Fun, practical, efficient, and loaded are words I can use to
describe the Rav 4’s I got to test drive recently. The compact SUV
market is one of the most competitive, with nearly every
manufacturer having an offering. The Rav 4 was newly refreshed and
enters the arena, bigger than before with ton of options, and
Toyota’s trademark reliability. I drove the 4 cylinder and 6
cylinder models and found them both to be efficient and durable
haulers of light duty items. For a family of 4 traveling on
vacation both power trains of the Rav 4 would have no problems
carrying luggage and seating the family comfortably. Though not as
luxurious as some other compact SUV’s I have drive the Rav 4 had a
back up camper that is integrated in the rear view mirror, touch
screen navigation, a premium sound system, in dash 6 disk changer,
push button ignition, 4 wheel drive system, alloy wheels,
integrated buttons on the steering wheel, and many others. I drove
the Limited trim in both and boy can they move. A 2.5 L 4 cylinder
is the base engine and it develops 179hp with 172lb-ft of torque.
The V6 has the same 3.5 L 6 with 269 hp and 246 lb-ft of torque
found through Toyotas product lines but the 6 is capable of towing
up to 3500lbs! Fuel efficiency is 22city /28 highway in the 4 and
21 city/ 26 highway in the 6 cylinder model. The 4 cylinder had a 4
speed automatic, while the 5 had a 5 speed, both have the manual
shift option. Base pricing in a Rav 4 is $21,500 with the limited
4X4 starting at $25,880 for the 4 cylinder and $27,810 for the 6.
There are a variety of configurations possible suitable to each
individuals needs. The Rav 4 is at dealerships, you can visit
www.toyota.com for more
information.
