Toyota RAV4 Review

[Ntgthegamer]

The fifth-generation Toyota RAV4 is the safest, roomiest and most technically advanced to date – and has the option of hybrid power for the first time. Twenty-five years ago you could count the number of ‘soft-roaders’ on one hand. Now the market is crammed with more than two dozen choices. Indeed, for the past two years Australians have bought more SUVs than passenger cars – and the gap is widening. Buyers prefer the tall seating position to better see the road ahead. It’s also easier to get the little ones in and out of the back seat of an SUV. And easier for mature-age drivers to get in the front seat if their hips are knackered. The cargo areas are generally larger and more flexible than sedans and hatches. Plus the macho looks of SUVs tell the neighbours you can escape the rat race whenever you want – even when you’re stuck in the same traffic jam as everyone else. In less than two decades we’ve gone from protests against SUVs on the streets of Los Angeles and Paris, to buying them in record numbers globally. Against this backdrop Toyota has turned out a new version of its RAV4, one of the pioneers of the segment when it launched the original in 1994. After dominating for the first decade it has faced stiff competition in recent years, and now ranks third in po[CENSORED]rity Down Under despite posting record sales. When car companies launch a completely new model they initially sell on looks alone and then meter out extra features over the following five or six years as the vehicle ages. But those days are gone and most leading brands now come out swinging with a fully loaded car from the get-go. Which is why the Toyota RAV4 is well-equipped even in its most basic guise. Toyota’s complete suite of advanced safety technology is standard on all grades. It includes autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control that maintains a gap to the car ahead, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert for shopping centre car parks, speed-sign recognition and a rear-view camera. The safety list goes on – and a five-star rating is expected – although it lacks rear autonomous braking available on the Mazda CX-5 and Nissan X-Trail. For the first time, the RAV4 has the option of hybrid power. Indeed, six of the 11 models in the line-up are petrol-electric versions with better economy than the now-discontinued diesel. The new RAV4 is also the first Toyota in Australia with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, although unfortunately it’s not available until late 2019. Cars delivered before then will have the technology “retro-fitted” free of charge. For those with young families there are two ISOFIX child seat points and three top tether latches across the back seat. The boot is among the biggest in its class (580L), and cabin roominess has improved even though it’s slightly shorter bumper-to-bumper than before. All models – petrol or hybrid – can run on 91 regular unleaded, a rarity among new cars these days. For all its merit, however, it’s worth noting the RRP has gone up by $1200 on certain models – and advertised drive-away prices have shot up by $3000 on some of the most po[CENSORED]r variants. As a quick recap, the base model Toyota RAV4 GX 2.0-litre petrol with automatic transmission has been $32,990 drive-away for the past 12 months. But the same variant in the new generation RAV4 range is priced from $32,640 plus on-road costs, which equates to approximately $35,990 drive-away. The cheapest ticket into a RAV4 hybrid is the front-drive GX hybrid at $35,140 plus on-roads, or approximately $38,000 drive-away. The all-wheel-drive RAV4 GX hybrid (using two electric motors to assist front and rear wheels) starts from $38,140 plus on-roads, or approximately $41,000 drive-away. The sole petrol all-wheel-drive petrol is the top-of-the-range Edge – with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder paired to an eight-speed auto – priced from $47,140 plus on-road costs, or a snip over $50,000 drive-away.