Toyota Rav4 5d review

For more than 20 years, the Japanese corporation Toyota has been producing the RAV4 compact crossover, and by now it has managed to turn into something special, firmly rooted in people's minds, as a reliable and trustworthy car. And not just a car, but a really passable car, absolutely suitable not only for city trips, but also for cross-country driving. The restyling of 2016, which will be discussed, helped her to become even better. Here we will talk about what exactly has changed as a result of the update, and what is generally interesting about the restyled model, whose assembly has been established at the Toyota plant in St. Petersburg.

Design

During the modernization, the number of body color options for the RAV4 increased to 9, the radiator grille narrowed, completely new LED headlights with DRL and a massive front bumper with trapezoidal air intakes appeared, the exterior mirrors added a little in length, and the fog optics in triangular niches retained their round shape . On the door sills are still plastic pads that allow you not to get your feet dirty when leaving the car.

The taillights have remained at their old dimensions and finally got trendy LED lines. At the "stern" there are also additional stamped body parts that make the "skirt" of the rear bumper more harmonious. All innovations have created a slightly aggressive image - just a little to show that the updated crossover is still intended mainly for the city and light off-road. One cannot but agree that if Toyota designers wanted to emphasize the off-road nature of the model, they would at least equip it with a 6-corner cladding in the spirit of Highlander or Land Cruiser 200.

Design

RAV4 2016 is based on the improved platform of the previous version. The layout is the same: in front - MacPherson struts, in the back - multi-link suspension. The distance between the axles of the wheels is the same as that of the extended five-door of the 3rd generation. Thanks to the restyling, the stabilizers have become wider and the stiffness of the shock absorbers, springs and silent blocks has been adjusted again.

Adaptation to Russian conditions

The Japanese "SUV" is more or less ready to conquer the Russian expanses. Firstly, because its ground clearance is almost 20 cm, and secondly, because it has a plug-in all-wheel drive (Part-time 4wd) with a two-stage transfer case, which provides a choice of different driving modes, depending on the traffic situation. The H2 rear-wheel drive mode is suitable for normal driving conditions on flat pavement and helps reduce fuel appetite, while the H4 all-wheel drive mode in high gear is optimal for driving on slippery surfaces and provides excellent wheel traction. But for heavy off-road, if you really have to get out of it, the L4 all-wheel drive mode in low gear is suitable. The suspension of the new RAV4 is reliable enough for operation in our country: it is not afraid of serious blows and does not allow the car to “collect small things”. On a relatively flat surface, the ride is excellent, and only on provincial “patchwork” roads does it, unfortunately, leave much to be desired. Crossover buyers expect two more news. The good thing is that its engines consume 92-octane gasoline without problems, and the essence of the bad thing is poor sound insulation, and this despite the increase in the area of ​​soundproofing coatings by 55%. The harsh Russian winter for the RAV4 2016 is not a hindrance, since everything that is possible is heated in it, and to be more precise, the front and rear seats, steering wheel, windshield (heated with filaments), exterior mirrors and washer nozzles. In addition, there is an additional electric interior heater.

Comfort

In the interior, first of all, the finish has improved: the materials have become better and more premium. Fabric, leather and silver plastic are used for decoration. On the inside of the doors and front panel - nice soft plastic. The steering wheel, sheathed in leather, pleases with ergonomic influxes and competent placement of the multimedia and on-board computer control keys, but at the same time, the buttons for steering wheel heating, all-wheel drive lock and electric trunk lid are inconveniently located behind it. In addition, the location of the main buttons (including those responsible for seat heating) is not very appropriate - they are not visible at all behind the massive upper part of the dashboard, and in order to search for them, the driver needs to be distracted every time. After the update, the design of the air ducts on the front panel and the automatic transmission lever also changed slightly. There are two glass holders, and in the front one a mug with a handle is now placed. The eyeglass case “registered” right under the windshield.

The instrument panel is brand new, with a 4.2-inch color screen and Hyundai blue backlight. "Tidy" is quite informative and readable, but it is not clear why it needs a constant indication of the included parking sensors. The chairs of the first row are very comfortable, "dense", and have developed lateral support. Even in an expensive configuration, they are trimmed with textiles, which, however, is more comfortable in hot weather than skin that quickly heats up in the sun. The rear sofa is also comfortable: the rear passengers have a large amount of legroom, a flat floor without a transmission tunnel and a tilt-adjustable backrest that allows you to choose the right position for both your back and legs.

The RAV4 Toyota Safety Sense package of active safety systems is supplemented by three electronic assistants - a frontal impact prevention system with auto-brake function, cruise control with the function of maintaining a safe distance from the vehicle in front and a traffic sign recognition system. We remind you that in addition to this, the Toyota Safety Sense package includes systems for automatically switching high beams to low beams and warnings about leaving the lane. Parking is now much easier, as the simple rear-view camera has been replaced with a full-fledged 360-degree video view. With the help of 4 wide-angle lenses of this system, you can view up to 8 "pictures" of different plans. In this regard, the RAV4 follows the same path as the facelifted flagship Toyota Land Cruiser 200.

The equipment of the RAV4 2016 includes the Toyota Touch 2 branded infotainment complex. The complex is equipped with a seven-inch color touch screen with an intuitive interface and a USB port for connecting a smartphone or tablet. The system also features Bluetooth and Hands-free for hands-free calling, texting and listening to your favorite music while driving. The quality of sound and telephone communication - on the "five".

Toyota RAV4 Specifications

The engine range of the crossover of the 2016 model year is represented by petrol “fours” with a volume of 2 and 2.5 liters, which develop 146 and 180 hp. respectively, and meet the eco-standard "Euro-5". The first engine is combined with both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, and he is accompanied by a six-speed “mechanics” or a variable-speed transmission (CVT). The second engine works in tandem only with all-wheel drive and a 6-speed automatic transmission. According to the manufacturer, the average fuel consumption is from 7.4 to 8.6 liters, depending on the modification, but the real figure differs by almost 1-2 liters.

Dimensions Toyota Rav4 5d

• length - 4.605 m;
• width - 1.845 m;
• height - 1.670 m;
• wheelbase - 2.7 m;
• clearance - 197 mm;
• trunk volume - l.

Toyota RAV4 configuration

Toyota RAV4 photo

Test drive Toyota Rav4 5d - video

Advantages and disadvantages of Toyota Rav4 5d

Guided by the analysis of numerous reviews of car owners and test drives of the Toyota RAV4 2016, we note the following advantages of the model:

Let's highlight the main advantages of the model:

• bright and modern appearance;
• high-quality interior decoration;
• rich winter package;
• extended list of electronic assistants;
• unpretentiousness to fuel quality;
• good handling.

The disadvantages include:

• poor sound insulation;
• buildup on "patchwork" provincial roads;
• long trunk opening time;
• not fully thought out ergonomics of the cabin;
• real fuel consumption is slightly higher than the passport;
• ugly blue dash lights.