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7th
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Sometimes I wonder why certain vehicles are redesigned every five or six years. There comes a time when a car or a truck is so good, so well conceived, and so competent at everything it does that the company could sell it for 20 years and still be competitive.
After being on the market since 2005 (as a 2006), Toyota's RAV4 will soon get a total makeover. However, seeing how it performed in our recent compact SUV and crossover comparison test, a full redesign is not required.
Yes, there are some things about the 2012 Toyota RAV4 that are starting to show their age. However, I dare you to spend more than 5 minutes on the road without spotting a RAV4; they're everywhere, and please so many people that it's hard to find any true deficiencies in this vehicle.
Four or six cylinders, your choice
For a while, when Toyota had no sports cars to offer, I considered the RAV4 Sport V6 model to be the sportiest vehicle in the brand's lineup. Its 268 hp made for a pretty muscular little truck. Yet, for the everyday grind, the 2.5L inline-four's got more than enough guts to follow the pace on the highway while delivering very decent fuel economy.
With 179 horsepower on tap, the 2012 RAV4 Sport 4WD model reaches 100 km/h in 9.9 seconds, near the bottom of the field in our comparison test. The 4-speed automatic feels outdated compared to its rival's 5- and 6-speed gearboxes, but it nevertheless gets the job done and will satisfy all but the pickiest drivers (such as us).
Our average over the course of the test was 11.1L/100km with a mix of city and highway driving.
Class-leading cargo space... still
The 2012 Toyota RAV4 boasts above-average interior dimensions, including headroom and legroom in both front and back. Slim pillars provide great outward visibility; age does have its advantages, as all the new crossover designs include a small rear window and fatter pillars.
The dashboard design and switchgear layout are straightforward -- not very exciting to look at, but very user-friendly. All 2012 Toyota RAV4 trims now include Bluetooth connectivity and a USB port for the sound system, which is now the norm in this category.
Cargo space with the rear seatback in place is, again, among the best in its class. And when you fold the rear bench down, no compact SUV or crossover can match the 2012 RAV4's capacity of 2,074L; The Honda CR-V comes close, and so does the Suzuki Grand Vitara. The Toyota is among the last to offer a side-opening rear door, which personally doesn't bother me one bit.
Spill the beans
The 2012 Toyota RAV4 in base front-wheel-drive form starts at $24,865. That sounds expensive compared to a $21,499 2013 Ford Escape S or a $20,995 Dodge Journey CVP, but is actually pretty competitive with the rest of the compact SUV and crossover herd.
My personal choice would be exactly the model we tested, a $30,810 Sport 4WD trim with cloth seats. It also features A/C, cruise control, a trip computer, a tilt and telescopic steering column, 18” alloy wheels, a power sunroof and fog lamps. Granted, a slightly less expensive Kia Sportage EX AWD offers more features such as heated front seats, a backup camera, a power driver's seat and dual-zone climate control.
The Toyota RAV4 is less than a year away from a redesign, and it isn't something we're necessarily anxious for. It may not be a bargain, but the current-generation model doesn't show its age, and still has a decent ride, great interior space and an everyday easy-to-live-with character that is so important in this type of vehicle. Throw in a reputation for reliability and enticing lease and finance incentives, and no wonder Toyota sells so many of these “old” models.
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After being on the market since 2005 (as a 2006), Toyota's RAV4 will soon get a total makeover. However, seeing how it performed in our recent compact SUV and crossover comparison test, a full redesign is not required.
Yes, there are some things about the 2012 Toyota RAV4 that are starting to show their age. However, I dare you to spend more than 5 minutes on the road without spotting a RAV4; they're everywhere, and please so many people that it's hard to find any true deficiencies in this vehicle.
Four or six cylinders, your choice
For a while, when Toyota had no sports cars to offer, I considered the RAV4 Sport V6 model to be the sportiest vehicle in the brand's lineup. Its 268 hp made for a pretty muscular little truck. Yet, for the everyday grind, the 2.5L inline-four's got more than enough guts to follow the pace on the highway while delivering very decent fuel economy.
With 179 horsepower on tap, the 2012 RAV4 Sport 4WD model reaches 100 km/h in 9.9 seconds, near the bottom of the field in our comparison test. The 4-speed automatic feels outdated compared to its rival's 5- and 6-speed gearboxes, but it nevertheless gets the job done and will satisfy all but the pickiest drivers (such as us).
Our average over the course of the test was 11.1L/100km with a mix of city and highway driving.
 |
| The RAV4's 2.5L 4-cylinder develops 179 hp and 172 lb-ft of torque, mated to a 4-speed automatic. (Photo: Olivier Croteau) |
Class-leading cargo space... still
The 2012 Toyota RAV4 boasts above-average interior dimensions, including headroom and legroom in both front and back. Slim pillars provide great outward visibility; age does have its advantages, as all the new crossover designs include a small rear window and fatter pillars.
The dashboard design and switchgear layout are straightforward -- not very exciting to look at, but very user-friendly. All 2012 Toyota RAV4 trims now include Bluetooth connectivity and a USB port for the sound system, which is now the norm in this category.
Cargo space with the rear seatback in place is, again, among the best in its class. And when you fold the rear bench down, no compact SUV or crossover can match the 2012 RAV4's capacity of 2,074L; The Honda CR-V comes close, and so does the Suzuki Grand Vitara. The Toyota is among the last to offer a side-opening rear door, which personally doesn't bother me one bit.
 |
| Cargo space with the rear seatback in place is, again, among the best in its class. (Photo: Olivier Croteau) |
Spill the beans
The 2012 Toyota RAV4 in base front-wheel-drive form starts at $24,865. That sounds expensive compared to a $21,499 2013 Ford Escape S or a $20,995 Dodge Journey CVP, but is actually pretty competitive with the rest of the compact SUV and crossover herd.
My personal choice would be exactly the model we tested, a $30,810 Sport 4WD trim with cloth seats. It also features A/C, cruise control, a trip computer, a tilt and telescopic steering column, 18” alloy wheels, a power sunroof and fog lamps. Granted, a slightly less expensive Kia Sportage EX AWD offers more features such as heated front seats, a backup camera, a power driver's seat and dual-zone climate control.
 |
| The RAV4 Sport 4WD, as tested, lists for $30,810 before taxes, freight and delivery charges. (Photo: Olivier Croteau) |
The Toyota RAV4 is less than a year away from a redesign, and it isn't something we're necessarily anxious for. It may not be a bargain, but the current-generation model doesn't show its age, and still has a decent ride, great interior space and an everyday easy-to-live-with character that is so important in this type of vehicle. Throw in a reputation for reliability and enticing lease and finance incentives, and no wonder Toyota sells so many of these “old” models.