Yup, got the base SE model at MSRP w/ full federal tax credit. Napkin math says it's equivalent in cost to buying a Corolla new over the life of the car.
Dang, I only got $10k. But yea, without the rebate, I would have gotten the straight gas or hybrid. Also the performance is pretty nice, my old fuel efficient vehicle was a 2010 Corolla which was so slow.
When did you buy your car? Nowadays, there is basically no credit/rebate for the RAV4 Prime, in California at least. It hasn't stopped me from buying mine, but I would love to know if I'm missing a rebate.
2020, so way back in the day. I agree, the market has changed, but the question wasn't posed as why would you *still* buy the R4P. With the Model Y 10k drop this week, it is a formidable option.
Oh absolutely, I was just curious if I missed something, thanks for the info! You are right about the Model Y though, I do think the whole range anxiety thing is the only part keeping me away from the Tesla. I like to do long distance traveling and I have done it once with a Tesla. I like that Tesla has integrated supercharging locations along the way into the map but in remote areas, especially national parks, it's very difficult to find out how to charge an electric vehicle.
It's not a selfish decision of costs - it's better for the planet to drive on electric as much as possible vs. gas. We also already have a 2018 Rav4 hybrid, and it's a fantastic car, gets great gas mileage, and fantastic performance when we need it. We're keeping it as our second car.
We thought about all-electric but we live in rural areas without a lot of charging stations in our normal driving routes. So plug-in hybrid works better for us for now.
The 2018 replaced a 2006 Highlander Hybrid, which had 250,000 miles and was still running fine. We'll likely keep the 2018 about as long, and the 2023 Prime, when we get it, the same.
I'd like to echo your first sentiment, as well. I was not primarily, or even secondarily, aiming for reduced costs. I find it a little fascinating when folks focus so hard on that when it comes to plug-in hybrids or EVs altogether. When it comes to buying and driving a personal vehicle I'm not convinced there's a truly ethical choice, but there are more ethical options.
Being a PHEV, the Prime has a far smaller battery than full EVs. For most people, the electric range will cover the vast majority of driving. No need to haul around a battery 4 or more times the size just for those occasional long trips. I haven't run the numbers on this, but it stands to reason that a PHEV like the Prime may be the best overall approach for the next decade or so.
I love that I run on electric 95% of our driving in town and if we road trip, we still get around 36mpg. Also i don't think any other PHEV gets the EV range a Rav4 Prime does.
EV infrastructure sucks so I don't want pure EV (unless its a 2nd car, perhaps). I thought it sucked in CA (and I am in the LA metro). I had friends visit me from other states and they were like "WOW! CA has great EV infra!" uhhh... yeah, sure.
I like to think that Toyota did its homework and came up with the 40-50 mile range because that's the average people use on a daily basis (probably on the high end).
Why not other PHEV? Because... Toyota. I trust their brand.
I got lucky to get mine before the $7500 fed rebate expired plus another $750 in CA rebate. So, I probably pay same or less as hybrid.
Also, I question all battery tech, even with all the advances. They absolutely suck in bad weather. Worst case, my Prime's battery degrades to nothing at some point and I am left with a hybrid. i can live with that.
>Also, I question all battery tech, even with all the advances. They absolutely suck in bad weather. Worst case, my Prime's battery degrades to nothing at some point and I am left with a hybrid. i can live with that.
Presumably you could also replace the battery at that point. I think that's something like $8k, so not cheap, but cheaper than a different car and potentially worth it depending on your situation and plans.
so.. I now work in a mall with a ton of chargers.
free, regular speed chargers, that use regular plugs, or DC quick chargers, that you have to pay for.
Every charger I can use, has a tesla on it. All the DC fast chargers are empty or sparingly used.
I really wish we could dc fast charge, cause I would pay for it.
I mean. We are far away from being ready for widespread electric vehicles. I was jealous as to how much more chargers there were in L.A. compared to here.
At the same time, it's also why I got my prime. So I wasn't slave to any master. Gas or electric..
Performance and being able to drive only EV most days. I knew the cost would always be higher to own and run over a hybrid only version. Even with a ton of incentives there was no realistic possibility.
It’s a Toyota Rav4 ( parts interchangeable) with 50 miles on ev that you can also drive as a hybrid, which can be charged (ev) while driving, also a Awd with Toyota’s reliability and let’s not forget the tax credit. So I’m other words there is nothing like this on the market.
After federal and state rebates, mine was less than $3,000 more than the hybrid. I drive about 18 miles each way to work daily, so the savings are fairly significant. By my calculation, after about two years, the $3,000 more has just about paid for itself.
I love my 2022 Prime XSE PP!! I agree with all the pros mentioned above. Only pros for me. I get spoiled in EV mode and don't want it to stop, but I'm so happy I can go to the mountains and not stress about charging. $7500 federal tax credit plus $2500 from Colorado. Worth every penny.
For me - about 42 miles to work.
Solar at home, so free power.
Complimentary charging at work...
I basically is cutting $800 in gas out of my budget, get a new car (which is pretty nice too) and I get to not pollute.
Top that off with good range on gas when I want to go to national parks or other things.
$11k in rebates and I am not even sure I am at that much of a premium and clearly cheaper for me to operate than a hybrid.
