In our tester, the ride quality was one of the highlights of the drive experience for me. Bumps were soaked up surprisingly well, and there was even some good chassis response on milder corners. Indeed, I wouldn’t take my FWD RAV4 to the race track, but it’s perfectly good on the daily grind.

That’s especially true when you consider the steering, which is just a little light and low on feel. Activating Sport mode forces the transmission to hang on to gears longer, but I found that it just kind of made the whole experience a little louder and more CVT-like. Yes, acceleration is a little bit zipper even at speed (good for highway passing, then), but I left it in ECO mode most of the time, returning a none-to-shabby 10.8 L/100 km in the city, which is fine for a people-mover like this.

I guess “fine” and “none-too-shabby” are thematic words and phrases when it comes to the RAV4. Toyota sells a ton of these trucklets, and will probably continue to do so. Because it plays it safe, because it’s comfortable enough inside and comes backed by Toyota’s stamp of quality (even if that has taken a bit of a hit over the last decade).

Warranty:
3 years/60,000 km; 5 years/100,000 km powertrain; 5 years/unlimited distance corrosion perforation; 3 years/60,000 km roadside assistanceCompetitors:
Chevrolet Equinox
Ford Escape
Honda CR-V
Hyundai Tucson
Jeep Cherokee
Kia Sportage
Mazda CX-5
Mitsubishi Outlander
Nissan Rogue
Volkswagen Tiguan

Yes, its looks bump it slightly – oh, ever-so-slightly – away from the centre of the “conservative” crossover world. Granted, other manufacturers this side of Volkswagen and Chevrolet are doing a little more for their small crossovers on the styling front, but I have to give Toyota credit for at least trying something with the RAV4’s exterior styling. Otherwise, it’s as serviceable a crossover as you’re going to find on the market today.

Pricing: 2016 Toyota RAV4 FWD LE
Base Price: $24,990
Options: $1,075 – Upgrade Package (Voice recognition controls, 6 speakers, 6.1” display screen, heated front seats, backup camera, silver painted roof rails, cargo area tonneau cover)
Destination: $1,730
A/C Tax: $100
Price as Tested: $27,895

NRCan Fuel Consumption: 10.0/7.6 L/100 km city/highway
Observed Fuel Consumption: 10.8 L/100 km

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