2008 Toyota RAV4

Performance, Handling and Safety

RAV4s, like most compact crossover SUVs, are far more likely to dwell in urban canyons than they are off-road. The Toyota has just 7.5 inches of ground clearance, but angles of approach and departure are 29.3 and 25.4 degrees respectively, so there’s not a lot to get hung up on, literally. RAV4 has more than enough capability for the sort of rutted roads, real world off-roading that might be asked of it. If you do kick up some dirt, RAV4 offers two features to make things easier. All RAV4 models fitted with the available third row seat and all V6 models are equipped with Hill-start Assist and Downhill Assist Control. The former helps the driver avoid rolling back when starting up a steep incline. Going down? The latter holds the RAV at a slow, steady pace without pedal input, freeing the driver to concentrate on steering when negotiating a tight trail.


Another task that SUVs are often asked to perform is towing, though less so in ranks of the compacts than their bigger brethren. RAV4 can pull up to 2,000 lbs. in standard trim and 3,500 lbs. when equipped with the available tow package.

Interior Comfort and Cargo

While few RAV4s will do any rock crawling, all will be summoned for people hauling. A third-row seat is available, but if you add people, you subtract cargo space. With three rows of seats up, you’ve got about 12 cubic feet of storage capacity remaining. If you fold the third row down (or pick a two seat model), you’re up to a generous, 36+ cubic feet, and it’s a full, 73 cubic feet with just the 1st row of seats intact. Two seat models also gain some hidden, under-floor storage (on third row models, that’s where the seat stores when not in use). The cargo area has a low lift over height and a fairly flat load floor. The side-swinging access door is hinged on the right, which may block your access to the curb in tight parking spots.


Second row seating is positively spacious: a holdover from the third generation makeover in 2006. The addition of more than six inches of legroom suits everyone, and reclining seatbacks add to the relaxation factor. Front row seats are similarly comfortable, though most drivers over six feet will wish that Toyota had stuck one of those extra inches of legroom up front. Broad bands of brushed silver trim on doors and dash break up the interior plastics nicely. The wide, wedge-shaped center stack houses controls for the sound system above and HVAC (heat, vents, air) below. Switchgear is easy to use, without undue distraction. Available options include the usual suspects: upgrades for sound, power moon roof, and rear seat DVD.


Introduced here in the states in 1996, RAV4 has had a birds-eye view ever since of the segment it helped to create. As popular as compact crossover SUVs are, aging gracefully hasn’t been an option. Toyota has taken steps with every generation to expand and refine the RAV4. In its current form, it’s among the best of a hotly contested field. (www.toyota.com)

About the Author
A native of New York’s Hudson River Valley, Dan Lyons has been reviewing cars in print and online for the past 20 years.