1996 Toyota RAV4 Review

Toyota's new, hot-selling RAV4 small sport/utility vehicle is terribly cute, practical and more affordable than larger sport/utilities.

The RAV4 has only the older Suzuki Sidekick and similar Geo Tracker as direct rivals, so most people likely will forgive its faults. They include stiff-moving climate control levers and high door handles that are supposed to double as armrests, but are uncomfortable and don't offer a good grip.

There is no regular rear bumper--just small pods beneath each taillight. And you must pay extra to get a radio.

But the turn signal and wiper stalks work smoothly, and acceleration is lively with the standard five-speed manual transmission. Even the short-wheelbase two-door RAV4 model has a surprisingly good ride, and RAV4 base prices only range from $14,948 to $17,048.

Toyota cleverly figured out that many interested in sport/utilities don't want big, clunky, costly ones that ride like trucks. Rather, they want smaller, cheaper, smooth-riding ``sport/utes'' that are easy to enter and maneuver.

So the automaker came up with the RAV4, which has two or four doors and front- or full-time all-wheel drive, which doesn't require a driver to activate it.

The RAV4, which stands for Recreational Active Vehicle with 4WD, feels and drives much like a car because nearly half its parts come from Toyota's auto parts bin.

For instance, the two-liter, 120-horsepower four-cylinder is a version of the old Toyota Camry motor. The front suspension and all-wheel-drive system are from Toyota's Celica and Camry All-Trac models and the power steering is from Toyota's Corolla. Even the shift lever is from the Japan-only Toyota Starlet. The unibody, carlike construction is related to that used for Toyota autos.

So what if the RAV4 lacks ground clearance for serious off-road driving? Toyota knows few sport/ute owners engage in such motoring. Besides, the RAV4's huge tires and wide stance make it look like it could tackle rough off-road terrain.

There's lots of wind and road noise at highway speeds, but even the 86.6-inch-wheelbase RAV4 two-door I drove with a manual transmission and all-wheel drive, has decent space for four 6-footers. And split folding and reclining rear seats allow you to come up with plenty of cargo space.

But the rear door opens toward the street side, not the safer curb side.

With a 162-inch length, the 94.9-inch-wheelbase RAV4 four-door is 16.1 inches longer than the two-door model. It has a better ride and lots more cargo space behind the rear seat, although the two-door is cuter. Both have the high seating position desired by sport/ ute buyers and a dashboard that looks like it's yanked from a Toyota auto.

The rugged dual-camshaft, 16-valve RAV4 engine is fairly smooth, but gets loud when pushed hard. The RAV4 hits 60 m.p.h. in a decent 10 seconds with the manual, but a fair amount of shifting is needed to get the best performance. Quick passing on highways calls for a downshift from fifth gear to fourth.

The standard power steering is numb and feels too light above 50 m.p.h., but is quick and precise. Handling is quite good, and a sophisticated rear suspension helps provide a supple ride--even over lousy roads. Braking also is good, with a pedal that can be nicely modulated.

Standard on the RAV4 are dual air bags, reclining front bucket seats with excellent comfort and support, rear defogger, console with cup holders and intermittent front and rear wipers.

But there is no standard radio, and prices escalate considerably if popular options are added. For instance, air conditioning costs $ 985, and anti-lock brakes add $590. A twin sunroof costs $600 and alloy wheels are $685. Even a tilt steering wheel is $170. A radio? It's $290, and comes with controls too tiny for easy operation.

Power windows and locks come in a $1,280 option package for the two-door and in a $1,460 package for the four-door.

The four-speed automatic transmission is $1,050, but stifles acceleration at higher speeds. It's not offered for the RAV4 two-door with all-wheel drive.

The manual transmission in my RAV4 shifted pretty well, but sometimes ``hung up'' between shifts and left me unable to engage any gear while the vehicle was moving. Unhappily, the RAV4 with the manual is geared so that fourth gear makes the engine feel like it's lugging at in-town speeds. Drop to third gear, and the engine is running too fast.

Economy for the two-wheel-drive RAV4 is an EPA-estimated 24 m.p.g. city and 30 highway with the manual and 24 and 29 with automatic. Figures for the four-wheel-drive model with either manual or automatic are 22 city and 27 highway. Big sport/utilities are lucky to reach the low-20 m.p.g. range on highways.

Only about 40,000 RAV4s will be sent to the United States this year.