I received the RAV4 Hybrid XSE AWD SUV as a vehicle loan from Toyota, but as usual, all opinions are my own.
Hubby has been a hybrid fan since having a hybrid wasn’t a cool thing! Today I will bring him in to tell you: Reasons Why You Should Buy A Hybrid.
Reasons Why You Should Buy A Hybrid
Fuel Efficiency
Let’s start with fuel economy. Nowadays so many brands have stretched the line as far as fuel efficiency, so is the Hybrid still the best bet as far as fuel efficiency?
Hubby’s Answer – Yes, because the hybrid still gives you the best gas mileage available.
Emissions
Many new vehicles are design to keep our environment clean, as far as emissions, is the hybrid a good option considering the electric vehicles seem to be the best choice in regards to emissions?
Hubby’s Answer – The hybrid vehicles still have emissions, where the electric vehicles don’t.
Performance
A lot of the car enthusiasts complain about sacrificing performance when choosing a hybrid. What do you have to say about that?
Hubby’s Answer – It’s mostly true. The buyer who is considering a hybrid knows it’s not a performance vehicle, even though the new models have a decent amount of performance available.
Fuel Availability
Electric powered vehicles are becoming more popular. Why choose a hybrid over a fully electric vehicle?
Hubby’s Answer – The major drawback of the fully electric cars is the short range for most of them and the long recharge times associated with them. Some of the latest fully electric vehicles can go over 200 miles and even have a shorter recharge time of 45 minutes. However the availability of those type of charging stations is very limited and you’ll still have to pay to use them – you could also get a station installed at your home by someone like this Milwaukee EV Charger Installation electrician. The typical recharge time at home is about 8 hours.
Although, another feature of PHEV (plug-in hybrids) that could be extremely beneficial is V2G (vehicle to grid) which is a connection to the power grid to sell demand response services by either returning electricity to the grid or by throttling their charging rate. It also enables the PHEV to utilize electricity generated from renewable energy sources.
Hybrids utilize gasoline and the availability of that fuel is obviously very plentiful and the refill time is just a few minutes when compared to a full electric recharge of approximately 1 hour (when you can find one of those charging stations).
We recently had the RAV4 Hybrid XSE AWD SUV in our driveway, here are the features that most attract us:
EPA- 41 MPG city and 38 MPG Hwy, but we actually beat it at 46.5 average in city driving mostly!
Awesome, isn’t it?
LED Headlights
The style and design really make the RAV4 Hybrid a great urban option for trendy drivers!
Check it out! Blue on Blue: gorgeous, isn’t it?
18″ Wheels
Always a plus on a SUV!
Tech
Sound
Love the JBL speakers, the 8″ touchscreen and 4 USB charge ports!
First time my teen didn’t complain about charging his phone!
He was so excited about it, he decided to wash it before one of our drives!
Wireless Smart Phone Charging is a great feature, especially when you have a teen!
Interior
Love the stitching on the seat and all the interior details the XSE package gave us!
Safety
The safety features and camera gave us all the features a luxury vehicle usually offers, at such a great price point!
Price
Starting at $28,350, the car we reviewed, fully loaded was priced at $38, 074.00 as shown.
Powerful Engine
The 219 combined net horsepower and the driving mode performances really impressed us!
Social distancing, we were still able to check all those features and bring the RAV4 along for some awesome sunset drives!
Explored new parks!
Nothing better than a vehicle that is good for the environment to enjoy what nature has to offer us!
“For our family, going green is just a matter of time” – hubby’s statement after the RAV4 Hybrid left our driveway!
A lot of our friends, after looking at our shots, asked for some ideas of social distancing drives where you can enjoy nature and still be safe!
As States reopen, I don’t know about you, but we’re still doing our best to social distance and be healthy during the pandemic.
Here’s a list of our favorite social distance drives:
Hiking
Going for a hike is always a great idea and there’s a real small chance you will find a large crowd on a trail.
We have been trying new trails around us and have not really had any problems!
Exploring new trails has actually become a family affair.
National and State Parks
Some parks have lakes, fishing areas, kayaking and boating options. Always plenty to do while being outdoors!
Most parks in our area also have social distancing parking as well!
Sunset drives
They are my favorite!
Just pack your car and bring them to enjoy a sunset drive, get out of the vehicle and just breathe!
If your vehicle is a hybrid and you’re saving gas every time you drive, even better!
Hope you enjoyed and share our love for Hybrid vehicles and all that we love about the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid XSE AWD!
Can’t wait to hear what you think!
As usual, give us a Trendy Shout!
As our kids begin to get older the thought of buying a car for them in the future crossed my mind. Maybe we can find a nice used hybrid for them as the time gets near.
I tried out a hybrid for 6 months and really liked it. It was a Ford model that was super quiet and elegant. I would totally buy one when we look for another car.
This is really informative! Great to know the advantages of a hybrid. Thank you!
I’ve loved every Toyota vehicle I’ve ever driven and their hybrids really are the best. Thanks for sharing your experiences with a greener way to drive. The photos from your various trips with your hubbie and son were so uplifting, too.
This is a car that I want. I need to test drive this car.
My daughter has a hybrid and she absolutely loves it! We’ll probably look at hybrids when we’re ready for our next vehicle. This one looks awesome!
We’ve been looking to get ourselves a hybrid. I love the ability to use less gas but not have to worry about finding a place to charge on a long trip.