2016 TOYOTA RAV4SE AWD FIRST TEST REVIEW: A SHINY SHELL HIDING PRACTICAL VALUES
By far, the best $600 you can spend on a 2016 Toyota RAV4 SE is the S-Code paint. The option beautifully complemented our tester’s Electric Storm Blue paint with silver accents on the crossover’s body and side-view mirrors. But don’t go thinking the RAV4 SE is sporty; if that’s your compact-crossover top priority, nothing comes close to the Mazda CX-5. Except sportiness isn’t the only factor, is it? What really makes the RAV4 worth considering is its performance in a number of unsexy, practical considerations.
Subjectively and after a series of Motor Trend instrumented track tests, though, we found the RAV4 SE’s sportiness begins and ends with its visual add-ons and comfortable sport seats. Powered by a naturally aspirated, 2.5-liter inline-four making 176 hp and 172 lb-ft of torque, our all-wheel-drive RAV4 tester hit 60 mph in 8.7 seconds, a midpack performance. That’s not the case for 60-0 mph braking, which at 124 feet is at the bottom of the class despite braking feel that’s fine around town.
And it’s around town that you’ll benefit most from a feat that few other cars accomplish: outperforming EPA ratings in the Motor Trend-exclusive Real MPG testing. The 2016 Toyota RAV4 AWD is EPA-rated at 22/29 mpg city/highway, but it achieves a Real MPG rating of 24.5/30.3. Those Real MPG numbers, which simulate real-world driving on a dedicated test loop with help from a $150,000 gas analyzer, are near the very top of the class.
If only we could say the same about the driving experience, which is competent, but various editors called it “lifeless” and “joyless.
“It feels relatively confident in the twisty roads,” technical director Frank Markus said, “with what feels like midpack grip and little or no tire squeal but more body roll” than aKia Sportage 2.4, Hyundai Tucson 1.6T, and Mazda CX-5 driven on the same day. Then again, the RAV4’s six-speed automatic operates more smoothly than that turbocharged Tucson 1.6T’s seven-speed twin-clutch automatic, though not as well as the Honda CR-V‘s CVT.
Even the highly flexible CR-V, the 2015 Motor Trend SUV of the Year, can’t compete with the RAV4 in overall cargo space. Refreshed for 2016 with revised styling, many new options, and available active safety tech, the RAV4 didn’t need any changes to retain its best-in-class cargo capacity of 38.4 cubic feet with the reclining rear seats in place and 73.4 cubic feet with them folded down. The sizable cargo area is long and has a low load floor, too. If you want the useful functionality of folding those rear seats from the cargo area, however, stick with the Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5. The Toyota’s rear seat feels spacious enough, and the soft seat backs of the front seats are a plus. Also, the floor space in the middle of the second-row footwell is nearly flat, increasing the impression of space. The lack of rear-seat air vents, which aren’t available at any price, might help create slightly more room back there.
In front, more than one editor appreciated the partially padded dash with contrasting stitching, though if you don’t mind a bold look, we’d recommend considering the SE’s standard leatherlike SofTex seats and partial dash padding in the Cinnamon/black color combination instead of black. The SE trim also gets an instrument cluster with red lighting and speedometer/tachometer needles (woo!), but we much prefer the Nissan Rogue‘s rich-looking electroluminescent instrument cluster. The RAV4’s standard 6.1-inch touchscreen sits near the top of the dash, and it looks as small as 6.1 inches sounds, considering that at our crossover’s as-tested $32,165 price, others offer a 7.0- or even 8.0-inch touchscreen. (A 7.0-inch screen with navigation is available.) New-for-2016 options not on our test crossover include an active safety tech package and a multicamera parking system. If you like the idea of the two-tone paint but not so much the blue, it’s also available with a white or black base color.
Availability of Toyota’s Safety Sense active safety tech will likely expand for the 2017 model year, as the automaker has stated its intentions to include the tech on nearly every new car by the end of 2017. With active safety tech, the 2016 RAV4 qualifies as an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ and earns an overall safety rating of five stars (out of a possible five stars) from the NHTSA.
Those good safety scores and impressive IntelliChoice five-year cost of ownership ratings might cause some to overlook the average driving dynamics. Still, with its low cost of ownership, efficiency, and safety ratings (with the active safety tech package, which is optional for 2016), the RAV4 will make lots of sense for some buyers, especially those who have an attachment to the Toyota brand. Unfortunately for the RAV4 and buyers who prioritize driving excitement, though, this is a crowded class with many competent performers.
So how much do you like the RAV4 SE’s two-tone paint?
| 2016 Toyota RAV4 SE AWD | |
| BASE PRICE | $31,565 |
| PRICE AS TESTED | $32,165 |
| VEHICLE LAYOUT | Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV |
| ENGINE | 2.5L/176-hp/172-lb-ft DOHC 16-valve I-4 |
| TRANSMISSION | 6-speed automatic |
| CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) | 3,630 lb (58/42%) |
| WHEELBASE | 104.7 in |
| LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT | 181.1 x 72.6 x 65.5 in |
| 0-60 MPH | 8.7 sec |
| QUARTER MILE | 16.7 sec @ 83.4 mph |
| BRAKING, 60-0 MPH | 124 ft |
| LATERAL ACCELERATION | 0.78 g (avg) |
| MT FIGURE EIGHT | 28.6 sec @ 0.57 g (avg) |
| EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON | 22/29/25 mpg |
| ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY | 153/116 kW-hrs/100 miles |
| CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB | 0.79 lb/mile |
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