Best of both worlds

Since Chrysler and Ford have announced reducing their product line by every car except a couple, these crossovers are going to be the primary vehicle most Americans will buy and drive in the coming decade or so.

It pleases me that there are various powertrains, trim-level focus and capabilities offered of the same basic vehicle. In the case of the 2018 RAV-4 you can get it plain, souped-up with a hybrid motor, twigged to be a bit more serious about going offroad, or an all-wheel drive vehicle that brings a greater sense of safety to the folks inside.

The RAV-4 I tested was the Hybrid XLE, so it fell in the last category. It is all-wheel drive, but clearly an on-road vehicle. This is the base model of the Hybrids, but that didn’t make it featureless. The interior, which has grown over the decades, is comfortable and has no feeling of base model.

It, as with all 2018 RAV4 grades, comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense P, which combines the Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, automatic high beams and adaptive cruise control.

Other optional and standard features include standard HillStart Assist Control and a rear backup camera. Options include a Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert. These do come standard on Limited, Platinum, and SE Hybrid trim levels.

All hybrids have all-wheel drive. With this system a second, independent, electric motor drives the rear wheels when the system senses the frontwheels need some help. That makes it the liveliest RAV-4, as is often the case with hybrids.

The powertrain uses the same 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a small high-torque electric motor through its unique transaxle, as well as another in the rear. Together they produce 194 system horsepower.

The RAV-4’s hybrid system varies power between the gas engine and electric motor adding power as necessary. This gives it an EPA-estimated rating is 34 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway.

If you aren’t watching it is very difficult to tell when the electric motors are joining in. The car also uses regenerative braking, which uses the brakes as a generator to capture energy from the wheels, sending it to the car’s nickel-metal hydride battery pack.

The structure of this car is decently stiff, making it easier to tune the suspension to fit the vehicle. That means that attaching the MacPherson strut-type suspension up front and double-wishbones in the rear can be tuned precisely. The electric power rack-and-pinion steering is speed-sensitive.

All this makes the RAV-4 a pleasant crossover to drive in most circumstances. While it is comfortable and discrete during daily suburban tasks, that doesn’t make it less fun if you have a chance to play on some winding country roads. In both conditions the RAV-4 maintains its balance, remaining comfortable and quite in the cabin.

The MSRP for the model I tested, the XLE AWD, was $29,130. The top of the line is the RAV-4 Hybrid Limited AWD $34,130. Toyota has announced the next generation RAV-4 is coming next year, so buyers should be able to do better than these prices. If you have any questions, comments or ideas, please send them to comment@ AutoWritersInk.com.

Driving the RAV4 Hybrid is a pleasant experience and many people riding in it, or even driving it, might not notice that it is a hybrid.

The RAV4’s hybrid system varies power between the gas engine and electric motor adding power as necessary. This gives it an EPAestimated rating of 34 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway.