About RAV4
When the RAV4 arrived in 1994 in Japan and two years later in America, the idea of a small, carlike SUV seemed like a novelty. Three decades on, it is the mainstream. The RAV4 helped invent the compact crossover segment and has spent recent years as the best-selling vehicle in the United States that is not a pickup truck, the default answer for families who want space, all-wheel drive and Toyota's reputation without spending much on fuel.
Early RAV4s were cute, short and a little bouncy; later ones grew into roomy family wagons, and the fifth generation of 2019 brought chunkier styling and an excellent hybrid that quickly became the most popular version. A plug-in hybrid, originally called the RAV4 Prime, became one of the quickest vehicles Toyota sold. The sixth generation, revealed in 2025, completed the shift by offering only hybrid and plug-in powertrains, with new software, a GR Sport variant and rugged Woodland styling.
The RAV4 is built in Kentucky, Canada and Japan, among other places, and is sold almost everywhere. Its sparring partners are the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5, Subaru Forester and Ford Escape. Owners love the fuel economy and reliability; critics have long complained about cabin noise and a utilitarian interior. Look here for recalls, reliability rankings, reviews of the newest generation, used-market values and comparisons with every rival trying to dethrone it.