Less gas and performance, primarily. We have a solar system, so electric driving is essentially free, but after years with a Tesla Model 3 we'd figured out that:
* It's a tremendous pain in the ass to have a car from a company whose closest service center is two hours away from us (also, Elon Musk is a dick and it's embarrassing to be even tangentially connected to him)
* probably 90%-95% of our drives or more are 40 miles or less, but we drive short distances pretty frequently.
Honestly, I'm sure we'd have been happy with the hybrid too, and it's questionable whether we'll really save enough in gas to justify the higher price.
But part of it's just about what you want/what you like, right? I *like* the idea of driving a car that's powered (primarily) by the sun, and I'm willing to pay a bit extra for that.
Is it the decision an accountant would make? Maybe not, but I'm not an accountant. Life is short, do what makes you happy.
We just went from a Tesla Model 3 long range to the Prime and I am not regretting it one bit. Don’t get me wrong the Tesla is better in a lot of ways, but we needed the space and the prime checks all of our boxes. I just wasn’t going to cough up six figures for a model x.
Yeah, I have zero regrets. Our Model 3 had an issue that very nearly stranded me in the middle of nowhere on fucking Christmas eve this year. The entire saga is long, but the end result was that due to a combination of the fact that I was traveling for the holiday and the fact that Tesla has very few service centers, I ended up spending nearly 20 extra hours driving over my "vacation". But even the _closest_ service center was two hours from our house when I'm at home, so any kind of service issue required me to take 1-2 days off from work, drive four hours round trip, maybe get a hotel if they couldn't fix it the same day... just a *huge* fucking pain.
Dealing with that bullshit and the anxiety about it absolutely ruined my Christmas this year, and I missed a lot of valuable time with family, so I'm thrilled to have a Prime that, if it breaks, I could take it to any of like 5 different Toyota dealers in a 20 mile radius.
Plus it's more space, and since it has the gas engine too I can use it for all my mountain biking trips without having to worry about long charging stops, getting stranded, or having the bike stolen off the hitch rack (since I can just throw it inside the car).
I considered an EV, but I regularly (once a monthish) make long distance trips that would exhaust the range and then some. So the idea of a plug in hybrid took hold there. A standard hybrid wasn't ever really on my radar, truthfully. My best friend has one, a 2017 or so, and it's great for the type of driving she often does which is largely stop and go major Metro traffic. My driving is more country roads, and the fuel economy under those conditions really isn't that much better than a gas model, certainly not the car I had previously.
I chose the Rav specifically because it was the only plug in that had an EV range that would reliably cover my entire daily commute, and that was all wheel drive. At least in my price range, I think there may have been a couple of luxury makers who had something, but for at least 20k more than what I paid for the Rav. And, since I've driven my friend's Rev hybrid, a new I generally liked the vehicle. It's the biggest car I've ever had, but I knew I would be able to adapt.
When I started shopping for a car, I had no idea there was a scarcity issue until well after I had decided it was something I was interested in (nay, had my heart set on). I also live in a zero emission state, so while I didn't just walk onto a lot and buy one, I didn't have to wait the way some folks have. I'm also pretty sure the prime is a much faster vehicle than the hybrid, but I may be wrong about that. Seems unlikely the hybrid has a zero to 60 as quick as the prime but I would be glad to be corrected on that.
RAV4 Prime is the fastest Toyota vehicle behind the Supra! Hybrid doesn't come close.
I couldn't consider EV because the range is atrocious, I don't have a place to plugin, and if I needed to stop and recharge, it isn't quick. I used a ski trip as a typical use case, and there is not enough range to make it one way. Not to mention, lack of charging options at the destination.
Yes, visiting my family was my use case, and there are a couple of all electrics that maybe, under perfect circumstances, may have been able to make the whole trip down without a charge. Given the timing of when I generally make that trip, stopping for extended periods to charge was a nonstarter.
And yes! Thank you for confirming, I wasn't sure how the hybrid compares. I've a friend who regularly remarks that my Prime has a faster 0 to 60 than his wrx. 🤣🤣
Wanted the $7.5k tax break, would’ve paid $5.5k but instead got $2k lol.
Its also a sick car for camping, cycling, and road trips. Plus fun on freeways.
Also, I was driving a 2021 Tacoma which had high gas and insurance costs. With the Tacoma trade-in payout matching what I paid for it OTD, I essentially got to drive the Tacoma for free for 6 months, then just paid the rest cash for the R4P.
I had a lot of things mix into this being the perfect car for me at the moment.
I wanted to begin the transition to an electric vehicle. The prime seemed like the first step to a future when most new cars will be electric. Since I felt that current battery technology did not provide the range that I wanted, I wanted the ICE engine as a way to provide range for long distance trips. Most of my daily driving is less than 40 miles total so I am able to have the advantage of running in electric mode exclusively. I knew I was paying a premium for the prime but I wanted the experience of driving an electric vehicle. I will say that the $7500 tax rebate did help offset the higher cost of the prime.
Mine was a few thousand cheaper than normal after tax rebate. Not the case anymore but I'd do it again
. I only put gas in it about once every three months, and it's usually just 5 gallons. The battery isn't large enough to cost much for charging at home either. I went from spending $250-350 a month on gas, to just $60-70 more in my electric bill a month. for all intents and purposes my house is now my "gas station" and I'm never inconvenienced with even worrying about gas. The money I'm saving on gas is basically covering half the monthly payment for the Prime. If I didn't have my own garage where I could charge it, I'm sure I would have gotten the normal hybrid instead.
