CAR GAZING
An SUV for everyman
Toyota RAV4 is fitting for many occasions
By Derek Price
Every morning I wake up and wear the exact same thing I did the day before: khaki pants and a shirt.
It's not the same khaki pants and shirt I wore the day before, of course, but it's the exact same style. Sometimes I'll shake things up by adding a tie for workdays and a sport coat for fancy occasions, or maybe put on a baseball cap if it's a Saturday. But I always start with the same blank canvas of khaki pants and a shirt.
It's not because I particularly like khakis. It's because, like a lot of guys, I have the exact same fashion sense as a gnat.
It's no wonder, then, that I feel so comfortable driving a Toyota.
They're automotive Dockers.
You really can't go wrong buying a Toyota because, while they're not flashy with the latest leading-edge design, you know they're going to work every single day. And you certainly won't have to risk making a fool of yourself.
Thus it is with the Toyota RAV4, a compact SUV that fits every occasion.
The RAV4 has been around a long time, but the latest version has grown so big and refined that it doesn't have much in common with its predecessors. It has three rows of seats – although the back one is really only for kids – and a handsome body that seems neither too contemporary nor too out-of-date. It fits just right.
It also has a just-right driving feel.
The RAV4 sits up high, so it gives the driver the same vantage point they'd get from a traditional SUV. It's built on a car platform, though, so it has a nice, smooth ride and quiet, tight-feeling cabin.
You can opt for a V6 that feels remarkably truck-like in its power output, if not its roughness. It has a raspy, Louis Armstrong exhaust note that grunts as it makes 269 horsepower, which is plenty for a vehicle this size. Better yet, the V6 gets the same gas mileage as many of its competitors' four-cylinder engines.
Inside, you'll find all the standard features you'd expect from Toyota. Even the base model has power windows and locks, keyless entry, cruise control and a tilt/telescoping steering wheel. More expensive models can add things like a navigation system and dual-zone automatic climate control.
Unfortunately, the materials in the RAV4's cabin feel cheap. You can get a more upscale looking interior in a lot of Korean cars, although the build quality in this Toyota seems as solid as ever.
Speaking of solid, the RAV4 performed well in government crash tests.
It earned five stars for driver protection in front-impact crashes and also got the top ranking for side impacts.
Pricing starts at $21,500 for the base model and reaches all the way to $27,810 for the all-wheel-drive Limited version with a V6.
(Derek Price is a newspaper editor and freelance writer living in Texas.)
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