The single most important new car of the year is almost here. It’s not going to be on teenagers’ bedroom walls, nor is it likely to go down in the Guinness Book of World Records for pushing the envelope. No, the new Toyota RAV4 is the most important car of the year because the RAV4 is the world’s new default car. A picture of the old one might as well be in the illustrated version of the Oxford English Dictionary.
These days, people want practicality, they want economy, they want reliability, and they want to sit high up. Right in the middle of all those circles sits the RAV4, a sensible car designed and engineered to make everyday people love what it does for them. Youngest child picked up a tuba? Unscheduled IKEA run after a cat-induced catastrophic Lack end table collapse? Road trip through the snow to grandma’s house? No sweat, the outgoing RAV4 handled it. Oh what a sensible feeling. With the new RAV4, the question is: Can it keep the crown of the world’s best-selling four-wheeled vehicle?
At these sort of drive events, automakers often keep one static model on display at the hotel or what have you, but that doesn’t seem to be the case here. I’m sure the new RAV4 is somewhere, probably being driven by journalists on the wave before mine. You know what is here, in the underground parking garage? The old RAV4, in all of its two-door splendor.
I mean come on, isn’t this just the neatest thing? The ’90s had its problems, but it could also be pretty great. Look at how joyous the original RAV4 looks, especially compared to the outgoing model behind it. This one’s like driving a blueberry, the sort of Richard Scarry-ass motoring future we were all promised as kids.
Ah, here’s the new RAV4. Yep, that’s definitely it, and it’s actually quite sharp in the metal. It’s still early days, but I reckon its best angle is the rear three-quarter view, where a stronger C-pillar than on the outgoing car and tail lights set into a dark full-width surround download just a hint of Land Cruiser maturity to Toyota’s most popular model. Alright, I’m still not sure how I feel about the standard model’s front-end latticework, but I have time to form a descriptive opinion.
Oh, and you know what else was in the underground parking garage? Sheer, unadulterated weirdness. It’s strange enough on it’s own that someone bought a BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo, which was a bit like an X4 in every conceivable way except for the fact that it isn’t an X4, and it’s unusual to see a Karma Revero out in the wild because I can’t imagine a re-worked Fisker Karma is a huge seller more than a decade after the original car launched, but for both to be in the same place at the same time, seemingly out of pure happenstance? I mean, their plates were from different countries. Different countries!
Truthfully, I was hoping to write more today, but I’ve suffered an extremely Autopian mishap. Since it’s getting towards the end of car season, I figured I’d roll up in my low-slung summer car. A great decision, until the glute-flex required to exit the thing tore the culo out of my jeans. For those completely unaware of how focal length works, the resulting hole is the size of a (blurry) Camry, as evidenced by this photograph.
Anyway, much to see, much to do, and I can’t actually tell you about how the new RAV4 drives for a couple weeks, but for now, what do you want to know about the most important new car of the year?
Top graphic image: Thomas Hundal
What’s with Toyota and tiny trunks?
Before the current gen RAV4, even it had minuscale trunk. Camry was just discontinued in Europe due low sales, mostly because no wagon (AWD plugin hybrid wagon camry is pretty much prefect family vehicle). The corolla wagon has decent boot, but that’s about it. And lexus is worse. I mean all crossovers have super sloped roofs and even the cargo cover area is tiny. Previous gen RX had smaller trunk than golf and it’s a behemont. And ES and GS wagons would sell like hell in my side of the pond, this class of cars still are more popular as wagons.
Probably the batteries.
Related to that, my theory is that the packaging of Toyota’s latest models was designed around the hybrids without having to change much between them and the nonhybrid. Most Toyotas come up short on interior space dimensions compared to their competitors and even their own predecessors. But, they don’t usually mean you lose a spare or have different dimensions in back like some competitors. That used to be the case for Toyota hybrids vs. non, still is with several competitors.
With RX, I don’t think it’s the batteries, even the non-plugin variants have had tiny trunks. As has had the older versions. 10cm longer rear, better roof line and boom, usable trunk.
And wagon variants are just Toyota not caring about European market.
How annoying is the new touch-based climate control going to be? Is this the moment that Toyota learns — the hard way — that you don’t make a bestselling car harder to use on a daily basis?
actually I didn’t know this was part of “the thing,” so I’m likely out. I’m about to remove that crap from my GX and….no. Dang it.
