Toyota RAV4 long-term test: report 1
With plug-in hybrid power and plenty of space, the latest Toyota RAV4 could be the perfect SUV for a growing family – and we're putting that theory to the test...
The car Toyota RAV4 PHEV GR Sport Bi-Tone Run by Darren Moss, deputy editor
Why it’s here To show that plug-in hybrid power makes sense for a growing family, even when you can’t charge up at home
Needs to Provide comfortable family transport, lots of space for luggage, and keep fuel costs minimal
Mileage 1222 List price £49,245 Best price £45,595 Price as tested £49,530 Test economy 48.5mpg Official economy 282.5mpg Options fitted Premium paint £285
9 September 2025 – Power Ranger
At the tender age of 36, I’ve finally joined the adult world. In the past year I’ve bought my first home, invited my partner and step-children to come and live with me, and finally mastered getting eight hours of sleep per night. So when it came to choosing my next company car, you won’t be surprised to learn that I’ve shopped within that most sensible of car classes – the family SUV.
It also likely won’t raise your eyebrows to see that what I’ve chosen is a Toyota RAV4. After all, reliability is the most important thing to buyers in this class according to our data, and Toyota consistently ranks well for this.
As well as reliability, though, I keep a close eye on my running costs, so it’s all the better that the latest RAV4 is only available as a plug-in hybrid. That means it gets a 2.5-litre petrol engine and two electric motors, with their combined 302bhp being sent to all four wheels.
Being a plug-in hybrid also brings an official electric-only range of 46 miles. That’s further than plug-in hybrid versions of the Ford Kuga or Range Rover Evoque can take you, and is easily enough to cover my commute to and from the What Car? Office. If I’m able to do that regularly, and keep the RAV4’s 18.1kWh battery topped up, the official figures suggest that 282.5mpg should be possible – but we know that in real-world conditions, that’s unlikely. Still, my average of 48.5mpg so far is impressive, especially considering that I’ve taken my car on several long-distance motorway trips during its early weeks with me.
I can’t charge at home, either, so I’ll be plugging the RAV4 in at every available opportunity over the coming months – after all, driving such a car with a flat battery would be akin to leaving a heavy weight in the boot, and that would be ruinous for my running costs.
There are only two trim levels available on the RAV4, and the prospect of saving on my fuel bills meant I didn’t feel bad about splashing out on the range-topping GT Sport model. This gets me everything from part-leather upholstery to larger 19in alloy wheels and more muscular front and rear bumpers to give my car a mildly sporty look.
Toyota offers a few options on the RAV4, including a panoramic glass sunroof, chrome detailing and a detachable tow bar, but the only box I felt it necessary to tick was premium bi-tone paintwork, since I think it’ll help my car to stand out in the corporate car park.
Typically, now that I drive a RAV4 I’m seeing them everywhere. When we went on holiday to Norfolk recently – more on that in a future report – I found that another nearby tourist also had a RAV4, and we chatted for a while about economy and equipment. And when a new desk I’d bought from Facebook Marketplace was delivered the other day, it was dropped off from the boot of a RAV4 in an almost identical spec to mine.
The kids already appreciate having more space to stretch out than in the Volkswagen Golf GTI I ran previously. Being higher up has already helped to ease ten-year-old Elijah’s car sickness, while his younger sister Freya enjoys using the cup holders built into the rear armrest – standard on GR Sport trim – to hold her drinks bottle.
Our early miles have been comfortable, if not exactly exciting. The RAV4 is well suited to urban driving, with its slim windscreen pillars making it easy to see out of at busy junctions. And even though the view out of the back isn’t as good, my car comes with sensors and a reversing camera to help me avoid any embarrassing scrapes. Plus, while my car’s handling isn’t what you’d call especially engaging, its steering is both light and accurate, meaning I can always place the car where I want to. So far, the RAV4 has dealt well with the numerous potholes and sleeping policemen which plague the roads around my flat, too.
Over the coming months, I want to see if the RAV4 can fulfill one of the toughest briefs around – being the main car for a family of four. That means it’ll handle everything from the school run to holiday jaunts, and it needs to do all of that while not missing a reliability beat, and helping to lower my fuel costs too. It’s a tall order, but nobody said that being an adult was easy.
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
