There’s a reason the Toyota brand has consistently been the largest auto manufacturer in the world. Their products excel in comfort, driveability, and build quality. So much so, my own garage features a 2003 Land Cruiser I’ve driven all over the continental United States and performs just as well now as it did when it rolled off the assembly line.
Toyota’s 2016 RAV4 Limited continues this heritage in a smaller package that’s been slightly updated on the exterior that’s attractive yet not too bold. I’ve found the RAV4 Limited to be comfortable and an excellent platform for those seeking a smaller SUV with plenty of cargo space and features that compliment around the town driving or cross-country roadtrips.
Powering the RAV4 Limited is a 2.5L inline 4-cylinder powertrain with adequate power at 176hps and 172 lb-ft torque. The six-speed transmission isn’t anything to particularly grin about though this is a family crossover vehicle, not the Supra I’m yearning to drive when it makes it debut in a few years. I’d like to see more powertrain options available as an option based on trim levels as the 2.5L is currently the only powertrain option. That said, shifts felt smooth though fuel efficiency was a bit disappointing, hovering around 19mpg in mostly city driving. I had expected better numbers (in the low-mid 20mpgs) and will note I did not drive the vehicle hard. Of course, this test vehicle is all-wheel drive which does drop fuel economy by 7.5-10% and assuredly played a role in the fuel efficiency I saw while driving the vehicle.
Regarding my family and cargo space, a deceptively large 38.4 cubic feet behind the second row is more than plenty adequate for a family road trip and can expand to over 73 cubic feet when the second row is folded down. The second row is comfortable with space to comfortably seat a person under 6’3” without feeling cramped, and the two-tone leather interior in this Limited model not only looks nice but is comfortable without feeling confining.
Up front in the interior an intuitive 6.1-inch display integrates Bluetooth technology and the JBL sound system provides plenty of highs and lows to compliment the driving experience. For reference, my 2003 Land Cruiser also features a JBL sound system and while that vehicle is 13 years old, it sounds quite nice with the RAV4’s audio system sounding even better.
While the RAV4 isn’t designed to haul or tow vasts amounts of heavy cargo, its payload capacity is adequate for an inline 4-cylinder at 1,500 lbs, good enough for a 5’x8’ trailer and a pair of motorcycles or a small boat. I’d like to see a bit more towing capacity to allow for the RAV4 to pull a small camp trailer, like a teardrop trailer or other inhabitable small living space, but alas the current RAV4 doesn’t provide for this.
That said, the RAV4 Limited is a very comfortable and compelling family platform that is equally attractive around the town or for light adventuring where travels lead to an accessible trailhead for camping or heading out on a hike. My wife has grown quite fond of the RAV4 Limited and with pricing starting under $33k for the all-wheel drive version we’ve been driving, you’ll get plenty of bang for your buck from a brand that’s proven you’ll get years, even decades, of reliability.