The Toyota RAV4 has made itself a top of choice in its category over the years, and trend continues to point upwards. North American sales of the compact SUV have continued to climb year after year. Now, the arrival of a modernized, heavily revised 2019 edition has helped the RAV4 become a veritable steamroller in what is now the most popular automotive segment in North America.
Read our first-drive review of the 2019 RAV4 - Read our comparison of the 2019 Toyota RAV4 and the 2019 Mazda CX-5
Specifications of the 2019 Toyota RAV4
Before you rush over to the local Canadian Toyota dealer to get yourself the latest iteration of the RAV4, check out our points to take into consideration. It will help you get a better grasp of just what the model is all about; at the very least, it’ll give you the tools to impress the sales representative at the dealer with your in-depth knowledge!
1. Enhanced driving pleasure
The Japanese automaker made it a priority to boost the driving pleasure experienced by those behind the wheel of its products. In this regard the new 2020 Toyota Supra is definitely Exhibit A. As for the 2019 RAV4, it follows, mildly, in the same footsteps.
Although there’s far from a consensus as to whether it has what it takes to outclass a model like the Mazda CX-5 – check out Auto123.com’s Benoit Charette instructive comparison study of the two models -, the 2019 RAV4 is without a doubt more fun to drive than the outgoing model, thanks particularly to the steering that has gotten crisper and more precise than before.
The new TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) platform adds a touch more stiffness to the RAV4, while the two available configurations (combustion-only or hybrid) are more powerful than what was available previously, without sacrificing in terms of fuel economy. Even better, the RAV4 hybrid is the more dynamic of the two: it delivers up to 219 hp, topping the regular model’s 203 hp.
The 8-speed automatic transmission does yeoman work in tandem with the 2.5L 4-cylinder, while the CVT results in some loud and boisterous screechiness from the engine when accelerating. Keep in mind of course that that unit’s main priority is to reduce what you pay at the pump.
