Overview & Reviews

Originating in the latter half of the 1990s, the Toyota RAV4 was one of the first entries in the small crossover SUV market. Almost two decades later, today's RAV4 is considerably larger than that pint-sized original, but the core appeal of versatility, good fuel economy and favorable on-road manners are firmly intact.

The RAV4 has been very popular with consumers through the years, so there are going to be plenty to choose from if you're searching for a used model. The newest third- and fourth-generation RAV4s are the most family-friendly and come with the most features, but an older RAV4 should still appeal to young families and urban singles in search of a reliable compact crossover SUV.

Current Toyota RAV4
The Toyota RAV4 is offered in LE, XLE and Limited trim levels. All have a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that produces 176 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic is standard and buyers can choose either front- or all-wheel drive. With an EPA-estimated 26 mpg in combined driving, the RAV4 is as fuel-efficient as its competitors.

Base LE standard feature highlights include air-conditioning, reclining second-row seats, a rearview camera, Bluetooth, a touchscreen interface and iPod/USB integration. The XLE adds alloy wheels, heated mirrors, a sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control and sport front seats. The Limited features bigger wheels, a power liftgate, keyless ignition/entry, a power driver seat, heated front seats and faux leather upholstery.
Major options, depending on the trim level, include automatic high beams, blind-spot/lane-departure warning, Toyota's Entune smartphone integration system, a navigation system and premium audio.

In reviews, we've found that this RAV4 gets just about everything right. Its roomy cabin boasts more cargo room than most rivals and provides ample seating space for adults both front and rear. The overall interior design is modern looking, and the Entune system provides useful smartphone app integration, although the touchscreen's virtual buttons can sometimes be finicky to use. There's no engine upgrade available, but the RAV4's 2.5-liter four is refined and adequately powerful. Handling is secure, and the all-wheel-drive system adds further athleticism on curvy and slippery road surfaces. In the interest of comfort, we recommend the smaller wheel options, as the 18-inch wheels tend to have a rougher ride quality.

Used Toyota RAV4 Models
The current, fourth-generation RAV4 debuted for 2013. It maintained the typical RAV4 strengths of carlike driving manners, versatile cargo and passenger configurations and all-around comfort. It's about the same size as the previous generation, but has bolder styling, a more modern interior and some new features. It also has an easier-to-use, top-hinged liftgate instead of the previous swing-out gate, though the previously available third-row seat was discontinued. There have been no notable changes since its debut.

The previous Toyota RAV4 represented the third generation, which Toyota produced from 2006-'12. Compared to earlier models, these RAV4s were bigger and offered an available V6 engine and third-row seat.

In its inaugural third-generation year, two engine choices were offered. A 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine delivered 166 hp and 165 lb-ft of torque, while a 3.5-liter V6 produced 269 hp and 246 lb-ft of torque. Automatic transmissions were standard, with the four-cylinder paired with a four-speed, while the V6 received a five-speed unit.

Three trim levels were also offered: base, Sport and Limited. Base feature highlights included air-conditioning, cruise control, a height-adjustable driver seat and full power accessories. The Sport added 18-inch alloy wheels, a sport-tuned suspension and a roof rack, while the Limited topped it off with 17-inch wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, a power driver seat and an upgraded audio system. A third-row seat, a moonroof, leather upholstery and a DVD-based rear entertainment system were options on upper level trims.

We praised these models for their pleasant driving manners and convenient cargo space, but deducted points for the side-hinged rear gate and noticeable road noise. We also preferred the powerful V6 over the base four-cylinder engine that suffered with its outdated transmission and mediocre fuel economy.

Changes since its debut were minimal but included additional standard airbags in 2007, a slight styling update in 2009 (with an external spare-tire delete option) and a power increase for the four-cylinder engine (from 166 hp to 179 hp). A newly available touchscreen audio interface and Toyota's Entune smartphone apps were introduced for 2012.

