Toyota RAV4 vs Toyota HiLux: Hybrid SUV or Diesel Cab Chassis
The RAV4 Hybrid seats more people and uses less fuel, while the cheaper HiLux WorkMate diesel carries and tows far more but has just 2 seats.
By Uzzi · 4 October 2026 · Every figure comes from each car's own page on CarSorted.
2026 Toyota RAV4 GX Hybrid 2WD
$50,872 drive-away
RRP $45,990 excl. on-roads
Price tracker
Standing price
$45,990 RRP before on-road costs
We check the maker's published price regularly and record every change here.
RRP before on-road costs, as published by the maker.
2026 Toyota HiLux WorkMate 4x2 Single Cab Manual
$33,990
RRP excl. on-roads
Price tracker
Standing price
$33,990 RRP before on-road costs
We check the maker's published price regularly and record every change here.
RRP before on-road costs, as published by the maker.
Who the Toyota RAV4 suits
The RAV4 GX Hybrid 2WD suits a household that needs 5 seats and a 705L boot with the seats up. Its 4.5L/100km combined fuel figure is the lower of the two, which matters if you rack up the kilometres.
Who the Toyota HiLux suits
The HiLux WorkMate suits a tradie or anyone who needs a work vehicle and doesn't need back seats. It has 2 seats, a 1,260kg payload and 2,900kg of braked towing, and it's the cheaper of the two.
What decides it
1. Seats and space
The RAV4 has 5 seats and a 705L boot with the seats up. The HiLux WorkMate has 2 seats, and as a Cab Chassis it has no boot figure in our data. If you ever need to carry the family, that settles it.
2. Payload and towing
The HiLux is rated to tow 2,900kg braked, against 800kg for the RAV4, a gap of 2,100kg. Payload is 1,260kg for the HiLux and 400kg for the RAV4. Both are rated at 750kg for an unbraked trailer.
3. Price
The RAV4 GX Hybrid lists at $45,990 (RRP excl. on-roads) and the HiLux WorkMate at $33,990 (RRP excl. on-roads). That makes the HiLux about $12,000 less before on-roads. Our data has a drive-away figure of $50,872 (drive-away, VIC) for the RAV4, but no drive-away price for the HiLux.
Running costs
The RAV4 Hybrid's combined fuel figure is 4.5L/100km, against 7.3L/100km for the diesel HiLux, so the RAV4 uses about 2.8L/100km less. The HiLux is due for a service every 6 months, the RAV4 every 12 months, and we have no capped-price servicing figures for either. Both come with a 5-year, unlimited km warranty. Use the running-cost chart below to compare them.
True Cost of Ownership (5 Years)
$5,009
per year to run
$71,033
total 5yr cost
$0.91
per kilometre
Where the 5-year total goes
About $5,009/year to run, or $25,045 over 5 years including fuel, insurance, servicing, tyres and registration.
* Estimates based on your parameters. Servicing uses each manufacturer's capped-price schedule where we have it, and tyres scale with your weekly km. A guide only, not a quote.
True Cost of Ownership (5 Years)
$5,839
per year to run
$63,183
total 5yr cost
$0.81
per kilometre
Where the 5-year total goes
About $5,839/year to run, or $29,195 over 5 years including fuel, insurance, servicing, tyres and registration.
* Estimates based on your parameters. Servicing uses each manufacturer's capped-price schedule where we have it, and tyres scale with your weekly km. A guide only, not a quote.
Practicality
The RAV4 has 5 seats and a 705L boot, though we have no figure for it with the seats folded. The HiLux is 5,380mm long against 4,600mm for the RAV4, yet its turning circle is tighter at 10.8m versus 11.36m. The HiLux is also taller at 1,880mm to the RAV4's 1,685mm, with 225mm of ground clearance, and we have no clearance figure for the RAV4.
Cost to tow
The real fuel/energy cost once you hitch up. Pick a trailer and trip.
Estimate only: consumption rises as range falls; real use varies with terrain, wind and load.
Will it fit in the boot?
May fitExample sizes only - measure your item before relying on this.
Volume check only (seats up)
Item box about 166L (23% of the volume). Litres don't describe shape, so this can't confirm a fit.
Toyota doesn't publish boot dimensions for this car, only 705 litres. Litres can prove something won't fit, but never that a rigid item will - so the best this car can score is "May fit".
Based on the manufacturer's published boot volume.
Cost to tow
The real fuel/energy cost once you hitch up. Pick a trailer and trip.
Estimate only: consumption rises as range falls; real use varies with terrain, wind and load.
How quick is it?
How quick is it?
0-100 times as published and held in our records. Counts cover on-sale cars with a figure and refresh daily.
How quick is it?
0-100 times as published and held in our records. Counts cover on-sale cars with a figure and refresh daily.
