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 CAR!!!!! - 2002 Toyota RAV4
  By RavChic4 - January 26 - 2:00 am

  This is by far the best car I have ever driven before! Its so fun to drive, and so reliable... its also a great deal!!!

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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!!!

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  Gotta Try it - 2008 Toyota RAV4
  By greg cain - January 18 - 5:56 am

  Over the past 9 years I have purchased 4 Toyota products and this one is by far the best. My last purchase was a 2004 Highlander which my wife and I really enjoyed. You cant beat the overall performance of the engine and transmission. It actually feels like the vehicle is not running and at the same time just wants to take off. Outstanding performance. Ample room and at the same time, I cant see a whole lot of difference between this and the Highlander I owned. Our first choice was the Limited addition but chose the sport because of the darker seats and dash.

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  RAV4 Limited - Wonderful! Wonderful! - 2008 Toyota RAV4
  By Suzyq - January 17 - 11:30 pm

  I just purchased a new RAV4 Limited and absolutely love it. The drive is very quiet, the ride smooth and handling is great. I traded a Jeep Liberty and besides getting me out of my 300 ft driveway in 8" of snow, I loved the turning radius. It would turn on a dime getting into parking spots. The RAV does too. One of the reasons I bought the RAV was for the gas mileage. Of course anything is better on gas than the Liberty. I also wanted a RAV because of the safety features. Weve had 2 Toyotas in our family and would have literally driven them into the ground; they were built so well. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone looking for a great SUV!

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  Awful Fuel Economy - 2010 Toyota RAV4
  By Frank - January 16 - 2:50 pm

  My choices were either a CRV (our old vehicle) or a RAV. We decided to go with the RAV and we are in general happy with our decision, especially since we got a good deal on the price. The main problem is the fuel economy. On my first fuel refill, it was 14mpg. So far, I have not been able to get more than 18mpg between refills. I asked the dealer to check it and apparently they can only do this in the summer. They also told me that the winter mpg is supposedly less, but an average of 14 - 18 mpg is a joke. In comparison, my 1999 Honda CRV averages 20 mpg. I only have about 800 miles on the RAV and the mpg may just improve with use (I certainly hope it does).

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  Fun Machine - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By Prashanth - January 12 - 12:26 pm

  We bought a Limited v6, 2WD with third row seat. Now that we have been driving it for a week, we love it. Its really zippy, drives and maneuvers like our sedan. The v6 option is really great. The interior is comfortable, the dash design could have been better. Overall a great buy. The negative, we had a very tough time finding one with third row seat. Very few in the market, we had to pick our third choice of color. The options were pathetic. If you pick third row seat you get nothing else. Overall this was a major disappointment.

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  2007 Sport 6 cylinder wow!!! - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By Lori - January 10 - 6:50 pm

  I bought my car yesterday and picked it up today. Man, I couldnt be any happier. Knowing I got the best vehicle in its class..this baby handles great. The 18inch wheels arent as trucky..as people said. I had a VW Jetta TDI..Ill miss the gas mileage, but thats it. I love this car. Color..Flint Mica, a dark grey is gorgeuos.

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  Great little SUV for Southern Arizona - 1998 Toyota RAV4
  By Desert Rat - January 10 - 10:00 am

  Bought this used Rav4 in summer of 2001 and have it driven 20,000 with no major problems. I drive mostly in the Tucson metropolitan area where roads are in terrible shape and the traffic is horrendous. The All-Wheel-Drive is great during summer monsoons and flash floods. The vehicle works well on back roads too, but I wouldnt recommend the Rav4 for serious off-road trips. Im glad it doesnt have a big gas-guzzling engine. The Rav4s reliability and versatility make up for its lack of engine horsepower.

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  Irreplaceable - 2003 Toyota RAV4
  By seewun - January 8 - 10:00 am

  I have had this car for 7 + years and 82,000 miles. I have replaced tires and battery, but no problems, except starting to get a few rattles. Runs great. I like the styling of this car and its comfortable ride. I want to upgrade some of the features like keyless entry, variable speed intermittent wipers, fog lights, and some other comfort items, but I dont like the design of the newer models. They lose out on looks and dont have AWD. My choice seems to be enjoy this car until it doesnt run any more and live without the perks, or change to a new kind of car altogether.

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  No problems... - 2002 Toyota RAV4
  By BigEd - January 2 - 10:00 am

  Ive had this car for a little over 2 months now and am very pleased with it. Its fun to drive, handles well, and gets great gas mileage (for an SUV). Recommended!