It’s Friday evening and I have an invite to go to Deadwood, South Dakota. Looking out the window and seeing my test vehicle for the week, a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, I think, yes why not. This will be the perfect opportunity to get a good feel for the car.
I decided to bring the family so all of us could test it as a family car. We packed up half the house (traveling with a 2yr old and 4yr old means leaving the house for any period of time is like packing for doomsday).
Would all of the luggage, a 6’4″ husband and 2 children fit in a ‘small’ sport utility vehicle? RAV4’s EPA class is a small SUV. The RAV4 is a traditional hybrid so does not need to be plugged in and also has a regular gasoline engine. Click to find out more about the different types of hybrids.
Cargo space for 4 people is not a problem for a weekend trip in the 2018 RAV4 Hybrid
A pretty big suitcase, with a diaper bag and backpack camera bag, loaded easily in the trunk with more space to spare.
It’s an SE Hybrid with AWDi, what does that mean?
First off, it’s a traditional hybrid, which means it has a regular gasoline engine with a hybrid battery that does not need to be plugged in. The hybrid battery is recharged through driving and braking. The engine is a 2.5L 4 cylinder that puts out 194 hp (18 more horsepower than the non-hybrid RAV4). SE is the trim level of the vehicle, and this one is second highest trim level available out of the RAV4 Hybrid line up. The AWDi part means it’s All Wheel Drive with Intelligence. An AWD system that is partly powered by the hybrid battery. I can tell you that this AWD system works extremely well.
We have been driving for well over an hour now, It’s dark and a kid needed to have the absorbent padding of the derriere changed if you know what I mean. With no rest stop or nearby town in sight (remember it’s Wyoming), we decide to take the next exit and find a quiet spot.
Lo an behold, the next exit (that is not lit up) resembles a corner a rally navigator would refer to as a 2. That means, almost a hairpin! 70 mph to a hairpin exit off the highway resulted in me having to slam the brakes on (right before the corner) into almost an emergency stop to slow down enough.
Anticipating the car to squirm a little, the RAV4 did surprisingly great. It didn’t squirm, or even skid, it never lost traction at all. Not excited about the situation with my kids in my car, but there you have it, it happened and I can tell you the car did amazing.
How different is it to drive a hybrid?
It’s really not that different at all, other than these few parts that you’ll notice. It’s super quiet on start-up. You may think to yourself after pushing the start button, “did the car actually start?”. Yes, it did, it’s just so quiet because it starts on the battery, you can’t hear the engine revving.
You’ll see the lights and dash information pop up though which will reassure you, the car is running.
You will hear or feel the transfer when the car decides to switch from battery power to engine or vice versa. It’s not blatantly obvious if you have the radio blasting, but if not, you’ll go from almost silence to the hearing the engine.
It’s not something I found too obtrusive at all, just different. Had my kids not been in the car, the silence would actually be relaxing. When placing the car under load on battery power (accelerating hard) you will hear a slight whine. It’s pretty cool actually, reminded me of how modern and ‘green’ I was being.
It’s easy to forget you’re in a hybrid. You should have seen the look on my face when I was attempting to maneuver out of a parking spot. I thought I had the gear shifter in R for reverse, I’m busy looking around for other cars and looking at the backup camera. Attempting to move, I start pushing down the accelerator pedal, and nothing.
I can’t hear the engine revving, I’m not moving, what in the world is going on? Oh yeh, that would be me in Neutral running on battery power. The car has no rev counter either, momentarily forgetting I was in a hybrid and that revving in neutral on battery power produces no sound or revs (insert *silly me hand-over-face emoji).
Advantages of the Hybrid
An average of 30 mpg in an AWD SUV full of people and luggage
It only took just over half a tank of gas to make it from Casper, WY to Deadwood, SD. After some running around and visiting some tourist spots, like Bear Country, the fuel light came on at 343.4 miles. I might add that the Air Conditioning was constantly running.
Elevation was between approx 4500 ft and 5100ft.
