• News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
  • News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
Sign up Now (For Free)

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest automotive news in your inbox!

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
News
Read Now
  • All News
  • Automakers
  • Automobiles
  • Auto Shows
  • Business
  • EVs & Environment
  • Guides
  • Lawsuits/Legal
  • Regulatory
  • Ride-Sharing
  • Safety & Recalls
  • Technology
Recent
  • Ford “Significantly” Raising Production of Mustang Mach-E While Reducing Prices “Across the Board”
  • Week Ahead: Numbers, Numbers and More Numbers
  • The Rearview Mirror: All That the Name Implies
  • Top Tips for Improving EV Range in Cold Weather
  • Mercedes is First Automaker to Offer True Level 3 Hands-Free Driving System in the U.S.
  • Audi Introduces Fourth “Sphere” Concept: Activesphere
  • Jaguar Land Rover Posts First Profitable Quarter in Two Years
  • Musk Confirms Cybertruck Production Tracking for End of 2023
  • Polestar Raises its Game with the 2024 Polestar 2
  • Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda Steps Down, Hands Reins to Lexus Chief Koji Sato
Editor’s Choice
    Reviews
    Read Now
    • All Reviews
      • Feeder
    • Classic Cars
    • Concept Cars
    • Convertibles
    • Coupes
    • Crossovers/CUVs
    • Diesel
    • Hot hatches
    • Hybrids
    • Luxury Vehicles
    • Minivans
    • Muscle Cars
    • Pickups
    • Sedans
    • Sports Cars
    • Super Cars
    • SUVs
    Recent Reviews
    • A Week With: 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R 4x4 Super Crew
    • A Week With: 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 AWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Land Rover Defender 110 V-8
    • First Drive: 2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport
    • A Week With: 2023 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe
    • A Week With: 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate
    • A Week With: 2023 Genesis GV60 Performance
    • A Week With: 2023 Chevrolet Suburban Z71
    • A Week With: 2023 Lexus UX 250h F Sport
    • A Week With: 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB 300 4Matic
    Editor’s Choice
      Guides
      Car Warranty
      • Endurance Warranty Reviews
      • BMW Extended Warranty
      • Extended Warranty For Cars Over 100k Miles
      • Extended Car Warranty Cost
      • Subaru Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Reviews
      • CarShield Cost
      • Aftermarket Car Warranty
      • CARCHEX Warranty Reviews
      • Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
      • Used Car Warranty Companies
      • Best Car Warranty
      • Is CarShield A Scam?
      • Mercedes Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Plans
      Insurance
      • How To Identify A Car Insurance Company
      • Geico Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • How Far Back Does A Car Insurance Company Look
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance For Used Cars
      • State Farm Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance From Progressive
      • Dollar A Day Insurance
      • Auto Insurance For SSI Recipients
      • Car Insurance Rates After A Suspended License
      • Auto Insurance For Salvage Vehicles
      • Average Cost of Dodge Ram 1500 Car Insurance
      • Car Insurance Florida
      • Full Coverage Auto Insurance
      • GrubHub Insurance
      • Amazon Delivery Auto Insurance
      Shipping
      • Car Shipping Companies
      • uShip Reviews
      • Auto Shipping From California To Hawaii
      • Montway Auto Transport Reviews
      • Cheap Car Shipping
      • Easy Auto Ship Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Miami
      • Auto Shipping To Alaska
      • Car Shipping Cost
      • Auto Shipping Hawaii
      • Auto Shipping Puerto Rico
      • Sherpa Auto Transport Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Atlanta
      • Auto Shipping Boston
      • Auto Shipping. Chicago
      About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Sitemap
      TheDetroitBureau.com

      More than just “another” place to find news, reviews, spy shots, commentary, features, and guides about the auto industry. TheDetroitBureau doesn’t stop with the press releases or confuse a few lines of opinion with insightful, in-depth reporting.

      Contact Us

      Like what you see? Have some ideas for making The Detroit Bureau.com even better? Let us know, we’d love to hear your voice.

