Used Versions Of This Popular Toyota SUV Are Listed 16% Above New MSRP
With gas prices remaining elevated in the wake of the the Iran war-triggered oil crisis, many Americans are looking at hybrid and electric vehicles in a new light. According to an October 2026 report by CarGurus, there is a strong positive correlation between interest in hybrid vehicles and the country's rising gas prices. While this trend extends to hybrid cars in general, it is particularly transforming the demand for one of the country's top-selling SUVs, the Toyota RAV4 hybrid. Examining sales figures from the first half of 2026, listings for pre-owned 2026 RAV4s — all of which come standard with hybrid engines — were an average of 16% higher than their new MSRP.
Despite the fact the 2026 RAV4's features don't justify its price tag, consumers are clamoring for the vehicle. While the 2026 model's starting MSRP was $31,900, you can expect to pay an average of $37,000 for a used entry level model. Interestingly, this is a surprising turn of events for Toyota, as RAV4 sales in 2026 were actually trending downward in the first half of the year. However, as of June 2026, RAV4s were moving so quickly that Toyota dealerships only had, on average, five days worth in stock, per Bloomberg, compared to 15 days of stock for the rest of the Toyota lineup.
Other RAV4 model years are also retaining and gaining value
New cars tend to start depreciating almost immediately after they're purchased, so the notion that you might make a profit off of a used mainstream vehicle could seem far fetched. However, if you bought a RAV4 hybrid at any point in the 2020s, you could be sitting on a compact-crossover-shaped goldmine. For instance, Bloomberg reported finding a 2025 RAV4 hybrid listed for over $5,000 more than a new 2026 model.
Another consideration is that, according to Kelley Blue Book, 2023 RAV4 hybrids only dropped in value by about $100 from 2025 to 2026, compared to an over $5,000 drop from 2024 to 2025. Meanwhile, as of October 2026, 2020 RAV4 Hybrids are valued at around $1,300 more than they were in 2025.
All of this has combined into a spike in dealership demand for pre-owned RAV4 hybrids. In fact, RAV4 owners have reported that dealerships are practically begging to buy their used cars, with one RAV4 2023 XLE hybrid owner claiming on Reddit that they were offered over 125% of Kelley Blue Book's fair purchase price for theirs.