Being a Toyota doesn’t hurt, but the RAV4 has always done a great job of blending car-like driving dynamics with just the right amount of SUV-like ruggedness. All-wheel drive was available from the start, and the first-generation’s cute yet tough design instantly endeared it to thousands of consumers. The three-door first-gen model had an especially youthful design.
No car is perfect, but even when the RAV4 does need maintenance, it’s rarely serious or horrendously expensive. RepairPal lists an average annual repair cost of $429 for the RAV4, compared to an average of $521 for all compact SUVs. The frequency and severity of repairs for the RAV4 are also low.
The RAV4 also has excellent resale values. According to iSeeCars, the RAV4 ranks behind only the Jeep Wrangler, Toyota C-HR, and Honda HR-V as the slowest-depreciating SUV after five years.
Toyota has kept things simple with the RAV4, even in the most modern fifth-gen model. It still comes with a simple non-turbo four-cylinder engine as standard, while prioritizing safety equipment over the latest gizmos.