Could you see how much TSS 4.0 is improved over TSS 3.0? Are there better autonomous features?
Are the new multimedia interface and displays powered by Arene better than the legacy Toyota interface and displays? How customizable are they?
I really don’t want to know anything about it, but I have a friend who’s looking to replace her 10+ year old CR-V, so I need to know whether I should recommend this if/when she takes me up on my offer to help her car shop. Yes I’m working the long game here, but she’s kinda cute. And she smells nice.
Oh, I think you want to know everything about it :). Good luck!
Maybe she’ll want to discuss it over dinner?
Just have her drive a RAV4, CRV, and any other competitor, then buy which ever one she likes the most.
This thing is almost double the size of a 10+ year old CRV. So is the current CRV. Gotta go down a class to the Corolla Cross or Seltos to get something similar in size.
The current CRV is 2 inches wider and 5 inches longer than the 2015 model.
Not quite double the size.
My mom’s 2020 Rav4 actually feels smaller than my ’06.
I predict that the Corolla Cross will become more popular than the RAV4 as it now fills the size class that the RAV4 used to.
Can it tow a small camper? How do dogs (yes, more than one) fit into the back seat with a modern small child throne? Can the kid’s kicks be felt through the seat in front? Can a small water bottle reach the front screen when launched from the rear seat? Where are the USB ports? How dog/kid-proof is the interior? How much weight can it carry on the roof? And the most important question of all: will it let a travel tumbler full of hot coffee spill onto anyone’s lap while making an emergency maneuver?
I mean, under what conditions? What if the back seat is populated by 2 of the 4 stars of the 1990s Atlanta Braves pitching lineup? Must the bottle not reach the screen?
Think little human throw.
But it’s more amusing to think of Tom Glavine sitting back there, ready to huck a water bottle at the windscreen when you least suspect.
That would indeed be totally awesome! A way to add some suspense to a vehicle that otherwise tries really hard to fade into the background.
Is it grounded to the ground? How much more grounded is it compared to last gen?
The most important question is: Will it baby?
But the baby in question should be a sea lion. So you have to transport a baby sea lion and all its accouterments. Large ball to balance on, buckets of fish, etc.
If an actual sea lion cannot be procured, Jason Torchinsky in a sea lion costume (or even in a bunch of taped together garbage bags) will do as substitute, so long as he act sufficiently sea lion-like and only communicates in barks and grunts.
I expect a full article on this.
I think we all agree this article would make much more sense than the actual review. We can all go to Edmunds to see how it “drives” or the cubic capacity of the left front door pocket. It’s the sea lions that matter.
I hereby propose that from now on all Autopian reviews are written with some clear scenarios in mind: road trip with nine children under 6, (sperm) bank hold-up, kitchen renovation project, and of course sleeping in it and bathing in the sea on your way to an important job interview 3 travel days away.
How well does it fit a 6′ person behind a 6′ person?
I may be in the minority here, as I am with Lexus’ spindle grill, but I don’t actually mind the Toyota lattice front design treatment. I like it better than the Kia “the only thing better than too many hard angles is even more hard angles” design language. I think my only real complaint about this new Rav4 design is that it keeps the odd-shaped wheel arches of the last generation.
I want to know if it’s as ugly in person as it is in the pictures? And designers and engineers: could you please grow up and stop making cars that look like Transformers? Because that’s what you all played with and adored when you were 8 but now you’re grown up and cars don’t have to look like they’ll transform into a giant 60 foot mechanical killing machine. Bring back some style without all of the mean faces and sharp angles that look like they’re going to turn into switchblades at the least confrontation on the highway. Thanks for the rant.
Counterpoint: For the price, they really should turn into a giant 60-foot mechanical killing machine. Preferably by using a button instead of a touch screen menu.
I know that would make my commute better.
How many times did you almost fall asleep while driving it because it is so boring?
It looks like Toyota might be toning it down a bit, which is nice. The rear three quarter ain’t bad at all. The face is horrid but can’t expect too much. I can’t decide if the GM wheel arches are good or bad.
