Audi eTron Vs Toyota RAV4 PRIME - Is PHEV Better Than EV?

This is the 2021 Toyota RAV4 prime
It’s the most expensive and most complicated rav4 you can buy

But it would look like it from a distance. It looks like a normal rav4. But peek under the skin and there’s a lot of complicated wizardry going on.

This is a PHEV or plug-in hybrid which, on the most basic terms, means it’s a hybrid with a bigger battery.

I’m not so basic terms it means this rav4 has a 2.5L 4 cylinder engine. It also has a 18.1 kWh battery pack and 2 electric motors

The gas engine powers the front wheels only but then what’s this funny badge here all about?
Like I said this has 2 electric motors. One for the front to fill in torque gaps but also one at the rear to power the back wheels
However this is not your normal awd. This is e awd which means there’s no mechanical connection to the front axle or the engine. It’s just the electric motor and some computer programming

So all of this means it’s pretty efficient. 40 mpg city and 36 highway. PLUS 42 mi. Full EV
What this also means is electric torque and AWD which makes it the quickest Toyota on sale asied from the 3.0 Supra which doesnt really count..well you know why

302 hp and a million lbft (0-60 in 5.4)

But remember how i said this was complicated? Well power numbers are too
Too much adding and dividing
The important bit is it gingerly sips fuel while being blisteringly fast

Last thing I’ll say is that Toyota have done a great job of tuning this thing

At places like stoplights and parking lots (the most wasteful places for cars) it switches to EV mode.

It will also drive in full EV until you deplete the battery and then it goes hybrid

You can also choose to charge the battery off the engine so if you dont have a plug at home you dont need it.

I know we’ve covered a lot of the powertrain stuff, but that’s the important bit.
Aside from that, you’d be fooled into thinking its just a normal RAV4

The ride, the dynamics are pretty much the same as every other RAV4, but the brake is touchier and the tires are not beefy enough to handle the power this throws out

But let’s see how Paolo is doing in the fancyboi Audi

That Toyota Matt’s in sounds like the best of both worlds, but with all that complication things
-are bound to break, yes even in a toyota. Comes at the expensed relability

I’ll have my EV straight up with no tricks so that’s why I’m in the eTron.

As a full EV you’ll want to know range and honestly it’s not the biggest but it’s how you use it right?

On this 55 version you’ll get 218 miles of range so not a lot, but due to the sportback shape it’s more aerodynamic than the normal body which only gets 204

Another reason the range might be so low is that this thing is HEAVY at just under 6000 lbs

And that’s a lot of weight for the 355 hp and 414 lbft to move around

HOWEVER, for a glorious 8 seconds you can unlock overboost which pushes power to 402hp and 490 lbft

0-60 is good for about 5 and a half seconds then which puts it just about exactly where the Rav is.

Would love to see these 2 drag race…

The eTron also has 2motors in this trim one for the front axle and one for the rear which make it AWD

Aside from that though, it’s very Audi in here. It’s comfortable, quiet, and as refined as it could be

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