The 2022 Toyota RAV4 does everything most people need a compact SUV/crossover to do. And does it well. Not surprising, really, since Toyota pretty much invented this kind of vehicle with the first RAV4. So the company has had a lot of customer feedback as well as time to perfect the recipe. Show
This is also one of the best-selling compact crossovers in the world, with more than 10 million finding homes since the RAV4 launched in 1994. The current generation is the fifth, which debuted for 2019. So here is a compact crossover employing technology that perhaps isn’t cutting edge but still sufficiently modern, with the benefit of an outstanding pedigree. Spacious, safe, and fuel-efficient, the RAV4 has to be on the shortlist of anyone looking at a new compact crossover SUV. The 2022 RAV4 Hybrid and 2022 RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid models each have their own reviews. 2022 Toyota RAV4 PricingThe 2022 Toyota RAV4 LE has a starting price of $26,525, plus a destination charge of $1,215. All-wheel drive adds $975. At the top of the range is the TRD Off-Road RAV4, with all-wheel drive as standard. It starts at $36,465. Among the many rivals, there are a few standouts. The Honda CR-V starts at about $25,000, the Subaru Forester and Kia Sportage both kick off around $25,200, the Ford Escape is a few hundred more, and the Mazda CX-5 is priced similarly to the RAV4. Before buying, check the KBB.com Fair Purchase Price to see what others in your area paid for their new RAV4. Resale values are strong, likewise with the Honda CR-V. Our best pick for resale values, however, is the Subaru Forester. Driving the 2022 Toyota RAV4When engines are tuned with more of an emphasis on fuel economy than performance, that can sometimes be frustrating on steep uphill stretches. The 4-cylinder unit in the 2022 RAV4 is one of those engines. For commutes, school runs and local errands, though, that fuel efficiency becomes more appreciated, along with Toyota’s impeccable reputation for reliability. The engine sounds a little coarse at high revs, but that’s probably a rare occasion in a RAV4. Toyota has laid out the controls and calibrated things like steering feel to make the RAV4 as easy as possible. It doesn’t ask too much of a driver. And the raised position helps with outward vision. The suspension is tuned for comfort over poise, but can feel unsophisticated on occasion, as if it can’t respond quickly enough to whatever the road surface has just thrown at it. In general, the RAV4 doesn’t disguise its weight particularly well. Although the TRD Off-Road has all-terrain tires and a specialist suspension, it still has the same ground clearance of 8.6 inches as the XLE Premium, Adventure, and Limited models. That’s only 0.2 of an inch higher than the LE and XLE. Anyone hoping for rock-crawling thrills shouldn’t throw away the Jeep catalogs just yet. Interior ComfortIt’s hard to believe the 2022 RAV4 is a compact crossover when sitting in the cabin. Headroom and legroom are plentiful in both seating rows, and cargo space expands from 37.5 to 69.8 cubic feet when both the 60/40 split rear seats are folded down. As the trim levels become plusher, so does the interior. The XLE Premium has a leather-wrapped steering wheel and simulated leather seating surfaces. Adventure trim adorns the upholstery with orange stitching, the TRD Off-Road has red stitching. Limited has dark brown interior accents with blue ambient lighting. All versions have soft-touch plastics up front. The infotainment system is easy enough to negotiate without referring to the manual. Our only wish is that Toyota had been a little more generous with the sound insulation. It gets a bit noisy at freeway speeds. This year, every version of the 2022 RAV4 gains a locking glove box with LED illumination. Starting with the XLE trim, various switches are illuminated. And the Limited trim gains an 8-way power-adjustable front passenger seat. Exterior StylingOne of the changes for the 2022 RAV4 is the inclusion of sharper-looking headlights on all trims except for the base LE. Various versions have different grille treatments. For example, the LE, XLE and XLE Premium have a black hexagon pattern, while the Limited’s is dark gray metallic. The Adventure and TRD Off-Road models are eligible for 2-tone color schemes. Cavalry Blue is a new paint choice offered on the TRD Off-Road. Favorite FeaturesALL-WHEEL DRIVE JBL AUDIO SYSTEM Standard FeaturesTrim levels for the 2022 RAV4 with the regular gasoline drivetrain are LE, XLE, XLE Premium, Adventure, Limited and TRD Off-Road. The LE comes with 17-inch steel wheels, LED headlights/daytime running lights/taillights, roof rails, single-zone climate control, cloth upholstery, four cup holders, and four bottle holders. Safety features include forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, automatic high beams, and adaptive cruise control. The infotainment system has a 7-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, Amazon Alexa compatibility, satellite radio, USB port, Bluetooth, advanced voice recognition, and six speakers. Factory OptionsLE trim can be ordered with blind-spot monitoring, which is standard across the rest of the 2022 RAV4 range. A better way to bring more features