My Rav4 arrived today

[Catlover]

6 hours ago, D0Z3R2K4 said:

Hi... So not 100% on how the gearing works on these things. First time owing a hybrid. So I'll try and explain the best I can . 

 I was under the impression I had a 7/8 speed automatic. 

So when I drive and I press the acceleration pedal. I don't get that surge in movement it gives the impression it's waiting to move up to the next gear. The engine sounds like if I had a rev counter I would be redlined for a good 3/5 seconds before it starts to pick up.

Does that make sense.

When I took the test drive out and I put my foot to the floor the power was instant and you got pushed to the back of the seat.. I don't get this at all even with Sports mode.

Thank you for your reply…… I now realise why you said what you did. The hybrid engineering, first of all I got to say is rock solid engineering.   I don’t understand where you got the thought from you have 7/8 speed automatic from. I have never seen Toyota say anything like that in its brochure, and the engineering of your “auto” box is basically no different to my hybrid Prius, or a Corolla, or Yaris. The difference between the drive you experiencing in your car should be no difference to the experience when you drove the demonstrator vehicle. 
I am sure you will know your car has a petrol engine and a hybrid Battery. It is how these two items interact that gives you the driving experience. Sometimes the car is powered 1) only by the petrol engine, 2) sometimes only by the battery/electric motors, and 3) sometimes both come into action at the same time. It is when the 3) happens you will get that surge feeling. For 3) to happen you need energy in the big hybrid Battery, that energy is attained by driving the car to generate the energy, that is why you will see the Battery storage meter rise, and when the energy is used this meter reading falls. You don’t get that surge all the time, you do when the energy of the car engine and battery work together.  Your car has many little computer systems that make everything work together.                  
I recommend you go on YouTube and look for videos on how the Toyota hybrid system works, it’s a marvel, but can seem complicated.  You will find YT videos of how to get the best out of a Toyota hybrid - driving techniques specific to get the best out of your car.              
If you want sports car performance you buy a sports car (or a pure electric car that can do 0-60mph in 5 seconds). If you want a relaxing drive like never before but with performance for most situations you are likely to find, the Toyota hybrid will do the job. It is amazing technology.             
Just in case you didn’t know, Toyota hybrids are referred to as having an automatic gearbox, but it’s not a “conventional” auto box, it doe not have have a “conventional” clutch, it does not have a “conventional” starter motor, it does not have a “conventional” alternator, so a lot of non conventional stuff. What it does have is strong tough engineering in the hybrid system which should give thousands of miles of an unequalled experience.

Enjoy.

[philip42h]

8 hours ago, D0Z3R2K4 said:

Hi... So not 100% on how the gearing works on these things. First time owing a hybrid. So I'll try and explain the best I can . 

 I was under the impression I had a 7/8 speed automatic. 

So when I drive and I press the acceleration pedal. I don't get that surge in movement it gives the impression it's waiting to move up to the next gear. The engine sounds like if I had a rev counter I would be redlined for a good 3/5 seconds before it starts to pick up.

Does that make sense.

When I took the test drive out and I put my foot to the floor the power was instant and you got pushed to the back of the seat.. I don't get this at all even with Sports mode.

As others have said, it is a CVT gearbox rather than a multi-speed automatic.

The instant shove you [should] get comes from the electric motor(s). They provide the initial impetus while the petrol engine works out what to do. So, from what you have said, it sounds as though the electric motor part isn't working as it should.

If the electric motor isn't working, the CVT gearbox will allow the petrol engine to soar to high revs in order to provide the demanded torque ... which is what you appear to be reporting.

Take it back to the dealer to let them have a look and hopefully sort ... 😉

[spicyhotone]

Are you sure you didn't test drive the PHEV variant? That has significantly more power and higher acceleration than the standard hybrid variant - due to more powerful electric motors (and additional motor for rear wheels), and obviously a much bigger Battery. That could explain discrepancy between your experiences on test drive with the car you have now? I've not driven the hybrid version, so don't know what the acceleration feels like - but your decription of forcing you onto the back of the seat is how I'd describe the PHEV variant (in HV mode with both the engine and electric motors working together).

[ROCKETRON]

If you turn the knob on the centre consul to the right(sport mode) and the speedo dials outline red then you will feel powerful acceleration if you floor it that pushes you back in your seat. The sport mode on the gear selector(pushed to the right) doesn’t really improve performance but more let’s you hold gears and change manually but the gears don’t really do much in a hybrid. When you had your test drive perhaps you used the knob in the centre consul.

[philip42h]

1 hour ago, ROCKETRON said:

The sport mode on the gear selector(pushed to the right) doesn’t really improve performance

... that's because that isn't Sport mode - that's S for Select mode (where you have some control over the virtual "gear selected")

[ernieb]

As I’ve investigated on the PHEV, Sport mode on the dial does change the ECU settings to improve acceleration performance.  The S mode on the gearbox (Select) has not as much impact as I’d originally expected and in many ways fights the inbuilt settings which are obviously optimised to recharge and maintain the Battery.

[Teefin]

On 9/15/2021 at 7:20 PM, PAISLEY1903 said:

@Teefin im well pleased with it!  still getting to grips with certain buttons but ive spent time working through all the systems etc so all good 🙂. I bet your excited. I got my dealer to update the software / maps before sending me it.

Sorry been away a bit and just saw this post I will contact them and make sure the updates are done before Saturday.

[PeteB]

On 9/17/2021 at 7:18 AM, Catlover said:

... I don’t understand where you got the thought from you have 7/8 speed automatic from. I have never seen Toyota say anything like that in its brochure...

Maybe he's seen one of the many YouTube videos about the RAV4 in other countries.  In the USA and Canada, for example, you can still buy a petrol (gas) only version, and that only comes with an eight-speed auto box.