The second-generation Toyota RAV4 (2001-'05) was larger than the original RAV4, with more expressive styling and innovative removable second-row seats that gave it truly impressive cargo-carrying capabilities. Early models had a 148-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that came up short versus the larger four- and six-cylinder engines offered by competitors. Toyota addressed this to some extent in 2004 by replacing the 2.0-liter with a larger 2.4-liter four-cylinder good for 160 hp. Acceleration was markedly improved, and buyers could still choose a manual or automatic transmission. Overall, we found this RAV4 to be a fun-to-drive urban runabout thanks to its precise suspension tuning and high fuel economy ratings.

The first-generation Toyota RAV4 (1996-2000) was offered in two-door and four-door body styles, with a convertible version for a brief period. The first-gen RAV4 was appealing to young singles, but due to its narrow width and tight rear legroom, this cute ute was ultimately no substitute for a traditional family vehicle. Advantages included carlike handling, a low cargo floor and a large rear door that made loading cargo a breeze.

User Reviews:

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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.

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  A New Redesign is Not Always Better - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By Nesser - May 28 - 8:53 am

  I purchased a 2006 Rav 4 6 months ago. When looking around I thought that this since it’s new redesign it was the best for the dollar. I was wrong. At first we loved it until a smell got really bad and we saw water in it. Due to the redesign I know that there is a design flaw in the air vent (Admitted to my husband and I by Toyota)It allows rain water to get in and collect in the floor of the front passenger side. We have had it in multiple times to a local dealership and each time they patch it which the patch never works. We are going to try again and fix it again this week. I am trying to tell of my experience so others will look out for mold, smell, and puddles on their carpet

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  Gas mileage rip off - 2008 Toyota RAV4
  By NHNancy - April 25 - 12:10 am

  This is my first Toyota. Its been a little over one month. The first week I couldnt believe my eyes. I got 400 miles on the first tanks. WOW! 25 mpg for bumper to bumper traffic. And then it went downhill from there. I am now lucky to get 300 per tank or 19 mpg. Cold weather this week, the back brakes are making a high pitched noise when stopping.

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  loose strip on top of car. - 2017 Toyota RAV4
  By Lillian Harrell - April 24 - 1:43 pm

  There is a strip on top of the car under the luggage rack that came off when I took it through the car wash.

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  Basics - 2016 Toyota RAV4
  By Barry toms - April 17 - 2:53 pm

  MPG, power, options.

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  Read This Please - 2008 Toyota RAV4
  By Mike S - March 21 - 7:50 am

  Dont know if I would recommend. Virtually all the "crabs" I read pre-purchase were true. Drivers position is tight (Im 6,2) uncomfortable, yields backaches, plastic edges in door panels cut into the legs, radio whines if iPod/satellite radio is vehicle powered, dashboard info difficult to see in daylight, overhead lights blind driver at night, cup holders are dumb and restricted, rear seat does not fold down completely, front passenger seat does not fold down, the cargo area light is a joke, rear door hinged on wrong side, rear glass does not open, etc. Sport suspension is excellent, brakes are reasonable. Gas mileage is disappointing at 21/24, power is fine with 4 cyl in flat areas like FL.

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  Big Fat Disappointment - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By Steve - February 15 - 3:01 am

