1994 Toyota RAV4 Pricing and Specs

These are quite different vehicles in terms of their physical size. While older generations of the RAV4 were known as compact SUVs, the current model is resolutely mid-sized. None of which is to say that the Yaris is cramped but it is a size-division smaller, so if you often carry people in the back seat or your family is growing, the RAV4 might be a bit more future-proof.

However, in driveline terms, the Yaris is the one that is truly future-proof thanks to its hybrid driveline. If most of your driving is around the city and suburbs, you might be surprised at just how efficient a modern hybrid can be. On the highway, there's less to be gained form the hybrid layout, so take that into account, too.

The other thing to consider is what happens a few years down the track at trade-in time. The RAV4 is question is already one generation older than the Yaris, and the hybrid Yaris is almost certain to be worth more as a second-hand proposition five years from now. Which means the latter will probably be the cheapest to own over that time in a wholistic sense.

Not really sure what you consider a normal sedan's length to be, but I'll presume you have a relatively short parking space to deal with. Also, your minimum height requirement suggests you're sick of climbing up out of cars and want something with a higher seat to make entering and leaving the car easier. With that in mind, something like the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid springs to mind. It's high enough at 1685mm (with decent seat height) and at 4600mm long, it's quite a bit shorter than the Toyota Camry sedan (4885mm long).

But, really, there are plenty of choices out there with just about every mainstream manufacturer offering an SUV of similar size, and many of them in a hybrid format. Which is great, because the big catch with the RAV4 is that it's so popular, there are long waiting lists. What you really need to do is invest a little shoe leather and visit some dealerships where you can try the candidates on for size. Or check out this website for the latest mid-sized SUV comparison tests.

The default purchase for somebody looking for a mid-sized hybrid SUV is the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. But if that’s too big, there’s the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid, C-HR Hybrid and even the Corolla Cross Hybrid which sounds like the marketplace is getting crowded but is really just a reflection of the appetite right now for cars like these. And that’s the catch; the waiting times for a brand-new example of some of these cars is out to many months and even years. So your plan to shop second-hand makes plenty of sense, but don’t expect any bargains in a market currently being dominated by lots of demand and less supply.

Beyond the Toyota brand (which has been doing hybrids longer than just about anybody else) there’s also the Mazda CX-30, Subaru XV Hybrid, Haval Jolion Hybrid, Kia Niro, Subaru Forester Hybrid, Nissan Qashqai e-Power, MG HS, Honda HR-V e and more. For something a bit bigger, try the Kia Sorento or Hyundai Santa Fe hybrids. There are others out there, too, that are probably bigger or more expensive than you need, but it's very much a growing scene in the Australian marketplace.