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Before 1994, 4x4s were designed for rugged driving conditions with little regard to the aesthetics of the vehicle. That changed when Toyota unveiled the RAV4 in 1994 and the public clamoured to own a rough terrain vehicle with car-like luxuries, hot performance and everyday practicality.
Toyota revamped the vehicle in 2000 and made it sportier than ever. The build was robust, the image strong and it lands at the top of reliability surveys for secondhand Toyota RAV4s.
The Toyota RAV4 comes with plenty of variants, from a 3-door hatchback to a 5-seater. In fact, for a nearly new Toyota, RAV4 consumers can expect better depreciation value than for other vehicles in the same class.
The compact crossover SUV has gone through makeovers in several generations of manufacturing. Initially built on a Corolla platform, it was offered in 2-door and 4-door models. It sparked other car manufacturers to roll out similar models, although the used Toyota RAV4 is still a market favourite.
Most of the differences between the first and second generations were cosmetic, although configurations differed between global locations. Some markets sold only the 2-door model while others concentrated on sales of the 4-seater and others imported the 3 and 5-seater versions. All had permanent 4-wheel drive but depending on the location, the Toyota Rav4 came with body-coloured bumpers and mouldings, ABS brakes and alloy wheels. The second generation also sported 2.0 litre, 4-cylinder engines with improved torque and power. Toyota completely revamped the vehicle in 2006 and 2007, offering an extended-length RAV4 with over 21% more interior volume.
The Toyota RAV4 second-generation vehicles are the largest selling cars in their class to women drivers and the latest models have GPS navigation, backup cameras, smart keyless entry and are optimised for fuel efficiency.
New and nearly new Toyota RAV4 models have been reported to have the best-retained overall value of any brand, as well as the lowest ownership costs on a model produced by any full-line car manufacturer.