Skip to main content

First drive: 2014 Toyota Rav4 Limited review

The RAV4 shows off Toyota’s practical side. However, it does so to a detriment, leaving very little room for anything fun or exciting.

A few weeks back I drove the Toyota Highlander. While it’s not the sort of vehicle that inspires feelings of passion, it represents everything that Toyota does well. Unfortunately, I moved from the Highlander to the RAV4. And the RAV4, I discovered, is a living, breathing example of some of Toyota’s worst qualities.

Still, no matter how long its litany of sins, the RAV4 is still a Toyota, which means it is at least a very practical way to move the people and things you can convince to ride in it.

The thrill is gone

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t think to spend more than a couple of minutes on performance when it comes to small crossovers. It is not a class of vehicles where fun is a tent-pole of the design process, but fun is precisely what the RAV4 used to be. The third generation possessed an optional and hilariously overpowered 3.5-liter V6 capable of stunning feats of straight-line speed.

Sadly, practicality has won out and the RAV4 now wades into battle with decidedly damp power. Now, the only engine offered is a 2.5-liter 176-horsepower four-cylinder.

Sadly, practicality has won out and the RAV4 now wades into battle with decidedly damp power.

As uninspiring as this sounds, the reality underwhelms even more. The RAV4 may manage a 0 to 60 sprint in around 8.0 seconds, but it does so in buzzy and lifeless style. Activating Sport mode helps the matter a little and highlights the cars one performance bright spot: a smooth-shifting six-speed automatic.

As for handling, let’s just say that the RAV4 doesn’t. Oh, it turns and changes direction just fine. However, thanks to completely lifeless electric power steering, the driver’s only clue about what’s happening is whatever they can see out the windows.

It’s not like Toyota has compromised performance to produce a quiet, smooth ride. The RAV4’s suspension isn’t terrible but the ride is surprisingly rough on bad pavement. Road noise is also an issue; on the highway it’s loud enough that people on the other end of the hands-free phone system can’t understand the driver’s voice.

The best box on wheels

Even if the RAV4 is lifeless and joyless as a driver’ car it is at least a supremely practical box. Toyota made this car’s name on being the most efficient use of space possible and that is still true.

Other crossovers shudder at the RAV4’s packaging and load space. With the backseats down, there is a simply huge amount of load space. So much so that the load floor of my editor’s GMC Yukon press demonstrator looked small by comparison.

2014 Toyota Rav4 Limted left side

With the rear seats up in the RAV4, there is room for three actual adults in the back row, something that can’t be said of essentially any of the RAV4’s competitors.

Toyota’s design department has not extended the same courtesy to the front row passenger, as a stylish lip protruding from the dash cuts into front seat legroom.

On the top of the line Limited edition I tested, the seats weren’t just large, but also very comfortable. The leather was of a surprisingly high quality, considering the RAV4’s modest $32,000 price tag. They provided excellent support to boot.

The Limited model also comes with the top-end Entune infotainment system. Though, it unfortunately makes due with a frustrating 6.1-inch screen.

The same cannot be said for all of the trim. The base RAV4 starts at just $23,550 and some of that budget mindedness is present in the interior. For instance, the plastic shift gate is flimsy enough that it can be depressed a full inch with one finger.

Still, despite the cheapness, the RAV4 probably has the best laid out, most practical interior in the segment.

A mixed bag

Ultimately, I found the RAV4 very frustrating. Then again I am not the car’s target customer. Its lifeless driving experience just isn’t that relevant to the people buying a small crossover. So while it is difficult for me to overlook what feels like a lazy effort on that front, it isn’t what defines the RAV4.

Looking past the driving experience to the practical side of things, the RAV4 does have a lot to offer. It offers massive interior room and an unbeatable amount of cargo space. If, like most drivers, you have large dogs or kids or both, these things matter far more than an exhilarating sprint to 60 mph.

For those of us who don’t hate fun, but still need something with a whiff of practicality there is always the Subaru Forester XT.

Highs

  • Comfortable seating
  • Massive cargo space
  • Large back seat

Lows

  • Lackluster performance
  • Uneven interior quality
  • Uncomfortable and load ride

Editors' Recommendations

Peter Braun
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Peter is a freelance contributor to Digital Trends and almost a lawyer. He has loved thinking, writing and talking about cars…
Toyota aims to turn its grocery-getter RAV4 into a genuine off-roader
2020 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road

Previous

Next

Read more
The 2019 Toyota RAV4 doesn’t mess with a successful formula
2019 Toyota RAV4

The Toyota RAV4 ended 2017 as America's fourth best-selling vehicle, ahead of the Nissan Rogue and right behind pickup trucks from Detroit's Big Three. Toyota wants to keep the momentum going by introducing the all-new 2019 RAV4 at the upcoming New York Auto Show.

Right-sized and loaded with useful tech features, the family-friendly RAV4 has gone through four generations since the original model made its American debut in 1995. To add context, the current RAV4 went on sale in 2012, and Toyota updated it in 2015. We expect the firm won't stray too far from the formula that has made the nameplate a success for over two decades. The king of compact crossovers will continue to offer value and peace of mind above all; don't expect it to suddenly place a huge focus on off-road prowess, luxury, or performance.

Read more
2018 Toyota RAV4: Release date, price, specs, and features
RAV4 snags the crown as the top-selling crossover or SUV in 2017
2018 Toyota RAV 4

If you found this article because you're considering buying a 2018 Toyota RAV4, you have plenty of company. RAV4 sales have soared in 2017, eclipsing those of the two other top-selling compact SUVs, Honda's CR-V and Nissan's Rogue. Through September 2017, U.S. buyers have bought more RAV4s than any other vehicle except the big three pickups, the Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado 1500, and Dodge Ram 1500.

Other than the invulnerable light pickup trucks, crossovers are leading in vehicle sales this year, with the RAV4, Rogue, and CR-V scoring fourth, fifth, and sixth place in U.S. new car sales, respectively. This market dominance represents a big change from 2016 ,when positions four through six were held by the Toyota Camry, Toyota Corolla, and Honda Civic respectively. The crossover lead isn't only relative to other vehicles, as all three models are each significantly ahead of their own 2016 sales pace for the first nine months of 2017, with the RAV4 in the lead.

Read more