Toyota RAV4 review
by Mike Grundon (6 February 2006)
Toyota's wild child of the 4x4 world has grown up. The RAV4, flagged up in 1994 as the four-wheel drive GTi, has finally put aside its youthful ways and moved into mainstream crossover territory.
No longer is there a three-door version, no longer is a petrol engine expected to be the most popular, no longer is it aimed at the young hot-hatch buyer. A dozen years have gone by, the original target buyer is now a dozen years older, and the RAV4 has matured with them. Toyota says it's now trying to capture the hearts and wallets of 35- to 45-year olds - that's me - and it seems to be working.
For those who lament the loss of the short wheelbase, Toyota can point to the falling demand and declare it's neither a niche manufacturer nor a charity. Fashions, trends and markets all change, and today there's no appeal in a 4x4 with no room for passengers and luggage at the same time. The result is that the new five-door RAV4 is the first that doesn't look like a stretch job done on something that really should only have three doors.
This, the third generation of the car, looks terrific - like a pocket-sized Land Cruiser Amazon - and for anyone not wanting to stray too far from the tarmac, it's also a practical improvement on the outgoing model.
The new RAV4 has just gone on sale with a choice of four trim levels, three engines and three gearboxes. All models are spacious and comfortable, and most of them have a skipload of intelligent thingies to improve the driving, stopping and crashing experience.
Engines first. The top seller is expected to be the 140 D-4D, a 134bhp 2.2-litre turbo diesel which can pull the 1.5-tonne truck up to the 62mph mark in 10.5 seconds. The official combined fuel economy figure is an impressive 42.8mpg. It only comes with the six-speed manual gearbox but that's no drawback. It's a slick unit, matched nicely to the torque characteristics of the 140.
The next most popular is the 150bhp two-litre VVT-i fuel-injected petrol engine with more power but less torque. There are two gearboxes on offer here, a five-speed manual that can theoretically do the sprint in 10.6 seconds and a four-speed automatic that takes 12 seconds. It'll probably be the smooth auto box that sells this engine more than anything else. While the engine is no slouch, the car is slower on paper, feels less responsive in the hills and is much less fuel efficient. Its combined figure is 32.8mpg - that's ten fewer miles from a gallon than the D-4D 140.
Now we come to the elite end of the range where Toyota actually says it's hoping to take sales away from BMW's X3. The D-4D 180 is another 2.2 turbo-diesel but this time tweaked to turn out 175bhp and 295lb'ft of torque. This engine only comes with the six-speed manual gearbox and in cars with one luxuriously-specced trim level called T180. It'll pin 62mph in 9.3 seconds and still give you over 40mpg.
At £26,995 it's the priciest RAV4 yet, and therefore about the same as the base BMW X3. The Toyota's got a more powerful engine and comes with many more bells and whistles than the Beemer - things like a sunroof, front foglights, leather seats, split rear seats, sat-nav and a keyless entry and push-button starter.
I doubt that's enough to tempt parking-lot posers from the blue and white badge, but for those who think about real life motoring it could well be an attractive option. One thing to bear in mind, though, is that you can enter the legendary world of the Land Cruiser for just five more of your Earth pounds. It may not be as well kitted out and be two doors shy of a handful, but it's a damned site bigger and a genuine off-roader.
Ah yes, off-roading. Well, the RAV4 was never a serious mud-plugger and nothing much has changed. But look, it may do without the low-range transfer box and its ground clearance may not be up to much, but it does have a few tricks. Take, for instance, the "intelligent" 4x4 system that normally runs power to the front wheels until traction starts being lost.
Oh, and there's a hill-start assist thing that holds the foot brake on for two seconds after you take your foot off the pedal. The automatic VVT-i also has a downhill assist control which will tickle the brakes and keep your descent controlled.
Back where it really belongs, on the road, Toyota has pumped a lot of time and technology into its stability control systems to keep the car in line during heavy braking or on slippery surfaces. There's no room here to go into it in depth but it's an interesting wee story there in its own right.
Setting aside the T180, spec levels on the new RAV4 range from XT3 to XT5 and prices range from £18,995 to £25,795. While the base model is well-equipped with passive and active safety kit and some basic comforts of home, it's XT4 where the trick goodies get loaded onto the menu. XT5 takes you up to the keyless entry and start system, electrically adjustable heated seats, the satellite navigation kit and lots of sensors to turn things on for you when its getting dark or starting to rain.
The interiors of the cars are not only comfy and cosy, they're also pretty useful thanks to back seats that can fold flat down into the floor, split and fold or even slide a few inches back and forwards to give you the best combination of people and cargo space.
In conclusion, Toyota has done some serious number-crunching when deciding how to take the Recreational Active Vehicle concept forward. But rather than coming up with a boring compromise car, it's again smacked us in the face and eyes with a good-looking, practical car for our time.
Its limited off-road ability won't stop it coping with snowy roads or occasional forays into the fields, and its useful fuel economy - particularly in the 140 - means you can also smile the green smile of the just as your chums slag off what they perceive as the gas-guzzling SUV culture.
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