I'm asking about the 2025 RAV4 Hybrid in the Limited trim level, but first some context and history....I can't stand "always-on" regenerative braking, it just forces a driver to use the accelerator more to compensate for the inability to coast which is a chore. My 2015 Prius has the "B" gear, and so does the new model Prius and Lexus's UX series hybrid, which allows the driver to activate and deactivate regenerative braking at will on the fly while driving. So you can coast whenever you want. I thought it might be because those models come in 2WD versions but Hyundai offers the ability to increase or decrease regenerative braking through steering wheel paddles all the way to a zero setting on some of its AWD hybrids, so go figure.

When I called Toyota's 1-800 customer service number the rep didn't have a clue and wanted to read through the same literature that's available online and doesn't give a definitive yes or no. AI searches say the 2025 RAV4 does have adjustable regenerative braking in the US market, but AI can be wrong. A salesperson at the largest Toyota dealer in the United States told me regen on the RAV4 Hybrid can't be adjusted in terms increasing or decreasing but can be turned on and off through the "B" gear. Wait, the RAV4 has a "B" gear?! I don't think that it does or he knew or cared. Yesterday I went to the yearly auto show at the San Diego convention center. A Toyota rep said he didn't know and called over the supervisor. Both got that familiar clueless glazed over look in their eyes regarding regenerative braking. The supervisor said it hadn't come up in training and since their wasn't videos of it online the RAV4 hybrid probably still has full time regenerative braking. I'm frustrated by how hard Toyota has made it to get a real answer.

1 thing I've learned is to never trust a car sales person to know anything. The amount of wrong or clueless information I've been given by every one I've ever encountered is pathetic. So good luck with that. Hope someone here knows for you.

 

1 thing I've learned is to never trust a car sales person to know a fucking thing. The amount of wrong or clueless information I've been given by every one I've ever encountered is pathetic. So good luck with that. Hope someone here knows for you.

I've been buying cars since 1975 and can say that in dealing with car salesmen I've learned that the only thing you can usually trust them to tell you is their name - and you may have to ask for government-issued photo ID to be sure they're telling the truth.

 

the "B" mode is just increased regenerative braking on the Prius etc. In normal Drive and Sport modes, you still have regenerative braking.

In a normal RAV4, when you're coasting, the engine is still running, except there is no fuel being injected, thus using the engine to brake while coasting.

So, what happens if you shift to neutral to coast? Aside from being a bad idea, then the engine will inject fuel to get the engine running at idle speed, so it doesn't stall out.

In a hybrid, the engine may be off, so then the motors recapture some of the energy from slowing down. In steeper and longer hills, the engine may be on to engine brake (again, no fuel in being injected).

 

the "B" mode is just increased regenerative braking on the Prius etc. In normal Drive and Sport modes, you still have regenerative braking.

I've been driving a third gen Prius for ten years and have test driven a dozen hybrids from different manufacturers over the past year, including some that that allow the driver to control it and the Corolla Cross Hybrid which has 'always-on' regenerative braking. The difference in the driving experience is clear. Perhaps the fourth and fifth gen Prius has set up their regenerative braking differently but in the third gen you are clearly coasting without any resistance when the B mode is not engaged. I've driven winding mountain roads to and from my home daily over that time and toggle in and out of B gear at the flick of a finger between one turn and stretch of grade to the next. I'm very familiar with it.

 

1. NO, you can't control it.
2. should have not bought Toyota hybrid then
3. B mode stands for engine Braking, not for controlling regen braking.
Honestly, I do not understand, what is the problem. I had 2 hybrids, they both "coasted" just fine and I used B-mode a lot, to actually increase regen braking.
Base line is, you bought a car and trying to turn it into something, it is not. Live with it, or rid of it and buy something different but, make sure, that different actually does, what you want, before committing.

 

1. NO, you can't control it.
2. should have not bought Toyota hybrid then
3. B mode stands for engine Braking, not for controlling regen braking.
Honestly, I do not understand, what is the problem. I had 2 hybrids, they both "coasted" just fine and I used B-mode a lot, to actually increase regen braking.
Base line is, you bought a car and trying to turn it into something, it is not. Live with it, or rid of it and buy something different but, make sure, that different actually does, what you want, before committing.

I haven't bought it...Your two hybrids coasted just fine because your B-gear was not engaged, as has my third gen Prius of the past ten years. I can't fit into latest generation Prius becuase they've lowered the roof line about 6-inches.

 

A few weeks ago I rented a 2025 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid from Hertz at EWR airport. It took me a few minutes of playing with the various controls to realize that the Regenerative Braking was available in 4 distinct levels from "High Coast" to "Engage the Seatbelt Pretensioners", all easily controlled by the steering wheel 'Paddle Shifters'! The digital dash display was very informational on settings and levels.

Pretty soon I was driving the car almost without touching the brake pedal, using the paddle shifters to engage various levels of braking on demand. This kept the charge level high, enabling long stretches of engine-off electric operation.

I was very impressed. A hybrid drivetrain that I could control, in a very nice riding and handling vehicle.

 

It's still a Hyundai in the end. Basically POS. Worked in rental. Saw all of those Hyundai/Kia and all the issues. So BFD. Also RTFM, and it will tell you how to do it in the RAV4 or Prius or ANY OTHER Toyota Hybrid.
Can ask my sister and a couple her boys if they'd ever buy another. LOL. Basically they're BIC Lighters. I.E. Disposable

 

It's still a Hyundai in the end. Basically POS. Worked in rental.

I don't believe I said I was going to buy it. I said I rented it. And it worked well for the purpose intended. So how was this helpful?

Also RTFM, and it will tell you how to do it in the RAV4 or Prius

And how often do you sit and read the manual in a RENTAL CAR? Assuming the books are even there, which often isn't the case on a rental these days.

But I do appreciate just how easy, intuitive, and effective using the paddle shifters was for controlling 4 preset levels of REGENERATIVE BRAKING on that Hyundai. I basically mastered it before leaving the airport property. Can hybrid regen levels be that easily changed on the fly on a Toyota Hybrid?

 

Under what conditions do you want to coast without the "drag" of charging the battery? I just drove my '19 Rav4 hybrid back from town and coasted using regen and charged my battery as I came down a long steep hill. I use the regen as I coast up to a stop sign or light, anticipating far in advance and trying to slide through as the light changes. In highway driving with cruise control on or off I see the car switching to charge from ICE mode as I crest a hill. and it does this all with more regen available.

My son has a Model Y and drives with one pedal. He is not all together pleased with it though. Previous Prius driver.

 

Normally, you use B mode as classic engine brake in conventional cars. Rolling down the hill, slowing down before intersection, or before going into tight curve. It does charge battery faster. Manual says, you can drive in B mode, but it is not recommended for extended period of time, as "certain components may be damaged".
Oh, and some say, it is much better to use in snow/ice/slippery conditions. Sort of like a Snow mode.