The mileage numbers are unimpressive. Perhaps real-world reports will be better. The Escape Hybrid, using an older version of this hybrid technology, with a less streamlined body, and lacking the ability to regenerate braking forces from the rear wheels, does better than this in real-world reports.
I say this with the utmost respect to you - please note that.
I know that you love your Escape Hybrid and you are always quick to report your experiences in comparison to every hybrid article. I do the same W.R.T. the hybrids I'm accustomed to driving, including the RX400h currently parked about 100 feet from my desk.
With that in mind, I, too, have extensive experience with the Escape Hybrid. I drove for my university campus's safety program, which took students home when class was late and they didn't want to walk alone in the dark. We drove rain, shine, or blizzard. Suffice it to say that I found the Escape Hybrid utterly useless in the winter.
...now, that Escape had OEM tires only, which were LRR and certainly not proper dedicated winters.
I point this out because I don't trust any of the forum-member 'tests' I hear about here. What tires were used in these "hill" tests? Were they new? What level of wear? Were they WS60s or WS70s, or even better, WS80s?
I've never, ever been stuck in the snow (and I've driven the RX through some nasty sh~t). My father vehemently was against buying winter tires for the first 6 years of ownership of the RX, and only three years ago did he agree to get Yokohama iG51vs. They are squishy, and honestly, not the best tire, but mon dieu do they transform the RX into a proper winter driver. Is it a Forester with WS70s in the snow? No. But neither is the Corolla, nor is any version of pretty much any competing CUV out there. The Outlander with S-AWC, perhaps. The Santa Fe does very well, too. As good as a Subaru? Nope. Does it matter? Nope.
The only valid question is:
Does the eAWD in the Rav4 Hybrid (similar setup as in the RX400h/450h/NX300h <-- closer to this one) offer better slippery-condition performance than the FWD setup? The answer is a resounding "yes." On that basis, and on that basis alone, the rest of these questions are completely moot. Are there better AWD systems out there? Absolutely! But the Rav4 Hybrid will not be purchased for offroading, akin to the Jeep Grand Cherokee or Wrangler or Renegade. Sheesh, get a grip!
Here's what I can tell you about buying a Toyota hybrid with NiMH batteries:
The system is fantastic for about 7 years with no input. After 7-8 years, the battery capacity does diminish. Does the car still work? Yes, though at best I'm able to get about 23.2mpg now (it is colder, mind you), compared to ~31mpg in the Corolla. 268hp (well, what once was) SUV compared to 132hp (well, what once was
) compact sedan is not exactly fair, but when 'new' (to us), the RX was capable of mid-high 30s (mpg) with little to no effort in all types of city driving. Highway was never really better than 27mpg.
In the US, there are centres that will recondition your battery to 95% of new capacity. That'd be swell if I could find one.
In any event, I'd likely recommend purchasing one of these systems, but caution about fuel economy down the road. It's not worse than the RX350 of the same model year, but the fuel economy gains do go away after a while unless the battery can be reconditioned or replaced. This is from my example, and YMMV, of course.
What I do find interesting about the Rav4 Hybrid is the 'tach':
No numbers whatsoever. Likely makes sense based on the combined output difficulties, but mostly because folks just don't care what engine speed is.
I still think $41,000 for the top dawg is pricey, but clearly it's an issue of our dollar and not Toyota overpricing this thing.