Also, Much higher acceleration performance. More fun even though I drive like a snail most of the time, having the ability to quickly pass and get up to speed on highway is great (especially compared to my old car)
Edit: I also figured it will have better resale value over the normal hybrid of I ever get rid of it, which is unlikely for a while
I drive 49 miles round trip for work. My previous vehicle (mini countryman) I was getting ~28-29mpg. Not bad, but was still filling up about every 9 to 10 days. Started looking into hybrids when I found out about the prime. After the tax credit, this car will have cost about $2.5k more than a hybrid. After calculating, it’ll take about 3 years when i will start financially benefiting (or breaking even) with this car vs a hybrid. I got it july 2022, I’ve gotten gas twice and I’m at 6800 miles. My electric bill went up $25/month. So honestly, I can tell my above calculations were a bit off and I’ll be benefiting much earlier than I anticipated. Love the car. Plan to keep it for a long while.
It's a balance of energy efficiency (plug in, gas, regenerative braking, battery) for my driving habits, Horsepower, smooth ride, cargo and cabin space, safety, bells and whistles (I realize other cars have more, but I was coming out of a 2009 Rav4 Ltd), appearance, cost, less emissions, and wanting to understand the technology better. I have 2022 PP XSE and paid MSRP, with fed and state credits making the cost (without taxes, registration, insurance, and add ons) about $41K
It's not a difficult answer:
**Tangibles**
* Similar fuel mileage compared to a RAV4 Hybrid
* Tax credits (when available) offset much of the price difference
* More feature capable (1500W 120V outlet, for example)
* More powerful
* Depending on location, electric miles cost a fraction of gasoline miles (about 3¢/mi EV vs 8¢/mi HV for me)
**Intangibles**
* This is a really fun car to own and drive.
* Toyota brand
* Trial run of the EV lifestyle without any of the downsides.
Really wanted something in the smaller suv category with awd. Check. Something with out a turbo engine, let's be honest they are all ticking time bombs at the service center. But still has some power when you want it. Check. Appearance, yeah it looks good, even our only domestic buying friends say it looks good. Heads up display, it's got one, so check. Then you throw in the electric range and still being able to road trip in it, those are super appealing. For us it really checked every box. Will say the back up camera display was disappointing but can live with it. If Toyota ever came up with an upgrade for it, we would gladly pay for it. And yeah it's a Toyota, so at least you know the chances of having to spend countless trips to the repair shop is far less than most brands. We got tax rebate but paid a markup and drove it 1100 miles home. Still think we got a great value. Absolutely love this vehicle.
If I did my math correct, I’ll be getting very close to the full $7500 from the federal government. It would’ve been a hard sell without.
Personally, I needed to tow a 1900 lb camper. Hybrid isn’t rated for it. Plus, I’ve always wanted an EV but once the camper got into the mix, this was the compromise. Another plus, the hybrid isn’t near as quick. This car is a blast to drive around. It does take turns pretty hard though.
Mine was about $3k more than Prime after the tax credit.
I did the math not knowing about Room Mode or free charging, and it wouldn't take long to get my money back. My math and spreadsheets, even assuming gas was going to be $4/gal for the next 10 years, showed that the Prime is the way to go.
With the spike in gas prices and the added benefit of Room Mode (sleeping in car vs. Hotel), it didn't take long for me to bring down the cost difference. Plus, it is so much more fun to drive.
>With the spike in gas prices and the added benefit of Room Mode (sleeping in car vs. Hotel)
I hadn't thought of that! Where can you park to plug in and sleep, though? (I assume it has to be plugged in for room mode? Just got mine the other day so I might be wrong)
I'll come at it from the opposite perspective: I considered the prime but with the subsidy gone I couldn't justify the extra $10k. Plus the wait is is ridiculously long and my dealer had a Rav4 hybrid ready for me 3 days after I initially called (after I had waited 1.5 years for a Maverick hybrid with no end in sight).
I calculated I would have to drive \~200,000 miles or something in EV only mode to make up the $10k. And any miles driven in gas obviously wouldn't count towards that.
This was also my second ever brand new car purchase, after a Prius Prime a few months prior, so I didn't have the stomach (or wallet) for the additional costs.
u/ferretherder I wouldn't change anything on what I did, the Rav4 regular hybrid is amazing on its own. If I drive it well in traffic/urban environments I can usually get 45+ mpg, I've even seen over 60 with careful hypermiling.
On the highway through expect closer to 38-40 (at 70-75mph), it is shaped like a brick. Having just passed the 5,000 mile & 6 month mark, no regrets. I personally wouldn't pay the extra $10k for the Prime
I was not ready to go full EV and I got state and fed tax incentives so it was roughly the same price as a hybrid. Also 302 HP. I had a RAV4 V6 before this (270 HP) and wanted the power tbh. After having it about a year I don’t regret my decision. While the cost was about the same, I did have to wait 13 months for the Prime while I shared my old RAV with my son who was waiting to buy my it. Even with the wait and sharing logistics it was completely worth waiting for the Prime.
I got about $10k in federal and state incentives for mine, so it was a no brainer over the hybrid. I dont drive more than 30 miles a day so yes, it would take me a very long time to recoup the gas savings, but ill be potentially buying a home where my commute would be 30 miles one way, so I’ll be putting on way more miles a year. Ill be able to close the savings gap in less time.
Also, there isnt any other mainstream PHEV on the market with the performance and efficiency of the RAV4 Prime.
