CX-70 PHEV vs Rav4 PHEV

[GreatBigAbyss]

I know, not a typical comparison, but they're both PHEV SUV's from reputable Japanese manufacturers.

We went and test drove each of these yesterday, just for shits and giggles, but also with an eye to eventually replacing the CX-5 with a PHEV.  These are my thoughts:

The Rav4 has a truly impressive drivetrain.  ~80km of EV range, and 324hp.  Not only does it have an abundance of power, but it also feels very 'EV' like.  It has that instant torque when you press the gas pedal.  I made sure to drive it both in EV mode, and also in HV mode.  EV mode is plenty fast, but you don't get access to the full power until you're in HV mode (which is cool, because the Prius feels peppier/faster in EV mode, and in HV mode it feels almost bogged down).  Toyota has refined the PHEV system in this generation, so that it's capable of working in much colder weather than previous gens.  For example, below about -12C, my Prius will stop functioning as an EV, mainly due to the need to start the engine to heat the cabin/defrost the windshield.  From what I've been reading, the Rav4 doesn't use a heatpump, but rather an electric coolant heater that runs through a heater core (it can also pre-heat the engine before it starts).  This theoretically allows it to run as an EV in colder temps, albeit with reduced range. 

The Rav4 gets let down a little in its interior quality.  We drove an XSE trim, which has basically all the toys.  We also looked inside an SE trim, and I was please to see the quality of the materials doesn't change between trims.  Just equipment, and leather/cloth seats.  That being said, the interior materials are a bit of a letdown.  Sure, they're all soft touch plastics, but they feel kinda cheap, and there's a lot of grey.  Interior space was fine.  I wasn't a HUGE fan of the driving position, as the driver's seat doesn't go down as low as I like.  That being said, I was never short of space, and was still quite comfortable.  The 'leather' in the XSE is their softex material, and it doesn't cover the entire seating surface.  The middle parts of the seat and seatback are made of a fake suede-like material.  I would have expected full  softex, kinda like the Prius. 

Onto the CX-70.  We actually drove a CX-90 PHEV, but essentially they're the same vehicles, just with/without a third row. 

The CX-70 PHEV is an impressive vehicle on the inside.  We drove a GS-L, which is a mid-trim model.  I think its biggest selling feature is the interior.  The design is just typical mazda.  Lots of different, high quality materials, actual switchgear (with that Mazda tactile feel that is just so good), and big, comfy seats.  In typical Mazda fashion, I could slam the drivers seat to the ground, and get into my favorite position.  The back seats have plenty of space, and slide/recline.  Trunk space is HUGE.  Of couse, it's a larger CUV, compared to the compact Rav4.  The Mazda wins the interior hands down. 

Where I was disappointed was the drivetrain.  The PHEV has a 2.5L 4 cylinder, and an electric motor, both of which get fed through a traditional 8-speed transmission.  What I found absolutely NUTS, especially after living with a Toyota PHEV for half a year, is that the electric motor feeds its torque through the transmission.  This means you don't get the instant torque that you get out of the Toyota system.  If you're driving along, and you need to quickly accelerate, you press the accelerator, then the transmission has to kick down into a lower gear, just as if you were driving a regular gas car.  This creates quite the delay, and makes the EV mode feel a LOT more conventional.  This may be a selling feature to somebody who has never owned a PHEV or an EV, but I just found it weird and ineffecient.  It's like you have all the downsides of both EV's AND ICE cars.  Even in HV mode, the drivetrain felt a little weird.  I remember the CX-90/70 use some sort of weird clutch to launch, and it just feels like it hesitates, or judders off the line at slow speed.  The whole things feels hard to drive smoothly, unlike the Toyota system, which is incredibly smooth.

So, long story short, if I were buying today, which would I choose?  Prices, are in the same ballpark, so while the CX-70 is larger and has a nicer drivetrain, I think I would go Rav4 PHEV.  The drivetrain is just so much nicer.  Long term reliability should be in Toyota's favour.  The Toyota has almost double the EV range.  And because it functions more like an EV, it has that instant torque that the Mazda doesn't have.  I can live with a less opulant interior, to have a vehicle that is just overall better.  Oh, and the CX-79 requires premium fuel, which is amknock against it in overall running costs.

Oh, both of them have a 3500LB tow rating, which is important to me, as I eventually want to get another small camper.