Used 2017 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Consumer Reviews
Used RAV4 Hybrid for sale
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
33 mpg but Driver's Seat Cushion is Painful
Mitch, 07/14/2017
2017 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
67 of 74 people found this review helpful
I'm going to make it perfectly clear. I was insistent on getting a hybrid. For years I have been driving a gas-sucking Subaru and wanted a versatile vehicle that averaged over 30mpg, not under 20. I knew that Toyota has a reputation for reliability and the RAV4 had most of the features I was looking for. I am also going to make it clear that if not for the hybrid, I would NOT have purchased the RAV4. I'll make it simple what I like and don't like about the RAV4. LIKES: With 9 fill-ups so far, I have averaged 29 to 37 mpg based on calculations at the pump. Almost every tank is approximately 33 mpg. My driving is mostly suburban stop and go. I like the rear camera with trajectory. The LED headlamps are fantastic. The auto-on feature for the headlamps is good but as far as I'm concerned it waits too long to activate, but you still have the bright DRLs on as long as auto is on, so it's probably ok. I don't use the auto high-beams because it's too gimmicky for me. I like the "Galactic Aqua" paint when the sun hits it (looks black otherwise) and the color is one of the reasons I chose the RAV4... I know... dumb reason. The acceleration with the battery kicking in almost feels like a turbo at times, nice and strong. The AC and heated seats work very well. Side mirrors are very large and come with turn signal repeaters. Blind Spot Monitoring works well. Cross Traffic Alert (for reversing out of a spot or driveway blindly) works great!!! Pedestrian sensor has already kept me from backing into a pedestrian suddenly walking behind me from behind some bushes. Now for the DISLIKES: After only 30 minutes of driving, my butt and hips are in pain. I don't know if the cushion has gotten softer or what because it felt firmer when I first got it. It's like the part where your butt goes sinks in too much and then the hard side bolsters start pressing into your hips. After only an hour I am so ready to get out of the car. It hurts!!! I am going to have to get a seat cover and fashion some foam padding in there to lift myself away from the bolsters. The cushion like most cars today is too short as well. I am 5'10" and 180 lbs. The passenger seat has no height adjustment, whereas many competitors no have this available. The rear seat while having a nice recline feature is kind of flat. The road noise, depending on the type of asphalt used can be atrocious at times.... like a jet plane loud. The steering is very artificial feeling... too light... very boring to drive. The telescoping steering wheel does not extend enough... still uncomfortably too far away. The car rides kind of annoyingly hard with the 18 inch rims that you are forced to get on the limited. Don't know how much softer the ride is with 17 inch rims. The ride is fine as long as the road is smooth. The rear of the car was almost purposely designed to get damaged. After my purchase I started noticing many, many new RAV4s with dented tailgates and even dented rear fenders. Then I realized why. The rear "bumper" is an absolute joke. Not only is it too low, it only protrudes like an inch and a half!!! And it does not protect the sheet metal at the rear of the fenders like every other car today has wrap around bumpers that go up high. They also put the reverse lights at the corners where they can get hit. I am going to have to get one of those steel rear bumper protectors that I see on so many RAV4s in NYC. What good is saving so much in gas if you have to spend so much repairing a fragile vehicle? And some minor annoyances... why only ONE auto window??? My Prius V which is cheaper has ALL 4 windows auto!!! And no puddle lamps on the door bottoms... my cheaper Prius V has those as well!!! So there you have it... obviously I am not in love with my new RAV4. I don't hate it.... but I am looking forward to the day when something more enjoyable comes along....
