u/dilemmaprisoner

2026 RAV4 Plug In Hybrid SE

This may be a weird one, but I find my lift gate handle difficult and awkward to use.

Can anyone imagine a way to do an aftermarket handle?

Partially because of a couple of bad finger joints, but also I'm driving on dirt roads everyday.

This means lifting it open is difficult, because there's not much handle and it's up high without much leverage. And closing the gate just means grabbing a really dirty, and slightly floppy piece of aluminum, i.e. the bottom of the gate. Which you have to let go of at some point on the way down.

I got an aftermarket set of mats which came with little plates/slip pads at the bottom of the doorways. Something like that just stuck to the bottom might help a little.

2026 RAV4 SE

This may be a weird one, but I find my lift gate handle difficult and awkward to use.

Can anyone imagine a way to do an aftermarket handle?

Partially because of a couple of bad finger joints, but also I'm driving on dirt roads everyday.

This means lifting it open is difficult, because there's not much handle and it's up high without much leverage. And closing the gate just means grabbing a really dirty, and slightly floppy piece of aluminum, i.e. the bottom of the gate. Which you have to let go of at some point on the way down.

I got an aftermarket set of mats which came with little plates/slip pads at the bottom of the doorways. Something like that just stuck to the bottom might help a little.

My 2026 manual says that in BOTH the EV Mode and HV Mode, if you step on the gas pedal hard enough, it will use BOTH the electric and gas motors, in both modes.
So my question is: what does the Auto EV Mode do? The words in the manual are vague, and I haven't figured it out.

Right now I've got about a 50% success rate on Android Auto (Samsung S23) successfully connecting upon starting the car. I feel like it's a little better if I unlock my phone prior to even getting in the car.
It's much worse for my wife, as the car will always act like mine is connected to mine (even if it's not functioning, and even if mine is still in the house or in the car with her).
The only other help I've found is long-pressing the volume button on the display to make it reset.
Any other ideas out there?

I just got a 2026 RAV4 Plug-In SE. I can't find any particular information about battery care, such as things I'd read in the past about other batteries: e.g. only charge to 80%, don't let it deplete below 20%.
I found the settings to only let it charge to a certain level, and arbitrarily picked 90% since with my driving I don't notice that loss at all.

On the bottom end, my only clue what Toyota thinks is that even in "hybrid" mode, if there's 1% juice left the car is going to use it.

Is there any clear guidance on this?