The Toyota RAV4 crossover has long since made its way into the top 10 of the national market, and today it is not only the most popular mid-size Parkettes,
but also the most expensive car among the bestsellers - the prices range from 20 000 usd. At the same time, different versions of the RAV4 are not just equipped differently, but also differ in their ride. We took three different versions of the crossover and figured out what you can save on when buying, and what is better to pay extra for and what engine is best for the RAV4.
The most expensive RAV4 as of April 2021 costs a little less then 20 000 dollars , and that's a lot. A car with the full package "Prestige Safety" with a 2.5 motor, all-wheel drive and complex transmission with steerable traction vector according to the price list (without dealer extras) is selling for 35 000 use, plus another 19 or 26 thousand for optional paint "metallic" or "nacreous". For this money the client will get leather interior, electric seats, full winter package, keyless access, panoramic cameras, wireless charging and LED headlights with automatic high beam.
While the title photo shows the same color car in the "Comfort" package, this one is the top-of-the-line "Prestige Safety," which is externally distinguished by chrome door handles and a flat emblem on the radiator. That is all...
How to save money? First of all, you should decide, how useful the electronic Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) package would be to you, costing 3 000 USD, which includes radar cruise control, lane-keeping systems, road sign control, blind spots monitoring on sides and behind. It is worth paying for it if you are a technogeek and like everything modern. Or if you drive a lot on large highways with dense traffic - because adaptive cruise control and automatic high beamer are available only in this package. Having refused it, the buyer gets standard "cruise" and usual set "ABS, system of stabilization, hill start assistant". And instead of not so successful all-around cameras there will be one rear one, complete with parking sensors around a circle, which will suffice even in a close metropolitan area.
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Rear view camera with dynamic marking is put on all cars from the second version "Comfort" and for some reason offers two almost identical variants of a picture display
The top version, besides other things, is also differed by some external touches which you should refuse while choosing a simpler complete set: these are chromed door handles and flat emblem on radiator grill, behind which there are hidden radars of assistant systems. And reflector optics instead of lenticular is a small loss, if you do not need automatic high beam. Headlights in any version will remain LED with excellent brightness and a clear light and shade border.
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The top Prestige Safety version is easiest to distinguish by the flat emblem of the radiator shell, which hides the radar assist systems, and the front camera
What all-wheel drive should be chosen?
The top version "Prestige" costs from 25 000 USD, depending on the engine, but it is the most accessible RAV4 with cunning transmission Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD. It differs from "standard" variant - with one clutch of a drive of a rear axle - by presence of individual clutches for each back wheel. Controlling the degree of their blocking, the transmission helps "twist" the car in corners, giving more torque to the outer rear wheel. And on the off-road such a scheme should better cope with slippage and diagonal suspension, giving traction to the wheel that has the best grip on the surface. But this is in theory, and what is in practice?
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Slightly simpler "Prestige" still has chrome handles and 19-inch wheels, but it is not conspicuous - put "Comfort" next to it on 18-inch wheels and you will not notice any difference. In general, it is possible to perform beautifully in front of neighbors on any RAV4, except for base.
Standard full drive with a clutch in RAV4 works traditionally: gives a part of the pull back when starting up and accelerating, almost completely disables the clutch during uniform movement and quickly switches on the rear axle, if the front wheels start to slip. In fast turns the crossover tries to go outside, and it starts to turn under a pull with appreciable lag.
But with transmission Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD the crossover shows light tendency to skidding under draft. But the system of stabilization will not allow reaching deep skidding. Such settings are safe for inexperienced driver (four-wheel drive is extremely delicate), and for the rest of the RAV4 with two clutches will seem more interesting - it is more lively and interactive.
Even with Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD transmission the RAV4 does not like to change tail, but such crossover at least does not so much plow the front under pulling. And on difficult terrain, such all-wheel drive is better.
Besides, individual clutches really cope better with diagonal alignment - the electronics transfer the thrust to the wheel, which has a support with a surface, without waiting for the brakes' help. In case of usual all-wheel drive it is much more difficult for the car: electronics bites the traction wheel with brakes, and only after that the car slowly starts to creep forward, if it finds something to catch on.