  So this review spans over about 10 years and three different Rav4s. Ill start with the 2006 Base V6 4WD. We bought this new 2006 and it served us good for a number of years. When the miles got closer to 100,000 miles we started developing some problems. The first thing that happened was the intermediate shaft starting clunking. This is a very normal thing for most Toyotas of this generation. My 2005 Avalon did it and all three of the Rav4s did it. Toyota will not offer any help replacing the defective part once your out of warranty and its about 500 bucks to have it done. Toyota has even come up with a new part that doesnt have this problem. There is a TSB that says to lube it and the problem will go away for a few months but ultimately it needed replaced. The next problem came at about 80,000 miles and keep in mind Im very particular about the maintenance on my vehicles. While driving on the highway we started to develop a roaring noise from the rear end. I put a set of tires on it thinking that we had a bad tire or even a wheel bearing. After a new seat of cooper tires we found that the noise was still there and that the rear differential was going out. Again another common problem for the Rav4 with 4wd. Toyota in their great wisdom came up with a repair kit to rebuild these rear ends as it was a common problem. At about 110,000 miles on our way home from picking up a motorcycle in Arkansas we starting noticing a strange noise from the engine. The bearing on the water pump was going out. Just the water pump ended up being about 500 bucks and its not an easy repair. I think the total came out to be around 1100 bucks to replace the water pump due to the amount of labor there was to replace it. The final straw on this rav4 was the alternator, the cam seal, and the front shocks. These all came at once and we where looking at around 3000 grand to have this vehicle fixed correctly. Ill start with the alternator. The alternator is very hard to get too and requires removing the passenger front wheel, and the radiator to remove it. I found out that this is yet another $500 dollar part and $200 with of labor. During this repair we found out that the cam seal was leaking. This is not an easy job and Toyota does not have a real good fix for it. In fact the TSB says to remove the cam seal cover and apply more sealant. To replace this cam seal you have to drop the entire motor out of the bottom of the car. Ive seen prices from 1800 to 2800 depending on where you take it. Since you have the entire front of the car on the ground we were going to go ahead and have the front struts replaced because they started popping and making noises while driving. We ended up driving this turd to the nearest car lot and traded it for a Lexus so we didnt have to put 3000 grand into a 5000 dollar car. Now the other 2006 and the 2007 were 2WD 4 cylinders. All of them had the same issues with the exception of the cam seal. The 4 cylinder on both of these vehicles had a significant problem as well. They both started consuming oil that was acceptable by Toyota. We were adding about half a quart every 2000 miles. Toyota did extend the warranty to cover this problem but according to the forums most of the them did not consume enough oil to be covered under the warranty which would require and engine replacement. Both of our Rav4s did not consume enough oil to be covered under warranty. My 2007 actually ended up messing up a vacation I took it on. Up until this trip it would never consume more than half a quartof oil every 2000 miles. I checked the oil on the 2007 before I left and the next day I found my dip stick to be dry after 400 miles. This is was very disappointing and didnt feel comfortable driving it home. To be covered under the warranty toyota charges you to change the oil and then bring it back after 1000 miles to check the oil and change it again. Standard oil consumption test but I have seen reports of this process taking a few months and I didnt have time to deal with that. So i traded my 2007 while on vacation. Other than these major mechanical problems we actually enjoyed the cars. They drove good, the V6 had lots of power and the 4WD was epic in one of our foot deep snow storms. Being a huge toyota fan I think my 2016 Rav4 is my last ditch effort to give Toyota once more chance. Nothing is cheap to repair on these cars. Even replacing the front suspension the 2007 cost my 500 bucks. On most vehicles when you replace suspension components you can buy a quick strut kit which has the spring already around the strut. You cant find those for this generation so be ready to pay big money when you have to replace your front struts. I dont think I would buy this generation of Rav4 without an extensive service history.

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  Disappointed - 2010 Toyota RAV4
  By exraver - February 2 - 5:00 am

  Its ok. Just ok. Just enough power. Quite disappointing mileage. Cheap feel to everything, especially closing doors. Sounds like tin can. Wish wed looked longer. Id be depressed if this were my car, its my wifes and she doesnt notice. Whew. Dealership staff were great to deal with however.

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  RAV4 problems - 2004 Toyota RAV4
  By TomT - January 30 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my RAV4 based on Toyotas reputation for reliability and Im disappointed with the quality. This week the check engine warning light and vehicle control light came on indicting problems. The car has a squeal underneath at 15 to 35 mph. I drove it on an improved dirt road and since then have heard loud rattles behind the instrument panel. The visor clip is loose and of cheesy build quality and seems ready to fall off. The ignition switch is also loose and seems cheesy. The wind noise when the back windows are open is very loud and sounds like a helicopter taking off. The passenger window rattles when halfway down. Im very dissatisfied.

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  RAV4 Headaches - 2001 Toyota RAV4
  By ChadA9 - January 21 - 2:00 am

  I have had this vehicle for two years, Its been in the shop on average every two to three months. They have looked at the brake system four times and replaced the back brake drum once. It still has problems. The interior rattles. Its been in the shop several times to fix those. In May of 02 the cadillic converter went out. Toyota had it for over a month (Could not get parts). This is my first Toyota and most-likely my last. These are the types of problems I would expect on a 5 year old American made car not Toyota!!!