Car Review - 2009 Toyota Rav4 Features & Specifications

2009 Toyota Rav4 - Go ahead. Stare every bit much every bit you lot like. What you’re seeing on these pages is the 2009 Toyota RAV4. We’re non kidding! That’s how “subtle” the changes are, considering the nips as well as tucks done hither nosotros supposed to maintain the RAV4 fresh against the slew of its newer competitors including the exemplary Subaru Forester. We’re non proverb that the RAV4 is a terrible machine though. In fact, despite beingness i of the starting fourth dimension to brand it with the electrical flow crop of compact crossovers, this “cute-ute” remains fairly commendable, though it has genuinely fallen from our graces.

Before you lot larn cross-eyed trying to “spot the difference”, we’ll brand it tardily as well as boom them downwards for you: the forepart as well as parent bumpers are novel as well as therefore is the grille, the plough call for repeaters on the side mirrors as well as the alloy wheels. Err…that’s close it. One tin debate that the RAV4’s already handsome looks don’t demand much messing around, as well as nosotros tin concur with that. But the hefty toll jump (P 1,825,000 versus P 1,785,000) for novel dental piece of work sounds insane. This is specially truthful considering zip mechanical has changed as well as the Philippine Peso/Japanese Yen telephone substitution charge per unit of measurement has swung to our favor. Sure, the freshened RAV4 looks amend proportioned with the bigger, chrome-ringed fog lamps compared to the miniscule ones from before, but I’m certain they wouldn’t cost P 20,000 a piece. If the RAV4’s novel 17-inch alloy bicycle pattern looks strikingly familiar, we’re non surprised. With the Fortuner taking on the quondam design, the freshened i takes a page off the Land Cruiser Prado pattern book. It makes the RAV4 much to a greater extent than macho, but less sleek than before. Perhaps, the most welcome but most overlooked change, is the work of a “bee-sting” type radio antenna every bit opposed to quondam one’s rod-type one. This makes parking into vertically-challenged parking spaces much easier (and man child is the RAV4 a challenge, since it easily breaks the 1,700 mm pinnacle barrier).

Inside, this facelifted RAV4 is supposed to integrate novel materials which should improve on the pre-facelift’s biggest Achilles’ heel: a plasticky interior. But, alas, nosotros couldn’t notice whatever of this so-called novel material. It looks as well as feels the same every bit the previous one. And yes, it’s notwithstanding plasticky. The quirky stuff is notwithstanding at that spot similar the dual-tier glove box with the force clit machinery as well as the uncoordinated interior lighting scheme (the radio is backlit inwards green, the gauges inwards white as well as the residual of the controls inwards orange). This is a large shame actually considering the RAV4 does an fantabulous labor of imitating a Lexus interior. In that respect, at that spot are notwithstanding stuff to honey similar the chronograph-style gauges, the fly motif centre console. Even the sound organisation pumps out commendable sound, but you’ll conduct hold to stick with silvery circular discs hither every bit there’s no aux jack to live found.

The growth spurt of the RAV4 betwixt the second- as well as third-generation models notwithstanding reaps benefits inwards price of interior space. In fact, this one’s notwithstanding the Rex of ‘em. There’s fantabulous head, shoulder as well as leg room for every passenger. Upfront, there’s a commanding experience cheers to a high seating position. The dashboard’s high-mount as well as two-tier pattern emphasizes that feeling fifty-fifty more. An electronic adjustment for the driver’s spot allows for fantabulous infinitesimal adjustment for the best driving position, though the seat’s lateral as well as hip back upwardly could live better. In other countries, the RAV4 is available every bit a 7-seater, but since it’s strictly a 5-seater for our market, parent occupants volition revel inwards the comfortably large space. Aside from the common disputation as well as fall function, the parent seats also slide inwards a 60/40 dissever allowing for the fitment of long objects inwards the already generous cargo bay. Aside from accommodating the loving cup holders, the centre part of the parent spot tin also live folded forwards allowing long objects such every bit skis to live accommodated.

However, the biggest law-breaking committed past times the novel RAV4 is its sedate driving characteristics. The large hefty torso taxes the 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine (the entirely drivetrain available). Though it does force out 170 horsepower as well as 224 Nm of torque, it struggles to motility 1,585 kilograms inwards a rushed manner. If you’re non pushing it, the RAV4 feels alright: the shifts are unobtrusive as well as steady measuring is possible. However, i time you lot boom the limit (say when merging on the highway), you lot volition experience that the engine’s non upwardly to the challenge. In other countries, this job has been rectified past times increasing the engine displacement to 2.5-liters boosting the horsepower to 190. Toyota could conduct hold chosen to practice that here, but they didn’t. Shame.

The RAV4’s autumn from SUV grace continues with its cumbersome handling. As its increased majority as well as size suggests, this machine feels cumbersome. Yes, it notwithstanding goes through corners well, but it doesn’t offering skilful route feel. Plus, the steering is pretty numb. Though that’s the trade-off switching to an electrical ability steering system, Toyota could conduct hold tuned things a piffling towards the spirited side. On a skilful note, the brakes are good: grabby with a theater pedal feel.

It’s funny how inwards a brusque bridge of 3 years has caused this i time slap-up SUV to autumn into the pit of mediocrity, but that’s the fact of life inwards the automotive industry. Toyota should conduct hold taken the cue as well as come upwardly out with an outstanding re-vitalization of the RAV4. Instead, they played it also safe. With to a greater extent than than a half-dozen pocket-size SUV choices out there, it’s difficult to pick the RAV4 every bit the starting fourth dimension selection unless you lot actually demand the large interior room. If entirely the toll were to a greater extent than affordable or the measure kit amend (HIDs aren’t fifty-fifty measure for crying out loud!), as well as therefore it could conduct hold been a unlike ball game. As it stands though, nosotros only promise Toyota would radicalize its thinking (it has done therefore before) as well as pour to a greater extent than ingenuity inwards futurity RAV4s.