r/rav4club

Looking into either the 2025 RAV4 non-plug in hybrid or gas, or the 2026 RAV4 non-plug in hybrid or gas. Anything I should be aware of? Do owners love their cars? Any choice better?

Edit: was unaware that 2026 RAV4 was hybrid only, to clarify I am interested in the non-plug in hybrid :)

Edit: forgot to mention needs. We will be having our first baby this fall, need something very safe and reliable with plenty of truck space for a golden retriever, baby gear, bags, etc. tested the Highlander and it felt bigger than I was comfortable with, liked the size of the RAV4. Have also been looking at the 2026 Subaru outback, other considerations are Hondas and possibly Mazdas, but would like to stick to one of those 4 (Toyota, Subaru, Mazda, Honda)

Does come with the convenience package (lift door and push to start).

This is prior to taxes and fees (but no add-ons will be made or put on top).

OTD 39K.

Hey I need as many inputs as I can get, it is a black exterior, harvest beige interior and comes with panoramic sunroof.
OTD is 43k
Is it a good buy and how do you feel about the colour options!
Please lmk want to put the deposit down today!

I have been hunting for a compact hybrid SUV to drive into the ground over the next 15 years.

At first, the Kia Sportage Hybrid felt like the obvious choice. The bang for your buck is incredible. It has giant screens, soft touch materials, and a cabin that feels like a modern luxury car.

Compared to that, the Toyota RAV4 interior feels like a plastic power tool. I was completely ready to pull the trigger on the Kia.

Then I started researching the actual transmissions. That completely flipped my decision.

The Sportage Hybrid uses a traditional 6 speed automatic transmission. It relies on a physical friction clutch to connect the gas engine. It drives smoothly right now. But clutches are wear items. Stop and go traffic and heavy loads will eventually wear that clutch down over the next 100,000 miles.

Toyota uses a completely different system: The eCVT. It does not use steel belts or friction clutches. It uses a planetary gearset. It is essentially solid steel gears permanently meshed together. There is nothing to slip, snap, or burn out. WHOEVER CREATED THIS SETUP NEEDS A NOBEL PEACE PRICE.

That was my wake up call. I was about to sacrifice a 250,000 mile transmission just to get a prettier touchscreen and some softer interior plastics.

If you are buying a car to keep for a decade or more, the powertrain has to win.

I am officially going with the RAV4.

EDIT:

Since I have everyones attention right now. Are dealers doing market adjustments or have yall found deals on a RAV4 these past couple of months?

Hi guys. So I placed an order for RAV4 Hybrid XLE from Toyota Regency Vancouver in Apr’26. I was told by a person there that it can take anywhere from 6-12 months. Is this the norm now? Is everyone seeing this long wait times? I contacted the person again recently for an update and they said that it still isn’t ready and they can’t specifically say when to expect it by.

Hey everyone, looking for some insight into a frustrating issue with my 2026 RAV4 PHEV SE.
Whenever I try to lock the car from the remote (or use the "Lock & Close" trunk button), it triggers a sequence of multiple warning beeps before the doors finally lock

What I've already checked & ruled out:

• Second key fob: Confirmed the second key is kept far away inside the house, not hidden anywhere in the cabin or trunk.
• Vehicle power: Car is completely turned off (Power OFF) with the gear set to Park (P).
• Doors/Hatch status: All doors, hood, and tailgate are fully shut.
• Rear Seat Reminder: Disabled this setting entirely in the MID and multimedia unit.

Despite all this, the beeps persist.
Has anyone experienced this specific sensor loop? Is this a faulty door latch sensor/DCM telematics glitch, or is there a hidden setting I overlooked before I take it to the dealer?

Thanks!

I have a new 2025 RAV4 that I bought on January 10 of this year. I work from home and only drive about 3000 miles per year. My brother says I should change the oil once a year, no matter how many miles I’m driving.
Obviously, I’m not gonna wait for 10,000 miles, that will be too long. But should I just wait and change the oil at 5000 miles?

I have a smell in the car that is coming probably from the vents, it’s not even 3 months old.

Anyone have a weird smell in their 6th gen? I thought it could be the plastic interior because I park outside and it’s been hot.

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.

Got a new 2026 RAV4 $200 below MSRP in the Bay area in California. It's the LE trim. I had to negotiate a bit with the dealership and had to to withstand their airguns. But at the end worked out well. Furthermore, they give $1,000 off because I traded my car in. And I got the trade-in rate on the higher end of what was mentioned on Edmonds. All in all I thought it was a better deal. A little bit of patience helps. Comparing rates with other dealership and fighting along also helps. You should definitely not be paying markups.

I just bought an 09. No push start. It came with two keys, but no fob. I checked with the dealership today, and they said there's no such thing as a standalone fob, you can only get the keys with the fob built into the top of the key. That in itself is a bit confusing because I've seen a few standalone fobs for sale on places like eBay.

However, the guy at the dealership also told me that because there may not be any existing key fob for this car ever, that I have to reprogram the ECU to communicate with the key fob on top of pairing it. This was going to cost $900 at the dealership to do the programming. This is baffling to me, because like I reprogrammed my 2003 Chevy Tracker key fob with a watch battery and a paperclip.

Is this right? That there's no way to get a key fob for this car without paying $900?

Less than 1000 miles in on my 26 midnight black rav4 hybrid and I'm noticing scratches in my paint. Im very OCD and am being super careful with my car. Anyone else noticing this too?