2009 Toyota RAV4 V6

Better get one while it’s still available—“one” as in the 2009 Toyota RAV4 V6, a very quick, roomy, flexible sport-utility vehicle. When the new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards take effect in 2016, you’ll still be able to purchase roomy, flexible SUVs from Toyota, but the “quick” part will depend on how Toyota and every other automaker is able to meet the 2016 requirements while still providing satisfying horsepower and torque numbers.

Sport Styling

Today’s engineers are indeed working miracles in breaking the old power vs. fuel efficiency constraints. But most driving enthusiasts will agree (and worry) that it’s going to be difficult to get more than 35 miles per gallon from anything offering more than 250 horsepower— all the more reason to get the efficient, tenacious RAV4 with its 269-hp V6 while you can.


In four-wheel-drive trim, the 2009 Toyota RAV4 gets an impressive 26 mpg in the government’s highway driving cycle. That’s within reach of the 2016 mandate of 30 mpg for light trucks. But remember: that 30 mpg is an average that includes Land Cruisers, Tundras, Sequoias and more. The RAV4 will have to do a lot more than meet the 30 mpg mark—it’ll have to far exceed it for the Toyota light truck fleet to make the required average. A test drive of the RAV4 V6 will confirm our suggestion.


Over the past dozen years, the RAV4 has grown from a Corolla-sized “cute-ute” into something that is almost identical in size to a 2000 Toyota 4Runner. Technically no longer a compact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) now classifies the RAV4 as a "small SUV." It’s now big enough to accept an optional third row of seats. While it now boasts its own dedicated platform, the RAV4 retains its car-like structure. Said another way: Don’t take a 2009 RAV4 down that off-road trail where you used to drive in that ’00 4Runner.

Driver’s View

From the driver’s seat, the RAV4 offers a very functionally designed instrument panel: Some makes are forcing function to follow form in this area. Also, the controls for the sound system are mounted high on the center console. This allows the driver to keep his peripheral vision on the road while turning the bass down from the “Advil needed” level set by his teenage son to one that won’t kill nearby songbirds. One complaint: The clock was low, hidden by the shift lever. Since the clock is among the most-consulted instruments, this is a notable oversight. The interior materials of the RAV4 exceed almost all other compact SUVs for appearance and feel.


The second-row seats offer plenty of headroom: No need to remove that Stetson. However, the position of the seatback and feel of the seat cushion means few adults would gladly ride in the back for a long road trip. It’s amazingly easy to lower the rear seatbacks to create a nearly perfectly flat cargo area. One touch of a lever on the side of the left seat drops two-thirds of the seat to the flat position. Move around to the other side and repeat to get a completely flat floor. With the rear seats up, the Canadian-built RAV4 has adequate (but not generous) storage areas behind the seats. It boasts a pair of under-floor storage bins, great for placing items that always accompany the car (emergency kits and the like).