How often does your rig see terrain like this?

[AntiGroundhogDay]

[video=youtube]

I am seriously considering this vehicle if I got it alone because of the reliability, fuel economy, and climate control.  Though I fully realize this is not a 4WD vehicle, I figure with the ground clearance and funky (rear wheels are only drive by battery, and only when it senses you need it) AWD system, it sure beats a Prius on my challenging stuff.

Anyway, I'm interested in hearing how often your rigs have wheels isolated (or spinning in sand, that scares me too) like in this test on back roads because that's where the lack of a "locking" option for the front or rear differential really shines.  I figure this vehicle with 6.3in (2016) or 7in (2017) of ground clearance will do just fine on your average fireroad, even if it's a bit sloppy.  Thanks!

 

[jonsun]

Good grief they just keep showing the same clip over and over.

 

[AntiGroundhogDay]

Good grief they just keep showing the same clip over and over.

He' actually switched from EV to Eco to Sport mode to see if the affects anything with the test.

 

[jonsun]

This tech has proven to be the future with the Porsche Spyder though

 

[bullfrog]

Too bad they didn't design traction control to brake spinning rear wheel and put power to the rear wheel with traction, maybe it has only one electric motor instead of wheel motors which would put too much stress on the rear differential?

 

[highdesertranger]

ha ha ha they need a locker. seriously though, how far off the pavement do you want to go? I would not pick this vehicle for an off roader. highdesertranger

 

[minimotos95]

I would say it could easily handle fireroads if you are more picky about where you pull off the fireroad to set camp like you would be in a 2wd. It's odd I couldn't find any mud tests of the RAV4 Hybrid, but I did find a couple articles saying it was less capable than the standard AWD RAV4.

I did occasionally have one wheel off the ground, or spinning in sand boondocking in the old 4x4 chevy truck but nearly every time I could have avoided it if I wanted to. It is always important to remember that without a limited slip or locker 4wd is really just 2 wheel drive.
The RT4wd system in the civic I have now is supposed to be okay offroad from what I have seen but I will have to test it for myself.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

if I was spinning in that hole I would back up and go around it. save myself a heap of money on that fancy car.

 

[AntiGroundhogDay]

I realize the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is a glorified 2WD vehicle and not well suited for the rough stuff, but that is why I was asking how often these remote and beautiful places vandwellers venture to require traversing difficult terrain and I thought perhaps I could get down those roads alright with the decent ground clearance of the RAV4 Hybrid.  I don't want to miss out.

As for it being a "fancy car," the past 3 years have been the hottest on record and I doubt that will slow down, I want climate control in the worst way.  That being said including the desire for good MPG for the amount of miles I plan to do a year (20k) have me considering the following vehicles:

The Prius V and regular prius are actually cheaper than a cargo van from what I see on Autotrader.com (considering all newish vehicles).  So there would be a payoff in purchase price as well as MPG immediately... but a major hit in ground clearance.  But the RAV4 has quite a premium in purchase price for that sacred ground clearance and I don't like that payoff time in gas savings either (at $2.30 per gallon for current US average).  I Googled to see if there are spacers available for the Prius or Prius V and get an extra inch of clearance, but folks on their forums laugh it off and concentrate on lowering the car is anything.

 

[FALCON]

I drive to a lot of remote places, and very very very rarely do I drive over an obstacle like that.

 

[AntiGroundhogDay]

I drive to a lot of remote places, and very very very rarely do I drive over an obstacle like that.

So straight ground clearance is the name of the game in general?

 

[highdesertranger]

here something's to consider. I do a lot of off road driving, have for 45 years. off road driving is only as rough as you want it to be. to get to some areas you will need a vehicle with high ground clearance, great traction, low gearing, and tough tires.

in fact tough tires are needed for ANY off road driving IMO. graded gravel roads will eat up tires and spit them out, especially if driving over 25mph.

your better off road vehicles are not gong to high mpg. you can get moderately good mpg in some vehicles. Toyota Tacoma coms to mind.

another thing to consider is the more doo dads a vehicle has the more things can go wrong with it. it doesn't matter what fancy stuff a vehicle has if something breaks/fails in the middle of nowhere and that leaves you stranded.

so like I asked before, how far off road do you want to go? do you want to go on Jeep roads or graded gravel roads? highdesertranger

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I'd take that over 2wd. Not going to get you through serious stuff, but at least get you to some better off beaten places.

