AUTO DIGEST REVEIWS: 2016 Toyota RAV4 Upbeat Auto, Motors & More!
By Barbara & Bill Schaffer •
adigest1@gmail.com
Washougal, WA. ~ Compact SUVs and crossovers are near- ly as hot as Apple’s iPhone 6. Nearly every manufacturer has one, and there’s one for every budget from the low $20,000s to nearly $100,000. After 19 years in that market category, the Toy- ota RAV4 continually ranks as one of the top selling models. Entering the third year of its fourth-generation, the current Toyota RAV4 (which originally stood for Recreational Activity Vehicle with 4-wheel drive) of- fers buyers a well-designed, at- tractive and comfortable choice. With its sharp- edge styling and aggressive rake, the RAV4 is
distinctive in
the crowd, but it defi nitely shows the Toyota fam- ily character. The attractive interior is fi lled with high qual- ity materials. There’s elegant French stitching on the dash and soft two-color seating options in the Limited model. That model also has the breathable SofTex material with French stitching on the seats, the center console and door panels. The SofTex has the look, feel and durabil- ity of leather, but it’s softer and has only about one percent of the volatile organic compounds that conventional synthetic leathers produce. That means less strange chemical smells and icky fi lm on the windows. SofTex is designed to hold up to high family traffi c with better spill and wear resistance, plus it weighs about half as much
as leather. We have always pre- ferred leather seats, but would probably take this material over leather; however, leather is not an option on the RAV4. The controls are well placed and marked for good driver er- gonomics and all the gauges and dash are illuminated by a new crisp blue lighting system. The multiple adjustments of the seats provide a very good and supportive driving position. Ac- cess to the cargo area is easier on the Toyota RAV4 Limited model thanks to the powered and height adjustable lift gate. Inside, behind the second row of seatbacks, is 38.4 cubic feet of cargo space. When the rear seat back is folded it expands to 73.4 cubic feet. The Toyota RAV4 comes in three trim lev- els, LE, XLE and Limited with each building on the features of the previous level. As a re-
voice activation and full con- nectivity through Bluetooth™, USB and AUX mini-jack. The RAV4 is a safety segment leader with features like eight airbags and STAR Safety Sys- tem on all trim levels. The Limited has an available Blind Spot Monitor system with Rear Cross Traffi c Alert, which uses the monitor sensors to warn the driver audibly and visually that there is cross traffi c approach- ing.
The standard power on all
trim levels is a 176-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder DOHC with vari- able valve timing and direct in- jection. The engine has Toyota’s new Smart Stop Technology, which shuts the engine down when the vehicle is stopped. The engine does an adequate
job but is a little weak when fully loaded or going up steep hills in the mountains. Accel- erating from 0 to 60 mph takes 8.7 sec- onds and EPA fuel economy is improved to
22 city and
mpg 29
mpg highway for the four- wheel drive version and two miles per gallon better
sult, the top-level Limited ver- sion we drove was loaded with features like the power liftgate, heated seats, Entune Premium Audio with navigation and a long list of other convenience and comfort equipment. All the Toyota RAV4 versions
have a standard back-up camera, Entune multimedia system with
with front-wheel drive.
A six-speed automatic trans- mission is standard. Front-drive models have a driver-activated Automatic Limited Slip differ- ential that directs power across the front axle and unlike a tra- ditional traction control, allows a slight slippage to maintain
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