2006 Toyota RAV4 Road & Trail Test

Another complaint? Well, this one seems to be something that most buyers in the market segment don't care too much about or they

With the rear door handle on the left and hinges on the right, getting stuff in and out of the RAV4 when parallel parked on a busy city street is awkward in the least. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

wouldn't keep buying small Japanese SUVs with swinging rear doors. In order to carry that full-size spare the door has to swing, which isn't my beef. Rather, it's the side that Toyota chooses to attach its hinges. When I brought this up to the product planners, stating that if you're parallel parked on a busy street and need to get something large and awkward out of the back, the only way to do it is to step out into the street before to pull the item out, and then close the door before carrying it behind the vehicle. This is also the case with Honda's CR-V and Suzuki's Grand Vitara, both made in Japan, as well as Land Rover's Freelander, plus others. But it's not the case with the Jeep Liberty, for example, which is the easiest to use on North American streets. When I spoke with Toyota's product planners about switching the door for North American consumption, they told me that it has been designed this way so that it's easier to open by using your right hand. What a pile of manure. If they really believed that, why did they make the new FJ Cruiser with the rear door handle on the right side and hinges on the left? Kudos to those product

Overall the RAV4 is a much better CUV than the outgonig model, and should fare well among Canada's families.  (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

planners, but the one's for the RAV4 don't get 100 percent of my vote. It all comes down to money, and their unwillingness to spend it on something that would make the vehicle more convenient and, in my opinion, safer.

But other than the rear door and airbag conundrums, I truly understand what's going on with the rest of this crossover. It's purposefully larger, which should make it more appealing to Toyota's core RAV4 buyer who, as mentioned earlier, has grown older, and with that age now may have children, or their children may now be larger. The added power will be popular among some, and to those who don't care, there that already efficient four-cylinder ready and waiting to scoot the kids off to gymnastics, soccer, dance classes or piano lessons. And it'll do it all without breaking the bank when it comes time to fill up, no matter which engine you choose.

Of course, the four-cylinder is thriftier than the six, but not by as much as its

Fuel economy? It's surprisingly good despite the new RAV's extra weight. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

269-horsepower would initially let on. EPA ratings, which are hardly accurate when compared to a real-world experience, peg the four at 10.1 L/100 km in the city and 7.7 L/100 km on the highway, which incidentally is better than the much lighter outgoing RAV4, which could only manage 10.6 L/100 km in the city and 8.0 L/100 km on the highway. The V6 is the real surprise here though. Thanks in part to its five-speed automatic transmission, and the fact that it hardly breaks a sweat when the four would otherwise be working overtime, it gets a better highway rating than the old RAV4, at 7.8 L/100 km. It's city rating is pretty decent too, at 11.1 L/100 km, making the only hit on your wallet if planning to step up to one, the initial cost of purchase.

All in all, Toyota's new RAV4 is a superb crossover that should be popular in this ever growing market segment. It deserves a thorough going over if you're looking to buy a compact to midsize family hauler, with my guess being that you'll come away impressed.

Specifications:

• Price Range (MSRP): $28,700 - $38,670 
  
• Body Type: 5-door CUV, steel unibody
• Layout: front engine, 4WD
• Base Engine: 166-hp, 165 lb-ft, 2.4L, 16-valve, DOHC I-4
• Base Engine: 269-hp, 246 lb-ft, 3.5L, 24-valve, DOHC V6
• Transmission: 4-spd auto (optional 5-spd auto)
• Brakes (front/rear): disc/disc, ABS, EBD, BA
• Tires: P225/65R17 or P235/55R18 w/ Sport package
• Curb Weight (I-4 - V6): 1,562 - 1,668 kg (3,444 - 3,677 lbs)
• Exterior Dimensions (L/W/H/WB): 4,600 / 1,815 or 1,855 w/ Sport package / 1,745 or 1,755 w/ 3rd row / 2,660 mm (181.1 / 71.5 or 73.0 w/ Sport package / 68.7 or 69.1 w/ 3rd row / 104.7 in)
• Track (frt/rr): 1,560 / 1,560 mm (61.4 / 61.4 in)
• Seating Capacity: 5 (optional 7)
• Cargo Volume (5-passenger behind 2nd row/1st row): 1,015 / 2,074 L (35.9 / 73.2 cu ft)
• Cargo Volume (7-passenger behind 3rd row/2nd row/1st row): 338 / 1,040 / 2,074 L (11.9 / 36.7 / 73.2 cu ft)
• Ground Clearance: 190 mm (7.5 in)
• Payload (1-4 - V6 w/ 3rd row): 375 - 525 L (825 - 1,155 lbs)
• Towing Capacity (1-4 - V6): 680 - 1,587 kg (1,500 - 3,500 lbs)
• Fuel Economy (I-4 city/hwy): 10.1 / 7.7 L/100 km 
  
• Fuel Economy (V6 city/hwy): 11.1 / 7.8 L/100 km 
  
• Safety:
• Warranty (mo/km): 36/60,000 comprehensive - 60/100,000 powertrain
• Direct Competitors: Chevy Equinox, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson / Santa Fe, Jeep Liberty, Kia Sportage, Land Rover Freelander, Mazda Tribute / CX-7, Mitsubishi Outlander, Pontiac Torrent, Saturn VUE, Suzuki Grand Vitara
• Web Site: www.toyota.ca