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If you drive a hybrid, you do it for one of two reasons. Either you really think you are impacting the environment by not driving conventional, or you put your ego to one side and you drive a hybrid to save money on gas. In these troubling times, I can say that a lot of us hybrid owners drive hybrids for the later reason. On average, I see that I save a significant amount of money when I drive my 2012 Toyota Prius compared to my 2007 Honda Odyssey.
To date, the best hybrid SUV in my opinion that you could own has to be the 2022 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. This roomy and affordable (on paper) SUV can take you anywhere from 500-600 miles just at one fill up! Within the last 2 months, I have covered a lot of stories on how the 2022 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid has taken people to and from destinations while being light on the gas. In normal driving conditions, expect to get around 31-45mpg. Don’t think 45 is the max. There are accounts of people reaching 50, and even 55 on some highways.
Most hybrid cars come with some driving modes to play with like sport mode, trail mode, eco and EV modes too. Usually, the average driver wouldn’t really mess with any of these considering he does not want to either waste gas on sport mode or really fiddle with the eco and EV modes. However, did you know that if you set your driving mode to eco mode instead of normal or EV, you can save more gas?
Karen Stadler posted on Facebook’s Toyota RAV4 Hybrid group saying, “When do you use ECO? I have just been driving in Normal Mode. First tank of gas averaged 36.8 MPG.” Now this is a great question because these modes are tempting to use. If you are a new hybrid driver, you probably have heard that EV mode is used to just back out of the garage and maybe cruise below 5-ish mph. However according to commenter Jon Rubatsher, keeping it in eco mode changes the shifting dynamic which betters your fuel economy. So, if you keep it in regular or even in sport, switch it to eco and you can save more gas that way.
This may sound like a pretty basic thing to do but you would be surprised that a lot of hybrid drivers, not just Toyota RAV4 Hybrid drivers but hybrid drivers together, drive with their cars in regular mode or sport mode. I had a buddy in high school who gave me a lift home one time and his brand new 2020 RAV4 Hybrid was always on sport mode. When I asked him, he just said, “it’s hybrid sport so it just makes it faster.” I don’t think that 28mpg on a brand-new hybrid is very efficient for that.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
Harutiun Hareyan is reporting Toyota news at Torque News. His automotive interests and vast experience test-riding new cars give his stories a sense of authenticity and unique insights. Follow Harutiun on Twitter at @HareyanHarutiun for daily Toyota news.
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Comments
I drive a 2021 Rav4 Hybrid,
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I drive a 2021 Rav4 Hybrid, my last tank I was at 491 miles used with 45 miles to go when I filled back up, in normal mode, it's about the way you drive. Also, I don't believe enough people know according to owners manual, every 5k miles you need to put the gas tank efi bottle in. I also do my oil changes every 5k instead of 10k.
I ALWAYS keep my 2021 Rav4
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I ALWAYS keep my 2021 Rav4 hybrid in ECO mode. ALWAYS. So far, over the first 5,000 miles of ownership, I have averaged 45 mpg. My last tank of gas, which I drove 365 miles, including mountain driving, averaged 48.4 mpg. Acceleration is always more than adequate (e.g. driving a lot on I-70, in the mountains). Try it!
Bob
I have a 2020 Rav4 Hybrid and
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I have a 2020 Rav4 Hybrid and I can count on one hand how many times I have switched to anything but ECO. Admittedly, I drive mostly city driving. Occasionally, if I have to merge into fast traffic, I've put it into Sport mode, but ECO works great for 99% of my driving. Average around 40 mpg. A little less in winter here in upstate NY.
We received our RAV4 Hybrid
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We received our RAV4 Hybrid in March of this year and LOVE it. We always keep it in ECO Mode and have only filled the tank up 4 times. We are getting 42.5 mpg or better with each tank of gas. This is one of the best cars I have ever owned and have gotten 2 friends to buy one based on driving our car.
2018 Camry Hybrid. Last 2
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2018 Camry Hybrid. Last 2 fills have been 57.4 & 54.6 (in ECO mode). Best so far is 68.5 on a 7-hour round-trip to Minneapolis from where I live. Still had gas in the tank when I got home. Mid-spring to late fall is when I pull the best mileage. I find the cold to be a b#### on the batteries during the winter as I am only able to pull mid to upper30's. Other than that, I wouldn't trade my hybrid for anything.
I have a new 2022 Hybrid
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I have a new 2022 Hybrid Prime. I am still on my first tank of gas, have just over a quarter of a tank left with 793 miles driven without adjusting the settings. I am averaging close to 55 mpg. Will try ECO mode ti see if that improves the milage.
I am under the impression
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I am under the impression sport mode only makes the accelerator more sensitive to input. In other words less foot pressure is needed to accelerate. So if you drive the same way, no penalty for choosing sport mode.
Hi guys we purchased our UK
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In reply to I am under the impression by Rj (not verified)
Hi guys we purchased our UK RAV4 Dynamic February 2022 we have completed just over 12,000. miles and during our winter we recorded between 45mpg and 50mpg and summer we recorded 55mpg and 60mpg most of this is set to normal driving mode unless driving on a motorway when we select eco. But the last few days I decided to see what happens in sport mode and driving with exactly the same fuel conscious way. Well as the accelerator needed less input and when your speed is reached we are now in electric mode more often and our fuel consumption is showing 60mpg most of the time. So give it a go and see what happens.
I have a 2020 RAv4Hybrid. My
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I have a 2020 RAv4Hybrid. My mileage indicator right now lists 41.8mpg. I use normal mode. tp be honest, i tried Eco once and it got worse gas mileage? I don't use sport, bc you see right away, tranny holds lower gears longer, so engine use more gas. It;s not like you're trying to race this vehicle. It's peppy enough in Normal mode anyway. I may try using Eco mode on my next trip. Overall, I am really happy with the Rav4 Hybrid - my first electification vehicle. If you live near a large city, like I do, you find yourself waiting at lights and traffic alot, or lines - you just can't beat the hybrid version of vehicles for that kind of driving. All cars should be some sort of hybrid drive train. Throw in a very hot climate and once again the hybrid shines. I love the no drag on the engine with AC on.
Either way it is more
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In reply to I have a 2020 RAv4Hybrid. My by Double U (not verified)
Either way it is more important for fuel consumption to drive a certain way. Eco mode is the easier mode to get the best fuel consumption in but Normal isn't bad either. Changing th modes only changes how the computer uses the hybrid system. There are no gars in a Rav4 hybrid! It is a CVT although it is a Toyota CVT and operates differently than other maker's CVTs. The mode selected effects the sensitivity of the gas pedal as well as how much "electric" assistance you get from the hybrid system. Driving at speeds below about 22 mph is almost completely done with the electric motor / motors if the hybrid battery is holding enough charge. The Toyota CVT isn't the only thing that is different from other manufacturers, the hybrid system and how it is used by the vehicle itself is different as well.