5th Generation Toyota RAV4 Master Thread

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Toyota's RAV4 has been completely redesigned for 2019. From the dimensions, to powertrains, both exterior and interior styling and safety and tech features, there's a lot to talk about.
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It's more of a preview than review. The embargo ends at the end of next month. For a base XLE it looks good. :thumbsup:
 
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Heh, watching videos from Paris about Rav4, I wonder how mad my friend @Gecko will be when he learns that Rav4 has some tech features that Lexus does not, or at least does not have executed this well :)
 
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Ukrainian news team on Rav4 - check out 360 camera and rearview mirror.


Also all the press points are high quality, and there is Rav4 graphic theme running throughout the car in little touches here and there. Trunk is huge and there are 2 positions for the bottom cover (deep and flat).

We also found out that e-four version of Rav4 will be the fastest so far, with 0-62 MPH in 8.1s and 222hp (4hp more than FWD)... old Rav4 was rated 8.3s in Europe. Consumption has been decreased over 20%, and that is on much stricter fuel economy test.
 
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spwolf said:
We also found out that e-four version of Rav4 will be the fastest so far, with 0-62 MPH in 8.1s and 222hp (4hp more than FWD)...
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Yeah, I believe Toyota is touting the hybrid as the performance model in the States. I was expecting a bigger hp gap between the gas and hybrid...
 
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spwolf said:
Ukrainian news team on Rav4 - check out 360 camera and rearview mirror.


Also all the press points are high quality, and there is Rav4 graphic theme running throughout the car in little touches here and there. Trunk is huge and there are 2 positions for the bottom cover (deep and flat).

We also found out that e-four version of Rav4 will be the fastest so far, with 0-62 MPH in 8.1s and 222hp (4hp more than FWD)... old Rav4 was rated 8.3s in Europe. Consumption has been decreased over 20%, and that is on much stricter fuel economy test.
Click to expand...

So, Rav4 hybrid = 222hp and Rav4 (2.5L) will be 218 hp? Since Camry only has 203/206hp, I am wondering how/why Rav4 got a power bump.

If those numbers are true, both are extremely impressive IMO!
 
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Gecko said:
So, Rav4 hybrid = 222hp and Rav4 (2.5L) will be 218 hp? Since Camry only has 203/206hp, I am wondering how/why Rav4 got a power bump.
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ES also has 218 din hp in Europe... so it is same as 215hp in the US. Camry in Europe also has 218 din hp.

So I guess same as Camry or same as ES for the US Rav4? :)
 
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spwolf said:
ES also has 218 din hp in Europe... so it is same as 215hp in the US. Camry in Europe also has 218 din hp.

So I guess same as Camry or same as ES for the US Rav4? :)
Click to expand...

oh my bad, I see now:

Rav4 hybrid AWD: 222hp - maybe 220hp in US
Rav4 hybrid FWD: 218hp - probably 215hp in US
So I assume Rav4 with 2.5L I4 will have 203 or 206hp like Camry.

220hp is really, really awesome. With eFour AWD, this is an incredible package. I wish you could get this powertrain in the Limited.
 
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ssun30 said:
Wow. So a RAV4 E-Four will have a better weight distribution than most of the performance and sports cars, even better than their own hybrid RWD sedans.
Click to expand...

For example, the design and location of the
fuel tank have been changed to achieve better
handling and stability. The tank is now located
laterally in front of the rear axle so that its load
is spread evenly between the wheels, supporting
flat, stable performance. Optimum weight
balance is not only achieved front-to-rear
(51/49) but also left-to-right.
Click to expand...

I had to double check to make sure, since UX certainly does not have 51/49... i checked UX and it is 58/42 for e-four.
 
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With the fogs/vents pushed out to the very edges - even more so than the headlights - it creates a bit of a fish mouth vibe for me. Overall, I really like it though. The interior seems top notch.
 
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Gecko said:
With the fogs/vents pushed out to the very edges - even mores than the headlights - it creates a bit of a fish mouth vibe for me. Overall, I really like it though. The interior seems top notch.
Click to expand...

i like the dual tone model (Style?) a lot here in Europe... I do wonder about interior in real life, all reviews say it is great, I might actually get new Rav4 hybrid if it is decently priced.

Of course problem here in Europe is that we know nothing yet about infotainment updates... it does look similar to Entrune 3.0 but TMME in specs lists old system.
 
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Here's a fairly extensive but clearly limited video, done by an investigative journalist, with the approval of a Toyota Representative with him, on the new RAV-4 Hybrid. Toyota still has a formal embargo (which, IMO, is nonsense) on full-press reviews, but has allowed this one done on the interior/dash features and a test-drive in the rain.....without releasing the details of the test drive or a description one its road-manners. I will do that myself, of course, next month, when it is formally released......probably on a non-Hybrid version.

As would be expected from a company-rep, this is actually more of a PR ad than a true review.




 
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2019 Toyota RAV4 Is All About Risk and Reward
https://www.automobilemag.com/news/2019-toyota-rav4-risk-reward/
And those rewards are likely to be ample

Now turning 25 years old, this pioneer of compact crossovers has completed its MBA and hasn’t lived with its parents in years. For my own college frat brother who asks what to do when trading in his Honda CR-V next year, the answer is, “Yes, turn your pointy head toward the RAV4.” Moms, dads, doctors, retirees, adventurers, humanities majors, human-resources managers, acolytes, activists, zealots, and zombies will like this vehicle. Sales are going to grow, maybe because the category is expanding but also because the 2019 RAV4 is so appealing, especially compared to baby Jeeps and dowdy Subarus. Toyota’s risky redesign is rousing, and the rewards will be large.
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2019 Toyota RAV4 First Drive Review | Definitely not playing it safe
https://www.autoblog.com/2018/11/20/2019-toyota-rav4-first-drive-review-94659/
A profound stylistic and philosophical departure from the crossover it replaces

Perhaps some will lament that. Perhaps others will miss the old car-like vibe and catamaran-inspired styling. Maybe your golden retriever won't fit so well in the back. Yet none of that seems likely to slow the RAV4's best-selling momentum. For everyone put off by the new direction, we're wagering many more will be attracted to the more characterful approach. Toyota may have messed with a good thing, but it didn't mess it up.
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The 2019 Toyota RAV4 Has Personality Again
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2019-toyota-rav4-suv-drive
One of the first compact crossovers is once again a compelling choice.

Highs
Good looks inside and out, pleasant driving experience, lots of variety.

Lows
Noisy engine, so-so acceleration.

The new RAV4's inherent goodness means that this newly diverse lineup of models serves to usefully broaden its appeal rather than making up for some deficiency. So if we're destined to see hundreds of thousands of these things crowding the road, at least we can be glad that they won't all be the same.
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2019 Toyota RAV4 vs. 2018 Honda CR-V Comparison: Crossover Showdown
https://www.motortrend.com/cars/honda/cr-v/2018/2019-toyota-rav4-2018-honda-cr-v-comparison-test/
Can the vastly improved Toyota unseat our recently departed SUV of the Year?

To paraphrase the results of last year's Camry vs. Accord comparison, Toyota may have built a vastly better RAV4, but the CR-V is still the better vehicle.
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:thumbsdown:
 
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