Virtually every single review of 2019 recommends getting hybrid version of RAV4 , it’s smoother , quieter and most importantly gets significantly better MPG

If fuel efficiency is so important to you why in the world would go opt for non-hybrid version ?

 

Since you asked. We started looking for a 2019 RAV4 Limited Hybrid and AWD in July, and there were none to be found in our area, or anywhere within 100 miles. We started to look at other Manufacturers, and always came back to the RAV4. We were also interested in a specific color both exterior and interior, that further complicated the finding. In August we submitted an order for the vehicle and every two weeks the Dealer submitted the request for allocation and every time there was no movement. In October the Dealer received two 2019 that met everything except it was not a Hybrid, and, at this point we didn't really care about the AWD, so, we purchased it. In the meantime, there are still no 2019 or 2020 in our area with the Hybrid. I hope this explains why we bought the non-Hybrid model.

However, your comment still doesn't address why the MPG isn't what should be expected, and, per many posts, the Hybrid also appears not to achieve their stated MPG, even tough better than the FWD Model.

 

Most hybrids were meeting or exceeding EPA MPG up until cold weather set in. Now they’re below EPA. The gas version is going to be similarly impacted by cold weather. It will get better but not until spring.

My GTI’s MPG is easily down 10% in the cold weather compared to summer.

 

Give it some time and miles, winter temps and fuel blend don't help, check tire pressure every 2 weeks, I run mine at 38lbs, got just shy of 36 mpg highway last week in my AWD, been getting 36-37mpg normally since last spring.

 

Fuel Economy in Cold Weather

Cold weather can reduce your fuel economy. Our tips can help improve your gas mileage when temperatures drop.

fueleconomy.gov

Fuel Economy in Cold Weather

Cold weather and winter driving conditions can reduce your fuel economy significantly.

Fuel economy tests show that, in short-trip city driving, a conventional gasoline car's gas mileage is about 12% lower at 20°F than it would be at 77°F. It can drop as much as 22% for very short trips (3 to 4 miles). The effect on hybrids is worse. Their fuel economy can drop about 31% to 34% under these conditions.


Also...

What is the Difference between Summer- and Winter-Blend Gasoline? | AAA NewsRoom

Every spring gas prices seem to skyrocket to the highest prices of the year.

newsroom.aaa.com

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says conventional summer-blend gasoline contains 1.7 percent more energy than winter-blend gas, which is one reason why gas mileage is slightly better in the summer. However, the summer-blend is also more expensive to produce, and that cost is passed on to the motorist.

 

Thanks everyone. Your assistance is most appreciated! I've learned more from you members than I have from the Dealer! The coldest temps that we have so far is in the 40s and 50s. Will see if MPG increases on a more extended highway drive upcoming shortly.

 

I have almost 10K miles on my 2019 Limited and am quite pleased with the mpg it delivers. Suburban driving gets me mid to high 20s. More highway driving delivers 30 mpg.

Consistent Interstate roads deliver 34 to 37 mpg. All this is consistent with its Fed rating. The mere 5 mpg highway rating difference pushed me away from the hybrid with its higher cost, inferior transmission, complexity, and AWD.

 

Check your tire pressure and make sure you are not using E85 gas with a high percentage of ethanol.

 

Thanks. Will check tire pressure tomorrow. The fuel is E10.

 

Will see how my best day is on an extended Interstate drive. That will be enlightening!

 

Check your tires, Toyota had inflated mine to 33 psi in the shop when I got winter tires, which became 29 in the outside cold weather (in Canada), and the door placard says 36.

 

Just checked tire inflation when not driven today, 29 psi. I have the Yokohama AVID GT, 235//55 R19. Increased the pressure to 33 psi, which is what is on the car placard.

 

Trying to measure MPG in the first 1000 miles is a waste of time. Engine isn't broken in, etc. Lots of information across the web on this issue - same for all cars. At 1000 miles start calculating again, and do so across several tanks to account for differences in fill amount at the pump.

 

Sounds reasonable. Will hit the 1000 mile threshold shortly, and, will continue to monitor variables, pure highway, combined and just city.

 

Thanks, Will check in the morning before driving. My placard shows 33 psi for all 4 tires.

 

Gas engines run about 40% less efficiently until they are somewhat warm, so if you are taking lots of short trips in the winter you will get really bad mileage. This is by design, mostly to heat up the catalytic converter as quickly as possibly by running rich and retarding timing to cause more fuel to burn in the exhaust system. "Winter blend" fuels, as mentioned, do not account at all for the differences we see in the winter time; a 2% reduction in energy density is a small part of the 10-20% reduction in overall efficiency most drivers see in cold commutes.

That said, I also saw no significant difference in efficiency between new and my current ~7k miles.

 

Yup, that's why I keep mine in the attached garage. It pretty much stays at 55 F, maybe down to 50 if temps drop into the 20's. It makes a big difference.

