Overview & Reviews

For 2011, the Toyota RAV4 sees only minor changes to standard equipment and option packages.

• Superb power yet great fuel economy from optional V6
• Comfortable ride
• Responsive handling.
• Huge cargo space with flat load floor and low load height

• Taller drivers are a tight fit.
• Interior has a budget feel
• Right-side hinge for tailgate impedes curbside loading

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 54.00

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  Last Toyota - 2011 Toyota RAV4
  By s_evans - October 3 - 1:28 pm

  Have a 2011 Rav 4 Limited, owned for close to 2 years now. Have had in shop 3 times for rough start and idle. First time they reprogrammed ECM. Last two times no error code registered and dealer cant replicate; so nothing they can do. Rear View camera only works intermittently. Dealer cant fix unless malfunctioning when car is in shop. Paint is poor quality too many chips to touchup. Engine on occasion has raced out of control, not a floor mat issue, but Toyota doesnt know what is wrong. Front cup holders are awful. Traded from a 2006 Hyundai Sonota and wish I had it back.

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  Meh - should have upgraded to the Limited. - 2011 Toyota RAV4
  By Michael Hoffman - February 28 - 10:29 am

  Heres the thing with Toyota. Its ALWAYS been their thing. Unless you upgrade to "Limited" (or in the old days LE, etc) - you get the cheapest stuff around as far as fit and finish of the interior. Time was, under the hood all things were equal. Not anymore. Anyone who owns the BASE MODEL 4cyl 4WD MUST know how much of a lag there is if you need quick acceleration. This thing is THE slowest responding dog Ive ever driven. Off the line, its okay but if you need a passing gear, wow, its bad. This is directly the result of Toyota keeping selling costs down but it completely sacrifices the performance not having at least a 5 speed transmission. I had a 2008 Corolla S before this which had better acceleration. Thankfully, if you switch the shifter to sport it downshifts more rapidly. Traction control and safety features are great on this car. The standard headlights are pathetic. No fog lights standard either. Ive upgraded to better lights and also have installed foggers. Makes a major difference. The wheels are simply painted steel which I was fine with until three years in, they are already rusting. Again - irritating. OEM tires (Kumho) were also pure junk. Finally, the stereo. Now, I didnt expect a massive sound system but again - always with Toyota - its not a Limited so they install something you would have found in an American car from 15 years ago. Piece of absolute junk. There are component speakers in the front doors and ONE WAY speakers in the back. The sound in the rear is just terrible. Ive upgraded the rears and it made a good improvement. A compass on the rearview mirror also would have been handy. Dont get me wrong, I DO like this SUV. Overall, Im picky but those are the things for me that stick out. It rides smooth, its ultra reliable, its quiet, very good in poor driving conditions, love the swinging rear door, plenty of room, AC blows SO COLD, lots of storage. For those complaining of the cup holders, take the rubber insert out. Simple. Those were only there so one COULD use a can if you wanted to. Also, like that it came standard with electronic fuel economy readings. We have been driving Toyotas in my family since we owned a 1979 Supra. Amazingly reliable.

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  Rattles, Squeaks, Noises, Nonstop - 2011 Toyota RAV4
  By halfpast6 - January 14 - 1:06 am

  This could have been a great car, but some issues keep it from even coming close. For one, this is the loudest car Ive ever owned. It rattles, creaks, and squeaks like no other. On a typical drive Ill hear rattles from the sunroof, dashboard, some random panels on the drivers side, and the cargo area. The brakes make a grinding noise every morning when I depress the pedal. Some of the noises are so loud it makes the driving experience miserable, especially for a 2011 model. If youre considering one of these, I highly suggest driving with the stereo off so you can hear for yourself. Ill likely never buy a Toyota again after this experience. Ive driven 15 year old cars quieter than this.

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  2nd RAV4 Purchase - 2011 Toyota RAV4
  By Dereck - September 24 - 10:00 am

  Repeat buyer 2nd RAV4 purchase, 1st was a 2003 model. Narrowed down the choices to a Honda CRV, Chevy Equinox, and the RAV4. Quickly eliminated the Chevy because of reported maintenance issue. (note the Chevys interior styling, ride comfort and noise was superior to the Honda and Toyota) RAV4 won out over the Honda because it is a more comfortable, and factory/dealer incentives were very attractive.

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  Maybe a CR-V would make me happier - 2011 Toyota RAV4
  By juand1 - February 5 - 1:31 pm

  I bought this 3 weeks ago and have driven it 4000 miles. Here are my grips: My arms and hands hurt at the end of every day of driving, high steering effort. Three spoke steering wheel blocks the most convenient hand placement to rest hands. Car skidding (Slip or VSC off) and Trac Off warning lights occassionally illuminate when driving on dry, level pavement. Trac Off light stays on till the car is turned off. VSC turns on and off randomly. Seats not comfortable. Crap radio on base model. SUV handling. Swinging tailgate inconvenient. Fit&Finish not up to Toyota. A bit noisy. High brake pedal effort, i hope it to subsides w/ break-in.

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  First And Probably Last Toyota ... - 2011 Toyota RAV4
  By Phil K - February 13 - 4:08 pm

  Reliable but dated, tinny, poor material quality. Archaic instrumentation. Interior comfort is well above average.

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  Poor MPG - 2011 Toyota RAV4
  By ocal - February 7 - 8:13 am

  Biggest problem is poor MPG. Bought becuase of the published MPG range. Actual MPG is consistently on the low end. We live in flat Florida. Most driving is rural and occassional light city traffic. 3rd row seet is soo cramped my 6 & 9 year-olds have to sit sideways, if any-one is sitting in 2nd row. Took to dealership (Deluca) to have MPG checked. Service lady treated us like were idiots and later lied to us about how they checked to see if there was any issue (told us a mechanic drove it of 30 minutes continuously at 35mph and MPG was 28MPG). Impossible test. Wish we had bought the Durango or the CRV. Will trade this off soon! (Previoulsly loved our Corolla!)

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  Great ride! Cheap interior - 2011 Toyota RAV4
  By stephen aronson - June 7 - 12:02 pm

  I bought my rav 4 base model in 2012. Its an upgraded 4wd base model with a sun roof. It has great acceleration but am very disappointed with the gas mileage for this vehicle. It seems to be on the low end of 22mpg and with a small gas tank seem to be at the gas station twice a week for a fill up. What is even more depressing is the floor carpet in the interior. On the drivers side the carpet is already torn by the left foot rest. I never expected that for an owner who takes the best care of a vehicle. It will cost lots of money to repair it.