Monday Motoring Classic: Toyota RAV4
Mon, 15 May 2023
Originally billed as an SUV, the 1994 Toyota RAV4 was one of the first cars to use the modern crossover recipe: SUV design cues dropped onto ordinary car mechanicals.
Yes, you could have it with four-wheel-drive, but the fact that it was also sold with two-wheel-drive shows that it was targeted at buyers who had no intention of getting their boots dirty.
The RAV4 (which stood for Recreational Activity Vehicle, 4WD) was actually shorter than a five-door Corolla, yet had raised ride height and chunky plastic body protection.
It drove like a car too, initially powered by a keen 1.8-litre petrol engine, and took bits from the Carina and Corolla.
It probably doesn't get the recognition it deserves, which makes it a potential future classic. The good news is that this means you won't have to empty your wallet in order to find one.
Annoyingly, we found a two-owner three-door with just 46,000 miles for less than £3000 which had already sold, but it shows that they are out there.
A bit more searching turned up another three door, this time a repaired Cat C with 150,000 miles. But with six months MoT and a clean interior it looked good value for under £2000.
There are a good number of UK cars still around, although you will find imports lurking in the classified ads too.
You get typical Toyota reliability and something that still looks fresh and distinctive today, even though half the other cars on the road are probably crossovers too. Find a Toyota RAV4 for sale here
Is the 1990 Ford Escort Bonus a classic car?
