Compare the2023 Chevrolet BoltVS 2023 Toyota Rav4 Prime

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Bolt are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Rav4 Prime doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Chevrolet Bolt has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Rav4 Prime doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Both the Bolt and the Rav4 Prime have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The Bolt’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Rav4 Prime’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 2 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Toyota dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Bolt’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 14th.

On the EPA test cycle the Bolt gets better mileage than the Rav4 Prime running on electricity (131 city/109 hwy vs. 105 city/84 hwy MPGe).

On the EPA test cycle the Bolt gets better mileage than the Rav4 Prime running its gasoline engine (131 city/109 hwy MPGe vs. 40 city/36 hwy).

The Bolt can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 259 miles. The Rav4 Prime has to start its internal combustion engine after only 42 miles.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Bolt higher (10 out of 10) than the Toyota Rav4 Prime (7). This means the Bolt produces up to 11.8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Rav4 Prime every 15,000 miles.

The Bolt stops much shorter than the Rav4 Prime:

The Bolt’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Rav4 Prime SE’s standard 60 series tires. The Bolt’s tires are lower profile than the Rav4 Prime XSE’s 55 series tires.

The Bolt has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Rav4 Prime doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires standard on the Bolt can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The Rav4 Prime doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

The Bolt has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Rav4 Prime doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Bolt handles at .80 G’s, while the Rav4 Prime XSE pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Bolt’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Rav4 Prime SE’s (34.8 feet vs. 36.1 feet). The Bolt’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Rav4 Prime XSE’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The Chevrolet Bolt may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 to 700 pounds less than the Toyota Rav4 Prime.

The Bolt is 1 foot, 5.7 inches shorter than the Rav4 Prime, making the Bolt easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Bolt has 2.4 inches more front headroom, 3.3 inches more front legroom and 2.9 inches more rear hip room than the Rav4 Prime.

The Bolt’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Rav4 Prime’s power window (except driver window), power lock and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

Consumer Reports rated the Bolt’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Rav4 Prime’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

The Bolt was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2017. The Rav4 hasn’t been picked since 2008.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Bolt as the 2017 North American Car of the Year. The Rav4 Prime has never been chosen.