Should you drive a RAV4 on a low tank of gas? (2024)

FAQs

Should you drive a RAV4 on a low tank of gas? ›

We recommend fueling up as soon as you can once that low fuel indicator appears. Driving on empty can be dangerous. Not only could you find yourself stranded on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, but you could also sputter out in the middle of a busy highway or other traffic.

“Typically, it will light up when the tank is below 10% to 15% of its capacity.” In general, after the gas light comes on, Muñoz says it's safe to drive about 20 to 30 miles in a smaller vehicle or up to 50 miles in a larger vehicle.

2022 Toyota RAV4: MPG Ratings

That's because this SUV comes with a standard EPA-estimated 27 city/35 highway MPG. Couple this fuel efficiency with the SUV's 14.5-gallon fuel tank, and you can travel up to an estimated 507 miles on one tank of gas.

So, bottom line is stick to the recommended 87 Octane. That is peak efficiency for your Toyota.

Generally speaking, there seems to be a consensus that a RAV4 can go somewhere in the vicinity of 35 to 40 miles once the fuel light turns on. That is just an average based primarily on anecdotal evidence, so please understand that you could potentially achieve a greater distance or a shorter distance.

Driving with low fuel can damage the fuel pump because the fuel cools and lubricates the pump as it flows. If you run your car low on gas, the pump will start to draw air in place of some of the fuel. When this happens, the fuel moving through the mechanism won't be enough to cool the pump adequately.

After about four hours on the road, we arrived at our campsite having used one quarter of the tank, at 5.6l/100km. It was incredible to see that a vehicle of this size, loaded with luggage, managed such impressive consumption. The trip back resulted in a fuel consumption figure of around 5.8l/100km.

What Is High Mileage for the Toyota RAV4? A RAV4 will last around 250,000-300,000 miles. Thus, anything over 200,000 miles in a used car lot is considered high mileage. The higher you get over the 200,000 mark, the closer the car is to the end of its lifespan.

How long will a RAV4 last? ›

On average, with proper care and maintenance, you can expect your vehicle to last between 200,000 and 250,000 miles.

J.D. Power also has an 81 out of 100 quality and reliability rating for the 2022 RAV4, the highest for any model year in the fifth generation. According to the NHTSA, the 2022 RAV4 Hybrid received only two complaints, far fewer than the RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid (10 complaints) and regular RAV4 (48 complaints).

The answer to how many miles you can drive with an empty gas tank totally depends upon the model of the car you drive. It depends on the fuel efficiency and gas tank capacity. However, 30-50 miles is a distance you may be able to drive in most modern cars after the fuel gauge starts indicating empty.

They say most cars will go 60 miles after hitting 0 miles to empty.

There's no hard and fast measurement — each automaker turns the light on with different amounts of gas left in the tank — but a general rule of thumb is between 30 and 50 miles.

Calculate Your Car's Reserve Fuel

In most cars, the low fuel warning is triggered whenever the fuel tank reaches the reserve levels. In most cars, the reserve fuel level is about 10 to 15 percent of the total amount the tank can hold.