Toyota RAV4

Toyota RAV4 Models

All Toyota RAV4s are four-doors, and the only two models are the 2WD and 4WD. There is only one engine, an all-aluminum, 16-valve, dohc inline four-cylinder with variable valve timing, displacing 2.0 liters and producing 148 horsepower, an increase of 21 horsepower. Two transmissions are available, a five-speed manual and a four-speed electronically controlled automatic.

Driving the Toyota RAV4

This new engine is a winner. No surprise, given Toyota's track record-witness everything from the 1.5-liter Echo to the V8 Tundra to the 900-horsepower CART champ car engine. It's the same 2.0 liters as the previous generation RAV4 powerplant, but because it's all aluminum it weighs 40 less pounds. It's also more efficient, delivering 23/27 mpg, best in class.

It makes 148 horsepower (up by 21) and 142 foot pounds of torque (up by 10). It revs higher than the old engine, with the power peak coming at 6000 rpm as opposed to 5400, but because you get more torque at lower rpm (4000 vs. 4600), it's considerably less peaky and thus easier to drive. This also makes it way better for towing.

Acceleration in the 4WD with automatic transmission is lively and feels almost effortless, as if the 2943-pound vehicle were featherweight. The final drive ratio of this vehicle is 3.29, as opposed to 3.12 on the 2777-pound 2WD, so the 2WD (front-wheel drive) should feel about the same.

The water-cooled, electronically controlled, four-speed automatic transmission fully complements the smoothness of the engine. Every shift felt seamless, as you might expect in a sedan costing $10,000 more. The transmission never strained to stay with the power-well, maybe once, travelling up a long freeway hill with the cruise control set on 74 mph. When it shifted down into third there was a big gulp, like the little engine that paused to say, "I think I can." And it did.

Around-town handling and parking-lot maneuvering is wonderfully nimble; again, the Toyota RAV4 feels even lighter than its 2943 pounds. On the highway, the power rack-and-pinion steering is precise, with no dodginess; the stretched wheelbase likely contributes to the improvement here. In gusty winds, however, the RAV4 wanders quite a bit.

There's little that's truck-like about the suspension. The independent front suspension uses MacPherson struts with L-shaped control arms, while the rear suspension is a double wishbone with coil springs and nitrogen-filled shock absorbers. The redesign includes softer spring rates, larger bushings and a longer suspension stroke. Chassis and suspension take bumps with equanimity, and offer a ride as good or better than many larger SUVs. Maybe even more impressively, there's no detectable pitching or tipping, which is no mean feat for any SUV.