2013 Toyota RAV4 Road Test
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2013 Toyota RAV4 Road Test
Toyota's redesigned RAV4, the original crossover SUV, is all-new for 2013. We test it to see if it's once again a class leader.
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I still think the current RAV4 is the best CUV around for my particular wants & needs. If they simply would have upgraded the interior materials, added a bit more thigh support to the front seats, and slapped that 6-spd auto in there, it would be nearly perfect. This new one seems like more of a lateral move than a clear improvement.
All Toyotas are boring appliances and this will likely be no different. I expect to see it near the bottom of the next small SUV comparo like the Camry was near the bottom of a recent midsize sedan comparo.
I'm glad they finally realized that people drive on different sides of the road in different places. That side-hinged rear door made curb-side loading a real pain.
Shocked at the cost cutting on the inside materials. The thin carpeting, the seating materials.
Ride also seemed noisy, and the center console is not very useful. When compared to the CR-V center console, it would be difficult to compromise all that storage the CR-V gives.
Not a bad remake, still good competition for the other cuv's. I would probably buy the manufacturer that offers a six speed manual.
The Rav4 also has the most airbags and cargo room in the class, so I expect that to come up when a dealer shows you the car.
The old rear door cost it some sales, I'm sure. And no one was buying the V6 anyway, and a V6 never slowed the CRV sales train down one iota.
Toyota may not take over the class with this, but it will take market share back. Don't even think about it.
I've driven ALL the competitors and the CR-V is decent, but still 'Honda-noisy' and the CX-5 is not even a consideration until it gets the new SkyActiv 2.5L later in the year. It gets worse mileage than it should because you are always wooding the accelerator pedal.
We ended up buying a Tiguan SEL as it was simply a class up from the CR-Vs etc from a couple grand more in the real world market value.
So glad I purchased a new 2012 Limited V6. It's fast, agile, rides comfortably, does well on fuel and I've not found any defects in the manufacturing. A plus is the P225/65R17 tires - makes a lot more sense than the faddish, impractical 18's.
It's actually fun to drive with a 6,400rpm redline. It's so engaging I wish it had a heads-up display and paddle shifters!
One thing I don't like is the constant bonging/warning noises for everything, and that the customer can't disable same. The dealer, for a charge, can disable only some of the annoyances. I need a wiring diagram to disable all I don't like.
But if you are dreaming about a real off-road, get the Rubicon.
But for my wife, we are getting the 2013 one :-) 3rd Toyota in the house. By the way. I had to repare my 94MR2 only once in 18 years and the 4Runner also once in 8 years. Both under $1k. Think about it. Everyone, have a nice day.
The new RAV4 looks radically better than the last generation. Between the wheel hanging off the back door and the rear squareness of an '80s Volvo, my wife's 2009 RAV4 looks like something your 60+ Aunt Clara would drive when viewed from the rear. It looks a LOT more classy and refined from the side, giving it a weird duality depending on the angle that you're looking at it. My wife's 2009 RAV is a great vehicle, fun as heck to drive, and hasn't had the slightest hint of any mechanical or electrical problems, it just looks funny from the back.
I think Toyota really did well by abandoning the side-opening rear door. And if you are going to have a side-opening rear door, why on earth would you make it open toward the street instead of the curb? That's nutty. The side opening hatch was a a good experiment and scores points for somebody looking sor something different, but the vertical gate is a lot better and the side-opener became a good example of what not to do. Good on Toyota for putting it out of its misery.
For the guy complaining about the cost of $31K, I challenge you to find a vehicle with the RAV4 Limited's features for under $35K. OK, I found ONE: the Kia Soul !, fully loaded. Nice vehicle on the inside, downright embarrassing on the outside. I'm 43 years old, married, and have a kid. I've been nowhere near cool and happenin' for 15 years, and I wouldn't be caught dead in a Soul (a.k.a. The Witch Car).
As for the reviewer that claims that head room in the front in back is worse: it's lower by an inch and I can't believe it would make a difference unless you're in the NBA. My sitting height is 95th percentile at least. When I'm on an airplane, I can look cleanly over everybody's head. I can't just lean my head back and relax in the airplane chair like 99% of the population, my head flops back on top of the seat. I have to have a neck pillow. My point? I've never had problems with head room in the 2009 RAV4 or the 2013 RAV4, period, end of story. And I'm the guy who was really interested in the Nissan Xterra, attempted to test drive one, and couldn't even get out of the parking lot because the bottom of the raised sunshade was 2 inches BELOW my eye-level with the seat fully lowered. I have that problem with a lot of vehicles.
My only gripe: the got rid of the V6. The 4 cylinder is great around town but it's not my friend on a road trip. When I'm at highway speed on cruise control, the slightest up-slope causes the engine to kick down a gear and rev like you pounded your foot into it. It's jarring. I'd rather lose 5 MPH than hear what sounds like a lawnmower being red-lined to destruction. Going up a mountain pass or doing rolling hills would get real old real fast. The V6 purrs like a kitten when you're going up a 12% grade, I'll take the 2 MPG penalty (considering what you're paying for the car itself, the license, the insurance, the maintenance, etc., people get WAY too wrapped around the axle when it comes to gas mileage; if you're being socially conscious, alright, whatever; from the standpoint of cost, get a grip). Getting rid of the V6 was a mistake.