MT GARAGE
Verdict: 2019 Toyota RAV4 “After one year, did the Toyota SUV live up to its reputation for reliability?” Kelly Lin
Base price $29,945 As tested $31,509
SPECS Option Convenience package ($1,295: 8-way power driver's seat w/ lumbar support; heated front seats; power liftgate), carpet mat package ($269) Problem areas None Maintenance cost $56.95 (2- inspection; oil change) Normal wear Cost $0 3-year residual value* $22,400 (71%) Recalls None *IntelliChoice data; assumes 42,000 miles at the end of three years
Service life: 13 mo/17,906 mi Avg Econ/CO2 26.9 mpg/0.72 lb/mi s America’s best-selling SUV, it doesn’t get any more bread-andbutter than the Toyota RAV4. Toyota sold more than 448,000 copies in the U.S. last year, far surpassing sales of the Honda CR-V and other rivals. We knew it wouldn’t be the most exciting vehicle to grace the MotorTrend garage, but we had high expectations for our year with Toyota’s small SUV. Would its competency match its popularity? It wouldn’t be an easy feat. Our RAV4 exuded a certain charm when it arrived at our headquarters in El Segundo, California. It showed up on our doorstep with an enigmatic Lunar Rock paint color. Is it blue, green, or gray? We’ll never be quite sure. Where other small crossovers have comically rounded
A
80 MOTORTREND.COM FEBRUARY 2021
features, the RAV4 has a chiseled face and a boxier body that harkens back to the era of traditional body-on-frame SUVs. Step inside, and you’ll find a simple yet stylish interior. We immediately noticed the fun geometric pattern on the seats, storage cubbies, and other areas. Initially, we thought the slanted door handles were edgy but not very practical. It didn’t take long to get used to them, though. It was a little harder adjusting to the doors not opening as wide as we’d like. This design
OUR RAV4 EXUDED A CERTAIN CHARM THAT HARKENS BACK TO THE ERA OF TRADITIONAL BODY-ON-FRAME SUVS. made it a little inconvenient to load and unload cargo into the back seat. Perhaps of bigger significance is the SUV’s comfortable upholstery, which held up well over a year hauling friends, family, and weekend gear. Even now, the seats look mostly new. Priced at $31,509, our Toyota RAV4 came with all the things we needed. It’s an XLE, the volume model. One step up from the base LE trim, it’s nothing fancy. The bread and butter of the bread and butter gets standard features including a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, six speakers, a power moonroof, keyless entry and ignition, and dual-zone automatic climate control. We felt safe with the RAV4’s generous list of standard safety features. Our model also has the XLE Convenience package, bringing heated front seats, an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support, and an adjustable power tailgate. Notably missing from the list of goodies is Android Auto. In fact, this feature is not available on any 2019 RAV4. Toyota remedied this on later models, but it was a huge inconvenience during our time with the SUV. Not being able to select our favorite playlists from the central touchscreen made it difficult
After a year of use, the interior looks pretty much brand new. It held up well and shows no signs of wear, and we still appreciate the patterned seats and ample storage.
