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:

• 

  Mileage is way overstated - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By nothappy - December 14 - 6:06 pm

  The V6 mpg EPA rating is way overstated - beware. I use 91 octane and still get about 22mpg on the highway (65mph), 17 city if Im lucky. I drive conservatively. I get about 300 miles per tank, about 50 miles less per tank than the 2 year old ford explorer I traded in on (sure the Explorer had a bigger tank but still. All told, Id wish I kept the Explorer. I bought the RAV4 based on the 22/28 mileage statement which is just wrong - very wrong. I feel cheated. Ive appealed to Toyota several times with incident reports without even the courtesy of a reply. Wish I could return it also as its a gas hog for a new generation vehicle.

• 

  Dreary, dreary dreary - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By Honest Abe - November 22 - 4:30 am

  Owned for 6 mo; traded in and GLAD! Stripped appearance inside and out. No rubber cladding to protect lower part of car. Almost all other SUVs have this. Lousy sound system, mpg worse than stated; quirky transmission: car rolled backwards when in drive but going slow. Had to step on both break and gas to keep from going downhill. Service department in constant hissy fit and very unhelpful. Given recalls and safety issues, do not buy this car at any price.

• 

  Good & bad - 2004 Toyota RAV4
  By paperpushette - November 10 - 10:00 am

  I enjoy driving my RAV for the most part. However, I cant rely on the gas gauge, it goes up and down. I have to use the trip meter. Also, it doesnt get the gas milage we were told to look for, which was one of the main reasons we purchased it over other small SUVs. Also, it sometimes revs up to 4 rpms g when going uphill (not a big hill). Ive never had a car that did that. If I had it to do over, I would probably not buy this car.

• 

  Toyota RAV4 from hell - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By pabach - October 14 - 8:08 am

  The car has ample power and plenty of space inside. Thats the short list of pluses. On the negative side, the car has been a godsend to the Toyota Manassas shop where we purchased the it. Over 76,000 miles weve had to replace all six cylinder ignition coils, the water pump and, just last week, the transmission, a $4,200 repair (luckily covered by our Geico insurance). Then, as we were driving the car away from the shop, we hear a grinding noise on mild turns, a $600 repair to change one of the wheel bearings. Toyotas were supposed to be reliable. Ours was not. Only a Russian Jeep Niva I used to own in the 90s was worse (dont ask). But at least that car was cheap to fix.

• 

  Thought more of a Toyota - 2005 Toyota RAV4
  By John M - July 23 - 3:46 pm

  My wife purchased this without test driving other cars. Fell in love at first 10 minute drive up the street. Almost 1.5 years later she has been constantly begging to trade in for something with more space (the folding back seats do not lie flat), better gas mileage, and a smoother ride. For a vehicle built on the corolla platform it rides more like a hummer (military version). She is so dissapointed, that she will not consider another Toyota.

• 

  A Tin Can - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By adavid - May 24 - 4:56 pm

  I bought this RAV last summer and could not believe the road noise it generated on highways. Didnt matter that I replaced all 4 tires...it was still so frustratingly loud, after a long trip, my ears would ring for hours. Later I find out that the sound/vibration barriers are pretty much non-existent in this car. The v6 engine is very jumpy and gas mileage is a joke. Poor build quality is not something I associate Toyota with but in this case... Make sure you take one out on the highway before you buy...you wont believe your ears!!

• 

  Regularly Irregular - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By H.Markm - May 9 - 4:00 pm

  I bought it because of the 6 cyl. My Honda had 6. It got 20-21 mpg in city. Only getting 17. Have transmission difficulties that dealer says dont exist. Have filed with NTSA. Have to drive like stick shift mode (its an automatic) just to get it to drive/shift in a normal pattern. It either bogs down/lags or takes off. There is no happy medium. Would be happier with manual transmission at this point. I shopped for almost 2 years, made my decision and am not happy.

• 

  softex seats - 2013 Toyota RAV4
  By edward_001 - April 11 - 1:24 pm

  my ratings for the vehicle are based heavily on what I believe to be inferior seats for the extra money that is paid for the limited. there is a big price jump from the ex-l to limited and they try to justify some of it with the softex seats. if you are want good quality leather seats, these will fall way short. when you are doing test drives, pay particular attention to how the seat feels. compare it to the leather seats in the Honda crv or mazda cx-5. you will feel the difference. if seat comfort is not that important to you and you dont mind spending the extra $3000 for limited, then you can disregard this review.

• 

  UNDER POWERED BIG TIME - 1997 Toyota RAV4
  By stargazer32 - April 7 - 2:00 am

  This SUV has been reliable the gas milage varies 21-25 avg. It is very noisy when the engines revs high going up hills the trans works hard with many down shifts as the engine comes within a 100 RPMs of redline, very under powered.

• 

  Acceleration problem - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By Lynn - March 21 - 6:36 pm

  Theres a problem in acceleration delay/throttle lag that Toyota should be aware of by now. Since taking delivery JAN06, weve experienced continual erratic acceleration problems. These are significant delays - from 3-6 seconds - in delivering forward speed from either rolling starts or dead stops and is most evident when turning corners or going up hills. The delay is followed by a sudden delivery of power, then the car lurches forward with no change in pressure on the accelerator. When attempting to pass at highway speeds, after the delay it goes into passing gear and immediately drops back out. All conditions when this happens can be dangerous. I have reported to NHTSA. Dealer is no help.