2022 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid - Review by Mark Fulmer

A Compact SUV for All Roads and Climates

Mark Fulmer
Executive Producer, Editor
THE AUTO CHANNEL

First reaction from middle aged mom: "Thank God it's not just another black, white, or silver car!" No it is not. This XSE trim of the popular SUV gets a bold new color and style in Calvary Blue with a black roof. Couple that with a solid build, a comfortable interior and ride and this RAV got raves from passengers all week.

The RAV4 Hybrid gets power from a 2.5-liter engine along with three electric motors resulting in 219 horsepower. Even with all-wheel drive it get fuel economy of 41 mpg city, 38 mpg highway and 40 mpg combined. Putting the driving mode into Sport will let the electric motors free up from fuel economy functions to provide instant torque and extra performance. As a daily commute car it feels safe and relaxed with good visibility and driver assist tech helping survive current day freeways containing both inexperienced drivers and angry drivers venting their frustrations. "Be careful out there."

The front row seats have good support for both the long hauls and the local errands. Add to that blue ambient illumination for in-dash shelves, LED front-seat reading lights, dome light and cargo area light.

Interior Dimensions, front/second-row seats (in.)

Head room with moonroof 37.7/39.5

Hip room 54.3/47.7

Leg room 41.0/37.8

Shoulder room 57.8/56.4

There is cargo volume of 37.5 cubic feet with the back seats raised.

That expands to 69.8 cubic feet and unlike its competitors it retains a spare tire.

The Safety systems include:

Toyota Safety Sense™ 2.0
Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection
Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist
Lane Tracing Assist
Automatic High Beams
Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control
Road Sign Assist

Safety Connect®
Emergency Assistance
Stolen Vehicle Locator
Roadside Assistance
Automatic Collision Notification

If you are in the market for a small family car with extensive versatility, safety, fuel economy, and resale value, this could be the answer.