Why This Lexus PHEV Is A Smarter Buy Than The Toyota RAV4 Prime Despite The Premium

If you are shopping for a premium plug-in hybrid model in 2024, we are sure the Toyota RAV4 Prime (now the RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid) will be on your shortlist. Let’s set the record straight. The $43,865 starting price for the 2025 SE model is a lot of money for any vehicle, let alone one that is technically not considered a “luxury” vehicle. If we step into the XSE model, that’s a $50,000 Toyota, and once you start talking about that price range, Lexus will call your name.

Lexus has a direct competitor to the 2025 RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid, and it is a shade under $20,000 more expensive to it (base price comparison). Well, the RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid isn’t exactly cheap either if you think about it, but this Lexus PHEV SUV is still a chunk more cash than the Toyota RAV4 Prime with its $62,415 starting price. Yet, if you are willing to pay $50,000+ for a higher-end plug-in RAV4, your money is better spent on the equivalent plug-in Lexus, even if that means a little extra on top (or not?). Let’s break down why.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources, including Lexus and Toyota.

The NX 450+ Is Better Value Than the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid

Performance-wise, there is not a large difference between the Lexus NX PHEV and the Toyota RAV4 Plug-in and most will know they share the same 2.4-liter inline four with dual electric motors in a hybrid configuration. The majority of the cost of both vehicles is in this hybrid platform, and it functions well, with the 300-horsepower or so output being a healthy bump for either model.

The RAV4 Plug-in offers a better pure electric range at 42 miles next to the NX’s 37 miles, but they are close in that department. If your commute is short, both will be capable of getting you around on fully electric power. The real difference between these two plug-ins is not in their impressive hybrid performance, but rather, the comfort and quality level you get alongside that performance.

The RAV4’s Seat Quality Is Not As Impressive

If you want the absolute best seats possible in a 2025 RAV4 Plug-in, you’ll have to pay an extra $2,960 for the Premium and Weather Package. This unlocks the black SofTex option, which allows you to ditch the standard cloth option. While SofTex is nice and easy to clean, it doesn’t look or feel as premium as it is convenient, despite the fact it costs a lot more. In addition, there are many complaints about how uncomfortable and stiff the front seats of the RAV4 feel, regardless of trim, especially when combined with its stiffer suspension settings.

The NX’s Offers Better Seats And Upholstery Options

Included in the starting price of

the Lexus NX 450+ AWD
is your choice of four different gorgeous leather options, our favorites being the golden-toned Palomino and the sexy wine-tinted Rioja Red. Not only do these seats alone make the interior of the NX look a full league above the RAV4, but they are also more comfortable (very important). Sure, they may not be as easy to clean, but for how much better they look and feel, it’s worth it. In addition, on the RAV4, the doors are adorned with uninspiring black plastic whereas the Lexus instead graces you with beautiful black open-pore wood trim that is filled with texture and shows that extra attention to detail in creating an inviting interior.

The Lexus Also Offers Better Styling Inside and Out

If we compare the two interiors of the RAV4 Plug-in and NX PHEV side-by-side, the most obvious difference between the two is the infotainment screen. The unit found in the Lexus is a big step in terms of size, quality, and integration in the interior. On the RAV4, it looks like Toyota just fits a generic and small screen in the middle of the dash, and it feels like an overthought doesn’t flow with the rest of the design. This is rectified in the Lexus, where the larger screen is intentionally integrated into the design of the dash with an emphasis on the driver’s direction. This allows for climate controls to also be integrated into the design as a sole unit, whereas on the RAV4 all these elements are separate.

Both units, despite their differences, offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration as well as the optional HUD display (on the RAV4 Plug-in), which functions well despite the known issue with polarized glasses. The last major difference is the quality between the Lexus and RAV4 Plug-in steering wheels, in which the Lexus offers superior perforated leather trim along with aluminum-finished pedals to complete the package.

The NX Offers Better Paint Options

The 2025 RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid is only offered in three standard colors. The best is the dark blue Blueprint paint and if you want something cooler than that, it’s going to cost $425 extra for either Supersonic Red or Wind Chill Pearl, otherwise known as white. The 2025 NX 450h+ AWD, in comparison, doesn’t just offer better colors than the RAV4 standard at no cost, but some of the best paint colors on the market right now, such as the vibrant Grecian Water (blue) and Nori Green Pearl. If you want to shine in a blinding fashion, the $595 premium peach rose-gold Copper Crest paint is one of the craziest stock colors for anything short of an exotic vehicle.

Let’s Talk About Headlights

Another feature we don’t think gets mentioned enough and is completely understated in many comparison reviews between these two vehicles is the major difference in each model’s headlights.

Although the RAV4 does come with standard LED projector low and high beams, they aren’t as good as you would hope they would be, and they are a common complaint, especially in low-light/no-light conditions where it matters the most. The triple-beam LED headlights found on the Lexus NX don’t just perform better but also look better. Because headlights are the primary source of your safety and visibility, we are surprised how little they are mentioned despite the significant differences between these models.

The Lexus Has Better Availability

Many of you may know that the Toyota RAV4 will be the best-selling vehicle in 2024 with over 350,000 examples sold (September 2024 figures). This is a good thing for Toyota but a bad thing for people who want to buy these highly sought-after models. With the combination of “shortages”, mark-ups, and annoying dealerships, you are almost surprised the RAV4 sells as well as it does consider how cumbersome the process of acquiring said vehicle is. If you think about it, a $50,000+ XSE RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid with a $10,000 markup after taxes and everything else is well into the range of the Lexus NX 400H+ AWD, and guess what, you are always treated better at the Lexus dealership.

The Lexus NX Is Not Lexus’ Best-Selling SUV

With the most up-to-date figures available, the Lexus NX remains the second best-selling Lexus SUV (53, 515 units) after Lexus’ crown jewel and the best-selling luxury vehicle on the market, the RX (83,341 units). Yet, if we look a little deeper into the data of the “electrified” segment, the plug-in NX is Lexus’ best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle with 4,866 units sold, compared to the RX’s at 2,819 units.

The RAV4 Prime (Plug-in) Is Too Popular?

The RAV4 Prime is Toyota’s best-selling plug-in (24,580 units) and the next best Prius Prime isn’t even close, with 8,311 units sold this year so far. All this is to say that the RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid is a very hot commodity and right now the RAV4 is the best plug-in Toyota offers, although they are expanding their electrified department with every passing year. Why fight tooth and nail for a RAV4 with mark-ups when the Lexus dealership is waiting for you with open arms, no mark-ups attached? We get it. Our whole argument is that the RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid may not be considered a luxury vehicle, but it demands a luxury price.

So if you are paying luxury prices already, why not bake the cake and eat it too? We wouldn’t be willing to spend $45,000+ on any vehicle and not be sure about our decision, so the least you can do is test-drive both. Don’t say we didn’t say anything!