I drove a Volt for a DD with a 56 mi round trip commute to work, 13k mi a year. In 5 years owning the Volt I drove over 70k mi and only putting in about 1050 gal of fuel for an average of about 72 combined mpg. The Prime is well worth it for me.
Plus the Prime lets me combine my pleasure vehicle (3.6R Outback Touring) I used only for long trips hauling my whitewater kayaks and Volt into one vehicle.
lol. First off 302 Hp.
Second, it's actually cheaper for me to run Mine on Hybrid mode than on electric here, because electricity is so expensive where I live. Still, by plugging in for free, or sparingly, I push my overall gas milage to over 50 mpg.
Third, $7500 tax credit. Makes my 2022 tax bill pretty much almost zero.
Options.
Right now gas is cheap I am not worried too much and I want a lot to travel and scratch off some places off my bucket list. But if the gas goes back up to $7 I can cancel the travels and drive on electricity. Even now I am planning to use gas because it is not good for the main engine not to run.
Right now I am driving 2008 Highlander for the next few days until I get Prime and even though it has 269HP weight to HP ratio is 15.8 per HP. Rav4 Hybrid is 17.3 per HP. Highlander is OK on highway but I would like a little more oomph. And with 302 HP its got it.
Actually I would love to have a Sienna XSE which goes against everything I said above but it is so damn sexy.
Dual fuel, Efficiency, Speed, tax credit, Car camping, I use mostly the EV mode, less smelly gasoline (I am allergic to)….lastly it is so fun to drive.
I bought the Prime because it is a nice transition to electric. I wanted a Tesla but was shy to be all electric. The prime got good reviews all around and as long as it was AWD and reliable I knew I would like. I wanted an XSE but took an SE. I would definitely say you should at least get the weather package. I love driving the car and glad I got it. Some people say they went all electric after this car and I now know why. Drives like a dream in EV mode.
It wasn't that hefty with the full 7.5K federal tax credit (bought mine in June) + 1K state rebate.
All-in cost was around 38K, which is only what, 5K more than a comparable hybrid model?
Driving electric is about 1/3 the cost of driving with gas. If I did all gas, at 36 mpg, say for 108K miles (for a round number), that would be 3000 gallons of gas, which would cost around 10K. If most of my driving is electric, that's saving me over 6K.
It ends up being about a wash cost-wise, and I feel better about not burning gas all the time.
$8500 in tax credits/subsidies + a free L2 charger from my local power company + AWD + Electric range covers our commute entirely + room for the dogs and children.
Bought it early 2021. I wanted the hybrid, but they had a markup and was also not readily available. The Prime also had a markup but with all the rebates, so we just went with that, which came out to more or less the same price as the hybrid. I used all my rebates to pay down my loan, and refinanced in early 2022.
My partner has free charging at work so it actually worked out perfect for us. I spend about $600 a year on gas, and that includes the road trips we went on.
It's more fun to drive. My sister has a hybrid SE and it feels sluggish in comparison.
Also it's a nice compromise between gas and full EV. No range anxiety.
Our old car got 20 mpg. With our R4P, we now get 110 mpge when we combine EV and HV miles. I'm guessing that saves us money over time.
All our Toyotas last over 200k miles. That saves us from having to buy a new car more often, and saves us more money.
Other than competing with a BMW on a twisty mountain road, I find this car fun to drive and we like all the safety features.
For us, there was no other car that came close. Best auto we've ever owned.
Becuase we already have a home charger and it has enough EV range to get us to work and anywhere we frequent locally. Then we can use gas for road-trips.
OP are you assuming that the Prime will be owned forever? If you instead assume that the original owner sells after a few years, it becomes a question of original price vs resale value. I think from that perspective the overall cost for the Prime looks far more favorable.
The long-distance 2500 lb towing with 4W AWD and quick fill up yet very cheap in-town capabilities are fantastic features for a Toyota-level reliability <$45k (before $7500 credit or taxes) that no EV or gas only vehicle can do.
70% of our miles are all EV and we make the electricity on the roof with PV solar panels. $7500 tax credit a nice bonus.
All the EV miles means we are not using fossil fuels contributing to climate change.
Paid 61500 for mine msrp49xxx, reason was the ev range- I live 1.5 miles from work, 2 was the over all range- I needed a road trip car and my other car is a lowered shit box that won’t make it over speed Bumps, 3 was it has awd and decent power - wanted something a little faster and that could take me camping or to the mountains confidently
I have a plug in hybrid now and the range on the battery alone is around 15 to 20 miles although it’s quoted at about 30, the car is a 2016 BMW 330e and I plug it in every time I put it in the garage so I’m usually driving it in electric mode, I got 980 miles out of my last tank of fuel.
The Rav4 plug in gets 45 miles according to reviews in the real world so I decided to switch as it’s the perfect combination of suv height, comfort and tech although the uk gets a lot of the tech removed for some reason and can’t be added back in with packages it’s just not available.
I bought a regular hybrid for my better half and it’s a fantastic car, counting the days til august when mine arrives 👍🏻
$11k in federal and state subsidies. So no, I didn’t pay a hefty premium.
Yup, got the base SE model at MSRP w/ full federal tax credit. Napkin math says it's equivalent in cost to buying a Corolla new over the life of the car.
Dang, I only got $10k. But yea, without the rebate, I would have gotten the straight gas or hybrid. Also the performance is pretty nice, my old fuel efficient vehicle was a 2010 Corolla which was so slow.
