Steering in the RAV4 is carpark friendly and highway stable, as well as being fingertip light. Is it a sharp-turning, corner-carving fun wagon? No. It’s a RAV4 Hybrid. And that is exactly as it should be. Ease of driving is the name of the game here. That same philosophy carries over to the ride, which is stable and soft enough to handle most road conditions without being overly spongy. Body roll is light, and cabin stability high. Speed bumps are well handled at moderate speeds, highway driving is best described as “unremarkable” – which is a good thing here.

I mentioned the CVT moan earlier, it’s not actually that bad, and many regular autos fare worse. This transmission has a sport mode with manual shift control for simulated gear ranges. You can safely ignore this feature. Toyota probably could have saved the $30 per unit it cost to put the indent in the console and the program in the computer too. Not because it’s pointless or needless – wait, actually yes because it is pointless and needless. It works fine and simulates gear ratios well, but the CVT’s great benefits are ease of driving and fuel economy. There is no need for it to fill the sporting aspirations of anyone, make it drive well and save fuel and it has done its job.

It’s our fault really. All our boy-racer dreams of sportiness sometimes drive manufacturers to pretense, or even to put in things that are not pretend but still pointless.

Warranty:
4 years/100,000 km; 6 years/110,000 km powertrain; 7 years/unlimited distance corrosion perforation; 4 years/100,000 km roadside assistance

Competitors:
Honda CR-V
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
Jeep Cherokee
Mazda CX-5
Nissan Rogue
Subaru Forester

The RAV4 has a reputation for being easy to drive, delivering good practicality and a reliable driving experience. The RAV4 Hybrid is easy to drive, pleasant to drive, delivers good practicality and saves fuel over the regular RAV (and indeed most other compact crossovers).

That’s it. That’s the whole job. Job done.

Pricing: 2016 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid
Base Price: $38,265
Options: Technology package (JBL 11-speaker Synthesis Audi System, auto high beam, dynamic radar cruise control, pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane-departure alert, front and rear parking assist, birds-eye view monitor) – $2,675
A/C Tax: $100
Freight and PDI: $1,730
Price as Tested: $42,770

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