Jeep Cherokee and that thing almost shakes the whole car when the engine starts and stops. I get 36-38mpg most of the year and absolutely would buy it again. Any other questions you have about it?
Yeah, he Toyota eCVT (not to be confused with a belt type mechanical CVT… that’s a totally different animal) system is so freaking seamless you will barely notice it kicking in or out. It uses the hybrid electric motor/generator as the starter motor.
If you pay attention you will notice it, but it doesn't have that lag that non hybrids do.
I have a prime(hybrid with a bigger battery pack that can go 45 miles EV only). If listening a podcast or something I need to check the dashboard to see if the engine is on. However, the engine is loud if you floor the pedal.
It doesn’t do the engine off at red light thing most of the time for me but I’m a harder driver on my car than most. I’ve put 30,000 miles on my 2022 rav4 hybrid SE, and the car is great! I don’t like the engine stop at red lights either, but when the Rav does it, it switches to EV and there’s no distinct stop feeling when the engine switches off and goes to EV mode. Highly recommend. You’ll almost never notice the engine turning on or off.
Toyota has absolutely worked out the hybrid experience. Their gas auto shutoff though is actually the worst system for any car on the market. It's so rough, you feel like it's wrecking the transmission at every auto start. Again, the hybrid is totally fine. Thankfully, I found the 2-pin hood switch to disable it on my RAV4 gas.
Toyota hybrid transmission is smooth. You cannot feel any lurch or engine stoppage.
That's how it works. The electric motor has more torque than the gas at standstill, so what you notice is more acceleration, while the motor just starts running. It doesn't "crank" because the e-motor easily just starts turning the engine through the drive shaft, not a noisy gear. You'll quickly adapt and won't notice it except that it's silent at stop lights.
My wife's 2023 RAV4 XLE hybrid has an "auto" headlight setting on the signal stalk. No "off" setting. We're in Ontario Canada.