2021 Tesla Model Y and Toyota RAV4 Prime Feature Differences
Early this year, I had a Volkswagen ID.4 on pre-order for a long-term business vehicle. Due to delays with the AWD model, I was about to put a deposit on a Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD instead. At the time, it was clear that new car supplies were shrinking and the Y was the only readily available similarly-sized plug-in SUV in the Midwest. That’s when a Toyota RAV4 Prime became available, if I was willing to wait a few months. Honestly, any of them would be great additions to our long-term electrified fleet, though the Prime isn’t necessarily a direct competitor to the ID.4, Model Y or Mach-E. Still, I had already driven a RAV4 Prime for a review last fall and liked it enough to wait for one to appear at my Chicago area dealer.
(Courtesy of Toyota USA)
I was pretty sure that I’d end up with a Y anyway, knowing that any number of manufacturer or dealer issues could end up leaving me without the Prime, as they were very difficult to obtain in the Midwest. In that time, I looked more closely at features and was surprised that a detailed list of features and specifications was not available on the Tesla website. They cover the major ones, but even a customer service representative could not send me a complete table like you can find for almost every other vehicle. The best they could do was send me a copy of the owner’s manual that at least has many official specifications. Sadly, Tesla no longer has a media relations department like other manufacturers, so that wasn’t an option for information, either.
So, I researched elsewhere and did test drives. There may be important differences depending on your preferences and requirements. Again, I’d have been very happy with either one. Even so, for others making the unusual choice between a full EV and a plug-in hybrid, this comparison might help. According to Toyota’s comparison tool they are somewhat similar overall-
| Spec | Tesla Model Y | Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE/PP |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (US $) | 60190 | 48650 |
| EPA Fuel Economy (MPGe) | 125 | 94 |
| Length (in.) | 187.0 | 180.9 |
| Width (in.) | 75.6 | 73.0 |
| Height (in.) | 63.9 | 67.2 |
| Wheelbase (in.) | 113.8 | 105.9 |
| Ground Clearance (in.) | 6.6 | 8.2 |
| Curb Weight (lbs.) | 4416 | 4300 |
| Max Payload (lbs.) | 886 | 1230 |
| Max Towing (lbs.) | 3500 | 2500 |
| Cargo Volume (cu. ft.) | 68.0 | 69.8 |
The Model Y long-range starts at $60,190 in white exterior and black interior, including $1200 destination & doc fee. This includes a 4-year, 50,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and 8/120k battery warranty. The Rav4 Prime starts at $39,565 for SE trim, but the more likely comparison to the Model Y is the fully loaded XSE trim with Premium Package that has an MSRP of $48,650, including $1215 destination fee. The RAV4 Prime still qualifies for up to $7500 in a federal EV tax credit for buyers who meet IRS requirements, resulting in a possible net cost as low as $41,150. Toyota provides a 3-year, 36,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, 5/60k powertrain warranty, 8/100k hybrid system warranty, 10/150k battery warranty and 2/25k free maintenance.
Where to start? To me, these are the clear reasons to consider the Model Y:
- No gas. Pure EV range of ~326 miles
- Performance. Quicker, better cornering & road feel, more responsive braking
- Tech. Much better camera, display, infotainment and app quality
- Perfect NHTSA 5-star crash test results and very low rollover risk.
- Small 3rd row seat is an option
- MSRP. Tesla owns their dealers. No shenanigans like some Toyota dealers requiring thousands over MSRP in markups or expensive dealer add-on packages. On the downside, that also means no deals for well under MSRP if we ever return to a buyer’s market and recently has led to 8 month delivery times or longer.
A few other nice feature advantages:
- Frunk
- Passenger-side front seat height & tilt adjustments
- Custom factory order options including tow hitch
- Back seat is slightly wider with more leg room
- Power folding side mirrors
- Subjectively a much more stylish and upscale interior, especially in white
- “Self-Driving” autopilot option ($10,000)
Tesla Model Y White Interior (Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.)
These alone are enough to convince many buyers, especially those who have a level 2 charger at home, along with a good local charging infrastructure and perhaps a second car as well. Many people will do fine with ~300 miles range but there are exceptions. Live in an apartment or anywhere with only level 1 charger access? Live where it gets very cold and EV range takes a big hit, especially if you don’t have a second car to use in a pinch? Driving state or county roads in the Midwest on a long road trip where you can forget about finding a supercharger, let alone a level 2 charger?
For those even willing to consider a hybrid powertrain, the RAV4 Prime XSE with Premium Package has its own advantages:
- Range Extender. 42 miles all-electric and over 500 highway miles on a 5-minute gas fill-up
- Good IIHS crash results and a top performer w/adaptive headlights
- Side mirrors with Blind Spot and turn signal indicators
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Braking
- Heads Up Display and gauge cluster keeps eyes forward and on road
- Safety Connect automatic collision notification & emergency assistance
- Digital wide angle rear-view mirror camera with HomeLink
- Ride comfort, especially on uneven roads
- Ventilated front seats
- Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
- Sirius XM Radio
- Panoramic moonroof tilts up & opens in front and has retractable shade
- Extra ground clearance is handy for snow and light off-roading
- Compact spare tire
- 1500W AC outlet in cargo area
- Cargo area is slightly taller and boxier
- Cargo cover standard
- Still qualifies for up to $7500 federal tax credit
- Toyota quality & reliability may appeal to some
- Insurance cost for me was considerably less
- Overhead console with sunglass holder
- Full array of knobs and buttons for climate control and audio
Toyota RAV4 Prime Interior (Courtesy of Toyota USA)
Apologies for any errors or omissions. Tesla does remove and add features without notice and it is difficult to tell for sure, as they do not seem to provide a full list of features to make it easy to compare to other vehicles.