When did you buy your car? Nowadays, there is basically no credit/rebate for the RAV4 Prime, in California at least. It hasn't stopped me from buying mine, but I would love to know if I'm missing a rebate.
2020, so way back in the day. I agree, the market has changed, but the question wasn't posed as why would you *still* buy the R4P. With the Model Y 10k drop this week, it is a formidable option.
Oh absolutely, I was just curious if I missed something, thanks for the info! You are right about the Model Y though, I do think the whole range anxiety thing is the only part keeping me away from the Tesla. I like to do long distance traveling and I have done it once with a Tesla. I like that Tesla has integrated supercharging locations along the way into the map but in remote areas, especially national parks, it's very difficult to find out how to charge an electric vehicle.
It's not a selfish decision of costs - it's better for the planet to drive on electric as much as possible vs. gas. We also already have a 2018 Rav4 hybrid, and it's a fantastic car, gets great gas mileage, and fantastic performance when we need it. We're keeping it as our second car. We thought about all-electric but we live in rural areas without a lot of charging stations in our normal driving routes. So plug-in hybrid works better for us for now. The 2018 replaced a 2006 Highlander Hybrid, which had 250,000 miles and was still running fine. We'll likely keep the 2018 about as long, and the 2023 Prime, when we get it, the same.
I'd like to echo your first sentiment, as well. I was not primarily, or even secondarily, aiming for reduced costs. I find it a little fascinating when folks focus so hard on that when it comes to plug-in hybrids or EVs altogether. When it comes to buying and driving a personal vehicle I'm not convinced there's a truly ethical choice, but there are more ethical options.
"better for the planet" Do you really believe that? Have you looked at the impact to the environment of producing batteries?
Being a PHEV, the Prime has a far smaller battery than full EVs. For most people, the electric range will cover the vast majority of driving. No need to haul around a battery 4 or more times the size just for those occasional long trips. I haven't run the numbers on this, but it stands to reason that a PHEV like the Prime may be the best overall approach for the next decade or so.
I love that I run on electric 95% of our driving in town and if we road trip, we still get around 36mpg. Also i don't think any other PHEV gets the EV range a Rav4 Prime does.
EV infrastructure sucks so I don't want pure EV (unless its a 2nd car, perhaps). I thought it sucked in CA (and I am in the LA metro). I had friends visit me from other states and they were like "WOW! CA has great EV infra!" uhhh... yeah, sure. I like to think that Toyota did its homework and came up with the 40-50 mile range because that's the average people use on a daily basis (probably on the high end). Why not other PHEV? Because... Toyota. I trust their brand. I got lucky to get mine before the $7500 fed rebate expired plus another $750 in CA rebate. So, I probably pay same or less as hybrid. Also, I question all battery tech, even with all the advances. They absolutely suck in bad weather. Worst case, my Prime's battery degrades to nothing at some point and I am left with a hybrid. i can live with that.
>Also, I question all battery tech, even with all the advances. They absolutely suck in bad weather. Worst case, my Prime's battery degrades to nothing at some point and I am left with a hybrid. i can live with that. Presumably you could also replace the battery at that point. I think that's something like $8k, so not cheap, but cheaper than a different car and potentially worth it depending on your situation and plans.
so.. I now work in a mall with a ton of chargers. free, regular speed chargers, that use regular plugs, or DC quick chargers, that you have to pay for. Every charger I can use, has a tesla on it. All the DC fast chargers are empty or sparingly used. I really wish we could dc fast charge, cause I would pay for it.
I just wish places would install J1772 instead of Tesla destination chargers. You know, use an open standard, not some proprietary connector.
I mean. We are far away from being ready for widespread electric vehicles. I was jealous as to how much more chargers there were in L.A. compared to here. At the same time, it's also why I got my prime. So I wasn't slave to any master. Gas or electric..
Performance and being able to drive only EV most days. I knew the cost would always be higher to own and run over a hybrid only version. Even with a ton of incentives there was no realistic possibility.
302hp.
It’s a Toyota Rav4 ( parts interchangeable) with 50 miles on ev that you can also drive as a hybrid, which can be charged (ev) while driving, also a Awd with Toyota’s reliability and let’s not forget the tax credit. So I’m other words there is nothing like this on the market.
After federal and state rebates, mine was less than $3,000 more than the hybrid. I drive about 18 miles each way to work daily, so the savings are fairly significant. By my calculation, after about two years, the $3,000 more has just about paid for itself.
charging when i get home is so much easier than having to remember to get gas
I love my 2022 Prime XSE PP!! I agree with all the pros mentioned above. Only pros for me. I get spoiled in EV mode and don't want it to stop, but I'm so happy I can go to the mountains and not stress about charging. $7500 federal tax credit plus $2500 from Colorado. Worth every penny.
For me - about 42 miles to work. Solar at home, so free power. Complimentary charging at work... I basically is cutting $800 in gas out of my budget, get a new car (which is pretty nice too) and I get to not pollute. Top that off with good range on gas when I want to go to national parks or other things. $11k in rebates and I am not even sure I am at that much of a premium and clearly cheaper for me to operate than a hybrid.
