Best 5-Year-Old Japanese Hybrid SUV for Budget Buyers

New hybrids have some pretty steep asking prices, even if you are looking at smaller budget options. If you’re a budget buyer looking for a bargain, there is no better place to look than the used market. You can get a hybrid SUV that is pretty modern and shave thousands off of what you would have paid if you got it new.

There are tons of used options that offer excellent value. However, if you’re looking for the best five-year-old hybrid SUV that is guaranteed to save you tons of money, this 2020 MY from Toyota has you covered. It is Toyota’s bread and butter and with their extensive experience building hybrids, it features a fantastically efficient powertrain.

By trawling the used market, we’ve found just how much you can expect to pay for a used 2020 MY. We also dive into which trim will serve you best, how efficient the it is, how well it performs, its overall reliability, as well as the level of comfort you can expect from its cabin.

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 Cars.com, J.D. Power, the EPA, CarEdge, and RepairPal.

You Can Pick Up A 2020 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid For A Bargain

If you look at the listings, the average price of a brand-new RAV4 Hybrid is close to $35,000. That is a lot for a little compact SUV. Jump back a couple of model years, though, and you could save yourself thousands of dollars. The 2020 RAV4 Hybrid is also extremely modern despite being five years old, and it has plenty of modern offerings in the way of features.

Average Used Price

If you’re looking for a base model and don’t need too many fancy features, the base LE model of the 2020 RAV4 Hybrid starts below the $25,000 mark, which is super affordable. This isn’t the worst option, though, as Toyota has absolutely loaded the RAV4 with tons of standard features, with things like a seven-inch infotainment screen and a plethora of safety features and driver assists.

If you’re looking for the best bang for your buck, we’d generally suggest the XLE. For less than $1,000 more you can have features like passive keyless entry, LED headlamps, automatic high beams, fog lamps, a power-adjustable front seat, and heated exterior mirrors. The Limited is also another good choice, particularly because of how affordable the used model is, as it adds things like a premium Bose sound system and SofTex materials.

The RAV4 Hybrid Is Quicker And Much More Efficient Than Its Gas Counterpart

Toyota has a lot of experience when it comes to hybrids, with the brand being one of the first to bring hybrid power in a mass-produced car to the U.S. This experience has translated into an ability to craft some of the smoothest and most efficient hybrid vehicles out there. The 2020 model year of the RAV4 is no exception and is guaranteed to save you money on gas.

Performance Specifications

The RAV4 Hybrid features a pretty simple four-banger that pairs with three electric motors to produce a total output of 219 horsepower. Unlike on the gas-only model, the hybrid comes standard with all-wheel drive. One electric motor sends power to the rear wheels while the engine and the other two motors power the front wheels. The CVT is also more refined than you’d expect, and isn’t too gruff sounding.

While we’re not claiming that the RAV4 is sporty by any means, because it’s not, it does get to 60 miles per hour quicker than the gas model by a noticeable amount. The electric motors give you plenty of power on demand, which you’ll definitely feel when you put your foot down. Its ride is comfortable and it handles well enough, just don’t expect it to be able to corner like a sports car.

Fuel Economy

There is no comparison between the gas-powered RAV4 and the hybrid model as the hybrid is far more efficient. It is about on par compared to other hybrid SUVs in this segment, like the Ford Escape Hybrid, but is the most efficient hybrid SUV in Toyota’s lineup. Thanks to its electric motors, it is particularly efficient around the city, getting more than 40 miles per gallon on average. On the highway, where the gasoline engine is doing more work, it still manages some pretty impressive figures.

Balance On Warranties

The RAV4 comes with a pretty comprehensive warranty plan. However, if you’re picking up a 2020 model year, the limited and powertrain warranties will be moot. Toyota does offer a long warranty on hybrid components, though, with the SUV being covered for eight years or 100,000 miles. Your used 2020 model could have up to three years lift on the balance of this warranty.

The RAV4 Is Sturdy And Incredibly Affordable To Maintain

When buying a used car, two things that should be at the forefront of your mind are reliability and maintenance costs. While a vehicle may seem like a bargain, it isn’t if you are going to have to consistently invest tons of money in to repairs. Luckily, the RAV4 has a pretty solid reputation for reliability and is considered one of the most affordable vehicles to maintain.

Reliability

It is hard to find an owner of a RAV4 Hybrid who is dissatisfied with their SUV. The beauty of the RAV4 is that it is simple, sturdy, and does exactly what it says on the box. This is why owners of the 2020 model year awarded it 4.7 out of five stars for reliability. This generation of the RAV4 Hybrid has also managed to score a decent 82 out of 100 for quality and reliability on J.D. Power.

Maintenance Costs

The maintenance costs on hybrid SUVs can generally be a little bit higher than the average vehicle. However, Toyota is particularly good at keeping maintenance costs on their cars down. CarEdge estimates that the RAV4 Hybrid costs $5,820 to maintain in its first ten years. That is $2,430 less than the average popular SUV. At this time, there is only a 16.1 percent chance that any singular repair will cost more than $500, which is seven percent lower than the average. RepairPal estimates the annual maintenance costs of a RAV4 to sit at $429.

Toyota’s RAV4 Hybrid Is Utilitarian Yet Comfortable

Toyota’s ideology when it comes to the RAV4 is to keep things simple. Sometimes this means that it isn’t the fanciest or the most tech-laden vehicle out there, but it does mean that everything is easy to use and performs consistently. However, the 2020 RAV4 also manages to be a pretty comfortable compact SUV that has all the modern amenities that you could hope for.

Comfort And Connectivity

The RAV4 puts practicality above all else, including style. While this means that the cabin isn’t particularly flashy, it features tons of storage space and all the controls are easy to find and use. Niceties like dual-zone climate control are standard, with other more luxurious options like heated seats being available on higher trims. Passenger and cargo space is ample, matching the gas-only model.

A seven-inch infotainment screen is standard, with the XSE and Limited getting an eight-inch unit instead. The XLE can also get the larger screen when equipped with the Audio Plus package. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard alongside onboard Wi-Fi. A six-speaker sound system is what base models come with, but the XLE and Limited get an 11-speaker Bose system instead.