2019 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is Special But Frustrated Buyers Still Willing to Wait Months to Get One

Funny, the RAV4 just dropped to 5th place, 15 points behind the leader in Consumer Reports testing. Culprit was excessive engine noise. Other testing publications have noted it too. TOYOTA has acknowledged the problem and will fix in the 2020 model.

You stated 2019 hp for the hybrid. Wow,,,smile. Typo

Our first hybrid. Bought ours on Memorial Day, Shopped over a month, Learned alot about our area's dealers...oh boy. Had to walk away from deals that were not for us but when we locked into one the deal was quick and painless, We love the car and gas mileage looks btween 45-60 mpg. Definitely has great power. Totally makes sense..for you folks considering it....It's only a matter of time b4 you get one.

Here in MN, I had to put one on order at the end of April (Hybrid Limited). I was quoted 4-14 weeks, but my dealer just let me know it should arrive at the end of June. Dealerships just can't keep any on the lot! I was given a build sheet with VIN, which I was initially able to see some information on the Toyota owners website (order date, model, options, etc.). The day the RAV4 was scheduled to be built (5/27), now the same site is showing the VIN is invalid. Can VINs change at time of build (vs. what is provided on a build sheet)? So odd.

If you need a rav hybrid2019 come to Pennsylvania there sitting on the dealers lots!

I had requested one from my local dealer in February before they were out. They took my specs and initially said “maybe end of March”. End of March rolls around and they say “May 10” May rolls around and they say... “not until late June or July”. I gave up on them and started hunting my hybrid blue flame xle with convenience package all over the Midwest. I actually found it in Madison and drove all the way from Columbus Ohio to get it. And I love it! I replaced a Prius so no way could I have taken the hit on gas.

Hi Jeff,

I stumbled on this article ("2019 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is Special But Frustrated Buyers Still Willing to Wait Months to Get One") while re-reviewing my options of a new car purchase.

Put me down as one of the frustrated but eager/anxious buyers awaiting their prized 2019 Rav4 Hyrbid models. I've researched for years for the perfect next car purchase and I know I want a hybrid/awd combo (I currently drive a 2004 Jeep Wrangler - yes, I drive the same car for many years. Hence the move to a reliable Toyota vehicle at this point). My daily work commute is 52 miles round-trip in NE Ohio. That means cold, snowy winters with lots of lake-effect snow from October through April, so AWD is essential.

I said re-reviewing my options for a new car purchase as I was recently looking around for other hybrid/awd vehicles out there (Lexus UXh, Nissan Rogue) since I test drove the Rav4 Hybrid back on April 13th. It was a base LE model and loved its handling, quiet and comfortable ride along the same stretch of highway my daily commute takes me (or parts of it at least). Sat down with the dealer and made arrangements for a Ruby Flare Pearl Limited model with the cold-weather package, plonked down $1000 deposit and wait for a phone call. And waited, and waited...and still waiting. I called my sales rep a couple of times requesting an update and he was very apologetic, stating that Toyota is overwhelmed with demand and it might be another 4-5 more weeks' wait (initially he said no more than 2 weeks). Realistically, I don't think I'll hear from him until July, or August at the latest. Anytime before the next snow fall would be perfect.

Then I stumbled on your article while researching other options and it gave me hope and renewed confidence in my purchase option. I've waited years for a new car. What's a few more weeks or months? Excellent article. Thanks, Jeff.

I placed an order for a RAV4 hybrid the day I test drove the first hybrid received at my local Toyota dealership on April 2nd. I selected blueprint/black two tone XSE model with a number of upgrades; weather package, mudguards, etc. It took a month for it to be delivered though I understand from my salesman they had 26 on backorder when I picked it up on June 3rd. I’m amazed at some of the negative
comments posted. The XSE has a hood blanket and the engine noise is minimal. It doesn’t handle as well as my Honda S2000 but handling is adequate for an SUV. I’m averaging over 40 mpg and the price differential compared to the gasoline only model sold me on the hybrid.

Hey Jeff,
Mitch from Cali w an update. My XSE had a build date of June 28th. Won’t arrive until early to mid August. The wait is frustrating, but the car is still nowhere to be found. Seems like Toyota missed it’s estimates for demand as I expect the hybrid will have more demand then the gas. Same dealer that hasn’t been able to get a hybrid has had 11 gas models including a couple Adventures sitting on the lot of weeks. Sad and grrrrr.