Waiting in line to get in
Apparently RAV4’s are the car to have in SD
Even if the bear was RAV enous, I felt quite safe
EPA estimated fuel economy ratings for the hybrid RAV4 are;
34 mpg city
30 mpg highway
32 mpg combined
We mainly did highway driving so it seems the EPA estimate is spot on. Notice how the city mpg is much higher. Normally you would expect this number to be the lowest of all the ratings. However, being a hybrid, in the city at slow speeds, the car can run more from the battery and not the engine, thus better fuel economy.
Better fuel economy means less money spent on gas and fewer emissions.
As we rolled through Bear country at less than 20 mph (so all on battery power), admiring the wildlife, the car wasn’t emitting the same amount of greenhouse gases as the one in front, or behind.
According to cars.com, hybrids will hold their value longer. “Autolist looked at data points for more than 95 million vehicles and Toyota models came out ahead, showing particular depreciation resistance over their gas-powered siblings”.
Looking at the Toyota website MSRP listings, there is just over a $3k difference between the SE AWD and SE Hybrid (which only comes in AWD).
Comfort
All 4 of us fitted, including my 6’4″ passenger with 2 kids in the back. With the passenger seat all the way back, legs could be straightened. However, if there was a full-sized adult in the back behind my passenger and the seat had to be moved forward, the shape of the dash would be intrusive. As it was set up for us, it worked.
No one even complained about numbness on the bottom.
The SE has sport suspension tuning, which is noticeable. Handling is a lot stiffer than say a 4Runner. I was making nimble turns through the corners of the Deadwood mountain roads. I was quickly able to find the ‘sport’ mode button which allowed faster accelerator response.
My daughter did, however, spill her drink in the back. Thankfully the RAV4 Hybrid interior is a SofTex® material which is a leatherette, so, comfy and easy to clean.
Technology
If you require charging of lot’s of devices (like say, a phone and 2 tablets) make sure you bring 12v chargers. There are plenty of 12v outlets, but only one usb port. The sound system is great and yes we all did sing along to some Dis….can I say it? songs, through plugging in my smartphone and using the Pandora app.
Safety
Would you like to take rest?
Yes please, RAV4, I’d like to take a rest, but I’m not sure if you’re familiar with Wyoming? The message really did make me want to stop for coffee though.
Toyota includes most of its safety features (Toyota Safety Sense™ P) as standard with every trim level, which is not something a lot of manufacturers do. Included in this car is;
Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist (which works well and doesn’t grab the steering wheel out of your hands)
Automatic High Beams (very quick to respond)
Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (Allows you to set your cruise control speed, and a distance gap. This means when you start approaching a slower moving vehicle in front when you get to the distance gap ou set, the vehicle will automatically slow down. If you are on a 2 lane highway and you decide to pass, I noticed, the RAV4 will start to regain the speed you set, right as the middle of the car passes over the line separating lanes).
Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection
An overall 5-star safety rating is awarded to the 2018 RAV4 Hybrid by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
If you’d like to find out more about the RAV4 Hybrid, feel free to comment below or contact us or your preferred ToyotaDealership.
You really hope that you’ll never have to contact 9-1-1 emergency services, but accidents happen and it happened to me.
The 9-1-1 button
The ASSIST and 9-1-1 button on the rear view mirror
In modern vehicles, you’ll likely have noticed some buttons either on the rearview mirror, on the roof or through the infotainment screen. General Motors vehicles such as Chevrolet, Buick’s, GMC’s, and Cadillac’s it’ll be OnStar buttons. On Ford’s it’s called 911 Assist and is through the SYNC system. In Fiat, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM’s it’ll be through Uconnect and the buttons will say ASSIST and 9-1-1 or SOS. Pushing the 9-1-1 button will connect you to emergency services dispatch. With the UConnect system, after the button is pushed there is a 10-second delay in case the button is pushed by accident it allows the user to quickly cancel before being connected. However, if you need help just stay on the line and that’s what I did.
What happened
It was late in the evening and I was with my friend in the mountains of Wyoming. We were only about 40 miles away from Casper, however, we were in some rugged backcountry territory. It’s early evening and we decide to hike into the ridges to look for some deer.
