payload on mine is about 1100#, add that to the CW, and you are still way over the tire rating, the weak link is definitely not the tires, I would not even be worried about that.

they just put the cheapest oem tires that do the job.

 

Well, I just read it's not just about the curb weight, but also the weights of the car during turning manoeuvres too. But still, yeah, your statement does seem to ring true.

By the way, I was on the Continental website, and they do recommend some tires for the 2015 RAV4 Limited that are rated 98.

I wonder if there is some load rating spec Toyota gives to the tire manufacturers that they don't give us.

 

I just checked the door jamb. No mention of load index or speed ratings at all. However, it's in the manual. The load index and speed ratings are there.

The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for the Hybrids is 4950 lbs.

According to Teh Intarnets, to determine the load index, you need the GVWR/4, which in this case would be 1238 lbs. This corresponds to a load index of 89, with no reserve.

For my Prius Plug-in, the load index required is actually 89, which can support up to 1279x4 = 5116 lbs. That car has a GVWR of 4056 lbs, which means there is a 1060 lb safety cushion. That represents about 26% more weight. I know you can't calculate things this way, but nonetheless I did. For the RAV4 4950 lb GVWR, multiplying that by 1.26 brings you to 6237 lbs, or a load index of 96.

It seems there is a LOT of cushion built into these ratings. However, in retrospect I think next time I'll just aim for 100+, even though several tire manufacturers give options of 98 or 99 rated tires in their tire recommendations for this car, and even Toyota recommended 99 for the 2013 and 2014 (which are the same generation albeit lighter).

 

I wouldn't be worried, there is a conservated safety factor built into those numbers and those numbers are based off of long term conditions, not short term maneuvers..

 

According to this page, the weight distribution of the 2013 RAV4 AWD is 58% front and 42% rear.

2013 Toyota RAV4 Road Test Specs | Edmunds.com

I'm not sure how much the electric motor adds to the front of the Hybrid, but probably that is way more than offset by the batteries, although the rear tire in the Hybrid is a small one, not the full-sized tire. Still, I'd guess that the weight distribution in the Hybrid is closer to 55% front / 45% rear. I'm just guessing though.

 

Well, whaddya know:

Curb weight of the Toyota Sienna varies from 4300 lbs to 4700 lbs or so, but the GVWR of all models is 5995 lbs. (Depending upon the model, it seats 7 or 8 people.) Some of the models come with 235/50R19, and others come with 235/55R18. (There is also a 17" size.) The 235/55R18 is exactly the same size as my RAV4, yet on the Sienna (with its 5995 lb GVWR) the OEM tires have a load index of 99. On the RAV4 (with its 4950 lb GVWR) it is 100. Go figure.