I put a deposit down a month ago and received a phone call saying the vehicle was pulled and no longer available. What??? I even got a vin number. Told me it could be tires, or door, or paint problem but it was pulled and didn't pass some kind of inspection once it was shipped here. Hmmm got me wondering what is the real truth. I'm very suspicious of this whole thing now. Makes no sense to me. They did give me a new VIN number and I'm checking the old VIN to make sure that vehicle wasn't sold under my nose to someone else.

I bought the XSE hybrid in Blueprint in Fl and I have been happy with the 1st 1,500 miles or so. I have seen all the reviews where the reviewer slams his foot to the floor to make the engine growl, but seriously who drives a hybrid like that? You get plenty of pull out of the engine of you select the Sport mode but the car doesn't start up in that mode so you have to select it each time.

So I said I've been happy but there is one niggling issue that bothers me. The gauges say I'm averaging 39 to 40 mpg on long trips and with a stated 14.5 gal tank I should get a range of around 560 miles. Try as I may I can't get any more than around 450! The distance till empty will start at 520 and within 40 miles it will drop to the point where the total expected range drops to 450. On one trip the low fuel warning came on at 30 miles but when I refueled, it only accounted accepted 11.9 gallons despite me topping it off. I an having a really hard time believing there is 14.5 gals capacity in that tank. Anyone else have a similar experience?

I'm in the process of placing an order for a Limited. I'm not sure if this information is correct, but I read on another website that some portion of the tank is considered reserve and isn't calculated in the mile to empty gas gauge. Supposedly,you still have another 2-3 gallons in your tank even after your car is on empty. Again, I'm not sure if this is accurate, but I'm passing it on. Let us know if you obtain any additional information.

I'm from the LA/OC area in search of a Hybrid XSE, so far two of the local dealers that have it are charging a $15,000 (yes, 15K) "Market Adjustment" price in addition to the sticker price. While I understand a markup on a limited-edition Lambo with Louis Vuitton interior and diamond-studded steering wheel to customers that actually have that kind of cash flow, I'm appalled at the level of greed from these dealers.

I put a deposit down on a loaded white with black roof XSE with pano etc..back on april 27th. This was After months of waiting on “availability” of the hybrids to even place an order. After a few weeks of the dealer trying to locate the vehicle i was told that the vehicle was being built on june 20/21 and i would have it around July 5th. After calling my sales rep he said that about 200 vehicles are in New York but are not being released because of some kind of recall on the hybrids. The recall is on the prius, camry, and rav 4 hybrids and has something to do with the brakes but he had no additional information. I have been planning on this purchase since january. My lease on another toyota vehicle is currently on an extension. I trust my rep and have been leasing and buying vehicle from him and this dealer for 12 years so i know he is telling me what he knows. I thought about cancelling the order but i have been a toyota customer for a long time and have other toyota vehicles and their dependability is outstanding. The latest is toyota corp will not release the vehicles until further notice..needless to say i’m not happy right now. Anyone else hear anything on a recall?

Ordered a 2019 XLE Hybrid back in May 2019. It took about 6 weeks from order to pickup. Have had it now since late June, and overall very happy with it. I'm getting approximately 42.5 MPG with mostly (75%) highway driving. Already have 3400mi on it so this invloves about 9 refills -- see my nit about refuel warnings. I got the black with black, normal sunroof (I don't even use that so never mind pano).

Likes: (1) rear seats fold flatter than 2017 XLE hybrid, (2) they've added rear passenger air vents, (3) fuel economy improvement (getting about 42.5 MPG, that's 9 MPG better than with with the 2017 model), (4) power rear hatch, (5) higher ground clearance, (6) more powerful feel, (7) very smooth ride.

NOTE: I do NOT notice excessive engine noise as others have mentioned.

Dislikes: (1) although the fuel tank capacity is 14.5 gal, the "miles to empty" dashboard feature has me searching for gas after approx. 360-370mi. When I stop for gas, I find it only takes approx 8.5 gal to refill. Assuming the fuel gauge can be trusted and that 14.5 gal capacity is accurate, this means there is approximately 6 gal left in the tank, and I could have driven an additional +/-200mi and STILL have approx. 40mi to find fuel. This is similar to how the 2017 behaved and I really wish Toyota would make it less aggressive about refueling (and obviously they should fix any design reason that causes them to insist on refueling so frequently). In the meantime, I am using the "B" trip meter to figure out a more accurate per-tank distance, but having the dashboard telling me "seek fuel" with the low fuel light on makes for a uneasy feeling. So far, after driving with low fuel light on for 3 days, the max refill I've done is 10.25 gal ... getting there, but I may end up needing AAA to bring me fuel if I push it too far.

