Toyota RAV4 review

SUVs are all gas-guzzling planet-polluters, right? Well not the Toyota RAV4 – it actually pumps out less CO2 than some small cars.

We're not pulling your leg. According to official figures, the RAV4 really is one of the most efficient family SUVs you can get. That's helped by the fact that its a petrol plug-in hybrid (the regular hybrid version has been dropped from the range).

The RAV4 sits above the Toyota C-HR and below the rough-and-ready Toyota Land Cruiser in Toyota's car range, and is closely related to the Suzuki Across. Despite its size, it's not available as a seven-seater.

Toyota RAV4 vs Suzuki Across video review

What about rivals? Well, there are plenty, ranging from the Ford Kuga and Hyundai Tucson to the Kia Sportage and Volkswagen Tiguan. Oh, and also some less-familiar newcomers, including the BYD Seal U, Jaecoo 7 and MG HS.

So how efficient is the Toyota in the real world and is it a good car in other key areas too? Read on as we put it to the test against its family SUV rivals...

With a 2.5-litre petrol engine plus two electric motors, the Toyota RAV4 has four-wheel drive and a combined power output of 302bhp – enough for a pretty speedy official 0-62mph time of 6.0 seconds.

That means it’s slightly quicker than plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions of the MG HS and Range Rover Evoque and comfortably swifter than most other rivals, including the Ford Kuga PHEV and Honda CR-V PHEV.

The RAV4 can reach motorway speeds on battery power alone, and we managed more than 30 all-electric miles on our varied test route. Toyota says 46 miles is possible, which is further than a Kuga or Evoque PHEV – although the MG HS and VW Tiguan PHEVs can officially travel more than 70 miles on a full charge.

Around town, the RAV4 rides more comfortably than a Kuga PHEV and controls vertical body movements better than a Jaecoo 7 but the suspension struggles to settle down once you start building up speed.

It’s far from uncomfortable, but the car thuds over potholes and motorway expansion joints more than you might like, meaning it’s not as calm as a Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage or Range Rover Evoque.

With the added weight of their large battery packs, plug-in hybrids rarely handle as tidily as traditional petrol or diesel family SUVs. Even so, the RAV4's light steering means it's easy to manoeuvre around town and it controls its body lean neatly enough at lower speeds.

As you build up pace the RAV4 feels a bit more top heavy than a Sportage when cornering and there’s less outright grip. Meanwhile, the Kuga and Evoque have sharper steering.

That said, while the RAV4 is far from agile, it’s still more confidence inspiring and less wayward than a Jaecoo 7 or BYD Seal U.

Putting your foot down in the RAV4 sends the petrol engine revving high as the car accelerates, and the revs only start to subside when you ease off. This behaviour – due to the CVT automatic gearbox – doesn’t make for what you’d call relaxing progress because the engine sounds rather coarse and channels vibrations up through the floor and pedals.

There's also considerably more tyre noise and wind intrusion than with most family SUVs, and that will have you cranking up the radio volume at motorway speeds to drown it out. The RAV4 fares better at low speeds when you run on pure electric power with the engine off.

A regenerative braking system tops up the battery as the car slows down, but when you need to press the brake pedal the response tends to be a bit grabby. That can make it hard to slow your progress smoothly until you get used to it.

"If you’re just going around town in pure electric mode, the RAV4 is quiet and progress is smooth. But I find the CVT gearbox annoying: hard acceleration sends the revs soaring and it sounds coarse until you ease off." – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

Setting your driving position in the Toyota RAV4 is effortless, thanks to power adjustment for the seat, and you also get adjustable lumbar support to boost comfort. The higher-spec GR Sport version has memory settings so you can quickly return your seat to your favourite position after someone else has used it.

The large centre armrest is a real boon for comfort, and whichever version you go for, the RAV4's driving position is typical of a family SUV – high up to give you a commanding view over the road.

Chunky dashboard controls that are clear and easy to reach mean it’s more user-friendly than rivals that rely heavily on the infotainment touchscreen (as the MG HS and Jaecoo 7 do). The 12.3in digital driver’s display is clear but not that configurable. GR Sport cars have a head-up display that projects your speed on to the windscreen so you can see it without glancing down.

Seeing forwards out of the RAV4 is pretty easy: the windscreen pillars are slimmer than those of the Peugeot 5008 so your vision isn’t badly obscured at roundabouts, and the rear screen is wide and deep.

However, while the rear-most side windows give you a clue to what’s over your shoulder, there’s a thick pillar on each side of the rear screen obscuring potential hazards when you're reversing. That said, the RAV4 comes with enough aids to lessen the fear of parking in tight spots, with front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera fitted as standard.

Another welcome feature is the RAV4's standard LED headlights, while a surround camera system is an option on higher trim levels.

The RAV4’s 10.5in infotainment touchscreen can be slow to respond compared with those of rivals, while small icons make it tricky to use on the move. The menu lay-out could be more logical as well.

Thankfully Android Auto and Apple CarPlay – which allow you to use smartphone apps through the car’s touchscreen – are standard so you can bypass the clunky Toyota interface.

Better news is that the touchscreen is positioned high up on the dashboard so you don't have to divert your eyes far from the road to view it. You get sat-nav and four USB ports on all versions of the RAV4, but only GR Sport gets wireless phone-charging and the option of upgrading the standard six-speaker sound system to a nine-speaker JBL one, which delivers good sound quality.

