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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  2007 RAV4 Base Model - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By Chuck - August 12 - 4:30 am

  Almost everything is as advertised about the base model 4WD 2007 RAV4 except for the front seat comfort and the spare tire cover. The front seat comfort is really horrible. If you value the lumbar area of your back, you will not get the standard seats. Do what you have to do to get better seats. Also, the stock spare tire cover is going to be impossible to get back on correctly. There is not enough room to get your fingers and hand around the sides of the spare tire. Im looking for some kind of replacement cover. The manual says Im supposed to have a cover with a latch, but all I have is a cover that has stretchy material around it.

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  Empty Nester crossover SUV - 2010 Toyota RAV4
  By rich comeau - August 11 - 12:43 am

  My wife choose this vehicle as she will be driving it the most. We have only owned the vehicle for two weeks but are very satisfied with the RAV4. The V6 is freaky powerful with lots of fun acceleration. She did not like the rear door mounted spare tire, as it detracts from the nice style of the Rav4. She said it looked utilitarian with a Jeep CJ look. Choose the Sport with rear tire delete. I did notice a stiffer ride with the sport tuned suspension and 18" tires compared to the Limited we drove. Good mileage for our new found freedom to travel yet enough cargo space to fit our daughters dorm room in. At 6",2 the seats run out of thigh support for me, but wife finds it comfortable.

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  Replace water pump! - 2005 Toyota RAV4
  By Rav4 Owner - August 10 - 7:16 pm

  Bought my Rav4 brand new in 2004 which is a 2005. Have had no major problems with it except for replacing the water pumps constantly! They are made very cheap, and its not cheap to replace either. And rear breaks are for sure bad as well like previous reviews have stated. Also, when it rains the car does not stay put on the road.

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  I love my Rav - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By Deborah - August 9 - 12:26 am

  If you didnt know this was a four cylinder vehicle, you wouldnt know by its performance. It has far more useful extras, even in the base model I have, than any of the competitors. It also has more storage, hidden, accessible and functional storage - all three. The tailgate is easy to open and the drive is smooth for an SUV except at extremely low speeds (under 20 mph) and even then not bad. I love this car and am glad I chose it. Fuel economy seems to be greater so far than specified on the government websites. Seats are extremely easy to fold up and they fold up flat and low - better than any other model I looked at, and I looked at a lot of them. This is important as I have dogs.

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  RAV4 - 2003 Toyota RAV4
  By cindym1 - August 7 - 10:00 am

  this is the best toyota ive owned. i have had a camry and a corolla

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  Love the RAV4 - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By Brio - August 6 - 4:06 am

  I bought my RAV4 last week, just before 2 major snowstorms hit upstate NY. The RAV4 handles deep snow and slippery roads as though they are dry pavement. Im averaging 24 mpg. Great car! (so far).

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  My 2nd Rav - 2005 Toyota RAV4
  By Laurie Bellucci - August 5 - 3:06 am

  I must tell you...I have had a Rav now for 4 years...Our first one was bought in 2002 after renting one in Las Vegas for a week we fell in love...My husband and I came home and purchased our first Rav 4...Since then he has passed on and I just purchased my 2nd Rav...I love it and hope to purchase another one in several more years to come...We checked other SUVs before purchasing a Rav only to find that most were too high off the ground for me to get into...so that was the main reason we purchased our Rav...

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  My RAV 4 - 2005 Toyota RAV4
  By Pat McGuiter - August 3 - 10:50 am

  This truck is great. I had to rate this SUV a "10" in every category. I traded my 4 runner in for this car and I am so happy with it. Especially now that fuel costs are through the roof, its great on the highway. Best car I ever owned.

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  Teenage Driver - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By Teenage Driver - July 29 - 10:43 pm

  For a 19 year old I needed a smaller suv to hold both of my dogs. Compared to any other smaller suv this toyota RAV4 had the most room, great gas mileage, and was the most reliable. I got the RAV4 Sport 4x4 V6 I have only had the car for a few days and I love it. It had a lot of get up and go, I feel safe in it, the sunroof is great, and the upgraded sound system is very very nice. I would recommend this car to everyone.

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  Fun car. - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By lr_smith - July 28 - 3:13 am

  My first SUV and it feels great, drives like a small sports car. We had a small Toyota Yaris, and it was totaled in an accident, so we needed something bigger even though I loved the Yaris. We only had this car for a couple of weeks but we absolutely love it. It is very ergonomic, all controls are easy to reach, everything is very intuitive.