The 2020 Toyota RAV4 is an SUV that we would happily buy with our own money, without second-guessing ourselves, without feeling the need to haggle, and without a doubt in our minds that it would be the best use of our hard-earned cash.
It won’t break the bank either. The base RAV4 starts at $28,090 and comes with front-wheel drive, heated front seats, Toyota’s entire suite of safety features, and blind-spot monitoring. Hike up to the fully-loaded Limited AWD model ( $41,250) as ours was, and you’ll get nifty tech like brake-based torque vectoring, the ability to disconnect the rear axle to save fuel, ventilated front seats, and a 360-degree camera. These are all features that used to be reserved for top-of-the-line premium cars. Now they’re found in your run-of-the-mill RAV4. The fact that you can spend $40 grand and get all that is just staggering. Some say that the golden era of automobiles is ending. I’d say with the RAV4, it’s never shone brighter. But the best deal of the lineup and our preferred trim, is the XLE AWD ($33,790), hammering down the volume with a power moonroof, heated steering wheel, dual-zone auto air conditioning, Apple CarPlay, and keyless start and entry.
Under the hood of every RAV4 except the Hybrid, is a stout 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder that produces 203 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, but the biggest advantage the RAV4 has over its competitors like the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester is that it uses a traditional 8-speed automatic transmission, not that pesky, droning CVT that buzzes up the revs until kingdom come. As such, the build-up of power comes naturally, predictably, and is less intrusive to the ears. No, the four-pot is not as spritely as the V6 that came years before it, and it can get noisy when you ask it for full beans, but it’s competent enough to give you sufficient forward propulsion when you need it, and stay behind the curtains when you don’t.
The RAV4 is far from being a graceful dancing partner but I’m sure the majority of its owners will appreciate the soft ride and agreeable handling. I’d say it will feel more planted and solid than a Subaru Forester, especially when being in tighter turns. There’s substance to the drive and inspires confidence in both low and high speeds. The RAV4 is very fuel-efficient as well. With an equal mix of city and highway driving, you can average an impressive 7.8 L/100km, and while it’s not enough to trump the 5.8 L/100 km average you’ll have with the RAV4 Hybrid, it beats many other small economy cars that on the market.
In that light, the Hybrid is actually our preferred variant of the RAV4. If you can get over the slight bump in price and that annoying CVT transmission, you won’t ever look back. Yes, the Hybrid is even slower than the gasoline model, but the gains in fuel economy fit the SUVs mojo enough that I couldn’t find any other valid reason to choose otherwise. It outsells the Prius for a reason.
