u/BackgroundStress4589

I’m in Australia and thinking about getting a RAV4 PHEV as our only family car. It’s me, my wife and our 6 year old.

We have solar and a home battery, so charging would be almost free most of the year. I drive around 50 to 60 km a day, so I’m hoping to do most of my daily driving in EV mode.

We also do about 4 long road trips a year, usually 1,200 km or more. I’m coming from a 2017 Toyota Corolla Sedan.

I know a full EV could work for those trips with some planning, but I honestly don’t want to plan our family road trips around chargers. That’s the main reason I’m looking at the RAV4 PHEV. I could use solar charging for daily driving, then use petrol on longer trips without worrying about where to charge.

Whenever I ask for advice about PHEVs, a lot of EV owners tell me to just get a full EV because PHEVs are the "worst of both worlds". You have the extra weight and complexity of both an EV system and a petrol engine.

So I’d really like some advice from actual RAV4 PHEV owners.

Do you agree with the "worst of both worlds" argument? Any regrets after buying yours? Based on my situation, would you choose the RAV4 PHEV again or go with a full EV? Any advice?

PS: I usually keep a car for 8-10 years.

This isn’t really a comparison because these are two very different vehicles. Just wanted to share my EV experience.

We have two cars for me and my wife. Last year I got a 2025 Toyota Prado Kakadu, and my wife had her 2022 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. We both drove each other’s cars, but probably 80% of the time I drove the Prado.

I loved the Prado. Nice car, new tech, comfortable, all that stuff. I run a construction business and drive around 100–150 km a day. We also go on holidays around 4–6 times a year and tow a caravan, so that’s mainly why I got the Prado.

I really enjoyed driving it and always wanted to take the Prado. The RAV4 Hybrid was definitely nicer and more responsive around the city, but I still preferred the Prado. Obviously they’re made for very different things.

A couple of months ago we got solar and a home battery. Around the same time my wife wanted a different car, so we sold the RAV4.

We test drove a 2026 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD and ended up buying it.

The strange thing is, over the last couple of months I’ve found myself always wanting to drive the Tesla instead of the Prado.
It’s mainly because of all the technology and how everything just works so smoothly together. Phone key, no need to start or turn off the car, it automatically closes the windows when you walk away, Sentry Mode, super responsive screen, blind spot cameras, and it even pre-heats or cools the cabin before I get in so it’s always ready.

Everything just feels so easy.

Technology wise, it honestly feels like it’s 20 years ahead of the Prado, even though the Prado is only one year older.

I still like the Prado and I obviously need it for towing and the stuff the Tesla can’t do for me. But for normal everyday driving and experience , the Model Y ruined the Prado for me.

That’s it really. Just wanted to share my EV experience.

Hey guys, I need some advice.

I’m trying to decide between the Tesla Model Y and the Zeekr 7X.

I really like the Zeekr 7X. The interior and exterior both look really nice, and overall it feels more premium.

The main thing making me consider the Tesla is the Supercharger network.

Tesla is expanding its Supercharger network very quickly across Australia. At the current rate, in the next 2–3 years it should cover pretty much the whole country for normal road trips, except obviously very remote areas.

We do around 5–8 long road trips every year, and we’ve done trips of more than 2,800 km through different parts of Australia. This will also be our only car, so reliable and easy charging on long trips is very important for us.

I’m currently driving a 2019 RAV4.

I know many Tesla Superchargers are now open to other EVs, so the Zeekr can use some of them, but not all. With a Tesla, we would have access to the full Supercharger network.

That’s why I’m finding it hard to decide. The Zeekr 7X seems like the nicer car in many ways, especially the interior and exterior, but I’m thinking the Tesla Supercharger network could be a much bigger advantage in the long run, especially with how quickly it is expanding around Australia.

What would you guys choose in my situation?

Do you think the Supercharger network is a big enough reason to choose the Model Y over the Zeekr 7X, considering this will be our only car and we do a lot of long road trips?

We have a 5 year old, and honestly, raising one child is already difficult.

