Toyota RAV4 long-term test: report 4

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 2306 List price £49,245 Best price £45,595 Price as tested £49,530 Test economy 48.7mpg Official economy 282.5mpg

25 October 2025 – The popular vote

The Baader-Meinhof phenomenon states that once you become aware of a product, you start to notice it everywhere. So it follows that since I’ve been driving my Toyota RAV4, I’m starting to see lots of them on my local roads. Indeed, after sweating at the gym the other day, I returned to my car to find it nestled in-between two other RAV4s – both in white – which had decided to keep it company in the car park. 

This frequency bias must be just that, though, because a recent YouGov poll places my car a lowly 74th position on a list of the UK’s most popular models, in-between the Audi Q2 SUV and Ford Galaxy people carrier. Still, I think the RAV4 might be a slept-on proposition, because it’s slotting into my daily life brilliantly. 

I like how simple everything in it is. For example, whereas in some cars – including the Volkswagen Golf GTI I ran previously – you need to use touch-sensitive sliders or the infotainment touchscreen to control most functions, in the RAV4 almost everything has a corresponding button or dial.

Need to open the fuel filler cap? It’s a button. Want to turn on the heated seats? That’s a rocker switch. Want to adjust the temperature? It’s a big, chunky dial. I’m finding it a joy to have all of this within easy reach, and it makes getting comfortable on the move that much easier.

I’m also enjoying the fuel-efficient nature of my car. I’m unable to charge easily at home, so wherever I’m headed, I aim for the nearest public charger to keep the RAV4’s battery topped up. But when the 46-mile official electric range is nearing its end, I like that the car transitions over to being a regular hybrid automatically, leaving enough energy in the battery to stop me from running on purely petrol power.

I know that plenty of other plug-in hybrids do this as well, but it’s extremely helpful, and the RAV4 helpfully displays what mode you’re in and how your electrical energy is being used on its dashboard and infotainment screen.

Speaking of the infotainment, this has been the source of some disappointment, because Toyota’s software is often slow to respond and seems lacking in features compared with rivals. It’s almost as if Toyota knew that most drivers would use the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, so skimped on developing its own interface.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here

Read more on our Toyota RAV4 >>

Read about more long-term test cars >>

Buy a new car with What Car?

Like the sound of the Toyota RAV4?

If so, check out our New Car Deals pages to see how much you could save on a Toyota RAV4.

We’ve got the biggest selection of discounted new cars available in the UK.