Cost example updated November 7, 2026
Get the free Car Buyer’s Cheat Sheet, 7 things to know before you sign anything. The numbers that matter, in plain English, on one page.
Join the Driveonomics email list. Occasional useful updates, no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Start with the price you will actually pay
For a representative example, use a 2025 Toyota RAV4 XLE AWD at $32,710 including destination (Edmunds' published starting price for the trim, destination included). The lineup starts at $29,800 for a front-wheel-drive LE with destination and climbs past $40,000, so replace this starting point with a written quote for the exact trim you are considering.
The down payment does not make the RAV4 cheaper; it changes how much you finance. With 10% down ($3,271), 8% APR and 60 months, this example finances $32,629 at $662 a month, and the loan costs about $7,067 in interest over five years.
Fuel: solid, not magical
The 2.5-liter gas engine in XLE AWD form is rated 29 mpg combined (fueleconomy.gov), a point better than the Honda CR-V's AWD rating. At 12,000 miles a year and $4.153 a gallon (the EIA national average for the week ending November 2, 2026), five years of fuel is about $8,592. Good for a boxy all-wheel-drive SUV, but the RAV4's efficiency reputation belongs mostly to the hybrid, covered below.
Depreciation: read the headline carefully
The famous statistic, "a RAV4 loses only 30% in five years" (iSeeCars), is out of date. The current iSeeCars study puts the RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid together at 25.2% over five years, and its RAV4 model page puts the gas RAV4 at 25.4%. The hybrid, at 25.3%, no longer does the heavy lifting: gas and hybrid now hold their value almost identically. On a $32,710 gas XLE, holding about 75% means roughly $24,402 after five years, or $8,308 of depreciation.
That resale figure is a planning assumption, not a forecast. Run a second scenario with resale 10% lower so the decision does not depend on an optimistic used market.
Insurance sits a little below the SUV norm
Full-coverage averages for a 2025 RAV4 cluster around $170–$185 a month across the major rate roundups (The Zebra's model-year figure is about $171). This example uses $180 a month, or $10,800 over five years. Premiums depend heavily on the driver, ZIP code, coverage and insurer, so get a quote on the exact trim before treating any average as yours.
Maintenance: two years are already paid for
Every new RAV4 includes ToyotaCare: scheduled maintenance is covered for the first 2 years or 25,000 miles, which makes the early years close to free beyond tires and wear. CarEdge puts the model's five-year maintenance and repair total near $1,938; add a set of the XLE's inexpensive 17-inch tires (roughly $250 apiece) inside the five years and this example allows $600 a year, or $3,000.
The full five-year example
Every figure below comes from the site's own calculator math. The stated inputs are: 2025 Toyota RAV4 XLE AWD, $32,710 price, 10% down ($3,271), 8% APR, 60 months, 7% sales tax, $900 in title and dealer fees, 12,000 miles per year, 29 mpg, $4.153 per gallon (EIA national average, week ending November 2, 2026), $180 per month insurance, $600 per year maintenance, $24,402 resale value after five years.
- Depreciation: $8,308 ($32,710 minus $24,402 resale)
- Insurance: $10,800 ($180 x 60 months)
- Fuel: $8,592 (12,000 / 29 x $4.153 x 5 years)
- Maintenance: $3,000 ($600 x 5 years)
- Tax, fees and interest: $10,257 ($2,290 sales tax, $900 fees, $7,067 loan interest)
That totals roughly $40,957, or about $683 a month, against a $662 payment. The gap between the two numbers is the part of ownership no window sticker shows.
Formula
The five-year total is the sum of five buckets: depreciation, insurance, fuel, maintenance, and tax, fees and interest. Depreciation is the $32,710 price minus the $24,402 resale value after five years, which is $8,308. Insurance is $180 a month times 60 months, which is $10,800. Fuel is 12,000 miles a year divided by 29 miles per gallon, times $4.153 a gallon, times 5 years, which is about $8,592. Maintenance is $600 a year times 5 years, which is $3,000. Tax, fees and interest is 7% sales tax on $32,710, which is $2,290, plus $900 in title and dealer fees, plus about $7,067 of loan interest, which is $10,257.
Added together, $8,308 plus $10,800 plus $8,592 plus $3,000 plus $10,257 equals $40,957, or about $683 a month. The amount financed is the $32,710 price plus $2,290 sales tax plus $900 in fees, minus the $3,271 down payment, which is $32,629. At 8% APR over 60 months, the payment on $32,629 is $662 a month, and the loan costs about $7,067 in interest over five years. The hybrid fuel line uses the same method at 39 miles per gallon, which is about $6,389 over five years.
The hybrid question, in numbers
The RAV4 Hybrid XLE AWD stickers at about $35,755 with destination, roughly $3,045 more than this gas example, and is rated 39 mpg combined. Over five years at 12,000 miles a year, that is about $6,389 of fuel instead of $8,592. The bigger difference is resale: iSeeCars puts the RAV4 Hybrid's five-year depreciation near 25.3%, which on $35,755 works out to roughly $26,709 of value at year five, against $24,402 for the gas model above. Whether that premium is worth it depends on your mileage and how long you keep it, but anyone comparing the two should compare all five buckets, not just the sticker gap. The EV vs. gas guide shows the same fuel-math method in full.
