Overview & Reviews

The 2012 Toyota RAV4 carries over unchanged save for a newly available touchscreen audio interface and Toyota's Entune suite of Internet-streaming technologies.

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

• Disappointing four-cylinder.
• 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 41.00

• 

  good choice for city driving - 2012 Toyota RAV4
  By uncle_john - November 13 - 7:40 pm

  I took this suv in april 2012. this small suv is a good choice. I had a bad time deciding between this suv and the Honda crv. I dont regret buying a Toyota rav 4 sport 4 cylinder . but I regret spending this much and getting the expensive options . the car has its issues like the slow and weak motor. it was to weak to drive in san francisco . I had trouble climbing hills and thought the car was going to slide back down the hill. the brakes have been a problem. I had them changed in august 2015 and still they make a loud rubbing noise. the brakes dont work very good. but I have to admit the car looks cool . it has plenty of interior space for a small suv. im averaging 19.2 miles per gallon I do more city driving then highway. most driving conditions the car is fast enough even for the I 95 its good enough but needs big improvements in horse power. the radio sucks big time. the sound is low and terrible. the car is easy to drive in south florida and easy to park . baking out is not so good and has bad blind spots. I dont like the door opening from the side and lack of space problems in los angeles . I couldnt open the door all the way sometimes. the sunroof makes odd noises even when closed . the interior noise is bad and loud. it takes a while to get use to that much noise. not to comfortable on long drives because the seats are to hard. but still I recommend the rav4 because it has more pros then cons .

• 

  my toyota rav 4 sport 4x2 . - 2012 Toyota RAV4
  By john_ufo - September 19 - 3:16 pm

  i bought the car april 16 and its 3 and half months later. i waited to gather more info for my review. the car overall is good. it runs smooth on normall roads . but in pot holes and going over train tracks jesus christ i thought my teeth fillings were going to come out . the car is kinda slow even for a 4 cyclnder. they conned me into buying the rav 4 with no money down and my finance rate at 6.00 so they got my payments as high as $ 355.83 a month for 75 months. but i got smarter in my old age and refinanced the rav at 2.00 percent with a bank in new york. so now my payments are $ 305.25 a month .

• 

  Transmission, Brakes, power port location, and rear door - 2012 Toyota RAV4
  By mary1958 - August 21 - 2:00 am

  I too think the transmission feels wrong. It seems to slip and jerk more than any car Ive owned before. Brakes sound as if they are dragging especially as I first drive down the driveway. The power port is inaccessible if drinks are in the drink holder. I like having a full sized tire and one which you neednt unload the storage space to access. Be sure to check the pressure in it if having low pressure readings. I dislike that you can not put longer items in to haul as I could with my old Ford that had a rear door that lifted up instead of to the side. I have yet to figure out how to put the baby anchor back in the roof compartment.

• 

  So far so good... - 2012 Toyota RAV4
  By SevanSins - December 4 - 3:10 am

  I purchased this 2012 Toyota Rav4 Sport 5 days ago and am quite pleased that I did. So far the ride has been smooth, telling how well the suspension handles rougher patches of road. The engine is quite capable, making it easy to merge onto the highway. The interior is slightly dated, but some aftermarket products such as nav and higher quality speakers will give the simple interior a good sprucing up. The cargo volume exceeds standards. Im an avid golfer as well as a hockey player, so space was a priority for me. I am quite pleased with the rugged exterior looks minus the tire of the Sport. Havent had any issues yet, and with the Toyota name, hoping to not have any period.

