TOYOTA RAV4
‘Cute Ute’ pioneer battle fierce competition
Hard to believe, but it's been 21 years since Toyota started the “Cute Ute” segment when it put an SUV body on a compact car chassis and created a vehicle that could haul five adults with a bunch of luggage, and still deliver excellent fuel economy.
The RAV4 was an immediate hit, so much so that every manufacturer on the planet soon built similar offerings. Today, the compact Sport Utility segment, with entries selling from the mid-$20,000 range to the mid-30s, is the hottest segment in the industry.
So far this year, of the 102 SUVs of all sizes, models and brands available in American showrooms, the top four sellers are all compact. Through April, the Nissan Rogue was the top seller, barely edging the Honda CRV. The RAV4 and Ford Escape were a few seconds behind.
Despite an infusion of sales incentives, nearly every automaker last week reported weaker-than-expected April sales, and the industry was down nearly 2 percent. It was the first significant downturn in a rally that began seven years ago. The four top cute-ute sellers, however, all reported strong gains in April. Sales of the Rogue, which this year got a significantly improved interior, are up nearly 40 percent year-overyear. The completely redeigned CR-V, critics' consensus choice as best in class, is up 27 percent. The RAV4, the sales leader a year ago, is up nearly 6 percent but is in third after four months, even though Toyota sold more RAV4s than Camrys. The RAV4 is losing market share because has not been redesigned since 2013 and fresher competitors have an edge in style and performance; still, the RAV4 is an excellent car and a smart buy with best-in-class interior roominess, safety ratings and retained value. And it's a Toyota.
COMPETENT DRIVE TRAIN
The chief knock on the RAV4 is the relative sluggishness of its 176-hp, DOHC, 2.5liter, 4-cylinder engine, the only one offered. Actually, that is plenty of power. The car easily merges into interstate traffic and holds it own maneuvering around the big rigs. Actually, it has six more horses and is a second quicker in the 0-60 than the Roque—but peppier cute utes are available, especially the turbocharged ones, like the Ford Escape, Buick Encore and Kia Tucson
RAV4 comes standard with a six-speed automatic transmission. The power train delivers EPA fuel economy estimates of 23 mpg city/30 mpg highway/26 mpg combined (LE and XLE); 23 mpg city/29 mpg highway/25 mpg combined (SE, Limited, and Platinum). Models with Dynamic Torque Control AllWheel Drive have estimates of 22 mpg city/28 mpg highway/25 mpg combined (LE and XLE); 22 mpg city/28 mpg highway/24 mpg combined (SE, Limited, and Platinum).
All of those are good, but not great in a segment with entries approaching 40 mpg on the highway.
NICE ROAD MANNERS
On the road, the RAV4 feels well-planted and handling is firm and predicable. The
With the Rav4, Toyota shows provides an excellent ride for long family drives.
body structure makes extensive use of high-strength steel to provide a robust and stiff, yet light, platform and is the foundation for the RAV4's smooth ride, handling agility, and cabin quietness.
The rear suspension employs spots welds and robust support mounts to help enhance rigidity and reduce vibration transfer into passengers' space. MacPherson strut front suspension and double-wishbone rear suspension allow the RAV4 to absorb bumps, ruts, and railroad crossings with composure.
On balance, the ride feels a little more compliant than when the current design hit the streets four years ago. It was engineered to have a nice, middle-of-the-road suspension. It handles parking lots with ease. If you want something more akin to a sport sedan, check out Mazda's CX-5.
ROOMY CABIN
Inside, there's ample room for five adults, including a competitive 37.2 inches of rear legroom. Behind the rear seat is 38.4 cu. ft. of cargo capacity (35.6 cu. ft. for Hybrid). With the 60/40 split rear seats folded, that space expands to 73.4 cu. ft. (70.6 cu. ft. for Hybrid). The rear seatbacks recline several degrees for added passenger comfort, and rear privacy glass is standard on all RAV4 models. Special attention was directed towards improving cabin quietness with the addition of sound insulation materials in the rear cargo area, floor pan, and side and rear doors to help reduce road noise and create a premium feel.
SAFETY LEADER
With state-of-art safety technologies now standard on all new Toyotas, the RAV4 is at the head of the class when it comes to safety.
It starts with Toyota's Star Safety System™ that includes: Traction Control, Electronic Brake-force Distribution, Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control, Brake Assist, Anti-lock Braking, and Smart Stop Technology (SST). Eight standard airbags include dual stage advanced driver and front passenger airbags; front seat-mounted side airbags; first and second row side curtain airbags; driver's knee airbag and a front passenger seat cushion airbag. Whiplash Injury Lessening (WIL) front seats are designed to help support the driver's and front passenger's heads during certain types of rear-end collisions.
Add to that Toyota Safety Sense driver assist system which bundles cutting edge active safety technologies, including Pre-Collision with Pedestrian Detection function, featuring forward collision warning and Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Automatic High Beams, and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control.
The latter makes interstate driving so much more comfortable. If the vehicle ahead is detected traveling at a speed slower than your set speed or within your distance range setting, the system is designed to automatically decelerate the vehicle without having to cancel the cruise control. When a greater reduction in vehicle speed is necessary, the system may apply the brakes and operate the vehicle brake lights. The system will then respond to changes in the speed of the vehicle ahead to help maintain the vehicle-to-vehicle distance set by the driver. When there is no longer a preceding vehicle driving slower than the vehicle's set speed, the system accelerates until the set speed is reached and returns to the pre-set speed cruising.
GOOD TIME TO BUY
Toyota is usually the last company to offer sales incentives, but has some nice ones available for the RAV4. Customers can choose between 0 percent financing or $2,000 cash. That is in addition to Toyota's standing $500 military bonus of $500 (active duty or reserve) and $750 for recent college graduates.
Because Toyotas retain higher-than-average residual values, creditworthy customers may find leasing an attractive choice.