Safety
The HiLux WorkMate carries a 5-star ANCAP rating from 2025. Our data has no ANCAP rating on record for the RAV4 GX Hybrid, so check with ANCAP before you buy.
The figures side by side
| Toyota RAV4 | Toyota HiLux | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $45,990 (RRP excl. on-roads) | $33,990 (RRP excl. on-roads) |
| Drive-away price (VIC) | $50,872 (drive-away, VIC) | No data |
| Powertrain | HEV | ICE |
| Fuel | Hybrid | Diesel |
| Drive | FWD | RWD |
| Transmission | CVT (e-CVT) | Manual |
| Power | 143kW | 150kW |
| Combined system power | 143kW | No data |
| Torque | No data | 420Nm |
| 0-100km/h | 8.4 seconds | 10.2 seconds |
| Fuel use (combined) | 4.5L/100km | 7.3L/100km |
| Fuel tank | 55L | 80L |
| Body | SUV | Cab Chassis |
| Seats | 5 seats | 2 seats |
| Boot (seats up) | 705L | No data |
| Length | 4,600mm | 5,380mm |
| Width | 1,855mm | 1,855mm |
| Height | 1,685mm | 1,880mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,690mm | 3,085mm |
| Ground clearance | No data | 225mm |
| Turning circle | 11.36m | 10.8m |
| Kerb weight | 1,745kg | 1,690kg |
| Towing (braked) | 800kg | 2,900kg |
| Towing (unbraked) | 750kg | 750kg |
| Payload | 400kg | 1,260kg |
| ANCAP rating | No rating on record | 5-star (2025) |
| Warranty | 5-year | 5-year |
| Warranty distance | unlimited km | unlimited km |
| Service interval | 12 months | 6 months |
The verdict
These two do different jobs: the RAV4 for carrying people on less fuel, the HiLux for payload, towing and a lower price.
Pick the Toyota RAV4 if
You need more than 2 seats, want a 705L boot and value the lower 4.5L/100km fuel figure.
Pick the Toyota HiLux if
You carry or tow heavy loads, need 1,260kg of payload or 2,900kg of braked towing, and 2 seats is enough.
Put them side by side yourself
Every figure, feature and running cost for both, in our live comparison table.
CarSorted CoDriverBeta
Ask about these two cars
- Toyota RAV4 GX Hybrid 2WD
- Toyota HiLux WorkMate 4x2 Single Cab Manual
Tap a question or ask your own.Tap a question or ask your own. The answer starts from the cars in this comparison, with links to the rows behind them.
Still torn? Get a price on all 2.
One enquiry, 2 cars. We ask local dealers for their best price on each and send them all back to you, so you are comparing real numbers instead of list prices.
Free for you to use. If you buy, the dealer may pay us a commission. Your details only go to a dealer if you say so.
Questions buyers ask
Is the Toyota HiLux WorkMate cheaper than the RAV4 GX Hybrid?
Yes. The HiLux WorkMate is $33,990 (RRP excl. on-roads) and the RAV4 GX Hybrid is $45,990 (RRP excl. on-roads), a gap of about $12,000 before on-roads.
Which uses less fuel, the RAV4 Hybrid or the HiLux diesel?
The RAV4 Hybrid's combined figure is 4.5L/100km and the HiLux's is 7.3L/100km. On those figures the RAV4 uses about 2.8L/100km less.
How much can the RAV4 Hybrid and HiLux WorkMate tow?
The RAV4 GX Hybrid 2WD is rated at 800kg braked and the HiLux WorkMate at 2,900kg braked. Both are rated at 750kg unbraked.
Does the Toyota RAV4 GX Hybrid have an ANCAP rating?
Our data has no ANCAP rating on record for this RAV4. The HiLux WorkMate has a 5-star rating from 2025.
How many seats do the RAV4 and HiLux WorkMate have?
The RAV4 GX Hybrid has 5 seats. The HiLux WorkMate Single Cab has 2 seats.
More on these cars
- 2026 Toyota RAV4 GX Hybrid 2WD: full specs and priceEvery Toyota RAV4 gradeAll Toyota models
- 2026 Toyota HiLux WorkMate 4x2 Single Cab Manual: full specs and priceEvery Toyota HiLux gradeAll Toyota models
Related reading
- 2027 Toyota RAV4 GXL PHEV 2WD Confirmed for Australia: Q1 2027, 201kW, 121km of Electric Range, No Price Yet
- Toyota Recalls 13,390 HiLux Utes in Australia Over Bull-Bar Wiring That Can Kill the Power Steering Mid-Drive
- VFACTS July 2026: Best July On Record, Toyota RAV4 Back On Top, and Half the Top 10 Now Built in China
- 2026 Toyota HiLux Gets a Factory GVM Upgrade From $4,000: Up to 435kg More Payload, Warranty Intact