• 

  Mediocrity - 2012 Toyota RAV4
  By peter - November 8 - 4:20 pm

  I have owned multiple RAV4s; and my family has purchased 6 Toyota cars/SUVS in the past nine years. Our feeling is that the management is profiting by diluting the quality of the brand. The 2012 RAV4 is a relatively competent vehicle, in that it handles all kinds of weather with little drama. It also has large and flexible capacities to move people and goods and very good visibility. The platform has not evolved over a decade of changing oil prices and it remains highly inefficient at 23 miles per gallon in combined driving over 36000 miles for the 4 cylinder model. The 4 speed transmission belongs in the stone age. The brand dilution is most notable in some of the interior materials and the quality of the electronic interfaces. The seat materials in the base and sport models are poor. The seats have relatively good padding but they will stain if water is poured on them inadvertently. Either the company did not test the materials or is profiting from the sale of Scotchguard. The arm rests on the doors are akin to sand paper in the summer; make sure when you test drive this car you do not have on heavy coats as this flaw will become apparent in the warmer months. Most of the interior is lower quality harder plastics, which scratch with ease. The stereo options are uninspired. In our case we experienced electrical problems just after the warranty expired and the dealership had little sympathy. As mediocre as the ownership experience was for this car, it appears the newer models are even less desirable. I look for Toyota to refocus on solid engineering platforms and the highest quality customer experience and to eschew their search for marketing gimmickry and the bottom line that keeps their cars in a constant state of recalls.

• 

  Love everything! (Except the gas mileage ...) - 2012 Toyota RAV4
  By vogongirl - June 14 - 10:59 am

  I mean it - the MPG is the fly in the otherwise stellar ointment here. I drive conservatively but with a mix thats heavy on hwy miles vs. city, Im straining to get to 23 average. As the MPG rating was what initially drew me to the RAV4, Im disappointed, but I still love to get into it each day and drive. It practically drives itself, feels like a car, and doesnt lack power with the 4-cylinder. Youll want to go with the air deflector if you get a sunroof; I regret it and will be looking into after-market, since theres a lot of wind noise.

• 

  One of the best in class - 2012 Toyota RAV4
  By Jon - May 25 - 6:21 pm

  Thought it was only fair that I write one on these since, I have read so many. I bought my rav4 pre owned and certified. It has been a very good suv. It has surprisingly good pick up for a 4cyl. I have no problems with the family in the car passing others on the road when needed. I have had knock on wood no problems in over a year of ownership. The back seats are comfortable and recline. The front seats are comfortable as well. It is ok in the snow not a 4 wheel drive jeep but it gets the job done like most awd vehicles.

• 

  2012 Toyota RAV4 Limited - 2012 Toyota RAV4
  By dmw81 - December 5 - 11:03 am

  Its been a year now since I bought the 2012 RAV4 Limited. I do love my SUV. It has plenty of speed. I dont drag race but when I want to pass drivers driving below the speed limit, it will accelerate definitely and easily since it is a V6. I drive in town most of the time and I am getting 25.5 mpg. If I am driving in bigger cities, though rare, with lots of stop and go, the mpg will go down to 25.3. Very little difference. Most of the time it stays on 25.5. There are no hills in where I live and even the places that I go. Theres less traffic as well. My ride is comfortable. My only complaint is the road noise. This RAV4 has some of it. I notice it especially when driving on interstates.

• 

  Zippy and reliable - 2012 Toyota RAV4
  By Rick Burns - July 29 - 12:38 am

  Great around town and short trips. Very easy entry/exit due to low height and large doors. Very low maintenance costs...just normal service required. Very versitle cargo area.

• 

  Great Little SUV- Except Mileage - 2012 Toyota RAV4
  By diepie - April 19 - 11:46 am

  Okay, so its quite early to give a full review on our new car, since we bought it new just a couple of weeks ago. I had done extensive online comparisons between the 3 of the contenders in this vehicle category: the Rav4, Honda CRV, and the Nissan Rogue. We test drove all 3, as well as a Jeep Patriot, and considered but didnt drive a Hyundai Tucson. Toyota won out on a number of counts, not the least of which was the fact that we have been Yota owners for a long time, and have had great success. Toyota was also offering some screaming incentives which tipped the scales. So far of course, so good, but the gas mileage to date has been a bit disappointing.