Is the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid a Good Compact SUV?
- It’s best to think of compact SUVs the way most people think of pizza: Even if it’s not that good, it’s not that bad. The 2025 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is efficient and does everything a compact SUV needs to do, but this generation has been around since the 2019 model year and is overdue for a serious update. The good news: That update is here!
How Does the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Compare With Other Compact SUVs?
- Rival compact SUVs are quieter, nicer inside, more fun to drive, more comfortable and/or more affordable, but few all-wheel-drive compact SUVs are as fuel-efficient as the 2025 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid until you look at models with more substantial (and possibly pricey) electrification.
Compact SUVs are popular vehicles in the U.S. market. Competition among them is so fierce that whenever a few are refreshed or redesigned, we get the gang together again to see which is the best now. The Toyota RAV4, however, has been absent from our last few comparison tests: It hasn’t made an appearance since our 2019 comparison, when the then-freshly redesigned model finished fifth in a field of seven SUVs.
Related: What’s the Best Compact SUV for 2025?
Its absence from our comparisons certainly hasn’t hurt the RAV4’s sales; in 2024, the RAV4 was the bestselling vehicle in the U.S. that wasn’t a pickup truck. Given its popularity, we were determined to have a RAV4 along for our latest round of compact SUV comparison testing, and we secured a 2024 RAV4 Hybrid XSE for the job (the RAV4 didn’t see any significant changes for the 2025 model year).
With an as-tested price of $40,910 in model-year 2025 dollars (including destination fee), the RAV4 Hybrid XSE was one of the more affordable vehicles in our comparison. It had a sporty exterior look, with black wheels, bright-blue front struts, a black roof and other black exterior accents to go along with Toyota’s signature hybrid efficiency. In the end, though, the RAV4 Hybrid finished dead last in our field of seven compact SUVs. But is it really that bad? That depends on what’s most important to you.
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How Does the 2025 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid XSE Drive?
The RAV4 Hybrid’s powertrain is its signature feature, but that’s not because of its performance or fun factor. The RAV4 Hybrid drives like an appliance; its only mission is to get you from point A to point B as uneventfully as possible. Even with its sport-tuned suspension, the XSE has a decently comfortable ride, but most of its competitors are more comfortable and composed. Its 219-horsepower hybrid powertrain doesn’t accelerate particularly briskly, and things get very noisy once the gasoline engine turns on.
Where the powertrain stands out, though, is its efficiency. Despite being the oldest hybrid powertrain in our comparison test, the RAV4 had the best observed fuel economy at nearly 38 mpg on our 250-mile drive route. With EPA-estimated gas mileage of 41/38/39 mpg city/highway/combined, if you want more efficiency from an all-wheel-drive compact SUV, you’ll need to spend more money for the RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid (formerly RAV4 Prime) or go all-electric with something like the Chevrolet Equinox EV.
One of the consequences of opting for the hybrid powertrain, however, is poor braking feel. A common complaint about Toyota hybrids is that it’s difficult to get good, linear braking feel, and that holds true in the RAV4. The brakes grab very hard just before coming to a full stop, leading to jerkiness.
The pizza theory applies here because the RAV4’s driving experience is mostly fine save for the noise and braking feel. The RAV4 isn’t bad in a vacuum; its competition is just better.
How Good Is the 2025 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid’s Interior?
“Good enough” seems to be the running theme of the RAV4 Hybrid. The interior looks a bit dated, but it’s laid out well, and there are a ton of physical controls, which we always like to see. I really like the grippy, textured rubber material on the knobs and door handles, though I worry about how well these materials will hold up after a few years of consistent use, sunlight, and hot and cold temperatures. Other materials in the interior are fine, though there is a lot of hard plastic throughout the cabin. If you’re a taller driver, make sure to check out where your right knee rests while driving; I’m 6-foot-1, and mine ended up on a hard plastic edge of the center console.
The front and rear seats are reasonably comfortable, though they landed near the bottom of the group in our comparison test. The touchscreen display — updated to Toyota’s latest infotainment system for the 2023 model year — is responsive and has intuitive controls and solid graphics. Even so, other compact SUVs, like the Nissan Rogue and Chevrolet Equinox, do all of that better. Again, it’s the pizza theory.
More From Cars.com:
- What’s New for the 2025 Toyota RAV4?
- How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2025 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid?
- Which Compact SUV Has the Best Real-World MPG?
- Which Compact SUV Has the Most Cargo Room?
- Find a 2025 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Near You
Should You Buy a 2025 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid?
If all you really want is a fuel-efficient compact SUV that you never have to plug in, the RAV4 Hybrid is an excellent choice. It does exactly what it promises and not an ounce more. If you’re looking for a more refined driving experience, though, or a more engaging one, look elsewhere.
If its rival compact SUVs are like pizza from a higher-quality, more upscale restaurant, the RAV4 Hybrid is more like pizza from a national chain. You know it’s not that good, but you also know exactly what you’re getting — and you probably won’t be disappointed with it.
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