The Toyota RAV4 achieved a milestone in 2024. For the first time in 42 years, it has become America's best-selling vehicle overall. The F-150 has held the crown for the past 42 years, but its sales slipped slightly by five percent last year to 460,915 examples. On the other hand, the RAV4's sales grew by nine percent, rising to 475,193 copies in 2024. 208,356 of those are hybrids, or 43 percent of overall RAV4 sales, while an additional 31,093 examples are the plug-in hybrid version.
Therefore, the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid (which dropped its Prime name recently) is also Toyota's best-selling PHEV. That's even though there are already spy shots of the next-generation RAV4, and the internet hasn't even remained quiet about it. So yes, even if people know that there's a new generation RAV4 coming, people still snapped up this outgoing model. Discounts? That probably won't happen with the RAV4 as it nears the end of its life cycle, but that won't be an issue if you plan to get a fully loaded model, anyway. Without further ado, here's how expensive a RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid can get if you go all-out with the available options and accessories.
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 Toyota, Department of Energy, and MotorAuthority.
As Is With Every Toyota, There's No Dearth Of Optional Stuff
Red 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime With Black Roof Parked Front 3/4 View
Go all-out with the options and accessories for a 2025 Toyota RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid, and you'll end up paying nearly twice its base price of $44,265. That's for the base RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid SE, which means we should start with the range-topping XSE that only comes with a handful of factory options.
Fully-Loaded At $51,700... Before Accessories
Toyota
Starting with our range-topping XSE for $48,135, the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid at this price point only comes with a handful of options. One of those is the more premium color options in the form of Supersonic Red or Wind Chill Pearl for $425, though a black contrasting roof is fitted as standard. You also have the Weather Package for $375, along with the Premium Package for $2,585.
The Premium Package adds a lot of, well, premium features, such as a 10-inch head-up display, a 6.6 kW onboard charger, a panoramic glass roof, a 360-degree camera, synthetic leather seats with red accents and stitching, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear outboard seats, eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat with two-position memory function, four-way power-adjustable front passenger seat, a digital rearview mirror with HomeLink® universal transceiver, a height-adjustable and foot-activated power liftgate, just to name a few.
Add Everything And You'll End Up Shelling Out Over $80,000
Toyota
If you're wondering where all the nearly $30,000 went if $51,700 is already enough to give you a fully-loaded RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid out of the factory, well, all of those are for a lot of useless knickknacks that you can buy anywhere else. For instance, is an ARB-branded freezer a necessity in your RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid? It's not even a Toyota accessory that integrates into your vehicle.
But yes, while a fully loaded RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid is "technically" worth $81,150, the vast majority of those are third-party accessories that you can buy anywhere else. There are simply too many of them to list or are even too trivial for anyone to have any interest of finding out, but here's how we built out a fully-loaded RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid.
Why The RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid Is Worth Considering
Toyota
For the Toyota RAV4 to become America's outright best-selling car in 2024, there have to be a lot of reasons why American buyers love it. 31,093 copies are the plug-in hybrid version, which makes it Toyota's best-selling plug-in hybrid, too. The question now is, though it's already in Lexus territory in terms of pricing, here's why the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid is still worth considering.
The Fastest Non-GR Toyota
Toyota
Did you know that the fastest Toyota without a GR badge is the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid? With a 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds, this makes the humble family crossover SUV faster than even the Crown Hybrid Max and its 340-horsepower 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder parallel hybrid system by two-tenths of a second. That's despite the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid's series-parallel hybrid system having a total system output of 302 horses--about 38 horsepower less than the Crown Hybrid Max.
Credit is due to the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid having very strong electric motors, which contributes to its spritely and more responsive acceleration. It's not a sporty hybrid drivetrain in my opinion, though. While it has copious amounts of power, hard accelerations will make the engine drone the cabin due to the planetary gear e-CVT. This is unlike the Crown Hybrid Max and its six-speed automatic, which has a direct throttle feel and thus, more linear acceleration.
And It Helps Toyota Fans Have An EV Taste
Toyota
If you're a fan of Toyota and its prudent approach to electrification, then you'll probably like the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid's ability to give you a taste of what electric vehicle (EV) ownership could be like. Thanks to its 18.1 kWh lithium-ion battery, the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid has an EPA-estimated electric range of 42 miles.
For reference, the average daily driving distance of an American is around 50 miles. And you also have to remember that the perfect use case for a PHEV is to be able to charge it while you sleep. As a result, the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid can be used as an EV on your daily drives, while the gas engine will only need to be used when you want its full 302 horses, or you are going beyond the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid's 42-mile electric driving range.
Here's What's Next For The RAV4 Hybrid
Toyota
If you can wait a bit longer to satisfy your itch for a new RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid, then you might want to consider the next-generation RAV4 instead. Though Toyota is still mum on key details about the next-generation RAV4, here's what we know so far about the next generation of Toyota's highly-successful crossover SUV.
Upgraded Looks
2022 Toyota RAV4 SE Hybrid Close Up Logo
Spy shots of the next-generation Toyota RAV4 have been circulating online for the past two months, and so far, it's shaping up to be the Japanese automaker's worst-kept secret. The spy shots reveal a RAV4 that, while heavily draped in camouflage, clearly shows a design that's more upright and boxier than the current model. Some of the design cues that the new RAV4 is set to adopt include the Hammerhead design and its C-shaped LED headlights, along with what seems to be a grille that contains a pixel-like pattern. Interior spy shots still aren't available at the moment, but we expect some features from newer Toyotas like the Camry to make their way into the RAV4.
Everything Might Be Electrified
Toyota
It'll be interesting to see if the next-gen RAV4 will go the hybrid-only route since they just did this with the all-hybrid 2025 Camry. The new Camry Hybrid uses the latest fifth-generation Toyota Hybrid System, which produces 225 horsepower in the FWD model and 232 horses with the e-AWD setup. Both the FWD and e-AWD versions of the Camry Hybrid are more powerful than their predecessors, and that's surely going to be the case for the RAV4 as well.
As for the plug-in hybrid version, it's safe to say that this version will make its way through the new generation model. The RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid may not account for the biggest share of the RAV4 sales pie, but it's still Toyota's best-selling plug-in hybrid, and that should be enough justification for the brand to create a new-generation model.
Source: Here’s How Expensive A Fully Loaded 2025 Toyota RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid Can Get
