Toyota RAV4 Review (2013-2019)

What is the Toyota RAV4?

There’s a legitimate argument that Toyota’s RAV4 was the car that created the current trend for road-focused SUVs. The original RAV4, released back in 1994, made the utilitarian 4x4 suddenly appeal to the common people.

It was spacious, comfortable and at least gave the impression that you could leave the tarmac and head into the wilderness if you wanted to. Even if most people didn’t. Toyota sold millions of them, and continues to do with the fifth-generation model, introduced in 2019.

How practical is it?

Fast forward to 2012, and the fourth generation of the RAV4 was unveiled, going on sale in the UK early in 2013. The new RAV4 was longer and wider than the model it replaced, but lower to give more purposeful, sporty styling.

Nevertheless, it had more space and practicality, an upgraded quality of interior materials and more efficient petrol and diesel engine options. Some would suggest that the interior perhaps isn’t as plush as some of the rivals, but it’s still pretty decent.

And you’ll get a lot of stuff inside, with plenty of head- and legroom for passengers both front and back, lots of boot space – 547 litres in conventional models and 501 litres in the hybrid – and even more cargo capacity if you fold the rear seats down (1,735 litres or 1,633 in the hybrid).

What's it like to drive?

On the road, things are… fine. We’d be stretching the point if we said it was good to drive, because there are rivals that are both more comfortable and more engaging behind the wheel, but if such things don’t particularly bother you then you shouldn’t be offended by what the RAV4 has to offer.

The ride is on the firm side, the steering’s a bit vague and, if you have one of the CVT automatic transmissions, it’s quite noisy under acceleration. But when you’re cruising on an A-road or motorway, it’s much more refined and well-behaved. It’s a good long-distance car.

The choice of RAV4 on the used market is rather varied, not least because the trim levels kept changing. Early cars in 2013 were available in three trims, with a choice of two diesel engines and a petrol model, all with front-wheel drive only.

Technology, equipment & infotainment

The Icon trim features standard equipment that included 18-inch wheels and a touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, rear-view camera and DAB radio (in the Active, you had to make do with just Bluetooth or a USB slot if you wanted your own music). The Icon also got upgraded aircon, cruise control and an electric boot lid. The top-spec model was the Invincible, which had heated, leather-covered front seats, keyless entry and start and rear parking sensors.

A new Design trim was introduced. It featured 18-inch black alloys, LED headlights, leather and Alcantara upholstery and heated front seats with electric adjustment. Now the structure went Icon, Icon Tech (you guessed it, an Icon with satnav), Design and Excel. The first two were front-wheel drive only, while the Design and Excel were both available with all-wheel drive.

Available engines include a 2.0-litre VVT-i petrol with 149bhp that, unless you’re set on petrol power, we’d avoid as it’s got less grunt than the hybrid or diesel models, and worse fuel economy. The 2.0-litre diesel engine on early cars has 122bhp, while a new version was introduced in 2015 with 141bhp. The Rav4 hybrid was introduced at the same time, mixing a 2.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor, producing a combined 195bhp, initially just with four-wheel drive, but later with front-wheel drive, too. Popular as it is, it’s actually the worst to drive because it’s considerably heavier than the other versions, thanks to all that electric gubbins inside.

Toyota RAV4 running costs

If you want the best fuel economy, go for the newer diesel engine, which has an official fuel economy of 60.1mpg, compared to the earlier, less powerful diesel with only 53.5mpg. The hybrid model will return 57.6mpg in front-wheel drive form, 55.4mpg with all-wheel drive, while the petrol model manages 42.5mpg.

When it comes to vehicle excise duty (VED), your annual costs will depend on when your car was registered. If it was after 1 April 2017, you’ll pay a flat rate of £150 or £140 for the hybrid. Earlier models, though, are taxed based on CO2 emissions, and will cost £125 or £150 a year for the diesel models, £205 a year for the petrol or just £20 a year for the hybrids.

Parts and servicing costs are very reasonable, even at main dealers. Toyota offers fixed-price servicing deals for its models, which means you could get it looked after by a dealer for £190 for an intermediate service or £340 for a full service. If the car you buy is older than five years, you can join the Toyota 5- Club, which gives you 20% off servicing and MOTs. However, it may be worth looking at independent or specialist mechanics that will likely be considerably cheaper. Services are due every year or 10,000 miles.

Toyota RAV4 reliability

Toyota has an excellent reputation for reliability, scoring very well in most independent reliability and ownership surveys. Most used Toyota RAV4s should give you very few problems; we’ve struggled to find many reports of serious issues.

It’s worth keeping an eye out for bodywork damage on all-wheel drive models in case they’ve been driven off-road, so make sure you have a look underneath as well as the bodywork.

There have been a few recalls on the RAV4, and you’ll need to check with a Toyota dealer that remedial work has been carried out if the car you’re looking at was affected. Issues that needed addressing included incorrectly tightened injectors in the engine and the same issue on turbocharger bolts, as well as a risk of fuel leaks.