 

Honestly, I don’t want to sound like a pessimist but I’ve had my RAV4 2019 Limited for 7 months now and gas mileage is really low compared to what they show you at the website. I can’t get it past 24. And in this last month of some cold air here in Florida, the car doesn’t go above 22. I drive really average, mainly in city, but it doesn’t justify the low mpg. That is one of biggest disappointment (and the loud cabin compared to other cars in the segment). Dealer just tells me that is normal to have a lower mpg. They said that those numbers ‘are just made up for ideal conditions and lab tests’.

 

I drive around town a lot with my 2019 Adventure, some times in Sport Mode because I prefer using it on my hill treks and I average around 27.4. I need to do a pure highway run at around 65 mph to see what it comes out to in that situation. I really love doing a highway run slightly downhill with a strong tailwind, which I can do driving to Portland from Corvallis when a stiff wind is coming from the south. Hey, it skews the results, but I'll take it.

 

SCP-

Are you doing the math to determine miles per gallon or trusting the estimate on the dashboard? It really doesn't matter how many miles it says you have left to go until empty. How much did it take to fill the tank for the miles driven is what matters.

 

My ‘13 Rav Limited AWD gas version never got more than 25 mpg. That’s why I traded it in on the ‘19 hybrid.

 

You can clear (or clip) the avg mpg in the infotainment (or dash), so there is no production idle or test drive skewing your driven mpg.

 

What I noticed in my gas Limited since the colder weather started, if you leave the climate controls on Auto, the A/C will be used to keep the windows defrosted. My 5 mile morning commute went from 25 - 28 MPG to 20 - 22 MPG once it started to get cold and moist out. SF Bay Area is not that cold but the windows still steam up.

 

Well, de-fogged, anyway. A/C running for that certainly doesn't help this time of year.

 

Also, just to be clear, driving habits make a huge difference. I typically get about 15% better mileage in either of our vehicles (her 5th gen 4Runner and my Rav4) simply because she drives with less...patience. Really, mileage is made up at the back end; coasting longer and braking more subtly before coming to stops makes the biggest differnce. If you tend to maintain speed up to stoplights and apply heavier braking late, you will get worse gas mileage. This is because all that kinetic energy, which could have been used to maintain forward speed while the engine sips gas at idle, is now being used to heat up the brake discs. Hybrids specifically take advantage of this phenomenon, because instead of turning that energy into brake heat, it puts it back into the battery. Thus, as mentioned by others, why hybrids do so well in city environments.

 

We have a similar car picked up 6 months ago (Japan build). Gas tank issue is real in that it is near to impossible to fill the tank. Toyota knows about the problem but does not seem to want to fix it. The mpg number on divers console and the numbers on the center screen never match, and not that accurate, the only way to get a good number is to reset trip A to 0 when you fill up , then when you refill take the miles from Trip A and your gallons pumped and compute your true mpg. In summer we were getting in the low to mid 40's mpg. Winter gas formula not as good a summer gas. Cold weather will also effect your mileage. You can even see a difference when it rains. Most of the time, the fuel light comes on as says we have around 33 mile left in the tank, when wife pumping gas the pump clicks off after about 9 gallons (gas gauge reads less than F) which says we should of had about 4.5 gallon reserve. I can pump 12.2 gallons which puts the needle a little above the F. Been driving hybrids and plugins since 2004. Toyota really should look at the problem. Had a Prius Prime advanced package had similar problem, the owners manual told you to slow fill to get tank filled up.

 

Looking at my barcode sticker (top right), mine is built in Japan 12/18 #Limited.

What I do notice now (not sure which option made this), there is a yellow sticker next to where we read the psi. It's the load carrying capacity reduced by 13 kg or 30 lbs. So, my sticker reads 33 psi for the tire.

I am currently running 38 psi for the past 5k miles, and tire wear looks fine.

 

What I do notice now (not sure which option made this), there is a yellow sticker next to where we read the psi. It's the load carrying capacity reduced by 13 kg or 30 lbs. So, my sticker reads 33 psi for the tire.

I am currently running 38 psi for the past 5k miles, and tire wear looks fine.

Mats/liners and cross bars are the most common accessories added the affect vehicle weight adjustment, same for any port or dealer added accessories. I run the same 38psi in mine.

 

So my Rav never left the garage this weekend, during which time I aired from 33PSI to 36PSI. I checked the app this morning and it showed 33PSI - not updated. I rolled out of the garage - not more than 40 feet and left the car to idle. A couple minutes I checked again, and all 4 tires showed 36. This surprised me not due to what is posted here, but I thought the TPMS sensors had to reach a certain centrifugal force to turn on - so was half dozen slow rotations enough?

Nonetheless, my daughter took the car to school. I checked the app again 30 minutes later and they all still showed 36PSI - no update. Checked a couple more times during the day and still the same. This evening it has updated to show 38/39PSI - so it obviously updated on her drive home at some point.

So whats my point - not sure? But it seems the update of the app can be anywhere from 2 minutes to several hours?

 

Just drove 2165 miles through Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico, majority Interstate and Highway driving, many mountain roads with acceleration, etc., and, the best fuel economy was a maximum of 34 mpg. Right now with added city driving back at home I am seeing 33.4 mpg. Conclusion, very happy with the results.