Most of the materials on the upper surfaces look smart and feel relatively plush, while the rubberised finishes on the rotary controls for the air-con and door grab handles add to its rugged SUV appeal. The slick action of the RAV4's dashboard switches give it an air of integrity that’s missing in a Ford Kuga.

That said, there are rivals that use even more soft materials and have extra visual appeal to help them feel particularly upmarket. The Range Rover Evoque, for example, is in a different league.

"It’s pretty robust inside and the RAV4’s dashboard switches feel really slick and solid, but it’s just a bit grey in here and felt to me functional rather than plush." – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

You won’t struggle for head or leg room when sitting in the front seats of the RAV4 and it’s wide enough so you won’t be bashing elbows.

There are lots of storage options, including a cubby under the front armrest, a couple of cupholders and trays for keys or your phone in the dashboard. The door bins can hold a 500ml bottle but not much more than that.

The RAV4 is a big car, and the upshot of its size is that you won't be haunted by groans of discomfort from your back-seat passengers. There’s a generous level of head and leg room similar to what you get in a Ford Kuga.

A Honda CR-V provides a bit more leg room to stretch out while a flat floor makes it more comfortable for a middle passenger. However, it is tighter on head room than the RAV4. 

The RAV4 isn’t available as a seven-seat SUV – if you need to carry more than five people, consider the Hyundai Santa Fe or Kia Sorento.

The Toyota RAV4’s back seats recline and split 60/40 so you can fold them down. That offers some flexibility but not as much as in a VW Tiguan, which has 40/20/40 split seats. The Tiguan's seats also slide as well as recline, as do those in the Honda CR-V.

Another feature missing from the RAV4 is a set of handles in the boot to remotely fold down the rear backrests. You get these in the CR-V, Kuga, Tucson and Kia Sportage, and they’re helpful at those moments when you're at the boot and realise you need more cargo space.

Instead, you walk round, open the rear doors and release the seatbacks by pulling levers next to the rear headrests. It’s a small detail, but this sort of thing can often make all the difference.

In our tests, the RAV4’s 490 litre boot space managed to swallow eight carry-on suitcases below its load cover with the rear seats in place. That's the same as the CR-V and one more than we could squeeze in a Tucson or MG HS.

The rear backrest lies at a slight angle when folded, which isn't a big problem, but the CR-V has a flatter extended load area. There’s also some underfloor storage for the charging cables.

"In the back there's a good amount of room. This is a big car so head and leg room are decent, but I found the Tiguan is a bit more versatile with its sliding rear bench." – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

The Toyota RAV4 will cost you more to buy outright than top-spec versions of the Ford Kuga, Hyundai Tucson PHEV and VW Tiguan. The Honda CR-V costs even more. If battery range is more of a priority than outright space, there's the more affordable MG HS to consider.

Company car drivers might find the RAV4 compelling because it sits in the same BIK tax band as a CR-V and its lower P11D price will make it slightly cheaper per month on salary sacrifice. That said, because the MG HS and VW Tiguan travel even further on a charge, they're even cheaper in BIK tax terms.

You probably won't get close to the RAV4's official 282mpg fuel economy figure, but if you keep the PHEV battery charged and make mainly shorter journeys, you can reduce how often you fill up on petrol. When the battery runs down, the RAV4 reserves enough battery charge to behave like a regular hybrid so you can expect up to 50mpg with careful driving.

The PHEV's maximum charging speed is 6.6kW, so if you plug it into a home EV charger you’ll get a full charge in about two and a half hours. The Tiguan’s bigger battery takes longer to charge, but it does have a 40kW charging rate.

The RAV4's equipment levels are high, even if you stick with our preferred entry-level Design trim. That comes with adaptive cruise control, dual-zone climate control, 18in alloy wheels, heated front and rear outer seats, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, power-folding door mirrors and rear privacy glass.

The other trim, top-spec GR Sport, adds a rear armrest, part-leather upholstery, larger 19in alloy wheels and slightly different bumpers for a mildly sportier appearance. However, it costs significantly more and we don't think it's worth it.

The RAV4 performed very well in the family SUV category in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, finishing in second place out of 33 cars in the class. It was beaten by the previous generation Lexus NX but beat rivals such as the Kia Sportage and current generation NX.

Meanwhile, Toyota came an impressive fifth place out of 31 brands.

You also get Toyota’s impressive warranty – you get three years to start with, but that gets topped up by an extra year for up to 10 years or 100,000 miles if you have your RAV4 serviced at an official dealership.

The RAV4 received the full five-star rating from Euro NCAP when it was crash-tested in 2019. However, it’s hard to compare directly with newer rivals since the testing regime has become more strict.

Even so, the RAV4 comes with a long list of safety equipment, including automatic emergency braking (AEB) that reacts to pedestrians and cyclists, traffic-sign recognition, lane-keeping assistance and a driver attention monitor.

You need to head up to top-spec GR Sport trim to get blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, which warns you of approaching vehicles when you're backing out on to a road.

"I think it makes more sense to go for Design trim. Not only is it more affordable, but I don’t think the GR Sport adds anything worthwhile, even when it comes to the styling." – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

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