Overview & Reviews

A more powerful four-cylinder engine, a restyled grille and bumpers and the adoption of active headrests for the front seats mark the changes for the 2009 Toyota RAV4.

• Superb power and fuel economy from optional V6, balanced ride and handling, roomy second-row seating, low cargo floor, solid build quality, high crash test scores.

• Interior has a budget feel, side-hinged rear gate impedes curbside loading, driver seat a tight fit for tall drivers.

User Reviews:

Showing 21 through 30 of 120.00

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  Rough Ride - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By kim - November 22 - 5:23 am

  I hate this vehicle. The ride is so rough and the road noise is very loud. Toyota should be ashamed of this. I regret not buying a Chevy equinox. I will never buy Toyota again.

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  Rav Sport; the GTO of SUVs - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By Don - September 9 - 7:26 pm

  We checked them all out; CRVs, Rogues, Outlanders and Tiguan, etc. All had their points. We chose the Rav because of the build quality, the great lease deal, and the hot 265 hp V- 6 that gets mpg almost as good as the 4. Its really quick, with great handling; lots of fun to drive. The Rav sport w/ the V-6 is the only Rav without a tailgate mounted spare. You get "run flat" tires instead. Well see how that works out. The Rav is a total package choice; I dont think it wins, hands down, in any one category but is a solid choice across the board, including great resale (if you purchase). We were looking to get a little pizzaz in an otherwise functional vehicle; the RAV4 Sport 6 delivers.

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  2 WD Limited 4 CYL - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By David - August 8 - 6:00 am

  This car has been getting 28 MPG with mixed city and highway driving. The power is fine even with the 4 cyl engine. My last vehicle was a 2005 4Runner and the interior head room even with the moon roof is much better than the 4Runner. The Bluetooth hands free stereo is a must. The backup camera is a waste (too small). A back up beeping sensor is much more useful. The only quality issue I have found is a clunking sound shifting from reverse when the engine is cold. This appears to be a common problem with the Rav4. The interior room with the seats flat also rivals the 4Runner. The only thing the 4Runner does better is off road. By the way a 6 cyl 4Runner with 4 wheel drive averaged 20 MPG.

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  Reason for being number 1 in class - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By Will Tell - July 23 - 6:16 am

  After looking at all the small SUVs, it became apparent that theres really no serious contender for the Toyota. I was actually leaning towards the Honda CR-V when I first started looking, but the Toyota won me over with its better gas mileage and roomier interior. A lot of thought went into laying out the interior, and build quality was very good. I wasnt too sure how a 4 cylinder engine mated to an automatic transmission would perform, but it has more than enough power for daily driving, although I still would have liked to have a manual transmission. Unfortunately, being best in class comes at a higher price tag. Total out the door cost for a sport package was $23.5K as of June 2009.

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  Great bang for the buck - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By Rick - July 14 - 8:46 pm

  Traded my 06 I4 for this trucklet. What an improvement! Rides and drives great. 25+ mpg highway, 22+ mpg city. Im tall so the drivers side leg room was a bit cramped until I modified the seat track and gave myself 4 more inches of leg room. Holds an amazing amount of cargo even with the rear seats up. Removed the roof cross rails and mpg went up 1+ mpg. I use 16" dedicated snow tires in the winter, handles great. No issues with transmission whine, road noise, etc. No accelerator pedal trouble but had the recall done. Tip-in used to be touchy/quirky but with the mod, its smooth as glass. Dealership service has been A++ Not a $60k vehicle, but for >30K, Im not complaining. Will buy again.

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  The GTO of SUVs - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By Don - July 6 - 7:40 pm

  The sport package with the V-6 was the clincher. The i-4 is more than adequate but the 6 is in a different league; quiet, smooth and very quick. The Rav looks better in "sports wear" as opposed to the Limiteds "formal attire". No spare tire on the back of the Sport V-6, is a big plus (run flat tires maybe not so much; well see). Ive never been crazy about the dash and theyre a little stingy w/options. Fit and finish are great and Toyota reliability is tough to beat.

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  The Practical One - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By Bob in Ohio - June 27 - 3:30 pm

  One of the more practical vehicles on the road the 2009 Rav4 offers efficient packaging, two competent engines and enough safety and convenience to satisfy just about everyone. If you had to choose only one vehicle to transport a family, haul furniture and find its way through inclement weather this compact to mid-size SUV is tough to beat. There is some comfort loss in exchange for space, especially in the rear seat. The cushions are rather flat and dont provide much support so make sure those that will inhabit the space take a test ride. Road and wind noise isnt in the luxury class but it is livable especially when you consider the relatively light weight of the vehicle vs. the size.

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  Fun to drive but too noisy - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By SUV lover - May 17 - 9:10 am

  This new SUV is indeed fun to drive. I couldnt wait each day to drive it. 4 cycler engine still has enough power making acceleration sharp. So, everything is good except for one thing: too noisy when accelerating. I found the noise is not coming from engine but from poor insulation or design of exhaust system. I recommend the manufacture should recall to replace this noisy system with quite one. I feel strongly that once this noise issue is solved, the RAV4 4X4 base model can be the best selling SUV in the world and people will love it even more. Sincerely hope the manufacturer will listen to our voices.

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  Tough to beat - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By montzterman - April 17 - 12:33 am

  When I bought this vehicle I knew that the V6 gave it a lot of power. Wow, was I surprised the first time I passed another car on the highway! The Rav4 has scary fast power! With the sport suspension the Rav4 handles great also. Dont even think about buying the under-powered competitors.

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  A Great Choice - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By John - April 13 - 10:26 am

  We needed a vehicle with a large enough rear seat for a child seat and an infant seat and easy to get the kids in and out of. This RAV-4 is the perfect choice. This vehicle seems small on the outside, but it has unbelievable space inside. The cargo area (without 3rd row seats) is huge and the 2 storage bins under the floor are a bonus. Rear seats truly fold flat unlike many others. This one is a V6 Limited with all options except navigation. This thing is very fast and the fuel economy is pretty amazing. We get 24-25mpg on local driving and weve seen 32 mpg on the road. A very versatile vehicle for an active family.