Hello Boys and Girls!! New car arrival after a while…
It`s time to retire my trusty old CRV after 5 years of service. I must say, the fourth generation CRV (2011 to 2015) is one of the best engineered vehicles I’ve ever used in my life. It`s not the most powerful in its class, not the most comfortable, not the most economical, almost no technology, but IMHO, the pinnacle of Honda engineering (for passenger cars) before all the small turbo engines and CVT`s and all other crap took over.
260,000 Km`s later, the Honda is still running fine with basic maintenance. Air-con is a bit weak, suspension a little noisy, body is full of scratches and dents, but the 2.4 Liter K series engine still purrs and runs like day one! The 5 speed automatic changes gears with no hesitation.
The new family hauler is a 2025 RAV4 Hybrid, built in Japan this month (11/2025). This is the Top Spec available in the country I live, with some modern features like: heated/cooled seats, connected services (i.e. start with Toyota phone app), 9 speaker audio, camera feed on rear view mirror, 360 camera, driver aids such as: AEB, radar cruise, lane keep/centering
Picking up from the dealer:
Old Vs New:
First, I`ll note down some not-so-great things about the RAV4:
** Noisy engine >> the 2.5L 4 cylinder (A25A-FXS) is a noisy thing with plenty of vibrations. Not noticeable at low revs, but quite noisy when pushed hard. Apparently the hybrid`s Atkinson cycle is even less smoother than the normal 4 cylinder. Comparatively, my Honda`s 2.4 liter with 260k Km`s still revs hard quite happily.
** Drive >> it’s the typical Toyota drive. Quite soft and not so great going around corners. Does not like spirited drives much, meant to be driven in a relaxed manner. Steering is not sharp but has a nice weight to it. Cabin is quiet, suspension is forgiving, and seats are very comfortable though.
** Brakes >> need a bit of getting used to. It clear that there`s basically no direct relationship between the brake padel and the brake-pad/disk, since there`s all sorts of Hybrid stuff (i.e. regen) sitting in the middle.
** Driver Aids >> driver aids like lane centering (keeping in the centre of the lane) do work, but nowhere near as good as some European brands.
** Price >> this is not a cheap car when compared to something like a BYD Sealion 6. The base spec Sealion plug-in Hybrid is a whole 23,000 dollars cheaper. That`s a about 1.5 Sealions for the price of one RAV4.
Finally, the plus points:
** Unrivalled Hybrid efficiency >> Thermal efficiency of Toyota Hybrid engines are among the best in the business. This car is the 5th generation Hybrid (not the current 6th gen), but still extremely efficient. Plus, Toyota`s eCVT is an engineering masterpiece when it comes to mass-manufactured drivetrains.
** Good warranty >> 5 years bumper-to-bumper, 7 years drivetrain, 10 years for Hybrid battery
** Great package >> the 2025 Rav4 is a great overall package. It`s not super great in one or two things, but extremely good as an overall package. Fantastic as a daily hack.
** Service and support >> Toyota has the largest dealer network in where I live, with an extremely good reputation. Servicing is relatively cheaper, even compared to some Japanese brands.
** Build quality >> Again, a typical Toyota thing. When players like Nissan/Mitsubishi/Suzuki try to keep prices down with mediocre build quality, Toyota still prioritises longevity and durability. There are no fancy interior materials (not even shiny piano black plastic, thankfully), no tricky electronics, etc...
Some more Pics:
------ Post added on Nov 30, 2025 at 1:45 PM
I have only owned one Toyota before, that was a 2009 Corolla I had back in 2010. Used to hate Toyota with a passion during my younger days (i.e. due to the boring factor), but President Akio Toyoda famously declared "no more boring cars" back in 2017, and IMHO Toyota has genunily been on fire since then. They seem to take all the right product desicions at the right time and facing Chinese competition quite well.