- Safety
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
Get the Hybrid RAV4 instead of the Gas Version
Laura, 02/11/2017
updated 03/24/2025
2017 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
51 of 56 people found this review helpful
I absolutely LOVE my new Toyota Hybrid RAV4 Limited. If your considering getting a regular RAV4, I strongly urge you to get the Hybrid instead. The Hybrid is faster than the regular RAV4 and its more economical (higher mpg). When I'm driving in the city, I use ECO mode which is very economical. When I'm on the highway, I use SPORT mode. SPORT mode opens up the throttle so that you have better acceleration, and boy is it fast! I purchased this car because consumer reports said in February of 2017 that consumers absolutely love the Hybrid version of the RAV4 and rated it #1 among small SUVs. I never thought I would buy a hybrid. This one will not disappoint you! Overall, I average 32mpg (highway and city combined). I'm getting 38 mpg in the city. I have had the car eight years now and I am very happy with it. It is a very low maintenance car. I have had no issues with it.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
2017 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid for sale near you
Showing 3 of 26 listings
- XLE 4dr SUVMSRP: $18,65892 mi away
- SE 4dr SUVMSRP: $22,350In-stock online
- SE 4dr SUVMSRP: $22,50086 mi away
See all 26 listings
Fun Little SUV
Robert Santoro, 02/21/2017
2017 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
16 of 17 people found this review helpful
Surprisingly peppy little engine for a Hybrid SUV. Getting an average of 33.2 miles per gallon driving mostly highway. Not a big fan of their Navi so don't spend the money and use your phone. So far so good.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Really love this car!!! Super efficient and roomy.
Courtney, 04/24/2017
2017 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid XLE 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
22 of 24 people found this review helpful
Best bang for your buck is to buy the LE and save a ton of money. This car is super efficient in city with gentle driving, I get 50 MPG in city, lose on the highway and mixed driving is 36.8 mpg. Keep it on ECO mode and you will be really happy..... yet has a ton of pep when you ask for it. Love the quality of my purchase I need a working car not full of bells and whistles that don't matter..... consider the LE if you drive a lot and want a good value for a working car.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
My Entune navigation/entertainment system freezes
Dan Kellogg, 02/10/2017
updated 08/13/2019
2017 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
26 of 29 people found this review helpful
I have owned by Toyota RAV4 for 3.5 months and have had it in the dealership service department 4 times to try to repair the Entune system which keeps freezing up. Last week they disconnected the text messaging capability on my paired cell phone. But it froze again. So today they are going to disconnect my paired cell phone from the system. They say there is no fix available from Toyota until the software is updated. This loss of function is unacceptable. After owning the Toyota RAV4 for 16 months, I can still report that Toyota has not been able to fix the Entune system from freezing. I have had the system updated as available, and have even changed my cell phone to a model that Toyota says is supported. But it still freezes once in a while. Still, this loss of function is unacceptable. As of 2/10/19, I have now owned the Toyota RAV4 for almost 28 months. In the past year the system has continued to "freeze" spontaneously. I have discovered that while the system is "frozen" my cell phone will not work even if I try to dial a call on the cell phone itself. Toyota service has replaced what they refer to as the "radio unit" (which I believe is the hardware in the Entune system), but the system has continued to freeze after that replacement. They now claim that the fault is likely in my cell phone - - - even though I have replaced my cell phone with a model that is listed on the Toyota website as approved for use with the Entune system. They have suggested that the "contacts" in my cell phone be removed from the Entune system. This "fix" apparently worked because for the three months since the "contacts" were removed I did not experience a "freeze". But with my "contacts" removed from the Entune system, the system will not recognize incoming cell phone calls, and more importantly, I cannot initiate outgoing calls on a "hands-free" basis. So if it is necessary to make an outgoing cell phone call while I am driving, I have to dial the call on the cell phone instead of pushing a button. Of course, making such a call is unsafe and would be a violation of our state law. So I believe that this defect is a safety defect. Toyota has declined to make any settlement with me for what I believe is the reduction in the value of my car, and the likely resale value of my car. So I intend to initiate a Lemon Law Arbitration under our state's Lemon Law. Update: With more than 22,000 miles, my Entune navigation/entertainment system still freezes spontaneously. After the last incident, I noticed that this freezing also freezes my "hands-free" cell phone access - - - which is a very real and obvious threat to my safety. Finally, someone at my local Toyota dealership replaced the entire radio unit. Finally. We'll see if that makes any difference. But I don't feel like they really know what to do. They may just be plugging in new components to see if something fixes the problem. Last update: Unfortunately, replacing the entire radio unit did not stop the system from freezing spontaneously. So I filed a request for arbitration under the Washington State Lemon Law. As soon as Toyota received notice of my intent to request arbitration they contacted me and offered to re-purchase my auto. They were required to reimburse me for all expense that I incurred in the purchase, including additional equipment that I had installed. I had to reimburse them for my personal use up to the time of the first Lemon Law incident. But that was almost immediately after I purchased the car. So essentially, Toyota repurchased the car for nearly its original purchase price.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value