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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  Our first SUV - 2015 Toyota RAV4
  By Grape - June 19 - 1:56 am

  The larger sized tires on a smaller frame makes for a big difference is ride, as compared to our Sienna LE. Positives: Our first SUV like vehicle. We expect high quality and longevity, low cost of ownership. Great AWD, Nav, sunroof, and power liftgate. Negatives: driver door power window buttons difficult to reach, obscured by the door handle. Stereo sound quality is worse than our Sienna LE.

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  My Toy - 2000 Toyota RAV4
  By LydiaT - June 17 - 2:00 am

  I switched from Nissan Pathfinder to Rav4. Rav4 is much smaller compare to Pathfinder, but have a good spirit of "SUV" and better mpg. It may not be suitable for everyone, but well accomodete me (56") and 2 grade schoolers. Having better view compare to sedan, and small enough to fit to "compact car only" parking lot.

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  Smooth Hwy, Little Rough Local Part 3 - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By sy - June 16 - 9:43 pm

  Follow up to my 10/21/08 review. Hesitation while accelerating is still there, just had to get used to it. Sometimes still annoying when you need to give it some gas, the vehicle doesnt move right away. Im not convinced its torque steer. Im back to premium gas to see if helps, not it. Still dont think its the trans. Dealer says its, "manufacturer computer programmed". I guess its better than it accelerating by itself. Look for VVT-I Oil Hose Replacement recall. Enter VIN on Toyota website to find out about yours. All in all, it still drives well, though. The styling hasnt changed much on the RAV4s, so I feel it was a good choice made then. Recently got asked if it was 2009 or 2010.

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  Best car I ever drove! - 2002 Toyota RAV4
  By AJ Sabbagh - June 16 - 5:20 pm

  Over the years I had a Toyota Cressida 1982, then Mercury Cougar 1992, then Chevy Caprice 1994, Pontiac Grand Am 1999, then my 2002 Rav4. I never drove a car as reliable as this one! It Never failed me. It is smooth and fun to drive and when we had the 30 inch snow storm up here in Montreal. It was a pro. I don’t think that I would ever buy anything but Toyota (maybe Lexus if I could afford it)... nothing less.

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  Happy RAV4 owner - 2004 Toyota RAV4
  By keen43506 - June 14 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my 2004 RAV4 for about 2 months and have 1100 miles on it. It is well built like my prior toyotas and I have not yet found even one defect. Gas mileage is about 24 mpg in mix of in town and short trips, havent been on a longer trip yet to test highway mileage rating. I have the L package which adds some real style to the base RAV4. Seats are comfortable and interior room is greater than it first appears. Solid feel and handling.

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  excellent - 2004 Toyota RAV4
  By fred mueller - June 14 - 10:00 am

  we are getting up in years and find it hard to enter and exit our solara which is in automotive talk can be considered a cream puff we would like to trade up to a rav4 if this is economicaly feasible

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  get the V-6 - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By natureloveit - June 11 - 5:46 pm

  Had a crv 2002. This Rav4 is better in every way. V-6 is fast but still very quiet and economy pretty good with 5 speed automatic. Like the fact that you can pick your options.

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  RAV 4 experience - 2013 Toyota RAV4
  By greatride - June 8 - 2:39 am

  I bought my RAV 4 XLE two weeks ago. I drive more than 100 miles on most days and thought I could save on gas. It runs very well and gets good mileage. However, the seats and maybe the shocks are hard so that after seating for more than half an hour, it is no longer comfortable. I dont look forward to driving it long distance because the seats are just too hard. Also, the rear passenger section should have cup holders on the side doors instead of just cupholders located in the center seat. If you have 3 people sitting in the back, you wont have any cup holders.

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  Great vehicle - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By bendgolfer - June 5 - 12:46 am

  Very fun to drive, but also very practical. Mileage is great, even at 75mph +. Acceleration is awesome, great for passing. Just need two more inches of leg room and this car would be a perfect 10.

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  V6 4WD Gas Mileage is not very good - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By Rob - May 31 - 5:13 am

  Love the vehicle, but the 15-23 MPG I get, and that is driving conservatively, is not the 22-28 that the EPA stickered the vehicle as. Im disappointed because the mileage isnt much better than the Explorer I traded in and I wanted much better mileage.