2004 Toyota RAV4 L 4x4

Toyota's compact RAV4 has carved a fairly healthy niche for itself since pioneering the concept of a car-based SUV back in 1996. A generational makeover for the 2001 model year added even more size and refinement to its original formula. But the segment has become increasingly competitive since then, and Toyota realized that even more was needed to help revitalize the RAV4's market position. It addressed that issue in a bold way for 2004, sweetening the recipe with a mid-term upgrade regimen that should make both current owners and potential buyers sit up and take notice.

Exterior upgrades to the '04 RAV4 include subtle revamps of the front and rear fascias and light assemblies plus a tidier treatment of the spare tire cover.

Although visual changes to the latest RAV4 are modest, they do add a welcome freshness to the formula. Outside, modifications are limited to subtle revamps of the front and rear fascias and light assemblies plus a tidier treatment of the spare tire cover. Inside, Toyota has tweaked the look of the RAV4's steering wheel and instrument cluster, given it new fabric trims, and revised the shape and configuration of its center stack, audio, and HVAC controls.


Look beyond mere cosmetics and you'll find that the RAV4's well-finished passenger compartment benefits from a plethora of new comfort, convenience and safety features. Building on strengths like supportive front buckets, a 50/50 rear bench that can be easily flipped, folded, slid or removed altogether and surprisingly generous room for both people and cargo, this sprightly sport ute now offers air conditioning, cruise control, 6-speaker AM/FM/CD/cassette sound system, power windows/locks/mirrors and variable intermittent wipers as part of its already lengthy roster of standards. New front airbags incorporate a multi-stage design that lets them inflate according to the severity of the crash and the weight of the passenger, while the '04 option roster also includes front side-torso bags as well as side-curtain bags, features previously found only in Toyota's larger SUVs. Last but far from least, the new RAV4 gets a standard tire-pressure monitoring system.

The RAV4's well-finished passenger compartment benefits from a plethora of new comfort, convenience and safety features.

Those formidable enhancements notwithstanding, the real heart of the RAV4's upgrading program lies underhood. Replacing the previous 2.0-liter four is a new 2.4-liter twincammer culled from the Camry. Augmented with Toyota's VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with intelligence) to give it even broader usable power and torque bands, this smooth, free-revving four-cylinder cranks out 161 horsepower and 165 lb.-ft. of torque. Those figures reflect gains of 13 and 23 units of respective output. More importantly, it's a change that's clearly evident the first time that you step into the throttle. Even the heaviest RAV4 variant—our 4x4 tester fitted with the optional 4-speed automatic transmission in place of the standard 5-speed manual gearbox—displays a heretofore-absent accelerative snap that bespeaks a couple more cylinders. While that added quickness translates into loads more confidence when it comes to everyday driving situations like freeway merges and passes, it has minimal impact on EPA fuel economy numbers. Equally significant, the RAV4 trades its former LEV status for a cleaner, greener ULEV rating.


The RAV4's chassis tuning underwent a similar improvement program that started with a slightly tauter front strut/rear trailing arm suspension and a tad better feel to its power rack-and-pinion steering. Toyota further raised the dynamic bar by making VSC Vehicle Stability Control and traction control standard fare. Stopping power also takes a quantum step up, as the RAV4's front discs are now matched with rear discs instead of drums, and all versions are fortified with both ABS and Brake Assist.