As we start walking in, my friend turns to me and she says, “so we know there is a bear in here, but it’s a black bear and normally runs away”. My heart suddenly skipped a beat and with shaky hands, I used a monocular (she used her camera’s zoom lens to check out some dark spots feeding in the distance). A sigh of relief as we realize they are just cows.
We continued our search for pretty photographs of the sunset and some deer.
The sun is down and it’s getting dark so we hike back to the truck. Disappointed we didn’t see any deer, we get in the pickup, start heading home and making plans for another trip.
We’re driving along the dirt road and my friend says, “take it easy on these sections, it’s pretty steep”. I have my foot gently keeping pressure on the brake as we begin to descend.
Just as the hill starts to flatten out, I feel a jerking on the steering wheel, I apply the brakes, but much to my surprise, there wasn’t any brakes. All I got was a heavy vibration on the brake pedal, but I keep trying anyway until I was able to jam my foot on the emergency brake.
Figuring I’d probably gotten a flat tire when I eventually came to a stop, I got out and looked. I look at the back wheel and there’s the hub…sitting on the dirt road cutting into the sand and gravel. I look up the hill, and there shining in the red tail lights of the pickup is the wheel.
The wheel had fallen completely off!
Why I needed the UConnect 9-1-1 button
Upon closer inspection of the hub, I noticed that one of the studs has sheared. It’s broken apart and sitting flush with the hub. The rest of the studs were not so round anymore, putting another wheel on was probably not going to be a viable option. We were at least 10 miles from a paved road.
We both checked our cell phones, and lone behold, no service.
Knowing that the truck was around a year old and UConnect provides a years worth of services I thought I’d try the ASSIST button. Was the service still active? A message comes up on the 8.4″ Nav screen, the subscription was inactive, log on to Uconnect to activate. I’d have loved to have done that at that moment, however, no service makes it tricky.
Our options were narrowed. Get out and walk in the dark and hope we get cell service on top of a hill, or try the 9-1-1 button.
It did work even when we didn’t have cell service.
I pushed the 9-1-1 button on the rearview mirror, waited the 10 seconds and was greeted by a dispatcher. She asked my location to which I could not answer, other than the middle of nowhere, near Casper, Wyoming. I then asked her if she could use the GPS coordinates from the truck to find my location. She was able to bring them right up.
Another sigh of relief followed by me thinking, “wow, this is a cool feature and I’m so glad my truck has it”. She was able to get the Sheriff out to us so we could make contact with someone to come rescue us. Also really cool, is that using the trucks system, the Sheriff was able to call us back and let us know he was on the way.
Roadside Assistance
Roadside Assistance is provided on Mopar vehicles from new usually for the length of manufacturer warranty term. If we had had signal, I could have pressed the ASSIST button and FCA would have organized a tow truck to be sent out. Because we didn’t have signal though I arranged this the next day. The service was impeccable. I received text message updates with ETA’s and everything went smoothly. The truck was towed to the nearest dealer, Fremont Motors in Casper. Roadside assistance offers features such as fuel delivery, flat tire changes, towing, and lockouts. Coverage varies depending on the vehicle and year.
Are you covered?
The following links will let you know what kind of roadside assistance is offered by brand;
Used vehicles purchased fromFremont Motorshave roadside assistance for 1 year from the date of purchase, click here for more info.
Thankfully no-one was hurt during this, and I did ponder as to whether we should use 9-1-1. Even though no one was hurt, the situation had the potential to turn nasty.
The 2017 Toyota RAV4 gets a 5-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). The SUV is available in FWD or AWD drivetrains. Both versions get 5-stars. It gets 4-stars out of 5 for frontal crash, passenger and driver sides. It does, however, get full marks on all 7 side impact crash tests. Rollover star rating is 4-stars and rollover resistance is 16.90%. Overall very good safety results.
I just want to start off by saying, how cool is it that there is a fast SUV on the market. I was lucky enough to have an SRT engineer riding shotgun in the car with me when I got to drive it.
Before we even started talking about the car or driving specifics, I straight up asked him, “Who did you build this Durango for, who is your target market?”
I was really curious as to what the answer might be, and in particular, if it would be geared towards males or females.
