Used 2021 Toyota RAV4

Winner: 2021 Best Buy Award
#1 in Best Compact SUVs for 2021

The 2021 Toyota RAV4 is a major player in the compact crossover world. And deservedly so. It has a solid feel, excellent safety scores, generous standard equipment, plenty of interior space, and rides and handles more like a car than a high-riding truck.

The RAV4 offers decent power and fuel economy, especially with its hybrid variants. The big news this year is the addition of the RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid (PHEV) with up to 42 miles of range running solely on battery power. It comes as an SE and XSE model. Previously available in four trim levels, the “regular” hybrid (reviewed separately) is also now available in XLE Premium trim.

Now in its fifth generation, which launched for the 2019 model year, the Toyota RAV4 competes with other excellent contenders like the Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, and Nissan Rogue, although its pricing can quickly rise above these rivals once options are added.

The Toyota RAV4’s 2.5-liter engine uses an 8-speed automatic transmission. Most buyers in the market for a compact SUV will be happy with the engine’s power and the transmission’s action, which is eager to upshift in the pursuit of maximum fuel economy.

Some road noise and vibration are apparent, but wind noise is generally low. The suspension has a pleasant balance of comfort and handling prowess. And the seats are comfortable, even on extended drives.

The Adventure model, with its tall stance and large wheel/tire package, has torque vectoring that can send up to 50 percent of available power to the rear wheels and even controls torque distribution between the left and right rear wheels.

This is especially useful off-road, yet also provides more confidence in inclement weather, as well as optimizing handling and cornering. This system is also found in the TRD Off-Road, which has even beefier tires and a specialized off-road suspension. The TRD Off-Road adds more capability to the Adventure trim’s already competent off-road talents, making it a good match for the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk.

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This is one of the finest cabins in the compact crossover class. It looks and feels upscale, with plenty of soft-touch materials on the dash and center armrest.

The center stack is dominated by a crisp, bright 7-inch screen (8-inch in Limited, Adventure, and TRD models) with physical buttons on both sides, and serving as the control center for audio, navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa. There are also large volume, tuning, and temperature controls below.

Upholstery choices in the 2021 RAV4 are cloth or simulated leather (no real leather). The XSE trim spices things up even more with blue accents and stitching. And the Adventure version has splashes of orange. Sadly, there’s no powered adjustment for the front passenger seat.

Behind the rear seats is 37.5 cubic feet of luggage area. Folding those seats down reveals 69.8 cubic feet of maximum cargo space. Neither figure is quite as good as the Honda HR-V, but generous nonetheless. The RAV4 Prime makes do with 33.5/63.2 cubic feet.

Gone are the generic lines of the 4th-generation RAV4. This latest generation has an assertive, truck-ish grille and front end complemented by geometric shapes throughout the body — the squared-off wheel arches, for example.

Some trims’ 2-tone paint schemes and tough-looking wheel designs help the RAV4 stand out even more. Black body cladding, large over-fenders, and model-specific front bumpers grace the Adventure and TRD Off-Road trims. The XLE and Limited models have a more elegant single paint color and polished alloy wheels. The RAV4 comes standard with 17-inch wheels, but 18-inch and 19-inch options are available.

RAV4 PRIME PHEV
It’s not often that a range’s most fuel-efficient model is also its best performer, but that’s the case with the new Toyota RAV4 Prime. Deploying 302 horsepower, standstill to 60 mph happens in a claimed 5.7 seconds (making it Toyota’s quickest 4-door vehicle), and the sport-tuned suspension in the XSE trim brings entertaining handling.

JBL PREMIUM AUDIO
Standard in the Limited and available in the XLE Premium, Adventure, and TRD Off-Road versions, this JBL 11-speaker/800-watt system is one of the better high-end premium audio choices and well worth $1,570.

The 2021 Toyota RAV4 gets a 2.5-liter, 203-horsepower engine, an 8-speed automatic transmission, and front-wheel drive (FWD). The base LE comes with 17-inch steel wheels, LED headlights with automatic high beams, LED taillights, cloth upholstery, manual front seat adjustment, power windows/mirrors/locks, 7-inch infotainment touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, Amazon Alexa compatibility, Siri Eyes Free, Bluetooth, USB port, satellite radio, and a 6-speaker audio system.

Standard safety equipment includes eight airbags and Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, encompassing adaptive cruise control, pre-collision system with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, lane departure warning with steering assistance, lane-tracing assistance, and road sign recognition.

Upgrades include a panoramic moonroof, 19-inch alloy wheels, contrasting roof color, heated side mirrors, hands-free tailgate operation, dual-zone automatic climate control (rear vents, which weren’t offered with the previous RAV4, are also available), simulated leather upholstery, heated/cooled front seats with memory settings, digital rearview mirror, navigation, 360-degree camera system, push-button start, five USB ports, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, head-up display (in the RAV4 Prime), 8-inch touchscreen, wireless charging, and the JBL 11-speaker/800-watt audio system.

All-wheel drive (AWD) is optional in gasoline-only RAV4 models and standard in the Adventure and TRD Off-Road versions. This AWD system also includes torque vectoring and a multi-terrain select system, which allows drivers to change vehicle settings to suit the conditions.

In its simplest form, the 2021 Toyota RAV4 has a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine sending 203 horsepower to the front wheels (FWD) through an 8-speed automatic transmission. A fuel-saving automatic stop/restart function is standard in the upper trims. All-wheel drive (AWD) is optional and standard in the Adventure and TRD Off-Road models. Average fuel economy is as high as 30 mpg, which is near the class best.

New for 2021, the RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid (PHEV) also has a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine and a pair of electric motors, but a larger lithium-ion battery. In electric vehicle mode (the EV part of the PHEV description), the RAV4 Prime can travel for up to 42 miles, which is better than any other compact crossover PHEV.

The EPA has a method for calculating miles-per-gallon-equivalent (MPGe) energy consumption, putting the new RAV4 Prime at 94 MPGe. When used as a regular hybrid (without the EV range), the Prime averages 38 mpg.

2.5-liter inline-4
203 horsepower @ 6,600 rpm
184 lb-ft of torque @ 5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 27/35 mpg (LE FWD), 27/34 mpg (LE AWD), 28/35 mpg (XLE/XLE Premium FWD), 27/22 mpg (XLE/XLE Premium AWD), 25/33 mpg (Adventure AWD), 25/32 mpg (TRD Off-Road AWD), 27/35 (Limited FWD), 25/33 mpg (Limited AWD)

2.5-liter inline-4 engine + electric motors (RAV4 Prime PHEV)
302 horsepower @ 5,700 rpm (peak output with gasoline and electric combined)
165 lb-ft of torque @ 3,600-5,200 rpm (engine only)
EPA city/highway fuel economy (estimated): 40/36 mpg