You read it right. For just over a year, I have been the proud owner of a RAV4, which just happens to be Canada's best selling crossover. So much so, that it actually outsold every passenger vehicle in Canada. That means not only did it outsell the company's own Corolla, but it went as far as to outsell the Honda Civic. After driving it for over 30000 miles, I finally have the chance to write about this special car, and what gives it the honorary title. I will explore key points such as design, performance, interior, and options! Along the way I will draw on strengths and weaknesses to the competition, to highlight what worked and what needs more work. Lastly, I will leave you, my dear reader, with some advice. So whether you are in the market for a new vehicle, or are curious about how it achieved such a prestigious title, keep reading!
Design
When it comes to the looks department, I must say it is a solid 10/10. You won't get a more well-balanced and highly praised vehicle on the market. Unlike Honda and others, Toyota did not simply re-hash their sedans into a spruced up crossover. Instead, they went for a mini-truck vibe. That is to say much of the styling for the RAV4 has been inspired from the 4Runner, a larger SUV offered by Toyota. For example, the aggressive styling on the front falls in the same category as what you would find on larger trucks; it lends itself to a more robust, tough look. Add to it the tight body lines on the side, a razor sharp tail end, and you have yourself the recipe for a vehicle that is unmistakable in it's road-presence One of the
design elements I enjoy most are the tail lights, which are simple in design but actually protrude out of the main body line. This gives the vehicle a "larger-than-life" sense, and lends to the overall "tough" character that Toyota wanted to bring. And I am not alone, take a look at the new Ford Escape as well as offerings from Subaru, and you too will quickly notice the pages of inspiration taken from Toyota's books. Another notable design element are the large arches the engineers added above the wheels. This gives the RAV4 a taller stance, and allows it to be a better off-roader (even though most of us won't use it like that). But hey, at least it can now better serve more purposes. All in all, the RAV4 is eye-candy! And yes, while design is subjective, one cannot deny that this crossover is a serious looker!
Performance
Performance wise, the RAV4 makes sure you are (mostly) well taken care of, whether you are hopping traffic lights for your daily commute, or feeling a little more adventurous and hitting up some light off-roading. That being said, many owners (and myself) wish we could get some extra juice to boot. All trims of the RAV4 include Toyota's standard 2.5 litre naturally aspirated 4-cylinder. It makes 203 HP with 183 lb-ft of torque. For most of the RAV4 audience, those numbers are plenty. It means the car can hold it's own on the street, and pick up its weight on the highway without feeling under-powered. However, for those a little more "initiated" in the drive, the power is sufficient, but could use more. That is the best way
to put it. On my normal commute, I never felt like needing more. But when used on the highway, or taken off-roading, I noticed it struggling to reach highway speed or send enough torque on uneven surfaces, respectively. That along with the fact that the engine makes quite the sound when given the beans, means the vehicle isn't exactly the best at producing excess power, or sounding good while doing it. Due to this, driving dynamics suffer a little. Again, for the major target audience, they won't be blasting it around a race-track, but Toyota clearly did not prioritize the "fun" aspect of driving. For that you should look to Mazda's CX-5 offering. The CR-V on the other hand, has both a smaller engine and a horrible CVT that drones and makes for very poor driving dynamics. Thankfully, the RAV4 sits nicely in the middle of that range, and I can understand the balance Toyota went for between performance and efficiency. Bottom line is, a conservatively powered engine and natural aspiration (no turbo nonsense) means the RAV4 will likely outlive the competition, and cost less in long-term ownership. Financial well-being rejoice!
Interior
This is where the RAV4 really shines and leaps ahead of the competition. Remember what I said about the mini-truck looks in the design department? Thankfully, it carries on when you get inside the vehicle as well. Larger dials and buttons for the most important functions, plenty of storage areas, and extremely comfortable, Lexus-rivalling seat design and quality. The rear cargo space competes well with the competition, too. I have been able to fit tons of items in the back without having to fold the rear seats, but even if I had to, the ability to drop down the rear seats is made super simple via the use of easy-access levers. My personal user case involves just me using the car by myself, while my wife sometimes joins when we explore places together. A good friend of mine owns an identical RAV4, and can easily manage front space for his partner as well as a full-sized adult dog in the back seat, while carrying even more gear in the trunk. Of special mention are the rear vents which will keep humans and 4-legged friends happy and smiling. So whether you drive it like me, or have a few others to take along for the ride, the RAV4 never feels compromised in space. Seriously, sit in one and you will see where Toyota put all their money. And for good reason, after all you spend most of the time inside the car. All in all, the interior is the most livable of all the competition, and makes you feel confident while driving. This should be the template going forward for pitch-perfect interior design. Toyota really drove it out of the park on this one, pun intended.
Options
Given the sheer sales volume of this vehicle, Toyota made it a priority to produce the RAV4 in as many flavours as possible. Thankfully when ordering you get to choose from the widest range of trim options I have ever seen. You can go basic with the LE which includes a lot of "must have" features such as the same rugged design, ample interior creature comforts, and Toyota's own SafetySense (a collection of sensors used to help increase driving awareness, detect and avoid accidents). Rank up to the XLE and it offers greater creature comforts such as 8-way power adjustable seats as well as dual zone climate control, to name a few. If you go even higher you get access to XLE with Premium (which is the one I own).
This essentially merges the gap between XLE models and the top Limited trim, by adding some of the Limited features to the XLE trim, without drastically changing the cost. Ofcourse sitting atop them all is the Limited trim, which offers every single bell and whistle a modern day customer could possibly want, including the likes of wireless charging and panoramic camera view. Of special note are the Trail and Prime trims. The Trail actually physically changes the dimensions of the car to give better height, a different set of tires, and a roof-rack to better engage off-roading. The Prime offers plug-in hybrid technology, while addressing power concerns by using the battery and engine to produce about 300 HP. That's right. 300 horses pumped out of a RAV4! Who would've thought. Every trim comes in either FWD or AWD variant. If you live in Canada, go AWD. It has saved me more than once in the winter, so it is well worth the extra change. As you can see, the list of options is quite exhaustive, but thanks to this Toyota offers a RAV4 for each and every buyer, something the competition certainly cannot say.
Conclusion
So there you have it! As the title states, the RAV4 truly is the king of the hill! Toyota nailed the design of the car, borrowing attractive elements from their truck line and offering it in a crossover, the hottest segment right now. In my opinion, no other crossover looks as good as this. Plus the RAV4 has an undeniable street presence. Toyota certainly created a good balance between power/ efficiency with their performance offering, and while an enthusiast like myself would like to see more power, I can understand their core mission behind the performance choices. More driving-centric folks will probably sway to Mazda, while the hardcore off-roaders might turn to Jeep or Subaru. But all of those offerings make too many sacrifices to achieve their specific goals, while the RAV4 is a jack of all trades. The interior is seriously best-in-class. I've been lucky enough to sit in the competition, and they don't even come close. Toyota has really put all of their money and time into perfecting interior space, giving customers what they want with minimum sacrifices. No competing in this department, the RAV4 runs circles around the competition. The options/trims makes the choice to a specific one a little overwhelming, but thankfully if you read this far, you will have a clearer view on which suits you best. As always online brochures found on Toyota's site will help too. No matter which way you go, the RAV4 will undoubtedly be the best purchase you can make with your money. And because it will last an incredibly long time, you can rest easy knowing you've put your hard-earned cash towards the best selling crossover in Canada, for years to come.
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