The reply I got, was “don’t know, we just built it”. Very much a ‘because we can’ attitude. I commend that and I wish more car manufacturers would think like that. Just because it’s an SUV, doesn’t mean it can’t be fun or look good.
2018 Durango SRT Specs:
AWD SUV with 3rd-row seating
475hp
470lb-ft torque
392 cubic inch HEMI® V-8
1/4 mile time 12.9 seconds
0-60 in 4.4 seconds
Best in class towing at 8,700lbs
Dodge Durango SRT Interior
The interior of the Durango SRT is very similar if not the same as other SRT models in the line up such as the Challenger Hellcat.
Even though it’s an SUV, it’s still got that muscle car feel.
The front seats are a luxury suede and Laguna leather mix that are wide and bolstered. A wide steering wheel intensifies the muscle feel.
Quick access to information and/or features are available at the touch of a button the steering wheel.
Durango SRT leather interior, photo: FCA
Gear changes are also accessible with paddle shifters located at the back of the steering wheel. The paddle shifters were easy to use and a big enough not to miss.
For regular automatic shifting, the gear lever (yes a lever, not a rotary dial) is within easy reach right where it should be.
Durango SRT luxury suede roof lining
A thin-film transistor makes up the digital instrument cluster, which is customizable and shows up to 180mph on the speedometer.
An 8.4″ Uconnect touch screen gives access to the SRT performance pages, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, climate controls, the backup camera, HD radio, downloadable apps, and more.
Durango SRT performance pages with adjustable settings. photo: FCA
Standard on the Durango SRT is a BeatsAudio premium sound system. I didn’t try out the sound system, I was too amused by the exhaust notes.
The Drive
It was difficult not have fun in this SUV. Granted the exhaust note might have spurred me on a little, I did have the window cracked so I could hear it more.
Durango SRT
The SRT engineer told me that they put a lot of work into sound dampening inside the vehicle due to it being a family car. Perfect, so you don’t need to worry about the kids in the 3rd row going deaf.
When the kids aren’t in the back, open the window a little, put it in track mode and you’ll be smiling at the deep V8 cackle before you know it.
I mentioned track mode already, but there are actually 7 different drive modes;
Auto
Sport
Track
Snow
Tow
Valet
ECO
‘Sport’ mode was the first mode I tried, and within a few miles, I got used to the handling and acceleration. I then switched to ‘Track’ mode and oh… my. Leaving the transmission in auto, accelerating hard, I was soon being thrown around my seat.
Gear shifts in track mode are violent and aggressive. The most aggressive I’ve ever experienced in an auto (160 milliseconds to be precise).
The Durango SRT has an 8-speed TorqueFlight transmission which is specifically calibrated for the vehicle. Shift points are designed to give the maximum torque to all four wheels.
In track mode, 70 percent of that torque is sent to the rear wheels.
On this note, I did ask how the vehicle performed in the snow with so much power.
It does have a snow mode, which will reduce power and it’s also AWD. With a good set of snow tires, I’ll be interested to see how it performs.
No time to try out ECO mode, however, if you are worried about fuel consumption on this vehicle, it’s probably not for you.
Durango SRT’s for sale
To find out more information about this fast 3-row family-friendly SUV, contact your preferred Dodge dealership or click to see Dodge Durango SRT’s in stock.
The Toyota4Runner is a mid-sized SUV that is built similar to a pickup truck (body on frame) and has optional 3rd-row seating. The current generation (fifth) of 4Runners has been around since 2009. The vehicle hasn’t changed much over the years and sales are increasing. Toyota must be thinking, why change it if it works. I got to test out the 2017 Toyota 4RunnerTRD Off-Road Premium. There are currently 6 trim levels available in the lineup;
4Runner trim level line-up
SR5
SR5 Premium
TRD Off-Road
TRD Off-Road Premium
Limited
TRD Pro
All the trim levels are available in 4X4 and 2X4 except the top of the line TRD Pro which is only available in 4X4.
Safety
The 4Runner has a crash test safety overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It gets 3 out of 5 stars for rollover and front passenger. For the side crash tests it gets full marks with 5 out of 5 stars for all the tests except ‘Overall Side Pole’ it gets 4.
