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 31 through 40 of 120.00

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  4 months in my RAV4 - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By ewg - April 6 - 3:40 pm

  Very nice car improvement over my 2003 Subaru Forester. Others have noted the stiffness of the seats but my wife & I like that and have noticed that seats are starting to feel softer with more use. The interior is designed well but the materials are budget. Im getting between 25 & 26 MPG in overall use; some stop & go plus some highway. Very happy with my RAV4.

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  I wish I had been warned..... - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By Appl - March 24 - 7:53 am

  There is no worse feeling than taking the plunge and realizing you made a mistake. It took me 3 days to realize I married the wrong man but only ONE to regret buying this car. The Rav4 is cute with that snappy little 4 cylinder engine with good gas mileage. However, the poor design of the interior rains on my parade. The front seats are flat and tilted down-- leaving me to slip off at every turn. The head rests eat into my head. The sound system is so poor it muffles human voices on am radio. Entertainment and temperature controls are too poorly lit to see in sunglasses. There is no way to hold the tiny steering wheel comfortably and no arm rests. Cheap fabric tops off the look.

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  In love with my car - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By CJK - December 27 - 6:06 am

  My husband researched all SUVs in this size range & the Rav4 seemed to come out tops in most areas. With 2 small kids we were truly looking for a used Pilot or Highlander (for 3rd row). But with my 05 Forester lease coming due we ran out of time finding what we wanted in our price range. So I decided on a 3 yr lease of a Rav4 Limited and I AM SO HAPPY! Ive only had it for 3 days but at least at this point I could totally see myself buying it at the end of the lease. Its comfortable, roomy, handles wonderfully, and is lovely to look at. Went with Pyrite Mica color with gray leather & love it. I was concerned about comfort but with the pwr & lumber its great. Average 24 mpg so far.

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  Bought in November 08 - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By CalBears - December 15 - 3:03 am

  Car is great, much different than what you would expect when you hear Rav4. Toyota has really refined the vehicle. I have the vehicle with the Leather and Sport appearance package. This package takes the spare tire on the back away and includes run flat tires instead (Looks much better than the other models and new for 2009).

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  I love my RAV4! - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By Lynn - December 13 - 1:03 pm

  The 2009 Toyota RAV4 drives very smoothly, has a lot of pep for a 4 cyl and great visibility. I dont like driving in general and takes me a while to get used to a car, but I felt very at-ease with this car right from the beginning.

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  Dreary, dreary dreary - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By Honest Abe - November 22 - 4:30 am

  Owned for 6 mo; traded in and GLAD! Stripped appearance inside and out. No rubber cladding to protect lower part of car. Almost all other SUVs have this. Lousy sound system, mpg worse than stated; quirky transmission: car rolled backwards when in drive but going slow. Had to step on both break and gas to keep from going downhill. Service department in constant hissy fit and very unhelpful. Given recalls and safety issues, do not buy this car at any price.

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  I love my 2009 Rav4 with V6 - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By Nelson Conroy - November 1 - 3:46 pm

  I leased a red Canadian built RAV 4 with the V6. This vehicle provides phenomenal power, styling, comfort and economy. On the highway the RAV is ultra smooth, especially between 65 and 70mph (110 to120k/hr). The interior is extremely spacious with plenty of headroom and lots of storage. I recommend the 270 horsepower V6. Amazing acceleration, however great fuel economy. I chose the flashy red exterior for a sporty look. This is the best crossover SUV in its class. I highly recommend this vehicle. Thank you.

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  Geart SUV added info - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By DC CALIF - September 21 - 6:10 pm

  Hi folks... I wanted to update you since my last report. We just got back from 2350 mile trip, Calif, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada. The 4 cyl climbed up 8700 ft mountains no sweat. 29.1 MPG 75-80mph. Yes I did down shift a couple of times but no prob. Oh, my brakes got better as they were mushy before. Dealer checked breaks (OK) before trip. I really enjoyed the trip and the car.

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  I like it - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By DC Calif - September 16 - 11:43 pm

  Great car. I have only had it 3 weeks but I am impressed (good). My other vehicle is F-150 V-8, but this little 4 banger (4 cyl) really has the power, I cant imagine a V-6 in this thing. It only has about 870 miles so far but it really goes fast, I have to watch my speed to keep it under 70 mph. We took the car over to the coast to break in the engine. Up hill and down around sharp curves it was great, power was right there better than my F-150 V-8. Gas mileage is outstanding... on our road trip to the coast and back, freeways at 70-80... my average is 28.1 mpg. I could not believe it. The only bad thing is the brakes. You really have to push the brake pedal hard when coming to a stop sign.

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  I love my Rav - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By Deborah - August 9 - 12:26 am

  If you didnt know this was a four cylinder vehicle, you wouldnt know by its performance. It has far more useful extras, even in the base model I have, than any of the competitors. It also has more storage, hidden, accessible and functional storage - all three. The tailgate is easy to open and the drive is smooth for an SUV except at extremely low speeds (under 20 mph) and even then not bad. I love this car and am glad I chose it. Fuel economy seems to be greater so far than specified on the government websites. Seats are extremely easy to fold up and they fold up flat and low - better than any other model I looked at, and I looked at a lot of them. This is important as I have dogs.