Overall it looks premium enough, especially from the rear. Based on the limited info there’s no reason to buy a entry level lux crossover from any brand over one of these. It’s probably better than a Q3 in every conceivable way.
You can fit a full size spare in the spare tire well of the current generation. Will the new one accommodate a full size spare?
When the compact CUV singularity happens when every brand’s models merges into the same vehicle except for badging and maybe 2-3 styling “cues,” do you expect then all to use the RAV4’s hybrid system?
Does it do anything better than any other brand? Why should anyone get this over any other medium 5 seat crossover? If there was a GRav4, what would power it?
I can answer these even without seeing the new one:
– Yes. Reliability and resale value
– It’s transmission will last the life of the vehicle. Parts will be cheap because they sold millions
– Tacoma I4 married to a Prime Plug in Hybrid system. 450hp AWD
That last one would be a game changer. I’d have to buy GRav4 if that were the case
I didn’t even realize they have that motor in the NX. I was mostly kidding, but maybe it’s not too far fetched.
They’re already half way there.
When the last Toyota/Lexus infotainment system launched in 2022 in the current NX, I let Toyota/Lexus know about the lack of a home button being a huge misnomer and they acted like I was insane.
Fast forward to today and the biggest upgrade to their new OS in their screens? The addition of a HOME BUTTON and HOME SCREEN.
I want to know how friggin’ useful that home setup is!
Also, for making such a huge deal about over-the-air updates, they’ve released exactly ZERO OTA updates on the current Lexus/Toyota system.
As an old guy, who has had 4 flar tires in the last 4 years ( Same 4 in the last 15+ years).
Does it have a spare tire?
when does the AWD PHEV Sienna come?
and more seriously, are they going to make enough of PHEV RAV4s this time?
This.
Instead of buying a PHEV Sienna, I would buy a 7 or 8 year old Sienna, an LC500 for the weekends, and with the money left over, a vacation for the family across Europe.
The biggest downfall of the old Rav was NVH and overall refinement – this was particularly true of the hybrid and its agricultural engine feel.
Seeing as the new ones are all hybrid, has this been fixed to a certain extent?
Building on this: the front end steering feel and bump/pothole handling were a bit flimsy in the current generation RAV. Let us know if it’s at least up to Hyundai standards this time around.
Gotta pay more and get the Lexus if you want that. I do agree with you. However everything else in the same group isn’t any better.
I can’t speak to the Rav4, but we just had a Yaris Cross hybrid as a rental and jfc that thing was loud and agricultural. I know Europe is a wildly different market but damn, it was not enjoyable in any way.
Does it go anywhere near close to being as nice as a Mazda in interior and driving experiences?
“Richard Scarry-ass motoring future” is now my favorite new design expression.
I couldn’t wait on the RAV to come out, so I ended up buying its most obvious competitor: 2022 X3. Wait, I think I’ve made a horrible mistake…
Yeah, I traded some reliability and efficiency for some RWD fun, but I’d also echo LTDScott on how this one stacks up on interior space. Headroom was a big one for me, too, and the X3 has always been about as good as any car out there for driver space (and I’m coming from a minivan).
Toyota has been stuck on the number 4 for a long time now. when is the rav 5 coming?
This is the 6th gen so it really should be the Rav6
When they get to the 10th generation I hope it’s a lithium ion battery electric called the…
RAV10LI
Ravioli, Tacos? Toyota should get into the food business!
As soon as the 5runner comes
Seems like this is related to the spare tire questions I keep seeing. If you want 5 wheels with your Rav, you gotta get the Rav5.
This is extremely minor but also very important.
Does the compartment in the front row armrest still rattle like hell?
Yes, one can fix that by buying $4 worth of tiny stick on bumper circles the diameter of a pencil eraser. But really, it should come with.
Is the front seat headroom still only adequate for sub 6-footers? I’m 6’3″ and built like an ogre but I was shocked at the lack of headroom in the front seats compared to other vehicles in its class.
To add to that, the A-Pillar to front seat was placed in such a way that everyone from my 5′-2″ mother to my 5′-10″ father frequently bumped their head while attempting ingress. Has this been fixed? How much do you have to crane your neck while getting in to the seat?
please include in your review a haiku on the feature that excites you most about this new rav4, but the feature cannot be related to fuel economy or safety
A RAV5-7-5?