Considering the RAV4 hybrid
I am looking to replace our current vehicle (17 expedition) because of some issues (1st gen Ecoboost... eats plugs every 30k miles, runs rich, poorer than expected milage, plus the looming threat of cam phaser and timing issues common to this motor) and the fact we don't really need the space anymore now that my kids are out of the full size baby seats and our dog doesn't travel with us much anymore (because we don't travel much anymore..).
I have always bought used. The expedition I bought with 70k miles on it and now it has around 135k. I'm growing tired of swapping cars every 3-4 years, so I started doing research a few months back and the name that keeps coming up again and again is the RAV4.
I test drove one to make sure I fit (6'3" and certainly no stranger to cheesecake) and the fit was nice. I used to drive a 13 Ford focus so I figured it would be fine, and it was. I think I'm most interested in the hybrid drivetrain as the allure of the e-cvt (chunky planetary gear system, no clutches, seems incredibly bulletproof) is quite tempting. Not to mention we mostly drive city and the better mpg is a nice bonus, but the cost difference between the 2 make that a bit of a moot point. I realize the long term cost of batteries and "cable gate" but I'm not too concerned.
My reservation is that based on the used sales figures for these newer (23+) rav4s, it just doesn't make sense to buy used. If I buy the one we want new, it's around 41k out the door. This would be the most expensive vehicle I've ever purchased by an 8k margin.
Our payment versus our current car would go up about 200 per month, but our gas costs will go down about 130 per month so the delta isn't huge. Since the resale value on these vehicles is so high, I'd be "right side up" on the value within 18 or so months. However, the ultimate goal for this car is to have it for 15+ years.
I've never not had a car payment because I had transmission issues or engine issues with them all. I had a Pontiac g6 with transmission issues, a GMC sierra with transmission issues, the focus had the dreaded DCT, I had a ram truck for a little bit which was falling apart almost as soon as I bought it (snapped 3 manifold bolts within 500 miles of owning it just to start), and now we have this expedition.
I'm kind of tired of American car brands at this point, I seem to be eternally let down and churning through vehicles. I want something safe, reliable and that will drive for decades. With that, the RAV4 seems to hit the mark. It's not a sexy option but I don't really care about that. I've heard it described as a dishwasher on wheels - an appliance, not an exciting driver. That sounds appealing for what I want this vehicle to be.
I guess the reason I'm making this post is to consider whether this is a good idea. I'm not really worried about whether I can afford it (I can), I just don't like spending money and this would be a lot of it. Having said that, it's value seems to be projected to hold up extremely well, just as most Toyotas do, and as you can see from my previous vehicles, I'm not used to that. I want a very long term vehicle but I also want to know that if something in my life changes and I need to get rid of it, it will have decent resale value.
I considered the crv hybrid and the cx-50 hybrid (which has the Toyota drivetrain) but with the crv I felt less happy about extreme long term reliability (newer hybrid system so hasn't been battle tested as much yet) versus the RAV4, and the cx50 is a mazda which doesn't inspire tons of confidence. Maybe they've gotten better but my brothers 2012ish (can't recall exactly) mazda3 was riddled with electrical issues and the center console broke (we think the dealer knew about it and tried a jank repair due to some tape we found) and Mazda wouldn't do anything to fix it (the dealer nor nearby dealers and Mazda customer service themselves).
Anyway, every time I start researching I always come back to the RAV4.
I don't want a 2026 model because I don't buy new models on their first years, plus they look worse than the previous models.
What are your thoughts on the cSUV market?
Edit: I'm in TX so cold isn't an issue 95% of the time as far as hybrid battery issues go
I bought a car recently, and while buying used still worked for me, its no longer buying used in the sense of 'buy a 2-5 year old car used', if you do that you're not saving any money.
There's still plenty of 10-20 year old cars out there that are perfectly reliable, including older Rav4s. But if you want a car newer than that, it seemed like buying new was the way to go.
Thanks for the reassurance. I am quite good at talking myself out of things so the fact I haven't been able to do so here probably means it's the right way to go (at least for me)
This is fun, I agree with literally everything you said. I bought a hybrid 2025 RAV4 less than a year ago, highly recommend for all the reasons mentioned. If you'd like I can send you my spreadsheet of all the compact SUVs in that range and all their features which I used to figure out what model and trim to get.
That would be amazing!
Sent you a DM
Before I went electric, I had a 2018 RAV4 hybrid. I really enjoyed it, it was reliable, good on gas, and could fit a lot (we once managed to fit a huge paddleboard inside with the lift gate closed).
As far as buying used, you’ll pay the Toyota tax, so this is one case where buying new may make sense. Additionally, if you can find one (and are willing to pay more initially), the plug-in hybrid (formerly called the Prime) could be a good option if you drive less than 40 miles most days and have inexpensive electricity.
Only real question is if you need to tow anything. The hybrid has a small (1500 lb) capacity; fine for a utility trailer or a very small boat, but not much else. If you aren’t towing anything beyond that (or you have a dedicated tow vehicle), then you should be fine.
It's really time to be considering full electric at this point. If you can charge at home, it's just such an easy transition and overall wonderful experience. If you want long term ownership costs to be lower, EVs are the main game in town.
It's all about your driving pattern. If you're commuting far enough that home charging doesn't make up for it, you need to find a charging station somewhere along the way. This adds up from a different perspective: more initial planning.
Whereas a gas car (or hybrid) has less fear as long as you aren't driving in the middle of absolutely nowhere without a gas station.
I love our EV for driving around the city. But having a hybrid for road trips and such is fantastic.
My sister had one for a few years, it didn't give any trouble during that period while doing the dual job of work transport and family car. The worst she had to say about it was that if you want to take it on dirt roads there's a bunch of annoying beeps that need to be turned off if you don't want to be bothered every time it sees a nearby bush or goes over a bit of gravel - that seems par for the course though with modern cars. It was a fleet vehicle rather than personally owned otherwise she would have kept it longer, apparently the Rav4 was a nicer car to have and drive than the Xtrail it got replaced with.
If you're not concerned about Cablegate, then I don't recall any other glaring issues when I was researching the RAV4 Hybrid. An alternative, if you'll spend more, is the Lexus NX 350h. It may or may not have better sound dampening which is a big plus for me. The non-hybrid RAV4 of this generation gets loud in my experience. The engine noise should be lower on the hybrid, but the road noise will probably be the same.
Between my parents and my sister, they've had the '01 Corolla, '03 Corolla (bought in 2016?), '15 Sienna, '19 RAV4 non-hybrid, and another Sienna I'm forgetting the year of. Zero transmission or engine issues from my recollection, although they also drive under-average miles/year.