My wife wants to buy a small SUV and RAV4 comes to my mind.
But it gets so many trims and I have no idea which one to buy.
Can someone give me some general idea where to start?
Personally, I prefer to buy non-hybrid to avoid possible issue down the road. The gas saving from hybrid may not cover the premium I will pay for it.
Thank you
I strongly recommend the Hybrid. The savings in fuel will cover the initial $1,500 extra cost after about 40,000 miles. The Hybrid's transaxle is far less complicated than the 8 speed automatic in the ICE version. But as for which trim to buy? There are a couple of specific choices you need to be aware of that will likely influence which trim you choose:
1. If you
don't want a moonroof, you are restricted to the LE or XLE. All of the higher trims have the glass roof as standard. You need to be aware that the moonroof in the Rav4 reduces headroom in the front seats by about 2-1/2 to 3 inches. If you are taller than about 5'-11", it's likely that your head will touch the rim of the moonroof unless you lean the seat way back, and then you might not be able to reach the steering wheel comfortably.
2. Seat upholstery: the LE and XLE have fabric seats. To get Softex (vinyl) seats, you have to upgrade to the Limited.
3. Smart Key door handles: The LE doesn't have this even on the front doors. The XLE with Premium package and the Limited has it on the front doors only, the Limited with Premium Package has it on all 4 doors and the rear hatch.
4. Rear hatch: The LE has gas struts, the higher trims have electric motor struts. I prefer the gas struts because when they wear out, the replacements cost about 1/10 what the motor struts cost.
5. Blind Spot Monitoring: To get this on the LE, you have to buy the Premium package, it's standard on all of the higher trims. Making it an extra cost option on the LE is BS, Toyota! Blind Spot Monitoring should be part of TSS and standard on every car you sell!
6. AWD: Standard on all trims on the Hybrids.
7. Traction battery: On the LE and XLE, it's Nickel Metal Hydride. On the Limited, it's Lithium Ion. If you plan to keep this car for 200,000+ miles, the NIMH battery will probably cost less to replace than the Lithium battery, so long term cost of ownership is less in the LE and XLE than it would be in the Limited.
8. Powertrain output (all trims): 2.5 liter gas engine = 176 hp @ 5,300 rpm, 163 pd.ft. of torque between 3,600 and 5,300 rpm; MG2 motor (front axle) =118 hp, 149 pd-ft torque. MGR (rear axle) = 54 hp, 89 lb.ft. torque. Maximum total power output is 219 hp if the traction battery is fully charged, As the battery depletes, this will fall to 176 hp (what the gas engine can output), and also, it should be noted that the MGR rear axle motor is not designed for continuous operation; this is an "on-demand" AWD system. The typical behavior of the Rav4 Hybrid and PHEV's rear axle is that when you pull away from a dead stop, accelerating "normally" (meaning not "aggessively"), the rear axle motor delivers power up to about 15~19 mph. When you accelerate past 19 mph, the rear axle switches off and the car is front wheel drive after that, until you come to a downgrade, or a stop, and the MGR switches back on to contribute to the regen braking system. Overall fuel economy in the Rav4 Hybrid is 39 highway/41 city, but some owners have reported 45 mpg when driving on flat terrain at 45 mph, like when you are on a sunday morning drive just to go sightseeing and you are not in a hurry to get anywhere. I've made many road trips of 500~600 miles in my 2023 Rav4 Prime and I consistantly get 44mpg at my normal 55 mph cruise speed.