2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Reviews, Pricing & Specs

When the RAV4 was redesigned in 2019, it shed its softer and more typical crossover styling in favor of a more substantial and blocky appearance. The trapezoidal grille was adapted from Toyota's truck line to add some heft, with beveled and angled bodywork surrounding it to frame the headlights. It was a bigger deal immediately after the restyling, but in the years since, other carmakers have taken a similar approach as can be seen in the Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-50.

The angular theme carries over to the interior, with a multi-tiered dashboard with beveled cutouts to add some visual interest to an otherwise plain surface. The basic layout is common for vehicles at the time, with an infotainment touchscreen mounted atop the dash and a good amount of physical buttons and knobs for primary feature control.

Materials quality is about average for the class and price. There are plenty of hard plastics, but most surfaces you're prone to come into contact with are lightly padded. Both the base model and the new Woodland trim curiously leave out the leather-wrapped steering wheel and opt for a very downmarket urethane wheel and center armrest. It feels rubbery and cheap in your hands, which is a problem since that's what the driver is always touching. Thankfully, most other trim levels come with a leather covering. Build quality is strong, with no detectable creaks or squeaks when driving over rough pavement.

The RAV4 Hybrid is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor/generator. They're mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that drives the front wheels. A second electric motor between the rear axle provides all-wheel drive (AWD). Combined, they produce 219 horsepower and accelerate the RAV4 to 60 mph in a respectable 7.5 seconds. Most drivers will never need to floor the pedal unless they're trying to merge with highway traffic on a steep uphill ramp.

Compared to other RAV4 models, the Hybrid powertrain is about half a second quicker than the standard RAV4, while the plug-in hybrid RAV4 Prime reaches 60 mph in an impressive 5.5 seconds. Within the compact hybrid SUV class, the Kia Sportage hybrid is a fraction of a second quicker while the Honda CR-V Hybrid should reach 60 mph in 8 seconds, placing them on an even playing field when it comes to acceleration.

The brakes operate much like any other vehicle, hybrid or otherwise. The initial pedal stroke typically engages regenerative braking which uses the RAV4's braking momentum to charge the hybrid battery. Under more aggressive stops, or when coming to a full stop, the physical brakes are actuated, but you won't feel the transition.

The suspension ably smooths the ride quality over moderate bumps and potholes while also delivering confident cornering. It's not sporty, nor does it need to be. Instead, it does the fundamentals well and should appeal to most drivers. The RAV4 Hybrid's driving dynamics don't elicit any complaints from us, but it also doesn't impress. Then again, its rivals are somewhat similar in this manner. They're all fairly calm and effortless to drive.

The front seats have plenty of space for larger passengers while the rear seats will easily accommodate average-sized adults. On paper, you get slightly more rear headroom than the Honda CR-V or Kia Sportage, but a bit less legroom. In practice, the differences are insignificant, though if you have a rear-facing infant seat, you may have to scoot the front seat up to make room for it. The rear seat cushions are also set a bit low, which may leave taller passengers wishing for more thigh support on long road trips.

Behind those seats, you can fit as much as 37.5 cubic feet of cargo. That's only a tenth of a cubic foot smaller than the non-hybrid RAV4. Cargo space is sometimes sacrificed for the battery pack, but that's not the case here. By comparison, the Honda CR-V can hold 39.5 cubic feet and the Kia Sportage measures 39.3 cubic feet, so there's no significant advantage for any of these hybrids. The rear seatbacks fold flat with the cargo floor, but shorter owners will have a rather long reach to get to them.

One area where the RAV4 excels is in interior storage for your personal items. The front passenger has a wide shelf in the dashboard and there's a phone tray in front of the center console. An optional wireless charging pad should be available for that spot, but at the time of writing it is not available in Toyota's online configurator (likely a victim of the ongoing chip shortage). You also get very large cupholders that can hold those massive Super Big Gulp cups as well as a large center armrest bin. Door pockets are about average in size.

For 2023, the RAV4 receives a new infotainment system that represents a huge improvement over previous attempts. The touchscreen graphics are much more modern and sharp, plus the menus are arranged logically. The screen placement on top of the dashboard helps to reduce distraction when driving. Most trim levels come with a rather small 8.0-inch display while the higher trimmed models upgrade to a 10.5-inch touchscreen. The base display's on-screen buttons are rather small and require more effort to press them accurately.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on all RAV4 models, but a wireless charging pad is an option. That means you'll still be stuck with a cable if you want to stay charged up unless you can add the charger. The infotainment system is capable of over-the-air software updates to keep features current and connectivity includes a Wi-Fi hotspot is offered along with remote monitoring and control over the vehicle. The top RAV4 Hybrid trim also upgrades to a fully digital instrument panel. Six-speaker audio is standard on most RAV4 models and delivers decent clarity and power for a base system. The top Limited trim comes with a more powerful 11-speaker JBL system.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded the RAV4 Hybrid five out of five stars for overall and side crash protection, and four stars in frontal and rollover crash tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the RAV4 its highest score of "Good" in all tests except for its new moderate overlap frontal and side-impact tests where it scored a second-best "Acceptable" safety rating. It also named the RAV4 a Top Safety Pick, the Institute's second-highest honor.

All 2023 RAV4 Hybrid models come standard with Toyota's Safety Sense 2.5 suite of safety features. That includes forward collision warning with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, automatic high beams, and a traffic sign reader. Stepping up to the XLE trim adds a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alerts. The top Limited trim adds front and rear parking proximity sensors with automatic braking when backing up. A surround-view camera system and digital rearview mirror are optional. The latter will allow you to see what's behind you, even if the cargo area is loaded to the roof.

In our time with the RAV4, we never received any false alarms from these systems and they all functioned as they should. The adaptive cruise control is notable for its smooth throttle and brake inputs, as well as its gentle stops.

Prices for the 2023 RAV4 Hybrid start at a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $32,560 (including $1,335 in destination fees) for the base LE trim. That figures to about $3,000 more than the standard non-hybrid RAV4. The EPA estimates most RAV4 Hybrids will return 41 mpg city, 38 mpg on the highway, and 40 mpg in combined driving. The new Woodland model with taller roof rails and all-terrain tires drops to 37 mpg combined. The non-hybrid RAV4 fuel economy is estimated between 28 and 30 mpg.

With these figures and taking into account 15,000 miles driven per year with gas costing $4.00 per gallon, it would take almost six years to recoup that $3,000 premium over the standard RAV4. That's a rather long time, but once you break even, you'll be saving around $500 a year in fuel costs.

The Kia Sportage Hybrid is all-new for 2023, costs almost $5,000 less than the RAV4 Hybrid, and is estimated to return as much as 43 mpg in combined city/highway miles. That figures out to a very quick 21 months or so to break even with the non-hybrid Sportage. That makes it the value leader in the class, but it's worth noting that it's based on the front-wheel-drive model, while all RAV4 Hybrids have all-wheel drive.

The Honda CR-V is also redesigned for 2023 and is priced almost in lockstep with the RAV4. The front-wheel-drive model is estimated to return 40 mpg in combined driving while the all-wheel-drive version is rated at 37 mpg.

All things considered, the Kia Sportage Hybrid takes the crown in the hybrid compact SUV class with its pricing, efficiency, and lengthy warranty. The Honda CR-V isn't as affordable, but it makes up for that with an interior that stands out from the class. The 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid remains a solid choice among these newer rivals, but it doesn't really surpass the competition in any meaningful way. As a result, we suggest checking out the Sportage and CR-V before committing to the RAV4 Hybrid.