        Media
        Listen Now
        • Headlight News: All Episodes
        More from TheDetroitBureau
        • Guides
        • Latest News
        • Auto Reviews
        • Podcasts
        Headlight News

        TheDetroitBureau.com’s Headlight News offers a look at the past week’s top automotive news stories, as well as what’s coming up in the week ahead. Check out the week’s top story and our latest review…along with a dive into the past with this week in automotive history.

        home > reviews > A Week With: 2022 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE AWD

        A Week With: 2022 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE AWD

        Automaker takes something reliably popular and makes it better — again.

        Joseph Szczesny
        Joseph Szczesny , Executive Editor
        Aug. 09, 2022

        Despite the rise of electric vehicles, the compact crossover remains the most popular vehicle sold in the United States where it is valued for its modest size but impressive utility.

        2022 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE side REL
        The 2022 RAV4 Prime XSE AWD offers delivers a pleasant, efficient ride with impressive efficiency in a familiar package.

        So, it is no surprise, the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V have piled up substantial sales numbers month after month even amid semiconductor shortages and other pandemic-driven supply chain problems. The RAV4 Hybrid version also is popular model because it adds to vehicle’s overall fuel efficiency. 

        Overview

        Now with RAV4 Prime XSE AWD, which I had an opportunity to drive for a week, Toyota is taking another step into the world of electrified vehicles with a model if you keep it charged up, does not even need gasoline unless you happen to take a long trip to a favorite fishing hole.

        The 2022 RAV4 Prime XSE AWD offers delivers a pleasant, efficient ride with impressive efficiency in a familiar package substantial numbers have come to appreciate for versatility and dependability. The technology underlying the RAV4 Prime also is deftly integrated, making for a vehicle that satisfies customers looking for reliable transportation with a smaller environmental footprint than the typical crossover or SUV.

        2022 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE driving rear REL
        The liftgate, which can be activated by waving your foot under the rear bumper has been tailored to enhance the vehicle’s appearance.

        Exterior

        The 2022 RAV4 embraces the silhouette of the crossover vehicle Toyota pioneered years ago — two boxes on a unibody frame. Over the years, Toyota’s stylists have revised to front fascia to give the vehicle a contemporary appearance and the integration of LED projector headlights into the overall design. 

        The sheet metal around the vehicle has been reworked to freshen the ute’s overall appearances, making it more appealing to current audiences. The liftgate at the rear, which can be activated by waving your foot under the rear bumper — not advisable in a snowy parking lot — also has been tailored to enhance the vehicle’s appearance. Toyota stylists also have dressed up the wheels.

        Interior

        2022 Toyota RAV4 Prime interior REL
        The interior features steering wheel controls and a mixture of knobs and buttons to control other functions.

        The interior of the 2022 RAV4 Prime XSE comes with a modestly furnished cabin including cupholders and cubby holes for storing stuff and bright work to set off elements of the interior layout, such as the shift lever. 

        There are also steering wheel controls and a mixture of knobs and buttons to control other functions. But I thought the 10-inch screen in the center stack looked dated, given the sleeker designs available on competitive vehicles now available from competitors, such as Mazda. 

        The entertainment system delivered nice quality sound, but I was puzzled by the placement of a couple of the speakers, which seemed to be attached to the A-pillar as an afterthought. The second row of seats, under the panoramic roof, is rather cramped but there is ample room for luggage or packages. Visibility from the driver’s seat was very good.

        Drivetrain

        2022 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE front seats REL
        The interior comes with a modestly furnished cabin including plenty of cupholders and cubby holes for storing stuff.

        The hybrid drivetrain has been a point of contention among automotive engineers for decades, but Toyota has been successful in equipping its vehicles with a hybrid system that augments the 2.5-liter internal gasoline with a 179-horsepower electric motor and lithium-ion battery.

        As a plug-in hybrid, the battery has been enlarged so the vehicle can operate on battery power for 42 miles. The average vehicle in the U.S. is driven about 36 miles per day so it can operate on electricity indefinitely if its recharged regularly. But it can also operate on the power from the ICE only. 

        The MPGe for the RAV4 Prime is 94 MPGe, while the ICE engine gets about 38 mpg. The gasoline engine and electric motor combine to produce 302 horsepower. It is also equipped with paddle shifters, a drive-mode selector and integrated all-wheel-drive system.

        Safety and Technology

        2022 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE charging port REL
        They hybrid model puts out an impressive 302 horsepower between the gas engine and electric motor.