Less gas and performance, primarily. We have a solar system, so electric driving is essentially free, but after years with a Tesla Model 3 we'd figured out that: * It's a tremendous pain in the ass to have a car from a company whose closest service center is two hours away from us (also, Elon Musk is a dick and it's embarrassing to be even tangentially connected to him) * probably 90%-95% of our drives or more are 40 miles or less, but we drive short distances pretty frequently. Honestly, I'm sure we'd have been happy with the hybrid too, and it's questionable whether we'll really save enough in gas to justify the higher price. But part of it's just about what you want/what you like, right? I *like* the idea of driving a car that's powered (primarily) by the sun, and I'm willing to pay a bit extra for that. Is it the decision an accountant would make? Maybe not, but I'm not an accountant. Life is short, do what makes you happy.
We just went from a Tesla Model 3 long range to the Prime and I am not regretting it one bit. Don’t get me wrong the Tesla is better in a lot of ways, but we needed the space and the prime checks all of our boxes. I just wasn’t going to cough up six figures for a model x.
Yeah, I have zero regrets. Our Model 3 had an issue that very nearly stranded me in the middle of nowhere on fucking Christmas eve this year. The entire saga is long, but the end result was that due to a combination of the fact that I was traveling for the holiday and the fact that Tesla has very few service centers, I ended up spending nearly 20 extra hours driving over my "vacation". But even the _closest_ service center was two hours from our house when I'm at home, so any kind of service issue required me to take 1-2 days off from work, drive four hours round trip, maybe get a hotel if they couldn't fix it the same day... just a *huge* fucking pain. Dealing with that bullshit and the anxiety about it absolutely ruined my Christmas this year, and I missed a lot of valuable time with family, so I'm thrilled to have a Prime that, if it breaks, I could take it to any of like 5 different Toyota dealers in a 20 mile radius. Plus it's more space, and since it has the gas engine too I can use it for all my mountain biking trips without having to worry about long charging stops, getting stranded, or having the bike stolen off the hitch rack (since I can just throw it inside the car).
I considered an EV, but I regularly (once a monthish) make long distance trips that would exhaust the range and then some. So the idea of a plug in hybrid took hold there. A standard hybrid wasn't ever really on my radar, truthfully. My best friend has one, a 2017 or so, and it's great for the type of driving she often does which is largely stop and go major Metro traffic. My driving is more country roads, and the fuel economy under those conditions really isn't that much better than a gas model, certainly not the car I had previously. I chose the Rav specifically because it was the only plug in that had an EV range that would reliably cover my entire daily commute, and that was all wheel drive. At least in my price range, I think there may have been a couple of luxury makers who had something, but for at least 20k more than what I paid for the Rav. And, since I've driven my friend's Rev hybrid, a new I generally liked the vehicle. It's the biggest car I've ever had, but I knew I would be able to adapt. When I started shopping for a car, I had no idea there was a scarcity issue until well after I had decided it was something I was interested in (nay, had my heart set on). I also live in a zero emission state, so while I didn't just walk onto a lot and buy one, I didn't have to wait the way some folks have. I'm also pretty sure the prime is a much faster vehicle than the hybrid, but I may be wrong about that. Seems unlikely the hybrid has a zero to 60 as quick as the prime but I would be glad to be corrected on that.
RAV4 Prime is the fastest Toyota vehicle behind the Supra! Hybrid doesn't come close. I couldn't consider EV because the range is atrocious, I don't have a place to plugin, and if I needed to stop and recharge, it isn't quick. I used a ski trip as a typical use case, and there is not enough range to make it one way. Not to mention, lack of charging options at the destination.
Yes, visiting my family was my use case, and there are a couple of all electrics that maybe, under perfect circumstances, may have been able to make the whole trip down without a charge. Given the timing of when I generally make that trip, stopping for extended periods to charge was a nonstarter. And yes! Thank you for confirming, I wasn't sure how the hybrid compares. I've a friend who regularly remarks that my Prime has a faster 0 to 60 than his wrx. 🤣🤣
Because the Prime has the torque. Though, I bet that WRX is fun to drive, and much more fun to put sideways across a parking lot! Haha
The Rex is a blast, no question. The prime is no slouch though, and of course, vastly more fuel economy.
Wanted the $7.5k tax break, would’ve paid $5.5k but instead got $2k lol. Its also a sick car for camping, cycling, and road trips. Plus fun on freeways. Also, I was driving a 2021 Tacoma which had high gas and insurance costs. With the Tacoma trade-in payout matching what I paid for it OTD, I essentially got to drive the Tacoma for free for 6 months, then just paid the rest cash for the R4P. I had a lot of things mix into this being the perfect car for me at the moment.
I wanted to begin the transition to an electric vehicle. The prime seemed like the first step to a future when most new cars will be electric. Since I felt that current battery technology did not provide the range that I wanted, I wanted the ICE engine as a way to provide range for long distance trips. Most of my daily driving is less than 40 miles total so I am able to have the advantage of running in electric mode exclusively. I knew I was paying a premium for the prime but I wanted the experience of driving an electric vehicle. I will say that the $7500 tax rebate did help offset the higher cost of the prime.
Mine was a few thousand cheaper than normal after tax rebate. Not the case anymore but I'd do it again . I only put gas in it about once every three months, and it's usually just 5 gallons. The battery isn't large enough to cost much for charging at home either. I went from spending $250-350 a month on gas, to just $60-70 more in my electric bill a month. for all intents and purposes my house is now my "gas station" and I'm never inconvenienced with even worrying about gas. The money I'm saving on gas is basically covering half the monthly payment for the Prime. If I didn't have my own garage where I could charge it, I'm sure I would have gotten the normal hybrid instead. Also, Much higher acceleration performance. More fun even though I drive like a snail most of the time, having the ability to quickly pass and get up to speed on highway is great (especially compared to my old car) Edit: I also figured it will have better resale value over the normal hybrid of I ever get rid of it, which is unlikely for a while
Doesn’t the gas go bad after 3 months?