I had a jeep patriot for two years. A glorified 4 door car really. However, it was impressive with where I could take it. It had 4 high only. I had a Jeep wrangler before that and it still left me impressed more often than not with where it took me. Not comparable to the Wrangler by any means but still impressive for what it was.

 

[AntiGroundhogDay]

I agree with you on the simplistic approach.  Although I do think there is a balance between having the ability to fix something yourself because it is so simple, and yet having a modern vehicle that generally is more reliable from the get go, though it may be a little more complicated.  My days of installing suspensions, turbos, intercoolers, sway bars, etc. are becoming less and less the older I get.

Ideally I would be happy with a system if it had the ability to lock the front and rear when needed in conditions where a wheel is slipping to send the power to the wheel that grips.  But something tells me the average SUV won't provide that.  I guess, I'd like to be able to go to these places Bob ravs about.  I've never seen them, have no clue what it takes to get there, but I want the ability to get there.  I absolutely know this RAV4 hybrid system is not this, but if the 7in ground clearance would get me to 99% of the places out there, all good.

In terms of what I'd like to be able to tackle.... everything on this page of images is too much for me:
http://tinyurl.com/hsd3ghp

But getting over this without bottoming out or slipping around too much would be good:
http://tinyurl.com/jbg56ty

This might be my absolute limit and I'd probably feel stupid for risking it if I were solo:
http://tinyurl.com/gmstvcd

Being able to handle with with some careful driving would be nice:
http://tinyurl.com/h6x66vl

Being able to handle this would be wonderful as well:
http://tinyurl.com/gtehjtr

I also realize chains, snap straps, or traction boards may also be needed/required and could quite possibly be your best friend.

 

[akrvbob]

To directly answer your question mud and sand are big deals to me, I get stuck in them in a van at least once a year, sometimes two or three times. If that system really works, it would be a big plus. I have no idea if it does.

My new 2016 Savanah van has what they call traction control and I had it stuck in the sand the first day I had it.

I have no idea where they measure the ground clearance on vehicles, but those numbers are very deceiving. The ground clearance on a van is drastically better than that implies.

 

[AntiGroundhogDay]

Yeah, I don't understand. For the Express Van I see ~11in in the front and ~7in in the rear. I'll have to climb under some random van in a parking lot some time. And mud and sand scare me the most too...and that is where the hybrid RAV4 AWD system wouldn't do much.

 

[DuneElliot]

I do a LOT of back country driving like that...and that's the reason I have a truck with high clearance and four wheel drive. I've not been stuck anywhere...yet! It's also the reason I chose the truck-5W combination...so I can get off road and into the boonies when I want to, which is most of the time (my 5W also has high-clearance too)

 

[highdesertranger]

from your pics the worse I saw was that long muddy stretch. all those pics with the rocky roads need a LT tire, IMO. a couple pics you need a little ground clearance. so I would recommend a vehicle that would except LT tires. highdesertranger

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I agree with HDR.  LT tires are a must for any of those terrains.  Mud tires or chains for the muddy ones.  First question I would ask: 'can I put appropriate tires under this vehicle to take me where I want to go'?

 -- Spiff

 

[ArtW]

Yup, that's why I sprang for 15" wheels for my ranger, so I could put LT tires on it, though it turns out the Wranglers I bought aren't real LT tires, D'oh!
The reason a van has so little rear ground clearance in the rear on paper, and so much more in practice, is the way it's measured: your clearance on any vehicle is the lowest point on the vehicle to the ground on flat level pavement
On the rear of a rear or 4wd vehicle that's the differential, or 'pumpkin' as some call it. Keep that away from tall obstacles, and your clearance is much better
That's why serious rock crawlers like to put their tires on the big rocks, and not straddle them