Used Toyota RAV4 cars for sale

Toyota’s mid-size SUV has been knocking around since 1994, and that first car is barely recognisable from the latest RAV4 that launched in 2018. Every modern RAV4 is a five-door SUV that rivals the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson and Ford Kuga. In the UK, every new-shape RAV4 is a hybrid with a petrol engine and electric motor and, in the last couple of years, that hybrid has been joined by a plug-in hybrid with a bigger battery. Four-wheel-drive RAV4s are available.

Drive a RAV4 and you’ll be taking up 4.6 metres of space. It’s exactly the same length as the Honda CR-V, and a little longer than the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson. Don’t worry about parking the thing, as reversing sensors and a rear camera come as standard. And, despite being a hybrid with both a petrol engine and electrical wotsits, it has a huge 580-litre boot and space for taller-than-necessary humans.

More often than not, the RAV4 has been available with electrified powertrains. In fact, 1997’s Toyota RAV4 EV was the company’s first fully electric car. These days, Toyota’s EV is called the bZ4X, while the similarly sized RAV4 has a brace of hybrid engines that switch between petrol and electric power.

In short, yes – the RAV4 is a really good car and a great option for a family SUV.

This class is really competitive, however, with lots of rivals to choose from – so what features might make you choose the Toyota over everything else?

Its first key strength is real-world efficiency. All RAV4s come with hybrid or plug-in hybrid power, which means you can tackle lots of urban driving while the on-board electric motor slashes your fuel consumption. This also makes the RAV4 a great alternative to diesel SUVs, which score similarly good mpg figures, but need fairly regular long-distance driving to avoid blocking the diesel particulate filter (DPF).

A pleasant side effect of the RAV4's hybrid engines is impressive performance – recent models feel worlds away from the sluggish hybrids of old. Strong electric acceleration off the line is backed up by enough power from the petrol engine that the RAV4 doesn't feel out of puff on the motorway.

Then there's Toyota's excellent reliability record, which sees lots of owners hang on to their cars for many years as they keep happily racking up the miles without complaint. This is backed up by Toyota's excellent 10-year warranty, which remains active as long as you have it serviced at an authorised Toyota dealership.

Considering most hybrids have a pretty poor towing capacity, the RAV4 is a decent option if you want to haul cargo without losing the option to drive electrically.

If you're towing, avoid front-wheel-drive hybrid versions, as they can only pull an 800kg braked trailer. Jumping to the four-wheel-drive hybrid knocks this figure up to 1,650kg, making it much more capable as a tow car. The plug-in hybrid is also reasonably accomplished with a 1,500kg braked towing capacity.

The RAV4 should be able to pull most small-to-medium-sized caravans, as long as you select the right version.

That means avoiding front-wheel-drive hybrid versions as these can only pull a braked trailer weighing 800kg. Caravan owners will be much better off with the four-wheel-drive hybrid RAV4, which can pull 1,650kg or the plug-in hybrid which can haul 1,500kg.

Four-wheel drive is optional on the full-hybrid RAV4 and standard on the plug-in hybrid. Neither of these is a mechanical system, instead using a powerful electric motor on the rear axle to work in tandem with the petrol engine on the front axle.

RAV4 hybrid models with four-wheel drive are a little faster than the front-wheel drive model and have a higher towing capacity. They do, however, trade away a little of the front-wheel drive's fuel economy in exchange.