Cross-shopping the CR-V? Our CR-V cost breakdown uses the identical method, and the RAV4 vs. CR-V comparison puts the two side by side. Or run any pair through the Car Showdown. Cross-shopping a CX-5 too? See what a Mazda CX-5 really costs over 5 years. Cross-shopping a Tucson too? See what a Hyundai Tucson really costs over 5 years. Cross-shopping a Tiguan too? See what a Volkswagen Tiguan really costs over 5 years.
Enter the RAV4 purchase price, insurance quote, your real annual mileage, local fuel price, tire allowance and conservative resale value in the calculator. Then change only the inputs that differ to test the hybrid, a used RAV4, or a longer ownership horizon.
Calculation transparency
Jurisdiction. United States. Sales tax, titling, registration and insurance rules are set by your state, so your exact numbers depend on where you buy and register the car. The 7% sales tax and $900 in fees in this example are planning figures, not any one state's actual rates.
Rules and time period. Five years, 12,000 miles a year, gas at $4.153 a gallon (EIA national average, week ending November 2, 2026), 8% APR, 60 months, 10% down. The resale value is a planning assumption, not a forecast.
Scope and limitations. Educational estimate only. Insurance and maintenance are planning figures, not quotes. Get a real quote for the same trim, coverage and loan before you decide.
The depreciation figures on this page are from the current iSeeCars edition: the 2026 study of cars sold from March 2025 to February 2026 puts the RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid together at 25.2% over five years and the RAV4 Hybrid at 25.3%, and the iSeeCars RAV4 model page puts the gas RAV4 at 25.4%.
Source links checked November 7, 2026. Figures: Edmunds 2025 RAV4 XLE AWD starting price; EPA combined fuel economy, 29 mpg gas and 39 mpg hybrid; EIA weekly gas prices (week ending November 2, 2026); The Zebra 2025 RAV4 full-coverage average, about $171 a month; CarEdge five-year maintenance and repair total, $1,938; iSeeCars five-year depreciation, 25.4% gas RAV4 and 25.3% RAV4 Hybrid.
Primary sources: Edmunds, 2025 Toyota RAV4 prices; fueleconomy.gov, EPA fuel economy ratings; EIA, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update; The Zebra, Toyota RAV4 insurance costs; CarEdge, Toyota RAV4 cost of ownership; iSeeCars, cars that hold their value study (2026); iSeeCars, Toyota RAV4 resale value. How the numbers are calculated is written down on the methodology page, and every source is listed on the sources page.
Definitions
Depreciation. The value a car loses over time. On this page, the $32,710 price minus the $24,402 resale value after five years, which is $8,308.
Resale value. What the car is worth after five years in this example, $24,402. A planning assumption, not a forecast.
APR. Annual percentage rate, the yearly cost of borrowing before fees. This example uses 8%.
Down payment. The cash paid up front. Here it is 10%, or $3,271.
Destination charge. The fee to ship the car to the dealer. It is included in the $32,710 starting price.
Combined mpg. The EPA city and highway ratings blended into one figure. It is 29 for the gas XLE AWD and 39 for the hybrid.
Full coverage. Insurance that covers damage to your own car as well as damage to others. This example uses $180 a month.
ToyotaCare. Toyota's included scheduled maintenance for the first 2 years or 25,000 miles.
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a Toyota RAV4 for 5 years? Roughly $40,957, or about $683 a month, against a $662 payment. The gap between the two numbers is the part of ownership no window sticker shows.
What does a 2025 Toyota RAV4 XLE AWD cost? The example uses a 2025 Toyota RAV4 XLE AWD at $32,710 including destination. With 10% down ($3,271), 8% APR and 60 months, this example finances $32,629 at $662 a month, and the loan costs about $7,067 in interest over five years.
How much does a RAV4 cost in fuel over 5 years? About $8,592. The 2.5-liter gas engine in XLE AWD form is rated 29 mpg combined, and at 12,000 miles a year and $4.153 a gallon, five years of fuel is about $8,592.
How much value does a gas RAV4 lose in 5 years? About $8,308. For the gas model specifically, iSeeCars measures about 25.4% depreciation over five years, so on a $32,710 gas XLE, holding about 75% means roughly $24,402 after five years. The old "a RAV4 loses only 30% in five years" headline is out of date: the current iSeeCars study puts the RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid together at 25.2%, and the hybrid no longer does the heavy lifting. That resale figure is a planning assumption, not a forecast.
Is the RAV4 Hybrid worth the extra money? It depends on your mileage and how long you keep it. The RAV4 Hybrid XLE AWD stickers at about $35,755 with destination, roughly $3,045 more than this gas example, and is rated 39 mpg combined, so over five years at 12,000 miles a year, that is about $6,389 of fuel instead of $8,592. The bigger difference is resale: iSeeCars puts the RAV4 Hybrid's five-year depreciation near 25.3%, which on $35,755 works out to roughly $26,709 of value at year five, against $24,402 for the gas model above.
Related: Compare the Nissan Rogue, the Kia Sportage and the Subaru Forester, or browse all models.