5th Generation Toyota RAV4 Master Thread

F1 Silver Arrows

F1 Silver Arrows

Expert
Messages
2,348
Reactions
3,800
ssun30 said:
The RAV4 PHEV does the same. Nothing in this segment comes close to it. The only thing dragging it down is the ridiculous price.
Click to expand...
Fair enough, but I feel like the current RAV4 loses out on a lot of things, especially in terms of refinement compared to the 3rd gen.
 
F

Flagship1

Follower
Messages
495
Reactions
278
F1 Silver Arrows said:
Fair enough, but I feel like the current RAV4 loses out on a lot of things, especially in terms of refinement compared to the 3rd gen.
Click to expand...
Rav4 is a home run if all you want from a vehicle is that it blends in to the background of your life, a sort of reliable appliance. If you are used to more refined vehicles, stepping into this regularly when i have one as a rental i get let down hard. The materials screams dreary, hard plastic or rubberized textures everywhere, the infotainment is tiny, MID is small. While im not a fan of Kia or Hyundai, even there rental specials exude a little bit more effort on the inside.

I know im complaining here and that i should be less demanding, but it would nice if the next generation tried to introduce a little bit of excitement on the interior.
 
Last edited:
S

Sulu

Expert
Messages
1,089
Reactions
1,344
F1 Silver Arrows said:
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison-test/a15131015/top-suvs-2010/

I don't know how I got to this article, but I did, and I thought I should share it along with some of my thoughts. Here's a comparison test of the RAV4 in a class of 8 compact crossovers in 2010. We all knew that the 3rd generation RAV4 was pretty well-received, especially the V6 model, but going through this article shows that Toyota can absolutely wipe the floor with everyone else and make them look like total amateurs.

When I was going through the article, it really made me think about the times where Toyota really knocked it out of the park. Look at the highlights that C&D gave the RAV4, and the high praises it received.

Tested was the RAV4 V6 in the Limited trim. It was the most powerful, the most fuel efficient, the best handling, the best driving, most handsome, and the best feeling car inside and out. This car literally curb stomped the competition and put out jaw-dropping numbers. The next time I saw a proper replication like this was recently when the Grand Highlander Platinum with the Hybrid MAX powerplant became a star overnight and annihilated its competition in all the same ways that 2010 RAV4 did. But, other than their GR cars, and cars like the Corolla, Camry, and Prius, it's not commonplace for the Toyota lineup.

I remember the days when Toyota (and Lexus) would deliberately make moves to purposely blow the competition out of the water and make them look like total amateurs. Want more proof? Just look at how they talked about the CR-V, which is a darling for so many people and compare that to the RAV4 in the review.

I think about the times where Toyota and Lexus did this again, and they did it in numerous occasions. There's way too many examples to cite, but now seeing Toyota being complacent with Lexus and not giving Lexus the autonomy it really deserves, it's a huge fall from grace.
Click to expand...
I have not read the article so I must ask if the authors ever mention that "Toyotas are boring". What I remember from that time was that most (if not all) mainline auto critics felt obligated to state that all Toyota vehicles were absolutely boring.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: MrT
qtb007

qtb007

Follower
Messages
488
Reactions
745
F1 Silver Arrows said:
Fair enough, but I feel like the current RAV4 loses out on a lot of things, especially in terms of refinement compared to the 3rd gen.
Click to expand...
Dude, you are wearing rose colored glasses. My mom has a '10 Rav4 Limited V6 that she has owned since new -- now with 240k miles. I had a '14 Limited for a couple years before a sleepy driver took it out. My mom also has an '18 Limited that she's also owned since new (why 2 Ravs at the same time, I'll never know). I've put tons of miles on the current gen in both hybrid and conventional. The interior on the '10 is probably a low point in Toyota interiors. It's chintzy with hard plastic everywhere. Ergo was insane with the silly 3 rotor button setup for auto climate control. Gas mileage was below 25mpg almost all the time. The 4th gen was a massive improvement in interior. The AR was fine with the 6AT as far as performance and was at least able to get 30 on a road trip. The A25 with the hybrid in the 5th gen is an absolute sweetheart, though. It is super smooth, accelerates almost as well as the V6 anytime I'm not gunning it from a dig. I regularly get over 35mpg out of it. I don't care for the A25 with the 8AT, but I'll take the A25 with hybrid over the 2GR every day of the week and 2x on Sunday. The 5th gen interior is also far better built and has a better layout (feels wider inside and more airy).
 
Gecko

Gecko

Administrator
Messages
4,914
Reactions
11,856
I agree with @qtb007 on this. The 3rd gen with the V6 was actually kind of a handful to drive - way too much power for a small FWD crossover and it was prone to spinning the tires everywhere. The interior really was a low point for all Toyotas - super cheap, shiny, thin plastic everywhere.

I had a 4th gen RAV4 early on and it was great for what I needed at that time in my life, but the 5th gen is such a massive step up in every way. My mom had a 2021 RAV4 Limited hybrid before trading it in for her Venza... pretty amazing package overall. She got 39MPG, AWD, tons of tech, nice interior, great features, the list goes on. I've had two friends buy RAV4 XLEs and another get an XSE in the last few years.. everyone who has one loves it.

I think the low point of this gen is the A25A with the 8AT because its pretty loud and buzzy, but the hybrid is fantastic. For a vehicle that is about to enter it's 6th model year, I think the RAV4 has fared pretty well, and with minimal updates from Toyota. It's not perfect but I think it's pretty damn close when you factor in all of the things real buyers care about: technology, space, reliability, efficiency, value, design, quality, and running costs. Easily the best RAV4 yet and makes me excited for the 6th gen.
 
M

Motor

Expert
Messages
2,408
Reactions
3,420
L

Levi

Expert
Messages
2,855
Reactions
3,288
It would be nice if not only the looks but also the AWD could be more off-road (effective).
 
F

Flagship1

Follower
Messages
495
Reactions
278
Buckle up, next gen is gonna offer more bronco sport/passport trail edition then mid size appliance?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.