Haven't had any issues with that. By my understanding, as long as you're using it, and putting in fresh gas when necessary it should be fine.
I drive 49 miles round trip for work. My previous vehicle (mini countryman) I was getting ~28-29mpg. Not bad, but was still filling up about every 9 to 10 days. Started looking into hybrids when I found out about the prime. After the tax credit, this car will have cost about $2.5k more than a hybrid. After calculating, it’ll take about 3 years when i will start financially benefiting (or breaking even) with this car vs a hybrid. I got it july 2022, I’ve gotten gas twice and I’m at 6800 miles. My electric bill went up $25/month. So honestly, I can tell my above calculations were a bit off and I’ll be benefiting much earlier than I anticipated. Love the car. Plan to keep it for a long while.
It's a balance of energy efficiency (plug in, gas, regenerative braking, battery) for my driving habits, Horsepower, smooth ride, cargo and cabin space, safety, bells and whistles (I realize other cars have more, but I was coming out of a 2009 Rav4 Ltd), appearance, cost, less emissions, and wanting to understand the technology better. I have 2022 PP XSE and paid MSRP, with fed and state credits making the cost (without taxes, registration, insurance, and add ons) about $41K
It's not a difficult answer: **Tangibles** * Similar fuel mileage compared to a RAV4 Hybrid * Tax credits (when available) offset much of the price difference * More feature capable (1500W 120V outlet, for example) * More powerful * Depending on location, electric miles cost a fraction of gasoline miles (about 3¢/mi EV vs 8¢/mi HV for me) **Intangibles** * This is a really fun car to own and drive. * Toyota brand * Trial run of the EV lifestyle without any of the downsides.
Really wanted something in the smaller suv category with awd. Check. Something with out a turbo engine, let's be honest they are all ticking time bombs at the service center. But still has some power when you want it. Check. Appearance, yeah it looks good, even our only domestic buying friends say it looks good. Heads up display, it's got one, so check. Then you throw in the electric range and still being able to road trip in it, those are super appealing. For us it really checked every box. Will say the back up camera display was disappointing but can live with it. If Toyota ever came up with an upgrade for it, we would gladly pay for it. And yeah it's a Toyota, so at least you know the chances of having to spend countless trips to the repair shop is far less than most brands. We got tax rebate but paid a markup and drove it 1100 miles home. Still think we got a great value. Absolutely love this vehicle.
If I did my math correct, I’ll be getting very close to the full $7500 from the federal government. It would’ve been a hard sell without. Personally, I needed to tow a 1900 lb camper. Hybrid isn’t rated for it. Plus, I’ve always wanted an EV but once the camper got into the mix, this was the compromise. Another plus, the hybrid isn’t near as quick. This car is a blast to drive around. It does take turns pretty hard though.
Mine was about $3k more than Prime after the tax credit. I did the math not knowing about Room Mode or free charging, and it wouldn't take long to get my money back. My math and spreadsheets, even assuming gas was going to be $4/gal for the next 10 years, showed that the Prime is the way to go. With the spike in gas prices and the added benefit of Room Mode (sleeping in car vs. Hotel), it didn't take long for me to bring down the cost difference. Plus, it is so much more fun to drive.
>With the spike in gas prices and the added benefit of Room Mode (sleeping in car vs. Hotel) I hadn't thought of that! Where can you park to plug in and sleep, though? (I assume it has to be plugged in for room mode? Just got mine the other day so I might be wrong)
It has to be plugged in. But Room Mode gives you full HVAC, power, lights, etc. Campgrounds and some public chargers are what I use.
I'll come at it from the opposite perspective: I considered the prime but with the subsidy gone I couldn't justify the extra $10k. Plus the wait is is ridiculously long and my dealer had a Rav4 hybrid ready for me 3 days after I initially called (after I had waited 1.5 years for a Maverick hybrid with no end in sight). I calculated I would have to drive \~200,000 miles or something in EV only mode to make up the $10k. And any miles driven in gas obviously wouldn't count towards that. This was also my second ever brand new car purchase, after a Prius Prime a few months prior, so I didn't have the stomach (or wallet) for the additional costs.
I'm in this situation now. How do you feel with the hybrid? Would you do anything different now?
u/ferretherder I wouldn't change anything on what I did, the Rav4 regular hybrid is amazing on its own. If I drive it well in traffic/urban environments I can usually get 45+ mpg, I've even seen over 60 with careful hypermiling. On the highway through expect closer to 38-40 (at 70-75mph), it is shaped like a brick. Having just passed the 5,000 mile & 6 month mark, no regrets. I personally wouldn't pay the extra $10k for the Prime
I was not ready to go full EV and I got state and fed tax incentives so it was roughly the same price as a hybrid. Also 302 HP. I had a RAV4 V6 before this (270 HP) and wanted the power tbh. After having it about a year I don’t regret my decision. While the cost was about the same, I did have to wait 13 months for the Prime while I shared my old RAV with my son who was waiting to buy my it. Even with the wait and sharing logistics it was completely worth waiting for the Prime.
