Toyota RAV4 (2013 - 2019)
2.0 V-matic Icon CVT AWD 5dr SUV
A fine car
I chose this because it was one of a tiny number of cars available to fit my requirements: reliable, no Diesel Particulate Filter, no Dual Mass Flywheel, no turbo, mechanical handbrake, four wheel drive. Toyota don’t pretend that oil can last more than 10,000 miles, either.
I had previously owned an old Yaris as a stop gap which, despite multiple owners and a patchy service record, performed flawlessly over 30,000 miles in two years.
Allied to this, I knew Toyota made excellent CVT gearboxes and that the valvematic petrol engine was highly regarded.
Approaching 1 year of ownership, and having covered 14,000 miles, I haven’t been disappointed.
As expected, nothing has gone wrong. Nothing rattles. The paintwork is superb. The panel gaps are tight. I’m averaging 32mpg which, for a decent sized, petrol auto 4wd SUV, I think, is not bad.
It is extremely smooth and quiet, and more than powerful enough, even when a family of four is on board with a full boot, roof box and bikes on rack.
It rides well and handles neatly. It is smooth and adequately powerful.
The doors open wide and the interior is very spacious. It is not difficult at all to buckle up young children into child seats in the back.
It has a good entertainment system with good sound quality. The seats are terrific.
I have driven this car to Spain and back and found myself feeling significantly less tired than when I have undertaken similar journeys in comparable cars to this one.
Two gripes:
1. I have purchased an additional set of wheels shod with winter tyres which, despite having the mandatory tyre pressure monitors fitted, can’t be made to talk to the TPMS system in the car. This means I have a warning light on the dash when those wheels are fitted. Irritating.
2. The SatNav is not intuitive to use, and tends to require three of four inputs when one or two should suffice.
Nonetheless, I have no hesitation in recommending this car. It is an extremely comfortable, practical useful car that can cope with appalling road conditions without any difficulty whatsoever.
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About this car
Price | £22,795–£35,275 |
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Road Tax | Alternative fuel, C–I |
MPG | 39.2–60.1 mpg |
Real MPG | 79.0% |