Toyota RAV4 Review 2024

If you want a family SUV with striking looks, build quality that makes a tank look fragile and an interior that’ll swallow everything a family can throw at it, the Toyota RAV4 is well worth considering,

Sure, it’s pricier than some rivals - including some pure EV competitors - but it also comes very well equipped as standard with a 10.5-inch infotainment screen (up from the earlier 8.0-inch screen) that has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, climate control and autonomous driving aids that take the strain out of long motorway journeys. 

The Toyota RAV4's unique selling point, however, is its petrol-electric hybrid drivetrains which turn in impressive fuel economy and makes the Toyota a very relaxing car to drive in town. 

A better question might be: “what other cars aren’t similar to the RAV4?” The Toyota competes with models such as the well built and logically designed Volkswagen Tiguan, plus the SEAT Tarraco and Skoda Kodiaq that are mechanically identical to the Volkswagen.   

You can also consider the comfy and reliable Honda CR-V, the sweet-handling Ford Kuga, the stylish Peugeot 5008, the spacious Nissan X-Trail and many, many more. 

The Toyota RAV4 feels like a well-built, high-quality car. You get a dashboard that’s softly squidgy to the touch and has plenty of metal-look trim pieces that stop you feeling like there’s a tidal wave of black plastic bearing down on you. The swathe of stitched leather on the dashboard is another nice feature, sweeping onto the tops of the doors, it feels like something you’d find in a pricey Range Rover. 

To make the interior feel as plush as possible, the optional panoramic sunroof (standard with the GR Sport) is a good shout to give the car’s interior an airy, luxurious ambience. Strangely, if you specify it, Toyota automatically deletes the standard space-saver spare wheel. 

The RAV4 doesn’t get an entirely clean bill of health, though, while it feels very nice for the most part, further down the cabin you’ll find plastics that are hard and scratchy. Cars like the Volkswagen Tiguan and Skoda Kodiaq use more consistently high-quality plastics. 

The RAV4 now comes with a 10.25-inch colour infotainment touchscreen called Toyota Smart Connect. It has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Navigation, four-year over-the air updates, six speakers, DAB and Bluetooth connectivity. It's also a much clearer, snappier system to use than the previous set-up, while still being placed high on the centre console for easier viewing and reach.

The earlier 8-inch infotainment screen had slightly fuzzy, washed-out graphics and could be a fiddle to operate when bumping down the road, not helped by the Toyota’s confusing menu layout. Ah well, at least the screen is flanked either side by a strip of buttons that let you quickly flick between menus. 

Icon models didn't have built-in navigation but all cars get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and, to be honest, using either of their maps will be less frustrating than trying to operate the built-in nav system that was fitted to the  the RAV4 range that used the 8.0-inch screen. 

In terms of the audio system, it doesn’t matter which model you go for, they all get a six-speaker system that’s fine, but probably won’t hit the spot if you like your music to have clarity and punch. For that, you’ll want the optional nine-speaker, 800W JBL system, which is an option on the mild hybrid Toyota RAV4 Excel model. 

Getting comfortable behind the wheel of the Toyota RAV4 should present no significant problems as all models come with a height-adjustable steering wheel and driver’s seat. The RAV4's tall body also helps give you a great view out. 

Get into the back and you’ll see there’s loads of room. Your six-footer friends will be fine in there even if you’re just as tall sitting in front of them, there’s plenty of knee and foot room and the large rear windows let in plenty of light.

Toyota also gives people in the back a few luxuries. They get a back seat that reclines a few degrees so you can stretch out on longer journeys, the rear air vent keeps the cabin temperature even and, on the same console, you’ll find two USB sockets so your passengers can keep their phones charged. 

The RAV4’s even pretty decent with three in the back. Sure the middle seat is firmer and thinner, but a third passenger will have plenty of room for their feet. Meanwhile, the large and wide-opening rear doors give you plenty of room to fit a baby seat, even if you have to dig into the upholstery to find the Isofix points.

And if you have a baby the RAV4’s boot is ideal. It’ll swallow a stroller – and the rest – with no issues whatsoever, even if its 580-litre capacity is 140 litres down on what a Skoda Kodiaq offers. There’s room in there for a set of suitcases with the parcel shelf left in place. Want to load the boot up to the roof? No problem, there’s a space under the floor to neatly pack away the parcel shelf. Should you pick the plug-in model, boot capacity drops to 500-litres, which is decent but far from class-leading.

If anything, the Toyota’s even more impressive when you fold away the back seats. The boot open is square, there’s no load lip and the floor doesn’t have any annoying steps to catch luggage on when you’re loading. You can slide an adult’s bicycle into place without having to dismantle it, leaving a good half meter between it and the tailgate. 

Smaller storage spaces are also well covered. You get large front door pockets, slightly smaller versions in the rear, a tray for your phone upfront complete with wireless charging, front and rear cupholders and, above the large lockable glove box, an open tray that's a handy place to chuck a few pens. 

If you've got a tight driveway, you may want to take note of the Toyota RAV4's dimensions. It measures 4600mm in length, 1855mm in width and is 1685mm tall.