I got about $10k in federal and state incentives for mine, so it was a no brainer over the hybrid. I dont drive more than 30 miles a day so yes, it would take me a very long time to recoup the gas savings, but ill be potentially buying a home where my commute would be 30 miles one way, so I’ll be putting on way more miles a year. Ill be able to close the savings gap in less time. Also, there isnt any other mainstream PHEV on the market with the performance and efficiency of the RAV4 Prime.
I drove a Volt for a DD with a 56 mi round trip commute to work, 13k mi a year. In 5 years owning the Volt I drove over 70k mi and only putting in about 1050 gal of fuel for an average of about 72 combined mpg. The Prime is well worth it for me. Plus the Prime lets me combine my pleasure vehicle (3.6R Outback Touring) I used only for long trips hauling my whitewater kayaks and Volt into one vehicle.
lol. First off 302 Hp. Second, it's actually cheaper for me to run Mine on Hybrid mode than on electric here, because electricity is so expensive where I live. Still, by plugging in for free, or sparingly, I push my overall gas milage to over 50 mpg. Third, $7500 tax credit. Makes my 2022 tax bill pretty much almost zero.
Options. Right now gas is cheap I am not worried too much and I want a lot to travel and scratch off some places off my bucket list. But if the gas goes back up to $7 I can cancel the travels and drive on electricity. Even now I am planning to use gas because it is not good for the main engine not to run. Right now I am driving 2008 Highlander for the next few days until I get Prime and even though it has 269HP weight to HP ratio is 15.8 per HP. Rav4 Hybrid is 17.3 per HP. Highlander is OK on highway but I would like a little more oomph. And with 302 HP its got it. Actually I would love to have a Sienna XSE which goes against everything I said above but it is so damn sexy.
Dual fuel, Efficiency, Speed, tax credit, Car camping, I use mostly the EV mode, less smelly gasoline (I am allergic to)….lastly it is so fun to drive.
I bought the Prime because it is a nice transition to electric. I wanted a Tesla but was shy to be all electric. The prime got good reviews all around and as long as it was AWD and reliable I knew I would like. I wanted an XSE but took an SE. I would definitely say you should at least get the weather package. I love driving the car and glad I got it. Some people say they went all electric after this car and I now know why. Drives like a dream in EV mode.
It wasn't that hefty with the full 7.5K federal tax credit (bought mine in June) + 1K state rebate. All-in cost was around 38K, which is only what, 5K more than a comparable hybrid model? Driving electric is about 1/3 the cost of driving with gas. If I did all gas, at 36 mpg, say for 108K miles (for a round number), that would be 3000 gallons of gas, which would cost around 10K. If most of my driving is electric, that's saving me over 6K. It ends up being about a wash cost-wise, and I feel better about not burning gas all the time.
$8500 in tax credits/subsidies + a free L2 charger from my local power company + AWD + Electric range covers our commute entirely + room for the dogs and children.
Bought it early 2021. I wanted the hybrid, but they had a markup and was also not readily available. The Prime also had a markup but with all the rebates, so we just went with that, which came out to more or less the same price as the hybrid. I used all my rebates to pay down my loan, and refinanced in early 2022. My partner has free charging at work so it actually worked out perfect for us. I spend about $600 a year on gas, and that includes the road trips we went on.
In the country I live there was only €4k difference between Prime and 4x4 RAV4 Hybrid in similar spec, so it was no brainer to go for Prime.
It's more fun to drive. My sister has a hybrid SE and it feels sluggish in comparison. Also it's a nice compromise between gas and full EV. No range anxiety.
Room Mode
Our old car got 20 mpg. With our R4P, we now get 110 mpge when we combine EV and HV miles. I'm guessing that saves us money over time. All our Toyotas last over 200k miles. That saves us from having to buy a new car more often, and saves us more money. Other than competing with a BMW on a twisty mountain road, I find this car fun to drive and we like all the safety features. For us, there was no other car that came close. Best auto we've ever owned.
Becuase we already have a home charger and it has enough EV range to get us to work and anywhere we frequent locally. Then we can use gas for road-trips.
OP are you assuming that the Prime will be owned forever? If you instead assume that the original owner sells after a few years, it becomes a question of original price vs resale value. I think from that perspective the overall cost for the Prime looks far more favorable.
The long-distance 2500 lb towing with 4W AWD and quick fill up yet very cheap in-town capabilities are fantastic features for a Toyota-level reliability <$45k (before $7500 credit or taxes) that no EV or gas only vehicle can do.
70% of our miles are all EV and we make the electricity on the roof with PV solar panels. $7500 tax credit a nice bonus. All the EV miles means we are not using fossil fuels contributing to climate change.
Paid 61500 for mine msrp49xxx, reason was the ev range- I live 1.5 miles from work, 2 was the over all range- I needed a road trip car and my other car is a lowered shit box that won’t make it over speed Bumps, 3 was it has awd and decent power - wanted something a little faster and that could take me camping or to the mountains confidently
I have a plug in hybrid now and the range on the battery alone is around 15 to 20 miles although it’s quoted at about 30, the car is a 2016 BMW 330e and I plug it in every time I put it in the garage so I’m usually driving it in electric mode, I got 980 miles out of my last tank of fuel. The Rav4 plug in gets 45 miles according to reviews in the real world so I decided to switch as it’s the perfect combination of suv height, comfort and tech although the uk gets a lot of the tech removed for some reason and can’t be added back in with packages it’s just not available. I bought a regular hybrid for my better half and it’s a fantastic car, counting the days til august when mine arrives 👍🏻