Toyota RAV4 is not the quickest vehicle on the planet, but its engine is a winner. Made of aluminum, the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is modern and lightweight. It's powerful and efficient, delivering an EPA-estimated 25/31 mpg City/Highway.RAV4 feels responsive and pleasant around town. The engine makes 148 horsepower and 142 foot-pounds of torque. It revs relatively high, but offers good torque at low rpm. Acceleration in the 4WD model with automatic transmission is lively and feels almost effortless, as if this 2976-pound vehicle were a featherweight. It could use more power at higher elevations, however, as we found while driving one near Yellowstone National Park.
The water-cooled, electronically controlled, four-speed automatic transmission fully complements the smoothness of the engine. Every shift felt seamless.
Around-town handling and parking lot maneuvering is wonderfully nimble. The RAV feels even lighter than its 2976 pounds. On the highway, the power rack-and-pinion steering is precise, with no dodginess. In gusty winds, however, the it wanders quite a bit.
The chassis and suspension take bumps with equanimity, and offer a ride as good or better than many larger SUVs. Maybe even more impressively, there's no detectable pitching or tipping, which is no mean feat for any SUV. There's little that's truck-like about the suspension. The independent front end uses MacPherson struts with L-shaped lower control arms, while the rear suspension is a double wishbone layout with coil springs and nitrogen-filled shock absorbers.