2001 - 2005 Toyota RAV4 review

2001 - 2005 Toyota RAV4, (Photo: Toyota Canada)

2005 Toyota RAV4 interior. (Photo: Toyota Canada)

2005 Toyota RAV4. (Photo: Toyota Canada)

The 2001-05 Toyota RAV4 is one of the most fuel-efficient SUVs on the market after hybrids. With its sleek, sporty styling and great fuel economy, the RAV4 is a good choice if you need a small practical SUV.
Available as two- or four-wheel drive, the RAV4 has a car-based unibody construction with a 4-cylinder engine and a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. The RAV4's full-time 4WD system uses a viscous coupling center differential to distribute power to the front and rear sets of wheels. When front wheels start slipping, more power is transferred to rear wheels and visa versa. Although this four-wheel drive system is not designed for heavy off-roading, it will offer you some advantage in bad weather.
The RAV4's interior is comfortable. The tall driving position offers good visibility. Controls are conveniently located and easy to use. The fit and finish is good. The rear hatch glass does not open separately as in the Honda CR-V, but the low cargo floor makes loading easier. On the downside, the rear seat space is fairly limited and the driver's seat feels a bit small.
On the road, the Toyota RAV4 feel very agile, with car-like handling and fairly smooth ride. The engine is a bit noisy and lacks highway passing power, but is very fuel-efficient. The 2005 FWD RAV4 with an automatic transmission is rated at 27 US MPG on a highway.
In the NHTSA frontal crash tests, the 2001-2005 RAV4 scored four stars for both the driver and the front passenger. In the side-impact crash tests, the 2002-2005 RAV4 received five stars for both the front and the rear seat. For more details, visit Safercar.gov.

2005 Toyota RAV4 2.4L VVT-i engine. Photo: Toyota Canada

The 2001, 2002 and 2003 RAV4 came with the 148-hp 2.0-liter 4-cylinder DOHC engine with Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i).
Starting from the 2004, the RAV4 received the 161-hp 2.4-liter engine. Both engines use a maintenance-free timing chain; there is no timing belt to replace. Both engines are very reliable if maintained properly.