Something I keep noticing is that parents with two or more kids often try really hard to convince us to have another child. Sometimes it feels less like advice and more like guilt or manipulation.

They say things like, “Your child needs a sibling,” “He will be lonely,” or “He will grow up alone in the world.” It feels like they are trying to make us believe we are doing something wrong or hurting our child by only having one.

But I would rather have one child and treat him well. I want to give him my attention, time, patience, and financial support instead of having more children and making the whole family struggle.

What confuses me is that these same parents are always complaining about how difficult, expensive, exhausting, and time-consuming it is to raise multiple children. Then they turn around and pressure us to do the same thing.

And this is not only happening to me. I have two friends who also decided to have only one child, and both of them told me they have experienced the exact same pressure from parents with multiple kids.

Sometimes it honestly feels like parents with multiple children gang up together and try to convince one-child families to join them. Like they hate seeing parents with one child giving that child their full attention and still having some time and energy to enjoy life.

Has anyone else experienced this?

I’m looking at buying an EV and keep coming back to the Model Y mainly because of FSD.

Two of my friends have Model Ys and both use FSD a lot. One of them has had it for a couple of months and it’s their only family car. Both he and his wife use FSD regularly.

They use it pretty much everywhere, including shopping centre car parks, and from what I’ve seen it handles the driving and parking really well.

The thing is, I like the interior of the Zeekr 7X more than the Model Y. I’m just worried I’ll regret not getting the Tesla, especially with how quickly FSD seems to be improving.

Has anyone else been in the same situation? Would you choose the Zeekr for the nicer interior, or go with the Model Y because of FSD?

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to buy a new family car, and the RAV4 PHEV is currently my first choice because Toyota has such a strong reputation for reliability.

However, multiple people I know who own EVs keep telling me not to get the RAV4. They say the 2026 Tesla Model Y is actually more reliable because it has far fewer moving parts, needs less maintenance, and has less that can break.

This will be our family’s only car, so reliability is by far my biggest priority.

I drive about 100 km every day, do 3–5 road trips each year, and I have home charging and solar, so owning an EV would be easy.

I’m curious what RAV4 owners think about this. Is there any truth to the claim that a Model Y is likely to be more reliable over the long term simply because it’s an EV? Or would you still choose the RAV4 PHEV if reliability is the number one concern?

I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have owned a RAV4 PHEV, a Tesla, or both.

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to buy a new family car, and the RAV4 PHEV is currently my first choice because Toyota has such a strong reputation for reliability.

However, multiple people I know who own EVs keep telling me not to get the RAV4. They say the 2026 Tesla Model Y is actually more reliable because it has far fewer moving parts, needs less maintenance, and has less that can break.

This will be our family’s only car, so reliability is by far my biggest priority.

I drive about 100 km every day, do 3–5 road trips each year, and I have home charging and solar, so owning an EV would be easy.

I’m curious what RAV4 owners think about this. Is there any truth to the claim that a Model Y is likely to be more reliable over the long term simply because it’s an EV? Or would you still choose the RAV4 PHEV if reliability is the number one concern?

I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have owned a RAV4 PHEV, a Tesla, or both.

Hi everyone,

I am thinking about buying a 2026 Toyota RAV4 for my daily commute. I drive around 80 km per day, so I think the PHEV version would be the best fit for me.

My main question is about reliability. Toyota hybrids have a great reputation, but I am wondering if the new RAV4 PHEV will be just as reliable as the regular hybrid in the long term.

For those who own a Toyota PHEV or have experience with Toyota hybrids, do you think the PHEV is likely to be as reliable as the regular hybrid? Are there any extra maintenance or battery concerns I should know about?

I would appreciate any advice or experiences. Thanks!

Has anyone driven both the 2026 RAV4 GR Sport PHEV and Tesla Model Y AWD Long Range?

I know the Tesla is quicker, but I’m more interested in handling and driving feel. Which one feels better to drive, especially on winding roads?

Would love to hear from anyone with experience in both.