(2) IMO, the adaptive cruise control has a bug. I have repeated this experiment at least three times with exactly the same reults. Driving along on a two lane divided highway (two lanes in each direction), with exactly one car in front of me and visible to the cruise control radar, if that car exits while I intend to travel straight, the adaptive cruise will brake hard. I think this is because it mistakenly assumes I will be following the exiting car, which is now braking for the curved exit ramp. Now, if there are two or more cars in front of me, and (only) the car immediately in front of me exits, then the adaptive cruise does not brake hard (it may sometimes slow down slightly but nothing extreme as in the one-car case). Moving over to the passing lane before the car exits prevents this, but that lane is not always free, and occasionally people "forget" to use their turn signal prior to exiting...

I started thinking about purchasing a Rav4 Hybrid as soon as I saw the improved mileage ratings. My wife and I had talked about a Prius for a couple of years, but when it came down to it, a month of mud season here in SW New Hampshire made
the low clearance a problem, and my 6'3" frame was clamoring for a vehicle easier than our Corolla to enter, exit, and ride in comfortably. This was especially for longer road trips now that we're retired. We went to our local dealer to look at the one LE they had on the lot. I walked away because I knew a dealer an hour north had one on special listed for considerably less. The first dealer called me less than 5 minutes later and said they'd take $3,000 off. I guess this doesn't fit with the idea that they're hard to come by, but... We came back the next day and purchased it. Downside: the black interior, but we have seat covers on the way. Upside: 50+ mpg!, comfortable to drive, and easy to get in and out of. Plus the more than adequate space with the rear seats up, and even more with them down. (No regrets, other than nobody recognizes me in the dark red, stylish Rav4 that I drive more frequently now than my dark green, much less flashy Tacoma. Oh well!)

You are lucky in the USA. There is a $6000 hike for the hybrid version in Japan. The published economy differences are 15km/l for the petrol version and 20km/l for the hybrid, so not sure where you get your difference of 28mpg versus 40mpg for the hybrid in the USA. At the published economy differences in Japan, it would take around 24 years to break even at 10,000 km/yr, and even that distance is above average for Japan. I would like a hybrid, but I don't think I can afford it.

I have been waiting for my RAV 4 hybrid since April. It’s stuck in Houston and has been for 4 months. Dealer has no info. What is going on????

I picked up my 2019 Rav4 XLE a little over 2 weeks ago with 7 miles on the odometer. The color is "Lunar Rock" and it is a chameleon color that switches between cream, gray and sage green, depending on the lighting. My last car was a Prius so I know how to finesse the MPG. I got 45.5 mpg on the first tank of gas, mixed driving. I am about 70 miles into my second tank of gas and I am getting 46.5 mpg. I am beyond pleased.

"That is a difference of only $800."
Unfortunately in Japan the price difference is over $3,000. Given the current petrol price here (2x the USA), the published fuel economy differences, and at an annual driving distance of 10,000km (greater than the average in Japan), it would be more than 20 years to break even on the hybrid. You are lucky in the USA to get such a small price difference between the ordinary petrol version and the hybrid.

Hi All. My fuel tank experience is as follows and this is on a 2019 Rav4 Hybrid XSE. Regardless of how much fuel is left when I fill up, with careful 'feathering' of the gas nozzle, I have been able to fill it with an amount of fuel that results in a displayed distance till empty of 517-520 miles. The needle is pegged at the top end. At 40mpg which I have been able to achieve regularly, that's about 12-13gals. When I turn off the engine the fuel gauge needle drops below the zero mark, which is where is usually is when the car tells me I'm empty. I don't have the guts to keep driving so I don't know how far you can go beyond this, but I suspect that the needle will drop further until the tank is actually empty and there is a comment to this effect in the manual. One day when the wife is not with me I'll take a 5 gal tank with me and drive till only electric works!

Regards

We ordered, and put a deposit down on, a 2020 RAV4 Hybrid last November and the dealer said it might take a few weeks but we are still waiting. He also mentioned that production was commending in the US so supplies to Canada May start to loosen up. Can you confirm and/or clarify. We can’t wait to get our new car.