The Toyota RAV4 is celebrating its 30th birthday this year and while the RAV4 has used the bulk of those three decades focusing on providing the fundamentals with cargo capacity, passenger comfort, and fuel economy all being top priorities. The RAV4 is continuing to soldier on with minor updates for the 2024 model year but is this light approach to updates causing the established veteran to lose ground to SUV upstarts?
RAV4 styling still has rugged appeal
The exterior styling of the RAV4 continues to be unchanged for the new model year with Limited models like our tester still attempting to project a more rugged personality. The bulk of the changes are found on the Adventure and TRD Off-Road models with Army Green now making its way onto the color palette for the first time.
Otherwise it’s largely the same core script for other trim levels with Limited models like our tester getting more bright chrome accents and bigger wheels to try and give them more of a polished look. This look has served the RAV4 well since its update and while not much has changed, that hasn’t stopped RAV4 buyers from buying one with the model continuing to be one of the strongest sellers in the company’s utility vehicle lineup. Unfortunately, it has also fallen a step behind of rivals like the Hyundai Tucson and the Kia Sportage which have benefitted from more extensive updates with the Kia in particular getting a sportier edge to its exterior styling.
Storage space and comfort define RAV4 interior
Slip inside the RAV4’s interior and you’ll find that comfort and storage space played key roles in its construction. While the RAV4’s materials will not be the highest of quality (even in a Limited model like our example) there’s still an abundance of storage space with storage cubbies, cupholders, and other thoughtful storage solutions scattered throughout. Limited models get leather accents but buyers that don’t want to deal with the LE’s cloth seats and hard plastics but don’t have the money for a Limited should move into an XLE model with these models getting faux-leather accents and softer pieces of plastic trim.
The RAV4’s second-row seats fold into a nearly flat load floor which allows the RAV4 to swallow a wide range of bulky cargo but it’s bested in this department by a few rivals including the Subaru Forester. An 8.0-inch infotainment screen is standard on lesser models but our Limited tester (along with the TRD Off-Road) get a bigger 10.5-inch infotainment system with both screens getting a WiFi hot pot and standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The bigger screen in our tester also gets faster software and we were able to get around very easily with minimal lag. The seats in our tester were also very comfortable but side bolstering is typical for the segment with the RAV4 not getting very much of it.
Four-Cylinder power for any occasion
Power for all non-hybrid RAV4s comes from a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder that makes 203 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. This engine is not the fastest in the segment and that showed on the freeway with our tester needing a very noisy 8.3 seconds to make it to 60 mph. An eight-speed automatic is paired with the four-banger and shifts were decently crisp and we didn’t catch it sleeping on the job in any discernible way. Handling is on par for a CUV, competent in most situations but it’ll never set the world on fire with its corner-carving abilities or its steering response.
The RAV4’s fuel economy is also on track with other rivals with a front-wheel drive model getting an EPA-rated 35 MPG on the freeway. Our all-wheel-drive Limited tester sees that figure get bumped down slightly to 32 mpg but that’s nothing to sneeze at and is still within targeting distance of other rivals. Fuel economy is a strong selling point in the CUV segment and while buyers will be directed to the RAV4 Hybrid and its PHEV counterpart for maximum range, the standard model can still hold its own in that regard for considerably less money.
Value Quotient
Pricing for the 2024 Toyota RAV4 starts at $28,675 for the base LE model with the pricing ladder going up in a methodical manner as you make your way up the trim ladder. Stopping at the Limited model will see the price go up to $36,980 with our tester getting some minor options that caused the final price to get perilously close to $40,000. This pricing (while good for the segment) also hints at an underlying problem for the RAV4, and that’s value. Toyota recently made a whole suite of safety features and other driver-assistance tech standard across the entire RAV4 lineup and that erodes the reason why you would go up to a Limited model like our tester.
That’s especially true when you look at the XLE Premium which gets all the aforementioned standard safety equipment and an upgrade in interior materials for less money with a base model starting at a cheaper $33,075. This makes the decision of moving into a higher trim level more about what equipment you need and unless you need the Limited’s cooled front seats or some of its luxury-focused garnish, it’s always going to be a very hard pass for some buyers who will gladly buy an XLE variant.
That aside, the 2024 Toyota RAV4 continues to be a benchmark model but how long it keeps that title remains to be seen. The segment is constantly changing and evolving and the RAV4 will eventually have to pull some very large rabbits out of its aging hat to keep ahead of the CUV game.
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Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.