2023 Toyota RAV4 rental short review

[RazorsEdge]

2023 Rav4 XLE

I was impressed I had only (1) complaint so I had to mention it. That ridiculous start / stop option. Thankfully it was easily disabled by a push of a button.

Seats were very comfortable

Lane assistant for other vehicle's in the other lanes

Loved the radio and large infotainment screen!

Transmission was so smooth,you couldn't tell when it was shifting in town driving or on the highway

Average gas mileage on highway 31.8 mpg

Large trunk space

We drove it for 3 days and had no issues. I've always been a Ford kinda guy,but I approve.

 

[SeaJay]

I know someone who purcased one a year ago, they have similar comments.

 

[Oillover]

I test drove an early Rav4 several years ago (mid 00's) and was thoroughly unimpressed with the performance and handling.
Felt like a little truck (for better or worse).

Fast forward nearly 20 years and I rented a Rav4 for a weekend.
After setting it up correctly (less driver assistance), I was thoroughly impressed.
I can see why they are so darn popular!

 

[RazorsEdge]

I know someone who purcased one a year ago, they have similar comments.

I test drove an early Rav4 several years ago (mid 00's) and was thoroughly unimpressed with the performance and handling.
Felt like a little truck (for better or worse).

Fast forward nearly 20 years and I rented a Rav4 for a weekend.
After setting it up correctly (less driver assistance), I was thoroughly impressed.
I can see why they are so darn popular!

Yes, I've noticed that they were very popular and that's why I wanted to see why for myself. I figured we'd be on vacation for 3 days and found one for rent so glad we did.

 

[VolkswagenFox21]

Had a 2021 Rav4 LE as a rental earlier in the year. Not as nice interior or infotainment compared to the XLE, but I liked it. Good power. Transmission downshifts a gear or two without having to stomp on the gas pedal and doesn't immediately upshift half a second later like our Tucson. Good gas mileage. I like the radar cruise. I can see why they're popular.

 

[RazorsEdge]

Had a 2021 Rav4 LE as a rental earlier in the year. Not as nice interior or infotainment compared to the XLE, but I liked it. Good power. Transmission downshifts a gear or two without having to stomp on the gas pedal and doesn't immediately upshift half a second later like our Tucson. Good gas mileage. I like the radar cruise. I can see why they're popular.

I had to read about the radar cruise that you mentioned. Sounds interesting.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Thanks for the post. The ICE version of these seems to get bashed on quite a bit, but we quite like ours.

Took me a while to figure out some of the features. Like the Radar cruise, you can set your vehicle spacing right from a button on the column - there are 3 settings - near to far. kind of nice in traffic

You can enable and disable the lane centering with the push of a button. If your using it on a road with wheel tracks not in the middle it can be a pain. On a smooth road its very nice.

On a long trip with a thule roof top box I got over 30MPG over the whole trip - about 70% interstate. If you push it past about 75mph your mileage really falls. Without the box and keeping it under 75 I get closer to 35 on the highway.

Very comfortable, lots of room. It is a little noisy but I guess can be expected for a low dollar (by today's standard) SUV.

Some trims or years do not have the auto start stop. Ours does not (2019 XLE Premium - actually built in Japan). Glad to hear they did put a button in there for easy disable.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I seam to hear lotsa anti stop/start posts. Our '21 RX450h has it and is is pretty much seamless.
Anything to save on expensive CA petrol.

 

[RazorsEdge]

Thanks for the post. The ICE version of these seems to get bashed on quite a bit, but we quite like ours.

Took me a while to figure out some of the features. Like the Radar cruise, you can set your vehicle spacing right from a button on the column - there are 3 settings - near to far. kind of nice in traffic

You can enable and disable the lane centering with the push of a button. If your using it on a road with wheel tracks not in the middle it can be a pain. On a smooth road its very nice.

On a long trip with a thule roof top box I got over 30MPG over the whole trip - about 70% interstate. If you push it past about 75mph your mileage really falls. Without the box and keeping it under 75 I get closer to 35 on the highway.

Very comfortable, lots of room. It is a little noisy but I guess can be expected for a low dollar (by today's standard) SUV.

Some trims or years do not have the auto start stop. Ours does not (2019 XLE Premium - actually built in Japan). Glad to hear they did put a button in there for easy disable.