Anyway, the stars aligned, and I did end up buying a RAV4 Prime once it arrived in June. I’m very happy with it so far. I detailed some likes and dislikes here, after a couple months of ownership. Ultimately, I almost always drive less than 40 miles a day and have a garage to charge overnight, so the limited EV range was adequate in my situation. Also, I’m pretty certain my wife would have hated the lack of a conventional gauge cluster, knobs, and buttons in the Model Y. I liked the Y’s spartan, futuristic interior, but I know it isn’t for everyone. The excellent handling from the stiffer suspension on the Model Y has a strong appeal as well. Still, I’m driving the suburbs and not on the track, so for a compact SUV on Chicago area roads, the smoother ride of the RAV4 Prime has similar appeal. Some will prefer the more rugged and boxier SUV styling on the RAV4, but the more rounded hatchback-style of the Model Y is sleek and more aerodynamic.
Tesla Model Y (Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.)
I have no doubt that I’d really enjoy the Model Y, though likely for different reasons than I appreciate the RAV4 Prime. One of each would be a very nice garage! To be fair, I’ve only driven the Y on relatively short test drives and ridden along as a passenger, so most of my opinions are from a limited time in the vehicle and from internet research. For example, the leading Consumer magazine currently ranks the RAV4 Prime tied for the highest score among hybrid/EV category vehicles, while the Model Y is one of the lowest. They also praise the Model Y for handling, acceleration & braking, while they tout the RAV4 Prime for ride comfort & controls. Obviously, some of these differences may be critical to one driver’s preferences, while others may not matter at all to a buyer with a different situation.
Photos courtesy of Carseat Media LLC, Tesla, Inc. and Toyota USA, updated 11/30/21 .
Does RAV4 have regenerative braking? Driving a Chevy Bolt for three years I found that the most appealing feature. In 3 years of driving the Bolt brake pads were still pretty new.
All Toyota hybrids offer regenerative braking, inlcuding RAV4 Hybrid and RAV4 Prime. The top trims offer paddles that adjust regeneration while in EV mode. That said, it is not “1-pedal” operation like some EV and PHEV that have very aggressive regeneration. I would say the highest setting is moderate and less than the Bolt.
You mentioned no shenanigans at Tesla dealers because they own their dealers . . . well, yeah, but that’s also a bad thing. When they’re the only game in town, there’s nowhere else to go. For instance, when we need service, we can make a mobile appointment, but if the mobile service can’t handle the complaint, we have to drop the car off at the service center and wait up to 2 weeks for the car to be looked at. Yep. To even be touched, let alone fixed. They refuse to fix that cluster F. Sometimes they have loaner cars, sometimes (most of the time) you get a Lyft credit. When you pay luxury car prices, you expect luxury car service, amiright?
I mean, I love my Tesla MX (hate my husband’s M3, though) and will most likely get a MY when the new battery is announced. Once you go electric, it’s super hard to go ICE again.
I had not considered that. Will independent shops service a Tesla for anything, even non powertrain stuff? Or are you totally reliant upon Tesla even after the warranty?
Yes. We have a good independent shop owned by a former Tesla mechanic, so there’s that. Same with a body shop, otherwise we’d be looking at months and months of a wait.
I’d like to add one more reason why the RAV4 Prime and Tesla Model Y should appeal to different audiences. It has to do with towing.
Yes, the Model Y is rated to tow 3500 pounds, a thousand pounds better than the RAV4 Prime’s 2500 pound rating. And, yes, it was impressive to see the Model X pull a camper trailer onto the stage when Elon Musk unveiled the Model X. Sadly, tow rating is only half of the equation when towing a camper. The other half is vehicle range.
The Tesla Model Y’s range when towing is about 45% of the manufacturer’s range. So, instead of going 300 miles at a pop to a National Park, the Y’s range is a meager 135 miles. Then, after boosting the battery to 80% capacity at a Supercharger, the Model Y’s towing range drops to an even meeker 108 miles. Throw in a little range anxiety, plans to take the kids trailer camping might be better made at the local trailer park instead of a National Park.
Not counting its meager electric range, the RAV4 Prime gets better than 20 MPG (I’m hearing around 22-24 MPG) when towing. That’s 290 miles of range or more on its 14.5 gallon tankeasily doubling the range of a fully-charged Model Y.
I agree: My dream garage might well have a RAV4 Prime and a Tesla in it, but neither of these vehicles are not the ideal tool for every job or every buyer.
Thank you, Peter. That’s a valid point. We only use our hitch for a bike rack and cargo tray and have never put towing to the real test. Even a rooftop cargo box can put a dent in range at highway speeds. Combined with heavy trailer in tow and that single 30 minute supercharge could turn into two or three. In some regions, that could be an issue as there aren’t nearly as many level 3 chargers as gas stations.