Toyota RAV4 (06 on) - Review

Review by David Ross on
Last Updated: 23 February 2011
The RAV4 has become one of the most successful small 4x4s since it was originally launched in 1994. So much so in fact, that it has inspired plenty of offroaders from other carmakers. With ever more competition, it has had to constantly improve and as a result it's now one of the best 4x4s on the market, helped by an excellent reputation for reliability. The engine choice is limited to one diesel and one petrol, but inside there's a neatly-styled and good quality cabin, while on the road it's refined and comfortable. Newer offroaders may be more stylish, but the RAV4 remains a great choice and one that's guaranteed to never let you down. It was upgraded in 2009 with more powerful engines and subtle exterior changes.
4 out of 5

Other Toyota reviews

3.5 out of 5

Running costs

List prices are slightly higher than those of the outgoing model but insurance groups remain as before, despite increased performance, at 11 to 13. Because of its high quality, modern looks, clean efficient engines and attractive specification, we're expecting it to hold a significantly higher percentage of its value over three years than the outgoing model and as good (or better) than any other compact 4x4 on sale today, with the exception of the BMW X3. Although it shouldn't be far behind this model either. The diesels give good, though not outstanding, fuel consumption figures, while the newer 2.0-litre Valvematic petrol is acceptable. There's a two-wheel drive version, but it's only marginally more efficient than the four-wheel drive model.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,615 - £1,980 *

Diesel

£1,335 - £1,644 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

Minor every 10,000 miles. Major every 20,000 miles.

Warranty

Three years/60,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£170.00 - £270.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

3 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
    154
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
    212
  • L
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

The RAV4 is not particularly environmentally friendly but with an average of 174g/km CO2 across the range, its emissions are fairly standard for a small 4x4. The cleanest model is the newer 2.2-litre D-4D Optimal Drive, which was introduced in May 2009. This emits 154g/km of CO2 (compared to 173g/km in the previous 2.0 D-4D) and averages 49mpg - up from 43mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2