        The Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE is equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, which includes pre-collision alert with pedestrian detection, dynamic radar cruise control, lane-departure alert with steering assist and automatic high beams as well as blind-spot monitoring and rear-cross traffic alert and parking assistance. 

        It also is equipped with eight airbags, a back-up camera with perimeter scan and head-up display to help the driver keep their eye on the road. It also comes with Bluetooth, satellite radio, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as well as a USB media port and four USB charging ports and wireless charging. The 10-inch entertainment screen also provides navigation.

        Driving Impressions

        Among the attributes of the RAV4 Prime XSE is the driving dynamics seem almost identical when the vehicle is running on battery power or when the gasoline engine kicks in. The gas engine seemed to provide a bit more power but overall, the ride-and-handling is very, very similar. 

        The steering is accurate and regenerative braking system gives the vehicle some additional stopping power. The 302-horsepower produced by powertrain is more than ample for the vehicle and the fuel economy is substantially better than with a compact crossover powered only with gasoline. The vehicle I drove also had intermittent wipers and heated seats.

        2022 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE AWD Specifications

        DimensionL: 180.9 inches/W: 73 inches/H: 67.2 inches/Wheelbase: 105.9 inches
        Weight4,300 pounds
        Powertrain2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine plus a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor; CVT, AWD
        Fuel Economy94 MPGe/40 mpg city/36 mpg highway/38 mpg combined
        Performance Specs302 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque
        PriceBase price: $43,625; As tested: $50,731, plus $1,215 destination charge
        On-Sale DateAvailable now

        Wrap Up

        The 2022 Toyota RAV4 Prime has plenty impressive attributes. It seems to be about the right size for today’s urban and suburban world and it is loaded with the very latest features and technology. But with prices of new vehicles rising well in excess of the general rate of inflation across the economy. 

        The price tag for the loaded version of the RAV4 I drove with its price tag of more than $50,000 pushes into territory, which once belonged to luxury vehicles only a few short years ago. The price tag is certain to surprise more than a few buyers looking for reliable, family-oriented transportation at a relatively modest price.

        How to Care for Your Car

        Cheap Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice

        Best Extended Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice
        Recently Published
        2023 Land Rover Defender 110 V-8 best front

        A Week With: 2023 Land Rover Defender 110 V-8

        Jan. 25, 2023
        2023 Honda TrailSport front 3-4 best

        First Drive: 2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport

        Jan. 24, 2023
        2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate best

        A Week With: 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate

        Jan. 18, 2023

        What Are You Looking For?

        See More
        Buying an SUV or Crossover? See our recommended reviews and guides.
        Buying an SUV or Crossover? See our recommended reviews and guides.
        Reviews and Resources For Car Buyers and Owners
        Reviews of SUVs and CUVs, Warranty and Insurance advice, all collected by the Editors of TheDetroitBureau.
        Collection
        SUV Reviews and Guides
        Collection

        SUV Reviews and Guides
        Recommends
        Where Can You Get the Best SUV Warranty?
        Recommends

        Where Can You Get the Best SUV Warranty?
        Recommends
        Is Full Coverage Auto Insurance Right for You?
        Recommends

        Is Full Coverage Auto Insurance Right for You?
        Recommends
        Is it Cheaper to Add a Second Car to Insurance?
        Recommends

        Is it Cheaper to Add a Second Car to Insurance?
        Close
        Reviews and Resources For Car Buyers and Owners
        Reviews of SUVs and CUVs, Warranty and Insurance advice, all collected by the Editors of TheDetroitBureau.
        Collection
        SUV Reviews and Guides
        Collection

        SUV Reviews and Guides
        Recommends
        Where Can You Get the Best SUV Warranty?
        Recommends

        Where Can You Get the Best SUV Warranty?
        Recommends
        Is Full Coverage Auto Insurance Right for You?
        Recommends

        Is Full Coverage Auto Insurance Right for You?
        Recommends
        Is it Cheaper to Add a Second Car to Insurance?
        Recommends

        Is it Cheaper to Add a Second Car to Insurance?
        Close
        Share this article:
        © The Detroit Bureau 2023
        • Guides
        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms of Use
        • Affiliate Disclosure
        • Contact Us
        • Sitemap
        Follow Us: