The Fun & Practical Crossover – The RAV4

As you know we love test driving new cars. That’s why I was excited to test drive for a week, the new Toyota RAV4. I remember way back in the 90’s when the Toyota RAV4 first came out. It was one of the first crossover SUVs, but back then it was quite difficult do describe.

Is it a big car? The small SUV with the spare tire on the back? Many called it “that new Toyota truck-thingamajigger,” including myself.

Now nearly 20 years later, the RAV4 is going strong with the 2015 version. We recently had an opportunity to work with Toyota and review the 2015 RAV4 XLE, and this mid-size crossover is a fun and practical family ride.

The first thing I noticed about the RAV4 (other than the cool Hot Lava color) is the size, this crossover has grown up, and there is plenty of room – both for front legroom and rear legroom. It has deceptively large passenger room and that extra room continues into the back for storage. That storage is available because the back seats fold completely flat, which creates 73.4 cubic feet worth of storage!  This storage will certainly come in handy for the family on the go.

The RAV4 has all the tech that you need on it as well. Everything is centered around the 6.1” touch screen monitor which has your backup camera view, navigation, your Entune system and satellite radio. The monitor would be larger in an ideal world, but it does the job, and does it well.

The RAV4 makes a perfectly practical car for a growing family on the move like us. It gets great gas mileage, listed at 22 mpg city and 29 mpg hwy, that makes for awesome gas mileage.

Just so we are on the same page, the RAV4 isn’t going to win many drag races, but this 4 cylinder 176 HP crossover is plenty fast enough for all of a family’s needs. For those looking for a little more fun while driving, you can switch to a more responsive sports mode for a little more excitement.

The RAV4 is very competitive with other vehicles in its category, and is often a little lower in total price for similar features. One other item that I am excited about which makes the RAV4 a great family car is that just like other members of the Toyota family they keep going and going. Over 90% of the RAV4’s sold in the last 10 years are still on the road, so if you take care of the RAV4, the RAV4 will take care of you in the long run.

We really enjoyed our time in the RAV4, it is a perfect family car. Storage is more than accommodating, there is plenty of room in the back for all your family travel needs. The ride is very smooth and the mpg is perfect for a car of this size.

I am confident the RAV4 will make a great addition to your family. If you are in the market for a new vehicle in the near future, be sure to consider Toyota and the RAV4, it has the room, tech and everything else you need to make a perfect next member of your family.

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