Performance
Engine & Transmission
The 4.0 Litre DOHC V-6 engine puts out 270hp and 278lb ft of torque. You’re not going to win many drag races with this SUV but the power suffices for what it is. It has a 5-speed transmission, which is less than most, but the advantage of is less gear changes and taller gears. For it only being a 5-speed the transmission is actually fairly smooth at a gentle pace. To get it to change down you’ll have to firmly plant your foot on the accelerator.
Handling
Handling is ok. It’s not super soft and it’s not super hard, it’s somewhere in between closer to softer. There is some body roll and that’s to be expected, it’s a fairly high profile SUV. A slight forward lean is noticeable on braking. The model I was testing had “..Toyota’s Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) that allows extended wheel travel at slow speeds for greater off-road capability and stability”.
Off-Road
Off-road is where the 4Runner gets an advantage. It has a good old lever where you hear the clunks moving between transfer cases. I like this, it gives a sense of security. The 4Runner has 9.6″ of ground clearance (more than some pickup trucks) and a 26-degree departure angle. ‘A-TRAC’ (active traction control) and ‘Multi-Terrain Select’ are available. Torsen™ limited-slip center diff is also available is lockable. Crawl Control comes standard on the TRD model trim levels (TRD Off-Road, TRD Off-Road Premium, and TRD Pro).
Crawl Control Demonstration
Toyota say that the crawl control can be used in extremely rough off-road road conditions. That may mean several different scenarios to people but I tested on a sandy hill as it was close by. Crawl control is sort of like an extremely slow cruise control. You set the speed and tt will maintain it without you having to touch the brake or accelerator.
To engage:
Vehicle stopped
Foot on the brake
Shift to NEUTRAL
Shift to 4LOW
Put in FORWARD or REVERSE gear
Select ON on the Crawl Control dial on the roof
Select your speed between Low and High
Foot off the brake and let the vehicle CRAWL!
Comfort / Entertainment
The 4Runner I had was not equipped with the 3rd row so I can’t comment on the space there. The 2nd row, however, has ample room for both children and adults to be comfortable. My particular car seats were easy to install, the latch system is very easy to get to. For kids, a universal tablet holder is available as an option ($99) that hooks onto the back of the front seats. Your own tablet can then be added to provide entertainment for children.
The buttons and knobs on the Toyota are big. Very big. So big that you can’t miss them. The fan speed, blower direction, and temperature knobs are almost the size of China. You’ll never have to search long for the right control again. The radio power knob is also large and easy to get to. The screen is a 6.1″ touchscreen that’s quick to load. It doesn’t have the latest technology such as AppleCarPlay or AndriodAuto yet but it’s easy to use. It works and there’s also a CD player.
Economy
The 4Runner’s fuel economy is EPA estimated at 17mpg in the city for the 4×4. 20mpg is estimated for the highway and a combined estimate at 18mpg. The 2×4 gets 1mpg more on the highway. Whilst I had the vehicle, I averaged 18.9mpg.
Dependability
According to the NHTSA, the 2017 4Runner has only had 2 recalls so far and 0 investigations. Toyota’s are known for their reliability.
“Multi-Tool on Wheels: 2017 Toyota 4Runner Is the Everyday SUV That Lets You Explore When You Want, Where You Want | Toyota USA Newsroom.” Hub, Toyota, 5 Dec. 2016, pressroom.toyota.com/releases/2017-toyota-4runner-everday-suv-explore-where-when-you-want.htm.
A battle of luxury large SUVs: Lincoln Navigator and Lexus LX570
I had the luxury (pun intended) of my first ever press loan vehicle being an AWD Lexus LX570. Although I was very excited, I knew this was going to be tough to write about the 2017 Lincoln Navigator Vs 2017 Lexus LX 570. The Lexus I had comes in priced at just over $97k. So I keep asking myself, is this SUV really worth almost 100 grand. What other vehicles can be compared? Well technically a Lincoln Navigator is in the same class, it’s a luxury vehicle, it’s an SUV, and it has a third row.
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