Ever since hybrid vehicles hit the streets, I’ve thought there might be a place for them, but that place is not in my garage. Sure, they’re all have all-wheel-drive, because those electric motors front and back run both axles. But right there on the visors on most of those pioneer hybrids, there was a warning against taking them off the paved roads.
I have to admit, I haven’t looked closely at the warnings on the newer ones. Ever since I started reviewing vehicles, I figure if they’re going to let me drive them, they must know I’m going to take them on the dirt. And maybe some mud.
![Dirty Toyota RAV4 Hybrid](https://cowboystatenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/2016_Toyota_RAV4_Dirty_4085-LoRes-WM-300x240.jpg)
But whether hybrids are meant for that or not, how capable are these things, anyway? They do have tons of torque – those electric motors deliver amazing amounts of pound-feet of force. But until a few weeks ago, I really didn’t have a chance to test that out.
Then came the spring storms that blanketed our area with a couple feet of thick, wet snow. Before we had a chance to build any good snowmen, that snow melted away and left a couple feet of thick, wet mud in its place. But I still had to get up my driveway.
To be perfectly honest, I know where the high spots are in my road, and I didn’t chance the depressions in the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid I was driving. But that doesn’t mean it didn’t get to show off its capabilities. I did slide off a particularly slippery spot, into the deeper stuff, but it crawled right out of that hole. I have to say, I was highly impressed.
I don’t know that I’d get one specifically for off-roading, but it’s good to know it can do it if it needs to.