Yeah there's actually a connection underneath the hood (where the hood release is located) that a person can unplug to disable the start / stop function completely

 

[D60]

It's like they told a kindergartener to make every transition in the body/trim as angular as possible. Crazy ugly, esp the fenderwells.

But that has nothing to do the mechanical so maybe it's a great ugly vehicle

 

[NewEnglander]

I drove one of these (XLE) all over Iceland in bad weather and kept control just about full time.

Great ride, too. If something happens to the SportWagen it would be a worthy alternative, thou not the same.

 

[SC Maintenance]

I seam to hear lotsa anti stop/start posts. Our '21 RX450h has it and is is pretty much seamless.
Anything to save on expensive CA petrol.

A hybrid is wildly different. You have a lag with an ICE - not much but some. With a hybrid the electric motor / battery negates the lag.

 

[RazorsEdge]

It's like they told a kindergartener to make every transition in the body/trim as angular as possible. Crazy ugly, esp the fenderwells.

But that has nothing to do the mechanical so maybe it's a great ugly vehicle

Yeah the angle I took the picture is not doing any favors either.

 

[D60]

Yeah the angle I took the picture is not doing any favors either.

I actually kinda thought that. It's interesting how perspective frames things.

Still, it seems automakers are determined to make everything a bulbous cocoon shape or extremely angular at every opportunity. I just think there could be a middle ground.

 

[meep]

We just bought this in a 24 hybrid, and I’ll be honest it wasn’t on radar until some folks on this forum were talking about it. It is a fine automobile, in every practical sense. My wife loves hers. @JeffKeryk, I’ve ordered a 2015 RX 450H to be shipped in for a test drive at the local Carmax. I am highly impressed with the Rav4H.

My son’s fiancé has a 2022 RAV4 ICE. My son has commented at its build, drive quality and utility.

I did see a limit - it doesn’t seat tall, big guys well at all up front. The seats just won’t handle it, their head is in the ceiling and the car drives like it has a half flat tire. Perhaps it’s better in the back, but it handled like tut-tutting a boat into the slip with a big guy in the front.

Over 40 mpg in the rav4H and the “push” from the rear motor is more fun than it should be.

I wish the front overbite weren’t so pronounced. I’d seriously consider one of these for myself as well.

 

[JeffKeryk]

We just bought this in a 24 hybrid, and I’ll be honest it wasn’t on radar until some folks on this forum were talking about it. It is a fine automobile, in every practical sense. My wife loves hers. @JeffKeryk, I’ve ordered a 2015 RX 450H to be shipped in for a test drive at the local Carmax. I am highly impressed with the Rav4H.

My son’s fiancé has a 2022 RAV4 ICE. My son has commented at its build, drive quality and utility.

I did see a limit - it doesn’t seat tall, big guys well at all up front. The seats just won’t handle it, their head is in the ceiling and the car drives like it has a half flat tire. Perhaps it’s better in the back, but it handled like tut-tutting a boat into the slip with a big guy in the front.

Over 40 mpg in the rav4H and the “push” from the rear motor is more fun than it should be.

I wish the front overbite weren’t so pronounced. I’d seriously consider one of these for myself as well.

You should know that the non F Sport RX450h delivers Lexus squishy handling. We had a 2018 and traded it in on a '21 F Sport. It's a different car. Highly recommended. At least drive both to see what works for you.

 

[meep]

You should know that the non F Sport RX450h delivers Lexus squishy handling. We had a 2018 and traded it in on a '21 F Sport. It's a different car. Highly recommended. At least drive both to see what works for you.

I think I’ll be ok with squishy handling, and when that gets old it will be due for struts I’d imagine. Question. I’ve heard some complaints about unusually stiff and heavy steering, which would be a turn-off for me. Have you experienced or heard of that? The 2018 is a different generation than the 15, so they might not compare there?

 

[methusaleh]

The RAV4 is on the list of vehicles I was considering to replace my wife’s car, but I keep reading about poor acceleration— what does this forum of actual “car people” think?

 

[RazorsEdge]

The RAV4 is on the list of vehicles I was considering to replace my wife’s car, but I keep reading about poor acceleration— what does this forum of actual “car people” think?

My girlfriend and I both drove and had no issues with acceleration in town or on the highway.

 

[methusaleh]

My girlfriend and I both drove and had no issues with acceleration in town or on the highway.

Thank you very much for the input.

I like most things about the RAV, but the small displacement and anecdotes about perceived slow acceleration held me back from ever doing a test drive.