Used 2023 Toyota RAV4

Retaining its status as a giant among small SUVs, the 2023 RAV4 comes with a few tech upgrades this year, although it might otherwise be seen as perhaps resting on its laurels. But what substantial laurels the RAV4 has.

This is one of the best-selling vehicles around the world, and from one of the most successful car companies. It’s a multiple winner of our Best Buy award, and holds its value well when the time comes to sell.

The even more fuel-efficient RAV4 Hybrid and RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid are both reviewed separately.

Considering Toyota has sold more than 10 million RAV4 compact SUVs over five generations, it’s clear most people don’t care whether it has any driver appeal or not. They’re happy to have the raised driving position, get from A to B and then back to A again without issues, and for the RAV4 to bring a bit of comfort into their lives. That’s perfectly valid.

Fuel economy also takes precedence over performance, which is the right call in this instance. The engine doesn’t feel all that punchy, despite having a useful amount of power.

No doubt the curb weight has an effect here as well. The RAV4 does seem heavy, with a comfort-tuned suspension that can’t quite react in time to rough road surfaces. Nor does it respond sharply to driver inputs. Try flooring the throttle to get up to speed on a freeway or tackle a steep climb, and the gradual build-up of thrust is accompanied by a coarse engine note.

However (and this is a big however), the RAV4 is easy to drive. The steering is quite light; outward vision is fine. This SUV is easy to use and easy to live with.

On the face of it, the TRD Off-Road variant is intriguing. It has its own suspension setup as well as all-terrain tires and all-wheel drive (AWD) as standard. But its ground clearance is the same as the XLE Premium, Adventure, and Limited versions: 8.6 inches, just a couple of tenths higher than the LE and XLE. Something like the Wilderness version of the Subaru Forester, with 9.2 inches of ground clearance, might be worth a look if there’s an off-tarmac expedition being planned.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and researching the current collection of compact SUVs, including this Toyota RAV4.

The line about compact SUVs getting bigger is now as well-worn as the one about doctors and police officers looking increasingly younger. This expanding size does bring benefits to interior space, though.

There’s plenty of room for occupants and cargo in the 2023 RAV4. Some rivals have an inch or two more rear legroom, but the RAV4’s 37.8 inches is still plenty. Cargo space goes from 37.5 to 69.8 cubic feet with the rear seatbacks dropped. Not class-leading, yet big enough for most purposes.

Like many Toyota vehicles, the RAV4’s cabin lets in a little more road and wind noise than we’d like when driving at freeway speeds. We’ve found that better-quality tires (when the time comes to replace them) improve this situation and can even refine the ride quality by a degree or two. But a generous amount of sound insulation in the first place would have been nice.

Not much can be done about the interior design, though. Compared with fresher rivals like the Honda CR-V and Kia Sportage, the RAV4 comes across as dated. Also, we don’t count the front seats among the most comfortable in the class, the turn signal stalk feels cheap, and where simulated leather is used in the higher trims, it feels really thin.

Infotainment system
Upgraded this year, there are bigger touchscreens in all trim levels, and the already high level of user-friendliness is raised once again. We like the voice-activated navigation in particular. Now the system includes wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration. Amazon Alexa compatibility carries over from last year.

Digital instrument cluster
Another new item for the 2023 RAV4, this customizable 12.3-inch display adds a more tech-rich feel to the cabin. It’s standard in the Limited trim, and optional in the XLE Premium and TRD Off-Road models.

All-wheel drive
Confident when the road surface becomes tricky, stable when steering around corners — AWD is a deservedly popular extra and offered at a reasonable $1,400. Or it’s standard in the TRD Off-Road and Adventure trims.

JBL audio system
Lexus has Mark Levinson, Toyota has JBL. They both come from the same parent company — which also produces Harman Kardon, found in many BMW vehicles, for instance. So, we’re talking high-quality stuff here. The 2023 RAV4 offers a loud and clear 11-speaker/800-watt JBL system as standard in the Limited trim, and optional in the Adventure, XLE Premium, and TRD Off-Road models.

Digital rearview mirror
No rear pillars getting in the way, and no passengers’ heads blocking the view, this “mirror” becomes a video monitor showing an unobstructed image behind the RAV4. It’s optional in the higher trims.

Heated outboard rear seats
An option with the plushest Limited trim, heated rear seats are more typically a feature in luxury SUVs.

Although some rivals have migrated to smaller-displacement engines enhanced by a turbocharger, this internal-combustion-only version of the 2023 RAV4 stays with a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine.

At least it develops 203 horsepower, making it one of the more muscular members of its compact SUV class. A max torque of 184 lb-ft is more typical of the sector, though.

An automatic transmission sends drive to the front wheels (FWD) in standard form. All-wheel drive (AWD) is available as an option across the range, although it’s standard in the Adventure and TRD Off-Road variants.

Maximum towing capacity is 3,500 pounds, achieved by the Adventure and TRD Off-Road models only. The rest of the lineup is limited to 1,500 pounds.

Regular 87-octane gasoline works well enough.

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

More RAV4 fuel economy information is available on the EPA’s website.

3-Year/36,000-Mile Warranty

The new-vehicle warranty on a 2023 RAV4 lasts for 3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever happens first. The powertrain is covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. These are quite typical for the class, although Hyundai and Kia offer longer warranties. Toyota also includes 2 years or 25,000 miles of free scheduled maintenance.