Thus, if one wants fire or if the road to the countryside every time turns into a test of passability, one should put in the budget minimum 2,529,000 roubles for the car with a top-end transmission. If the words about inclination to skidding are nothing for you and the car goes on more or less usual roads, you can save 108 or even 3 thousand doolars more, having refused from a complete set "Prestige". True, you will also have to reconcile with absence of imperceptible diode interior illumination, heating of back seats and the assistant of descent from mountain. But you will not need the latter on normal roads.
And what is further - absolutely gray?
Not at all! Having refused from top versions, the buyer of RAV4 can still stand out in the stream, because in the middle of the price list there is a version of Style for (depending on the engine), which has a two-tone body paint. And only this version has a set of remote Toyota Connected Services. They work the same way as similar services on cars Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen: through an application on your smartphone you can see where the car is, the status of onboard systems and error information, receive notification of collisions (for example, if the car hit in the parking lot), view the routes of recent trips, and make an appointment for service at the dealer. But there is, alas, no remote engine start and warm-up function.
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For now, the remote control system is available only for the Style package. With its help you can learn e.g. about the location of your car or the status of the onboard systems on the screen of your smartphone.
With the equipment of Style version everything is also all right. It is possible not to notice absence of heating of back seats and diode interior illumination, it is possible to live without front parktronic as well as without electric seats' actuators. But the upholstery of seats with an artificial suede in a combination with leatherette is on the amateur, but exactly it will please those who can't stand cold leather. The main thing is that the profile and padding of seats are not worse than in the top. And 18-inch wheels instead of 19-inch wheels are also good on our roads - outwardly the difference is almost not noticeable, and they round out the bumps better.
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The Style version, first of all, stands out with a two-tone contrasting color with a black roof and black wheels, the absence of decorations on the bumpers and a nice package deal. Which the customers haven't appreciated yet.
But if there is no need to stand out, it is possible to go down to the complete set "Comfort" which is 87,000 cheaper still. It does not have two-colored painting and suede (but fabric seats are pleasant to the touch), and instruments will be simpler - with the color screen of 4,2 inches instead of 7. Certainly, hybrid instruments of older versions with a big display in the center look cooler, but simple ones with usual scales are even more informative, and the compact color display pleases with graphics and is able to show almost the same amount of information.
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This is interior of "Comfort" package - the following pictures will show interiors of Style and Prestige versions. We added cues to make it easier for you to understand how they differ. For example, "Comfort" has simple gauges, fabric on seats and a key block of driving modes.
The puck of the firm system Multi-Terrain Select which more finely adjusts electronics of a full drive for different types of a covering disappears in the "Comfort". But the system will not disappear anywhere - simply in the "Comfort" it is operated by buttons with the same set of modes. Total - 32 000 USD, depending on the engine, but it is possible to save even more, having refused from a full drive.
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All four-wheel drive RAV4 is equipped with the system Multi-Terrain Select which more finely adjusts electronics of a full drive for different types of a covering. The choice is small: mud and sand or stones. The snow mode is switched on separately - both in a combination with one of off-road and without them.
Let's already understand engines and transmissions!
So, the second lower version "Comfort" does not seem poor at all, thus it is available at once in three combinations of power-units: with all-wheel drive and engines 2.0 (149 hp) and 2.5 (199 hp), and also with front wheel drive and two-liter engine. The two-liter motor is aggregated with a variator, the more powerful - with an 8-speed "automatic". What to choose?
If the variator itself does not embarrass, then the two-liter motor of RAV4 is enough. Yes, it accelerates not small crossover linearly and boringly, but it reacts adequately on gas, in a stream it keeps without the slightest difficulty, and during acceleration "in a floor" variator imitates switching of fixed gears - very similar. With the motor 2,5 and "automatic" the crossover is noticeably more vigorous and acceleration is more dense and thorough. But without jerking: the torque converter gearbox changes gears smoothly. But there is always a reserve of traction under a pedal, and in general it is more pleasant to drive quickly in the 199 hp car. However, everything is measured in comparison - the competitors with turbo engines will be even quicker.
