Toyota RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid costs, insurance, warranty & tax
Reasonable insurance ratings, a long warranty and proven reliability should make the Toyota RAV4 Plug-in an easy car to live with
| Insurance group | Warranty | Service interval | 2021/22 company-car tax cost (20%/40%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34-35 | 5yrs / 100,000 miles | 1yr / 10,000 miles | From £650 / £1,300 |
Toyotas are inherently very reliable cars. They rarely go wrong, and should be easy to live with. Every model comes with a five-year warranty and service plans can help keep a lid on your monthly maintenance bills.
However, as with many new hybrid or electric cars, thanks to the technology on offer, insurance premiums for the RAV4 are on the high side. Due to the car's chunky list price, road tax will set you back a fair amount, too – so make sure you’re prepared for this before signing on the dotted line. Of course, if you can run your RAV4 on electricity rather than petrol – by plugging in regularly – you’ll save a fortune on fuel.
Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid insurance group
While a group 34 or 35 rating may sound high, it’s only slightly more than the standard, like-for-like non-plug-in RAV4 Hybrid (group 30). It’s also a good few groups lower than the premium-badged Volvo XC60 Recharge (group 41). Perhaps of greater consequence is the fact the Ford Kuga Plug-In Hybrid sits in group 20 – with even the flashy Vignale version falling into group 21. If insurance premiums are an issue in your area, the Ford may well work out cheaper to run.
Warranty
Very few manufacturers can beat Toyota’s five-year/100,000-mile warranty – especially in the plug-in hybrid family SUV market. The Kia Niro PHEV comes with a seven-year warranty, but it’s a smaller car; a plug-in version of the larger Sorento is on the way, however. Most of the Toyota’s main rivals – like the Peugeot 3008 and Ford Kuga – can only muster a three-year warranty, so if you plan to keep your car for a little longer than most, the RAV4’s guarantee should serve as extra peace of mind.
In addition, June 2021 saw Toyota introduce an extension to its warranty offering, called 'Toyota Relax'. This means you can continue extending your Toyota's warranty cover up to 10 years or 100,000 miles, simply by getting it serviced on time at an official Toyota dealer each year.
Servicing
Electric cars, in general, require less frequent maintenance. However, as plug-in hybrid models also have petrol engines and lots of moving parts, they mostly need servicing as often as conventional petrol or diesel models. In the RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid’s case, the service intervals are every 12 months or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first. Service plans should be available, allowing you to spread the cost over two years or more.
Road tax
Alternatively-fuelled cars (those with either mild-hybrid, hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrains) are subject to a £10 annual road-tax (VED) discount. Only electric vehicles are fully exempt. As such, the Toyota RAV4 Plug-in is in the same road-tax band as the standard RAV4 Hybrid.
But there's a key difference: because every version of the plug-in costs more than £40,000, they’re all subject to a £335 surcharge the first five times you tax them – taking the total to £480 a year during that time. It’s worth noting that some versions of the Ford Kuga and Peugeot 3008 plug-in hybrids come in under £40,000, and therefore cost just £145 a year to tax.
