The 2026 Toyota RAV4 is the best hybrid I’ve driven. America’s best-selling SUV now feels like a default answer to the question: “What should I buy?” In its sixth generation, the RAV4 is now a fully electrified nameplate, offered exclusively as a hybrid or a plug-in hybrid. But most buyers won’t feel the need to step up to the PHEV.
Sure, Toyota hybrids are efficient. But when I observed 56 miles per gallon on the gauge cluster, and nearly 600 miles of calculated range on a full tank, I was stunned. That mpg figure was during a morning commute in New York City, where it kept recuperating energy from braking to drive in EV mode. But even its combined fuel economy was phenomenal. I rarely ever saw that number drop below 40 mpg.
The fact that it’s such a good car in all other areas is what truly makes it stand out. It is now bigger and roomier, and looks modern inside and out. The screens are no longer laggy and slow to boot. The focus on ergonomics is immaculate. In an age of hyper-minimalism, it’s rare to come across a vehicle where everything is where it needs to be.

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