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Visually RAV4 engines look the same, and it is explained - both belong to the same family and technically very similar. Both have combined fuel injection, a high 13:1 compression ratio and variable intake and exhaust phasing. And both can run on the fuel-efficient Atkinson cycle. At that, the two-liter capacity of 149 hp (instead of Japanese 175 hp) is combined with 6-speed manual transmission or variator...
Do the front - and all-wheel drive cars differ on a road? The chassis of all RAV4 is the same (in front - MacPherson struts, rear - multilever), so in the dry asphalt all is very similar. Any RAV4 is not afraid of fast corners, with excessive speed safely and gently begins to slip from the path, but under the dump gas slightly turns the rear axle - accurately and under the supervision of the permanent stabilization system. The former problems with adjustment of electronics, when cars suddenly fell into a skid during fast shifting on an uneven road, do not exist any more. Officially Toyota has not announced recall campaign and has not declared about cars' adjustment during periodic service, but it seems that by the end of 2020 Japanese have reprogrammed electronic brains.
The electric power steering also helps the stabilization system of all-wheel drive vehicles - it certainly does not twist the "steering wheel", but by changing effort on a wheel it hints, where exactly it is necessary to twist it in a difficult situation.
The official specifications for two-liters have the same 11 seconds up to "hundred" for cars with front and four-wheel drive, but at parallel start from a place the front-wheel drive wins one and a half block - because it is a little bit easier. And the difference in fuel consumption is more appreciable, than promised 0,4 liters - when driving in the mixed cycle on the identical roads we have received 8,7 and 9,5 liters per 100 kilometers accordingly. And a 199-hp unit 2.5 in the same conditions is even more voracious by one and a half liters!
I see. Is a base complete set absolutely bad?
If even the front-wheel drive "Comfort" at the price of 2,228,000 roubles suddenly seems expensive, there is one last option - the base "Standard" for moderate, by the standards of 2021, 1,970,000 roubles. But this is already a car for the amateur: with front wheel drive, two-liter motor and 6-speed "manual". It also differs externally: there are no fog lights and roof rails, the wheels will be 17 inches, and the bumper covers are black instead of silver. The interior has a plastic lever "mechanics" and simplified finish of the door panels.
A complete set is also almost Spartan: there is no climate control (air conditioner), parktronic and keyless access, and a back sofa is not divided into parts. But there is a full set of airbags, heated steering wheel and a part of windshield, tire pressure sensors and LED headlights. In general, it is possible to live, especially as otherwise it is the same RAV4 - with omnivorous suspension, capacious interior and big luggage compartment.
Even the "Standard" will have the same MM'19 media system as other versions. Here, however, there is nothing to rejoice about: only lazy man hasn't scolded Toyota's media systems for mediocre graphics and weak functionality. But now they support Android Auto and Apple Carplay, which removes questions to the lack of built-in navigator, which previously was only in the top version.
The audio system with six speakers is the same in all configurations, and it is impossible to pay extra for functionality or other sound quality. By the way, the price list on the Russian Toyota website contains an inaccuracy: it says that the media system in the two basic configurations has a 7-inch screen, and in higher configurations - 8-inch, but in fact the size of the display, as well as the functionality of the entire system, are the same in all versions.
The optimal, in our opinion, RAV4 in the "Comfort" version looks like this, with 18-inch wheels and handles in the color of the body.
And what do the clients choose?
The statistics confirms our conclusions: the most popular in Russia is all-wheel drive "Comfort" - it accounted for about 45% of all sold RAV4 since the beginning of the year. More than half of those 45% are two-liter versions. And the front-drive "Comfort" is chosen by only 10% of customers.
It is interesting that the base front-wheel drive "Standard" also sells: it accounts for as much as 7% of demand. And the front wheel drive versions of RAV4 accounted for 17% of sales.
Top versions are also in good demand, but if the "Prestige" more often taken with a 2.0 engine (14% of buyers), the most expensive "Prestige Safety" prefer already with the engine 2.5 (12% of customers). All other combinations of options and power units sell modestly, including the "special" Style - it seems that the buyers of RAV4 external attributes to nothing.
