2021 Toyota RAV4 review: Satisfying if not quite superb

The 2021 Toyota RAV4 is a large amount like that just one friend all people looks to have: normally there to lend a hand, supply a shoulder to cry on or clearly show up at a moment’s see if you find you in very hot drinking water at 2:00 a.m. in Tijuana. No, the RAV4 will not truly direct the compact SUV course in any just one spot, but it can be properly rounded, perfectly capable and all set to provide.

Featuring motorists a good deal of selection, three fundamental flavors of RAV4 are offered. There is certainly the typical model, an economical hybrid and then the RAV4 Primary, the plug-in hybrid variant with up to 42 miles of electric powered-only vary. The example viewed below is the most rugged of the bunch, the TRD Off-Street, which characteristics a non-hybrid drivetrain and some additional characteristics to make it perform greater out on the trail.

For 2021, the TRD Off-Street model gains a swanky stainless-steel entrance skid plate, a initially for the RAV4. This ought to support protect some of its delicates while thrashing about in the grime. This Toyota’s human body is supported by a uniquely tuned suspension, which characteristics racy-hunting pink springs that supposedly supply greater little-bump isolation on rough streets. This vehicle also offers re-valved twin-tube shock absorbers for greater human body manage about significant surface area irregularities. Furnishing and more aiding of traction is a set of Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail all-terrain tires mounted to 18-inch TRD wheels. These rubbers appear super intense but are incredibly agreeable. In truth, the TRD Off-Road’s suspension tuning is thoroughly livable, giving an impressively smooth on-pavement ride with very little tire sounds. If towing is your point, this RAV4 can drag up to 3,five hundred pounds, adequate for a pair snowmobiles or a little trailer.

My tester is also fitted with what have to be the most worthless functioning boards in automotive historical past. The RAV4 sits very low adequate that they’re entirely unwanted. Building matters worse, these things are certain to get in the way while off-roading, additionally they stick out far adequate to streak your pant legs with whatsoever slop you past drove via. But here is the kicker: All this additional inconvenience expenditures an more $549.

Get past all those optional functioning boards and you can find this SUV’s inside is properly developed and the in general style is effortless on the eyes, without the need of any frou-frou add-ons or unwanted sculpting. Mazda’s CX-5 is evidently extra upscale and the Honda CR-V’s cabin is nicer, way too, but there is certainly no lack of delicate resources in this Toyota and I adore the racy-hunting pink stitching that runs across the dashboard, doorway panels and seats. This is complemented by crimson accents about the cup holders and offered wireless charging plate as properly as on the rubber ground mats.

An 8-inch touchscreen is perched on the dashboard the place it can be effortless to achieve and see (reduced trims function a 7-incher). However, this screen is residence to an out-of-date infotainment procedure which is complicated to use and fairly unattractive. But hey, at minimum Apple CarPlay, Android Car and Amazon Alexa are all supported. I appreciate the rubbery temperature- and audio-manage knobs, which truly feel terrific in my arms, but some of the other HVAC buttons are a little bit way too little to simply see while driving. Past all that, this RAV4 also characteristics the $1,620 Top quality Audio package, which includes an eleven-speaker JBL audio procedure, embedded navigation and a handful of other goodies.

As in other Toyotas, the RAV4’s again-up digicam is poor, giving a very low-resolution picture of what is at the rear of you. The $1,950 TRD Off-Street Technology Package includes a 360-diploma digicam procedure, which is valuable, but just as gritty hunting. This solutions team contains other goodies, way too, like a digital rear-look at mirror, parking sensors, a wireless charging plate and extra, so it is worthy of the more outlay even if the digicam procedure is merely so-so.

The RAV4’s entrance chairs are supportive and cozy, aiding supply a superior look at of the highway forward. This SUV’s backseat is also roomy, with a good deal of place for knees and noggins, while the rear cushion is just a tad way too very low for it to be thoroughly accommodating. Also, the again doorway openings are slim, so it can be complicated to accessibility the rear accommodations.

This example’s broad, energy-opening hatch would make it a snap to accessibility the cargo hold, which gives 37.5 cubic-toes of storage house at the rear of the rear backrests or sixty nine.8 cubes with them folded down. That’s extra house than you get in a CX-5 or Ford Escape, but all those scores do slide a bit at the rear of the capacious CR-V.

The RAV4 is propelled by a common drivetrain, just one employed to terrific advantage throughout Toyota’s automotive empire. Nestled concerning this SUV’s entrance fenders is a normally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder that provides a reasonable 203 horsepower and 184 pound-toes of torque. The engine is backed by an eight-velocity automated transmission that is, for the most portion, rapid-witted and smooth, while at times gearchanges can truly feel a little bit uneven. The overall performance this powertrain provides is perfectly wonderful unladen, the RAV4 has no trouble receiving up to highway velocity. Really, I have no issues about this SUV’s get-up-and-go, fairly, I am not a huge lover of its refinement. The engine is gruff sounding when on the boil and sometimes you truly feel uncouth vibrations.

But hey, at minimum the RAV4 is economical. TRD Off-Street styles arrive with torque-vectoring all-wheel drive, a function that ought to make them fairly capable very little mountain goats. Irrespective of the additional pounds and friction of four-corner traction, this SUV is rated at twenty five mpg town, 32 mpg highway and 28 mpg merged. In blended (while primarily highway) driving, I am averaging about 31.5 mpg, which is, frankly, stellar for a vehicle this tall fitted with these intense tires. 

At interstate speeds a little bit of wind sounds would make its existence recognized, but this is rarely objectionable. The RAV4’s ride is primarily supple and the brake pedal feels superior beneath your tootsies. This vehicle’s steering is crisp and rapid, but a tad way too gentle for my style and the wheel’s rim is practically dainty its cross-section is so little.

Encouraging continue to keep the RAV4 shiny aspect up, Toyota Safety Feeling 2. is typical fare on each 2021 model. This suite of driver aids includes lane-departure warning, automated large beams, highway-indication recognition and extra. The headline characteristics, while, are adaptive cruise manage and lane centering. Together, these two facilities make extended highway drives a breeze, retaining the vehicle from wandering and simply matching the velocity of surrounding visitors.

Holding speed with rival SUVs, an entry-amount, entrance-drive 2021 Toyota RAV4 commences at 27 grand and change which include $1,one hundred seventy five in place expenses. As it sits, the loaded TRD Off-Street model viewed below checks out for $42,622. That determine includes a range of solutions like the Off-Street Weather conditions Package ($1,015), the Top quality Audio solutions team ($1,620), the TRD Off-Street tech pack ($1,950), doorway sill guards ($140), mud flaps ($129) and, yes, all those silly functioning boards ($549).

With additional capacity and commendable refinement, the RAV4 TRD Off-Street is a likable SUV. I nonetheless favor the CX-5, which feels substantially extra high quality and I consider the CR-V is possibly a little bit extra practical, but as normally, the at any time-well known RAV4 stays an exceptional selection.