Despite Lawsuit Rav4 Hybrid Outsells Prius As The New Favorite Hybrid

My love for Prius is still solid. I have owned 7 of them now and plan to hold more of them. They are easy to repair, and usually for me, pretty cheap to buy. Prius has a following like no other, and that shows with the crowd that owns them.

Prius changed the world when it gave us the Toyota Hybrid System (THS). Now that technology is being placed on many other Toyota platforms, and more people are taking note.

Among all this line up is a crowd favorite small SUV called the Rav4. Toyota has had this vehicle hybridized for a while now, and people who used to drive Prius switching. People who own the car love it so much they plan on keeping it through the lawsuit and recalls that Rav4 is facing right now.

Let us take a look at how well Rav4 Hybrid is doing over Prius and why sales are steadily increasing.

Rav4 Hybrid Is Outselling Prius By A Hefty Margin
As we come upon the next model year rolling out, we can speculate where numbers could be using the most current data we have available.

For the 2020 model year, Rav4 hybrid sold nearly 93,000 units while Prius sold about 70,000. Here is what I find interesting about this. Rav4 hybrid has not been around as long as the Prius but outsold it within the first couple of years by nearly 23,000 units. That is pretty astounding.

This massive shift from buying a small car over to a small SUV tells me a couple of things. First, people believe that the Toyota hybrid system is the best. Second, they want a vehicle that is even more versatile than Prius.

Rav4 owners are reporting fuel economy in the '40s and even '50s. Even the idea that a small SUV can get "Prius" like MPG ratings is a carrot that many are willing to chase. Real-world results land lower, and my test drive of the Rav4 hybrid and Prius proved that.

People feel they are getting a steal of a deal with Rav4 hybrid between the fuel economy numbers and the larger vehicle, despite what issues the car may currently have.

Conclusion
The Rav4 hybrid is a force to be reckoned with to that there is no doubt. I think that Prius has a niche that will never go away. Although, as Toyota rolls out more hybrid options, I can see them scaling back on the trim levels of Prius to keep that part of the brand alive. Sales are increasing because it is a car people want.

That is all for today. Thank you for your patronage, and please be safe out there. See you in the next story. Should I Change The Engine Or Head Gasket On My 2010 Prius?

Watch this Toyota Prius truck with a nice little bed and click to subscribe to Torque News Youtube for daily automotive news analysis.

Peter Neilson is an automotive consultant specializing in electric cars and hybrid battery technologies. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Automotive Service Technology from Weber State University. Peter is also an Instructor of Automotive Technology at Columbia Basin College. Peter can be reached on Linkedin and you can tweet him at The_hybrid_guy on Twitter. Find his page on Facebook at Certified Auto Consulting. Read more of Peter's stories at Toyota news coverage on Torque News. Search Toyota Prius Torque News for more in depth Prius coverage from our reporters.