FAST FACTS
* Model: 2016 Toyota RAV4 LE * Exterior color: Barcelona Red Metallic * Interior color: Black * Engine: 2.5 liter, four-cylinder * Horsepower: 176 * Transmission: Six-speed automatic * Fuel economy: 31 mpg highway, 24 mpg city * Price (as tested): $25,925
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When you pull on your favorite pair of jeans the feel-good chemicals in your brain bubble over like a fountain, signaling you to "relax."
The same thing happens to me when I slide into a Toyota product like the RAV4 compact SUV. There's just something intangible and settled about a Toyota that's often more than the sum of its parts.
It's a collection of little things, the generous width of the front seats, the angle of the steering wheel, the unexpected hush of the cabin, the big, silver-dollar sized dials that control the temperature and fan speed. All these add up to a relaxed, familiar vibe that make you feel instantly at home behind the wheel.
These virtues don't just happen in a vacuum. Toyota has been making RAV4s for 20 years, and the accumulated customer feedback accounts for a lot of evolutionary goodness. The RAV4's last clean-sheet redesign came in 2013, and now, four years into the product cycle, it's time for some fine-tuning.
Ed Emerson, new car sales manager at Capital Toyota on Lee Highway in Chattanooga, said the big news for the RAV4 line this year is the introduction of a gas-electric hybrid model and the return of the sporty SE trim. He noted that the hybrid offers customers better fuel economy for only about $600 more than the non-hybrid, and the SE gives dealers an option for customers who want a more aggressive look.
Base prices for the 2016 RAV4 range from $24,350 for an LE to $33,610 for a top-of-the-line hybrid in Limited trim. Our tester, an LE with Toyota's excellent Entune Plus telematics package ($675) and delivery charge ($900), lists for $25,925.
The RAV4 was one of the first compact SUVs to enter the market in 1996. That year, Toyota sold about 57,000 RAV4s. Last year, sales topped 300,000 units, making the small SUV a cherished produce for one of the world's leading auto companies.
The RAV4 competes with the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and Hyundai Tucson among others.
STYLING AND COMFORT
For 2016, Toyota left the RAV4's mechanicals pretty much intact, and concentrated on cosmetic and safety upgrades. Our LE tester has a bolder front fascia that follows the Toyota trend of adding more personality to the face of its vehicles. There are also some new character lines in the rocker panels, new bumper designs fore and aft, and new silver skid plate accents. Racier SE models get larger 18-inch wheels, LED headlights and taillights, a special grill design and available two-tone exterior color combinations.
Inside, we found the RAV4 to be very "livable." One day we transported several bags of clothes using only the ample floor space in the back seat. Open the rear hatch and you'll find 38 cubic feet of additional cargo space, enough room for a family of four to pack for a week at the beach. The RAV4 no longer offers a third-row option, which is just as well because it was tiny anyway.
We got winter precipitation several days while we were driving the RAV4 and found the heat and defrost systems more than up to the challenge of melting a quarter-inch coat of ice off the vehicle. The kids longed for seat warmers, but they're spoiled that way. (All hybrids RAV4s have all-wheel drive.)
Inside the RAV4, Toyota has upgraded the touch surfaces with softer materials. The lay-out of the gauge cluster and dash is simple and easy to navigate. Driving a car that doesn't require a 30-minute tutorial on all its bells and whistles is a breath of fresh air. The speedometer and tachometer are well placed and easy to read. A seven-inch touch screen is the home for satellite radio, a back-up camera feed and an available navigation app that can pair with your smartphone.
Even our base LE tester comes equipped with SiriusXM satellite radio. A three-month trial subscription is included in the purchase price. Top trim RAV4s can be ordered with Toyota's new Safety Sense package that includes pre-collision braking, lane departure alert and adaptive cruise control.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
All RAV4s, save the hybrid, come equipped with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 176 horsepower. (A V-6 option has been discontinued. Step up to a Highlander if you need six-cylinder towing capacity.) The stout little four-cylinder is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Toyota has passed on trendy CVTs and eight-speed trannies in its non-hybrid RAV4s.
In almost a week's worth of driving, we tested the RAV4 in commuter traffic and even made a side trip up Raccoon Mountain to test its chops at altitude. While not as smooth as the old V-6s, the smaller engines managed to negotiate our mountain roads without straining. Snow and ice were also easy to navigate, even without all-wheel drive. Chalk that up to an advanced traction-control system and grippy Michelin tires.
The RAV4's ride is quiet and generally composed. Speed bumps and choppy pavement, meanwhile, can be a bit jarring.
BOTTOM LINE
We spent several days behind the wheel of our LE tester and concluded it's one of the best no-frills, small-family SUVs on the market. For those looking for up-market amenities and safety features, the XLE and Limited versions of the RAV4 may be just the ticket. Environmentally-minded customers will want to check out the hybrid.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.