The Toyota RAV4 is only available with one engine, but in two configurations. There is a petrol-electric hybrid with a 2.5-litre petrol engine boosted by an electric motor to produce 128PS (front-wheel-drive models) or 222PS (AWD models). Getting from 0-62mph takes roughly eight seconds in both versions.

Alternatively, you can have the Plug-In model, which as the name tells you charges up by connecting to a wall socket. This gives a much greater EV driving range of up to 46 miles, and the electric motor combines with the petrol on to deliver a joint 306PS maximum power. That means 0-62mph in 6.0 seconds, so the Plug-In is notably swifter off the mark than its mild hybrid sister versions.

There might be lots of clever things going on underneath the Toyota’s bonnet, but you’d never know it. The standard automatic gearbox means it’s as tricky to drive as a super-sized dodgem and it has no problem keeping pace with fast-moving traffic. Overtaking is easy, too, though, as is always the case with CVT gearboxes, you’ll have to put up with a constant engine drone while you do it. 

The RAV4 is so quiet in town, EU law says Toyota must fit an Acoustic Vehicle Approach System just so pedestrians know it is coming so, as you can imagine, it’s a very relaxing car to drive in.

This isn’t quite so true at higher speeds when the RAV4 will be relying more heavily on the noisier petrol engine. That said, even on the motorway, the car is quiet with limited road noise even on the larger 18-inch wheels and barely any wind noise to speak off. The Plug-In model can drive on EV power at up to motorways speeds, so its refinement is generally better so long as you have the battery topped up.

The Toyota RAV4 was awarded five-stars for safety when it was crash tested by Euro NCAP under 2019’s extremely tough test conditions. It comes as standard with automatic emergency brakes that use a camera and radar to detect vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians, and will stop the car automatically if they sense an imminent front end impact. 

Intelligent active cruise control is also standard. It can accelerate and brake the car automatically and read road signs, automatically matching the car to the current speed limit. Lane Trace Assist, meanwhile, means the car can drive itself completely autonomously, using the windscreen mounted camera to detect road markings, keeping it dead centre of its lane as it steers around corners. 

All but the Design model have a blind-spot monitoring system that can warn you when another vehicle is approaching in your blind spot and rear cross-traffic alert, which will brake the car if you try to pull into oncoming traffic when reversing out of a parking space. 

Toyota is probably the most reliable mainstream car manufacturer, and the RAV4 does little to tarnish that reputation. The brand's been selling hybrid cars since long before they were in fashion, and we have no doubt that the latest Toyota RAV4 will prove to be an extremely reliable SUV.

Insurance for the Toyota RAV4 varies depending on trim level. The basic Toyota RAV4 Icon sits in insurance group 25, while the RAV4 Design is in group 26 and top-of-the-range RAV4 Excel in group 30. 

Those ratings are for the mild hybrid models. For the Plug-In, you're looking at insurance based on groups starting at 34 for the out-of-production Dynamic trim model. A Design comes in at group 36, while the GR Sport model is in group 37. By contrast, the mild hybrid GR Sport sits in Group 32.

The RAV4 is cheap to tax for what it is. With the mild hybrid model, the two-wheel drive version costs £210 for first-year road tax, while the all-wheel drive version pushes that to £260.

With the Plug-In RAV4, you'll pay nothing for first-year road tax thanks to its low CO2 emissions.

You’re not going to feel short-changed on equipment even if you go for a basic Toyota RAV4 Icon when buying a used example. Standard equipment includes an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system that has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a reversing camera, dual-zone climate control and wing mirrors that fold out the way when you park. On the outside, you get 17-inch alloy wheels, tinted rear windows and roof bars, while inside you’ll find black fabric upholstery.

The Toyota RAV4 Design is now the starting point for brand new RAV4s and comes with 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside, the 8-inch touchscreen is now replaced by a 10.25-inch item with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also has front parking sensors, keyless entry, reversing camera, all-round parking sensors, air conditioning, and an electric opening and closing boot.

The Toyota RAV4 Excel now has 19-inch wheels and useful puddle lights that illuminate the area around the car when you unlock it. You also get more powerful projector LED headlights with washers. Excel models get lots of extra kit inside, too, most notably their posh leather interior, but you also get heated front seats, an electrically adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support, ambient lighting, a heated steering wheel, and heated wipers that won’t get frozen to the windscreen in winter. Excel trim also boosts safety adding a blind-spot monitoring system and rear cross traffic alert.

Top of the line is now the GR Sport that has sporty GR exterior body styling, sport suspension, black-painted roof, spoiler, and door caps. You also get unique alloy wheels, 360-degree panoramic parking camera, Alcantara suede upholstery, silver stitching on the gear shifter and trim, and gunmetal deco elements on gearshift, boot surround, front air vents, and steering wheel.

The Toyota RAV4 Dynamic is no longer on offer. It came with the same amount of kit as the Excel looks sportier on its 18-inch wheels finished in gloss black. There's a gloss black roof, too, along with gloss black wheel arch trims, and gloss black bumpers. Dynamic models get the same additional safety features as Excel cars as well as their puddle lights and ambient interior lighting, while the rest of their equipment list is shared with Design versions of the RAV4.