USED CAR ROAD TEST: TOYOTA RAV4

Toyota’s RAV4 compact SUV soft roader has been around so long it’s easy to forget quite how far it’s come.

The fourth generation model launched in 2013 was bigger, better finished and far more efficient.

Take a seat behind the wheel and to be honest, it doesn’t feel like you’re in any kind of SUV.

Whichever variant you choose – 122bhp 2.0-litre D-4D diesel 2WD, 148bhp 2.2-litre D-4D diesel 4WD and an auto-only 149bhp 2.0-litre petrol 4WD – you’ll get a car that compared to its MK3 predecessor, features a more rigid body, re-tuned suspension and revised electric power steering.

All of this sees 62mph achievable from rest in around 10s on the way to a top speed of between 111 and 118mph.

It’s all enough to elevate this Toyota towards the kind of driving experience that you’d get from more dynamically able soft roaders like Ford’s Kuga and Mazda’s CX-5.

However, with the limitation of just 187mm of ground clearance, you wouldn’t want to be tackling anything too arduous in this car, though there is a 750kg unbraked towing capacity across all models.

Inside, the cabin of this MK4 version features a more stylised feel boasting far better levels of perceived quality.

And bootspace?

Open it and a big 547-litre loadbay beckons, with a further 100 litres beneath the floor.

This Toyota’s approach may have matured over the years along with sharper looks and stronger, more efficient engines, but its buying proposition still makes family-friendly, real world sense.