• Toyota Rav4 reaches a higher plane

    by  • July 24, 2013 • Car Reviews, Test Drives

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    2013 Toyota Rav4 exterior front left dynamic

    The Toyota Rav4 is a handsome looking SUV

    The Toyota Rav4 is a real no nonsense car. Big and bold looking on the outside, inside it’s minimalist sophistication.

    The cabin design is simple with sweeping lines and the cushioned leather dash upholstery in the test car lent it a stylish air.

    As you’d expect from a five seat SUV, the cabin in the Rav4 is really spacious – with great leg room both back and front.

    In fact, sitting in the back seat, behind a driver of similar height to me (5’5″) I had at least eight inches to spare in the knee room department.

    2013 Toyota Rav4 interior cockpit

    The interior of the Toyota Rav4 is spacious

    The floor in the rear is flat so all three rear seats are comfortable for tall adults.

    The boot in the Rav4 is also massive and the rear seats easily fold flat to make an even bigger cargo area.

    There are also loads of storage cubbies, with the centre console also featuring a handy coin plate.

    The centre arm rest, which doubles as a cooler box, functions as such and doesn’t get in your way when you’re changing gear.

    The glove compartment is also a nice size and I liked the design of the recessed area directly above it.

    The centre console itself carries through the simple design theme, with an easy to use touch screen infotainment unit. The USB and aux ports are well located at the bottom.

    While there were no parking sensors fitted to the mid-level Luna trim test car, I found the reversing camera to be very useful.

    The car I was driving also had cruise control, air conditioning, hill start assist and auto lights and wipers.

    Our route in this six-speed manual model took us through the city, on country roads and over the Dublin mountains.

    2013 Toyota Rav4 interior boot

    The boot in the Toyota Rav4 is spacious

    I really enjoyed driving it. It is a very big car but it doesn’t feel like one when you’re behind the wheel and its light steering made it easy to park.

    The test car had stop/start technology which helped to lower fuel consumption by automatically cutting the engine when the car is stopped in traffic.

    The Rav4 is not the fastest car at the lights, but it does quickly pick up pace as you work through the gears and it has great acceleration for overtaking.

    Although the Rav4 is available in 4WD, the test car was a 2WD model but it still made short work of the mountains, relishing the challenge of steep inclines. I also liked that it had a manual handbrake.

    Overall, I really liked it. It’s a good looking, spacious, comfortable SUV that’s extremely drivable and a lovely place to be.

    The Toyota Rav 4 is available now, with prices starting from €27,995. Prices for the Luna grade test car start from €29,995.

    Tech Spec
    Engine: 2.0 D-4D 125 Luna 2WD (diesel)
    Acceleration: 0-100kph in 10.5 seconds
    Top speed: 180kph
    Fuel Economy: 4.9l/100km
    CO2 emissions: 127g/km
    Annual road tax: €270

    Visit the Toyota Ireland website or its Facebook page for further details.

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