Overview & Reviews

New fabric debuts on the two-door RAV, and a sunroof is finally available on the four-door. Improvements have also been made by using sound-deadening material in the dash area, reducing engine noise in the passenger compartment.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 37.00

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  good second family car - 1997 Toyota RAV4
  By chando - August 8 - 2:00 am

  great for hauling kids and gears around town but bit busy on the engine when push hard, so far so good

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  Very solid small SUV - 1997 Toyota RAV4
  By nickyreviewer - July 27 - 10:00 am

  The RAV4 is a very solid car like all Toyotas, and fun to drive. You can see above the cars in traffic, but parking in the city is a breeze due to its short length. With regular maintenance, Ive had no problems whatsoever with the car. The ride is not car-like however, but it is a truck afterall.

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  Great gas mileage, SAD tires and noise - 1997 Toyota RAV4
  By Loydetta Webb - March 5 - 5:20 am

  We really enjoy this little suv. Ours is a standard transmission. Its 4wd kicks in when you need it. Gas mileage is a plus, plus. We use ours on dirt roads as a SUV. The tire performance is very poor with only 4 plys, we continually have flat tires. The rear door noise is horrible, and could use some insulation or additional soundproofing. We recently utilized the lay down front and rear seats, for our son with a hip cast. A good buy for the dollar. We will buy a newer model in the future.

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  My Tonka - 1997 Toyota RAV4
  By Raven - September 18 - 9:30 am

  I like the sporty, good in snow, cool looking, weird little truck car. Unfortunately Ive had problems with door latches, all latches, metal rusting and breaking... odd little things. Ive replaced my windshield three times for cracks and pits. Mostly on major driving it never lets me down. I live in the upstate ADKS, so there is a lot of salt and hard wear, but no excuse for the bad metal situation. Still at 167,000, Im having trouble parting with this cool truck. Put a rack on it, I can stuff it with travel gear and take my pet!!! Its a noisy truck, so I turn up the music. Its a blast on backroads and snow with loud music. What do I do with this now, how long can I make it last.

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  97 RAV 4 - 1997 Toyota RAV4
  By weber - November 16 - 1:43 am

  One less thing to worry about with our daughter away from home at college. The RAV just does not fail. Other than standard brakes/oil/tires, no repairs in 84000 miles. Paint stays rust free, shines with a wax job. Not going to light em up at the raceway, but will always get there.

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  Rav 4 AWD - 1997 Toyota RAV4
  By Adel - February 24 - 2:00 am

  NOT BAD , POOR ON GAS BUT FUN TO DRIVE

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  I will sorely miss this car! - 1997 Toyota RAV4
  By Judy - November 28 - 3:53 pm

  I bought this vehicle new in 1997 and never regretted a day of driving it. Sporty little number that always turned heads - Ive had several people want to buy it but of course I turned them down. I kept it maintained but in the end (July 2008), I didnt pay attention to oil leakage and the engine died. I went to several auto mechanics (personal friends) and was willing to pay $2500 to get another engine but decided after driving it for eleven years that I didnt want to take the chance (on expert advice) that another engine could fail in six months. Annoys me that had I paid attention, I could still be driving it another five years!

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  RAV is a dependable car! - 1997 Toyota RAV4
  By Lainie - April 8 - 10:00 am

  Got my 97 RAV used in 99. Ive only had to replace brakes in 2001 and from there, just regular maintenance. I rarely seem to see them for sale used, so I think there are several happy customers out there...

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  Long term relationship - 1997 Toyota RAV4
  By IAM - November 20 - 2:00 am

  We have had this car since 1997, its reliability performance & style have all withstood the test of time. It rides today like it did 9 years ago.

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  The BUV - 1997 Toyota RAV4
  By woo2 - February 3 - 10:00 am

  Purchased to drive our bassets. Basset UV. It is wonderful, fun to drive and perfect for that. Took it over a CRV because it has the manual transmission. But it is just what I was looking for.