   2014 Toyota RAV4 FWD LE. Click image to enlarge |
Review and photos by Peter Bleakney
The other day I had a salad made with heirloom tomatoes, and they tasted pretty good. They didn’t look that much different – kinda round and red – but it was the veggie’s heritage that apparently justified its elevated standing in the foodie world.
Lineage and history resonates with we humans. What’s cooler than enlightening your friends to the fact that Porsche’s signature left-side ignition switches can be traced back to the days of running starts at Le Mans?
Or telling your friends your 2014 Toyota RAV4 is the fourth generation of the seminal cute-ute – the vehicle that started this whole mainstream compact crossover thingy way back in 1995?
Ta-da.
Actually, there are a trillion-gazillion things way cooler than that. But there you have it, the RAV4 beat the Honda CR-V to the market by about a year. And now everybody and their donkey has a jacked-up-wagon-hatchback-soft-roader for sale.
It’s one of the fastest growing automotive segments, and to keep the RAV4 in the running Toyota gave it a complete makeover last year.
Gone is the V6 engine – too thirsty and no longer relevant in this segment. Okay, Jeep and Mitsubishi will argue that. Gone is the vestigial third row – too cramped and not enough takers. Gone is the awkward right-hinged rear door saddled with heavy spare tire – just plain dumb. Gone is the four-speed auto, replaced with a modern six-speed unit.
The port-injected 2.5L four carries forward with a slight drop in horsepower (176 vs 179) but torque remains the same at 172 lb-ft.
Tested here is the entry-level FWD LE model that starts at $23,870. For this we get seats trimmed in durable looking fabric, 17-inch steel wheels wearing alloy-look covers, a tilt and telescoping plastic steering wheel,
Bluetooth, USB and Drive Mode Select which offers three modes of throttle response and shift mapping (Eco, Normal and Sport).
This tester had an optional $1,500 package that adds heated front seats, cargo tonneau cover, silver pained roof rails, back-up camera, privacy glass and six-speaker audio with 6.1-inch display. We’d say this upgrade package is pretty much a given.
At the time of this writing the Honda CR-V starts at $25,990, the Mazda CX-5 at $22,995, the Ford Escape at $23,749, the Mitsubishi Outlander at $25,998, the Nissan Rogue at $23,498 and the Chevy Equinox at $26,375.
The RAV4’s wheelbase is unchanged from the previous generation but Toyota claims the suspension has been tuned for more sporting responses.
  2014 Toyota RAV4 FWD LE dashboard & centre stack. Click image to enlarge |
It certainly is a sharper looking rig with its more aggressive snout and angular haunches.
The interior suffers from Toyota’s recent mandate that suggests there were too many blokes in the design studio and they all hated each other. It’s a mish-mash of textures, materials, themes and angles that add up to “huh?” The faux carbon-fibre on the door panels and centre console clashes spectacularly with the cheapo metal-look plastic trim on the dash.
  2014 Toyota RAV4 FWD LE gauges & shifter. Click image to enlarge |
That said, it’s all quite ergonomically sound. There is a trio of large rotary controls for the HVAC and the push buttons surrounding the display are similarly prominent and logical. The downside are the small and sometimes unresponsive “buttons” on the touchscreen for the radio presets and a row of buttons for seat heat and dynamic drive that are tucked down low in front of the shifter. Granted, these won’t need continuous access.
There are a couple of cup holders in the centre console and several storage cubbies, although you’ll find more in the Honda CR-V.
The front seats are reasonably comfortable but I found them a bit flat and lacking in lateral support. Not that anyone is buying a RAV4 for its cornering ability.
Dynamic accolades in this category go to the surprisingly agile and communicative Mazda CX-5. The Ford Escape and Jeep Cherokee also are decent handlers.
Not to say the 2014 RAV4 is a slouch on the road. It shows good body control and quick steering – it’s just that there is nothing here that says sporting.
The 2014 RAV4 LE is all Toyota, all the time, delivering an innocuous driving experience that neither inspires nor offends. It’s a marvelously effective tool that gets the job done with minimal intrusion. I spent two hours in horrendous Toronto traffic and I don’t remember a damn thing about the RAV4. Other than nothing about it contributed to my escalating frustration. In fact, its general low key competence and compliance may have tempered the rising tide of homicidal road-rage festering within.
Which is why Toyota sells boatloads of cars.
   2014 Toyota RAV4 FWD LE seating & trunk. Click image to enlarge |
The transmission shifts smoothly, the ride soaks up the worst bumps and once up to speed on the highway the RAV4 is stable and serene, showing just 2000 rpm at 110 km/h.
With Eco mode selected, throttle response is dulled considerably. I found Normal to be just fine, with perky throttle tip in and good shift points. Sport ups the ante a bit, hanging on to gears longer, but as far as I can see the payoff is only more noise and less economy.
  2014 Toyota RAV4 FWD LE. Click image to enlarge |
This new RAV4’s ace in the hole is its capacious hatch with low floor height – something my ageing Golden Retriever truly appreciated. If you’re hoisting heavy items like bags of soil, cases of beer or bulky bass amps, the benefits of this feature cannot be understated. A high load floor is the bain of most vehicles in this class.
Behind the rear seat is a massive 1,090 litres. The spare tire is now under the floor but there is narrow a panel just aft of the seats that lifts to reveal some secret storage. The split second row folds almost flat and opens up 2,080 litres.
A word of caution – the hatch is so long that you have to step back when opening it for fear of getting whacked in the mid-riff. That’ll happen just once, then you’re trained. Rear seat room is class-competitive, and said seats have a recline function.
Fuel economy for the front drive RAV4 LE is rated at 8.7 L/100 km city, 6.4 L/100 highway and 7.7 L/100 km combined. I saw a respectable 9.2 L/100 km.
The Ontario, Woodstock-built RAV4 is currently third on the compact crossover sales chart in Canada, behind the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape. It’s a solid, middle-of-the-road choice – not too spicy and not too sweet. Like comfort food, it gets the job done with consistent reliability and leaves no aftertaste. Or ring of fire.
Toyota is vowing to build no more boring cars. Not so sure about that. This RAV4 is good and boring, which is a formula that has served Toyota very well so far.
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Pricing: 2014 Toyota RAV4 FWD LE
Base price: $23,870
Optional: $1,500 Upgrade Package: 6 speakers, 6.1-inch display, heated front seats, back-up camera, privacy glass, silver painted roof rails, cargo area tonneau cover
A/C Tax: $100
Destination charge: $1,690
Price as tested: $27,160
Competitors:
Chevrolet Equinox
Ford Escape
GMC Terrain
Kia Sportage
Hyundai Tucson
Mazda CX-5
Mitsubishi Outlander
Nissan Rogue
Subaru Forester
Volkswagen Tiguan
Crash Test Results:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
