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Small SUVs
- Best compact SUV overall 2011 Chevrolet Equinox *Est. $22995
- Sportiest compact SUV 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan *Est. $23720
- Best small luxury SUV 2012 Audi Q5 *Est. $35200
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- Optional third-row seat
- Powerful but economical V-6 option
- Fun to drive
- Refinement
- Cargo room
- Some interior details and ergonomics
- Four-cylinder engine lacks power and is noisy
- Only a four-speed automatic with base engine
- Torque steer in V-6 two-wheel-drive models
- Touchy throttle response with V-6
Reviewers readily praise the Toyota RAV4, saying it's affordable, fun to drive, refined and offers good utility. A third-row seat is optional, as is a powerful V-6 engine that gives up very little in terms of fuel economy to the base four-cylinder. Opting for the V-6 also increases the fun-to-drive quotient, say critics. Although the competing 2008 Honda CR-V *Est. $20,700 to $28,400 gets reviews on par with the RAV4, the CR-V doesn't even offer a V-6 engine. Interior comfort is said to be good, and most reviews give the passenger cabin good marks. In some instances, however, testers take issue with interior materials and cabin ergonomics. Other reviews report no such problems.
Base power in the Toyota RAV4 comes from a 166-horsepower four-cylinder that's mated to a four-speed automatic transmission, delivering an EPA-rated 21 mpg city and 27 mpg highway. Critics note that the optional V-6 gets essentially the same fuel economy while adding more than 100 more horsepower and a five-speed automatic transmission. The six-cylinder is viewed as the better, more-refined engine. As with most competitors in the compact SUV segment, the Toyota RAV4 is available with front- or all-wheel drive.
Edmunds.com provides a detailed review that covers the Toyota RAV4 in depth and compares it with the Honda CR-V and Nissan Rogue. Consumer Reports magazine puts the RAV4 on its list of top picks for 2008, and Car and Driver magazine counts it among its five best trucks in 2008. ConsumerGuide.com says it's "recommended," and comparison tests are found at Cars.com and Car and Driver magazine.
Our Sources
1. Edmunds.com
Edmunds.com feels the Toyota RAV4 is comfortable, roomy and practical. Editors reserve the most praise for the RAV4's powerful V-6 engine, which boasts fuel-economy numbers equal to four-cylinder-powered rivals.
Review: 2008 Toyota RAV4 Review, Editors of Edmunds.com
2. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
Editors at Consumer Reports test most 2008 SUVs, including the Toyota RAV4. Ratings are assigned in a number of standard performance areas, but Consumer Reports' main value may be its data on reliability, repairs and overall customer satisfaction.
Review: Top Picks 2008, Editors of Consumer Reports, Apr. 2008
3. Car and DriverDetails/Subscribe
The Toyota RAV4 follows up its 2007 Car and Driver 5 Best Trucks award by making the list again for 2008. Editors claim the RAV4 is fun to drive and is priced right, but they also note that the third-row seat is small and that front-drive V-6 models exhibit torque steer.
Review: Five Best Trucks, Tony Swan
4. Car and DriverDetails/Subscribe
Car and Driver compares nine economical, compact four-wheel-drive SUVs. The four-cylinder Toyota RAV4 wins, earning praise for its practicality, good fuel economy and comfortable seats. Reviewers are less happy with the test vehicle's four-speed transmission and noisy engine.
Review: 2008 Toyota RAV4 vs. Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Ford Escape and Five More Compact SUVs, John Phillips
5. Cars.com
Cars.com compares the 2008 Nissan Rogue, 2008 Saturn Vue and 2007 Toyota RAV4 side-by-side for such criteria as gas mileage, cargo space, ride and handling. The Toyota RAV4 is not the winner of this comparison, but its powertrain and overall refinement garner praise from editors.
Review: Cars.comparison: Small SUVs, Take II, Mike Hanley, David Thomas and Joe Wiesenfelder
Consumer Guide gives a "Recommended" rating to the 2008 Toyota RAV4. Editors say the base four-cylinder engine is underpowered, but they are impressed by the optional V-6. Refinement, handling and cargo space are good, but the headliner and glove box lid are singled out as low points.
Review: 2008 Toyota RAV4, Editors of ConsumerGuide.com, Sept. 16, 2008
7. Car and DriverDetails/Subscribe
In Car and Driver's 2008 buying guide, editors describe the RAV4 as a smooth driver and praise its refinement, overall utility and interior space. They find the Toyota's V-6 engine to have a touchy throttle, however, and feel there are some problems with interior ergonomics.
Review: 2008 Toyota RAV4, Editors of Car and Driver
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