into a new RAV4, however, is to choose a higher trim. The XLE has 17-inch alloy wheels, LED fog lights, keyless entry/ignition, dual-zone automatic climate control, illuminated vanity mirrors in the front shades, and five USB ports. XLE Premium is more recommendable, adding 19-inch alloy wheels, powered moonroof, leather-wrapped steering wheel, simulated leather upholstery, 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, and a height-adjustable powered tailgate. Adventure comes with all-wheel drive, turns the moonroof and height-adjustable tailgate into options, then adds a digital driver information display, 120-volt outlet, panoramic back-up camera, and an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen. Limited reinstates the moonroof and height-adjustable tailgate as standard, and makes all-wheel drive optional again. It also has puddle lights, heated front seats, 8-way power-adjustable front passenger seat (new this year), digital rearview mirror, garage door opener, ambient blue cabin lighting, front/rear parking sensors with automatic emergency braking, Wi-Fi, navigation, and an 11-speaker/800-watt JBL audio system. As its name implies, the TRD Off-Road is specialized, with all-wheel drive as standard along with an off-road-focused suspension, plus 18-inch alloy wheels wearing all-terrain tires, heated side mirrors, and a front skid plate. The parking sensors and upgraded infotainment system migrate to this model’s options list. All trims except the LE can come with a heated steering wheel. Limited is eligible for a panoramic moonroof, heated outboard rear seats, and hands-free tailgate operation. The top two trims offer heated/ventilated front seats with perforated seating surfaces, plus a 360-degree camera system. Engine & TransmissionAlthough the broader 2022 RAV4 range includes hybrids, this conventional version has a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine developing 203 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. An 8-speed automatic transmission sends this to the front wheels (FWD) as the basic configuration. All-wheel drive (AWD) is optional — except in the Adventure and TRD Off-Road models, where it’s standard. Maximum towing capability is 3,500 pounds. That’s with the Adventure and TRD Off-Road models only. The rest of the range can pull 1,500 pounds. Regular 87-octane gasoline is fine. 2.5-liter inline-4 KBB Vehicle Review and Rating MethodologyOur Expert Ratings come from hours of both driving and number crunching to make sure that you choose the best car for you. We comprehensively experience and analyze every new SUV, car, truck, or minivan for sale in the U.S. and compare it to its competitors. When all that dust settles, we have our ratings. We require new ratings every time an all-new vehicle or a new generation of an existing vehicle comes out. Additionally, we reassess those ratings when a new-generation vehicle receives a mid-cycle refresh — basically, sprucing up a car in the middle of its product cycle (typically, around the 2-3 years mark) with a minor facelift, often with updates to features and technology. Rather than pulling random numbers out of the air or off some meaningless checklist, KBB’s editors rank a vehicle to where it belongs in its class. Before any car earns its KBB rating, it must prove itself to be better (or worse) than the other cars it’s competing against as it tries to get you to spend your money buying or leasing. Our editors drive and live with a given vehicle. We ask all the right questions about the interior, the exterior, the engine and powertrain, the ride and handling, the features, the comfort, and of course, about the price. Does it serve the purpose for which it was built? (Whether that purpose is commuting efficiently to and from work in the city, keeping your family safe, making you feel like you’ve made it to the top — or that you’re on your way — or making you feel like you’ve finally found just the right partner for your lifestyle.) We take each vehicle we test through the mundane — parking, lane-changing, backing up, cargo space and loading — as well as the essential — acceleration, braking, handling, interior quiet and comfort, build quality, materials quality, reliability. Which RAV4 2022 model is the best?The 2022 RAV4 XLE is the sweet spot in the model lineup. It is equipped with upgraded LED projector headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, and a power-adjustable driver's seat.
Which Toyota RAV4 model is the best?The recommended spec
If you're buying a new 2022 Toyota RAV4, we think the best one of the bunch is the Hybrid XLE Premium, which comes standard with all-wheel drive (AWD). It costs just $1,150 more than an equivalent non-hybrid XLE Premium equipped with AWD, and it gets substantially better fuel economy.
What is the top of the line 2022 RAV4?What we need to know from the get-go is that the 2022 RAV4 comes in six spectacular trim levels—LE, XLE, XLE Premium, Adventure, Limited, and TRD Off-Road. The entry-level LE trim starts at an MSRP of $26,525, and the top-of-the-line TRD Off-Road is set at $36,465.
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Which 2022 RAV4 model is the best?
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