The question that remains on the minds of many rural drivers is the economy of hybrid cars versus their traditional diesel models. This issue comes into particular focus when we look at popular rural SUVs such as the Toyota RAV4.

I’ve put the RAV4 hybrid to the test in recent weeks, because from the start of 2019, this was the only engine option available in the range. Can we cope with the change from diesel to hybrid in terms of driving style? More importantly, is the change going to rack up more running costs? These are the questions that I am regularly asked.

The Toyota RAV4 hybrid seems to be a more spacious car than its predecessor, while the doors seem bigger for easier access.

Hybrid power

The new generation RAV4, which was introduced in January 2019, is a strong looking vehicle with a significant change in design to go with the new hybrid-only engine option. This system uses a powerful 2.5l petrol engine, coupled with a self-generating hybrid system.

This means that you don’t have to plug in the RAV4 to charge, it simply charges itself as you drive. And it decides for you on the most economical way to drive, either with petrol power or using the battery system that’s constantly under charge as you drive.

The change from petrol power to battery power is so seamless that you probably don’t even notice it. For me, that’s part of the problem with current hybrid drives, not everyone is astute enough to spot the difference. Many drivers, myself included, try hard to maximise the hybrid advantage. That’s more achievable in town/city driving because there is a lot of slower driving and many more start/stop actions.

The dash layout on the new Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is modern, stylish and functional. Driving is smooth and easy with good set comfort and great road visibility.

Out on the motorway, or more particularly on rural roads where there is more cornering, more hills and more declines to deal with, I found that the petrol engine is used more often. While Toyota will claim that the hybrid system allows for up to 50% driving in electric mode, I found that difficult to achieve unless in town driving.

Over a 960km RAV4 test drive that included a range of driving conditions, I achieved a fuel economy figure of 15.2km/l (43mpg or 5.5l/100km), which is about 15% off the rated figure. That means I drove for about 760km before a refill.

So how does this compare with the diesel RAV4 of the past? I drove the 2.0l turbo-diesel RAV4 back in 2016 with its slightly larger 60l fuel tank, which delivered a range of more than 900km. I maxed out on my recent run in the new RAV4 hybrid at about 750km. That’s almost 150km shorter and with a fuel that’s almost 10 cent/l more expensive.

That’s why I’m struggling to see the benefits of the hybrid experience. So I did some more calculations.

The test car was fitted with Dunlop 225/60R18 tyres that gave good 195mm ground clearance.

Cost

Put simply, using 60l of diesel costing €1.31/l will give me a running cost of €0.08/km based on a 900km range. Changing to the hybrid with petrol costing €1.41/l will give me a running cost of €0.09/km in fuel consumption based on a 750km range. That’s 1 cent/km of a cost difference. As rural drivers travel an average of more than 15,000km per year, that’s a fuel cost difference of €150/year. Not as much as you thought, I bet.

The hybrid version will be cleaner on the environment than many of the older diesels and there is an annual road tax saving that almost matches the extra fuel cost difference. This hybrid RAV4 is also very comfortable and easy to drive with its smooth six-speed automatic gearbox.

I have to include a key warning. You need to adopt a different driving style in the RAV4 hybrid compared to driving the diesel version. You need to moderate your speed ambitions, a maximum of 100km/hr is an important cruising point. After that the fuel consumption gets very noticeable in any hybrid.

I drove the RAV4 hybrid in Eco mode for most of the time and I stayed closer to 100km than 120km/hr on the motorway. That’s what I believe gave me the level of economy that I achieved.

The RAV4 is so smooth that it easily allows you to cruise at higher motorway speeds, but it’s the kind of penal behaviour where diesel power is more forgiving. Diesel engines are also more suitable for trailer work. This new RAV4 comes with a towing rating of 1,650kg, down from 2,000kg in the diesel models.