2019 Toyota RAV4 Pros and Cons: Why (Not) This Car?

	Compared to the Forester
Fuel economy	Better Worse

Toyota improved the RAV4 Hybrid's fuel economy dramatically with the redesign. The model's EPA highway rating has surged from 30 to 38 mpg, while its city rating has jumped from 34 to 41 mpg. In suburban driving I easily achieved trip computer averages in the low 40s, with a max of 50. On a 70-mph highway I observed averages from 35 to 38 mpg. While still much less efficient than a Prius, which is lighter and lower, the RAV4 now delivers the fuel economy people expect from a hybrid.

With all-wheel-drive (standard on the Hybrid), the non-hybrid RAV4 manages EPA ratings of 25 city and 33 highway. The Subaru Forester achieves similar marks, 26/33. So the new RAV4 Hybrid earns its keep, especially in city driving.

A Kia Niro goes farther on a gallon of gas, but is considerably smaller than the RAV4 and isn't offered with AWD.

Reliability & durability

Better Worse

The longer you're likely to keep a car, the more you'll benefit from the reliability of a Toyota. These days most cars will be reliable for four-to-six years (something to keep in mind when viewing scores or rankings based on the first few years of ownership). The Subaru Forester should be in the same ballpark as a Toyota for perhaps eight years. But once the odometer spins into six digits, a Toyota is your best bet.

Exterior styling

Better Worse

The 2013 RAV4 suffered from Toyota's tendency to artlessly overcook the styling of its cars. The 2019 RAV4, while not pretty, has few "what were they thinking?" details and could pass for a handsome Jeep SUV when viewed from the side. While I initially felt Toyota was trying too hard to make the new RAV4 look like a rugged truck, the more I look at it the more I like it.

I especially like how all of the angles and the character lines in the fenders work together to make the body side appear dynamic (a word overused by German auto makers, but warranted here). "Together" is the key word. There's a lot going on here, yet none of it strikes me as extraneous. Note how the upper surface of the front fender mirrors that of the rear fender. And then how the latter bends around a character line to angle forward up the D-pillar, the whole forming a subtle arrow. The wheel openings have cladding around them, but this cladding doesn't continue all of the way to the bottom, permitting some body-color paint to reach the edges of the wheel openings. As a result, the wheel openings don't look like huge gaping holes the way they do on many becladded crossovers.

Some details have a less clear purpose. Chrome trim outlines only the top edge of the windows. In most other cases it outlines the side windows entirely or runs along only the bottom edge. A black piece of trim separates the A-pillar from the fender.

Both of these might serve to increase the apparent length and reduce the apparent height of the new RAV4. Other exterior design elements definitely do. Thanks to the new styling, the 2019 RAV4 appears larger than the 2013-2018, but it's actually less lengthy (180.9 vs. 183.5 inches) and only an inch taller (67.0 vs. 65.9 inches).

The Forester has more awkward proportions and squarer, less sporty styling. It's less than an inch taller than the RAV4, but appears considerably taller.

Toyota's interior designers also managed to control themselves. The new interior looks much more cohesive and simply better than the 2013-2016 RAV4's. Here as well the theme is "rugged truck," with chunky door pulls and heavy rubber trim bits. But despite an above-average number of padded and stitched panels, the atmosphere remains somehow synthetic and even sterile. Perhaps blame is due the light gray upholstery of the tested car (which pairs uncomfortably with bronze stitching). The interior should look better in either of the other two options, black and tan. The Forester's interior seems nicer. The CX-5's seems much more upscale.

This said, I do like the rugged character conveyed by the rubber trim employed on the knobs and door pulls.

	Compared to the Forester
Quietness	Better Worse

The latest Toyota RAV4 does many things well beyond fuel economy, reliability, and styling--but so do many competitors. So those are the only areas where it stands out in the crowded compact crossover field. (And styling, being more subjective than the other two, is debatable.)

On the flip side, the new RAV4 does virtually nothing poorly. Seeking out some "cons," I'll note that road noise seems higher than the class average, and at highway speeds wind noise joins it. The latest Forester and Chevrolet Equinox seem quieter inside. The second-generation Mazda CX-5 seems much quieter. This isn't to say the RAV4 is noisy. Only not as quiet as some competitors.

Front seat support & comfort

Better Worse

I initially noted that the well-bolstered driver seat felt "ok." But after a few hours in it my rear started to feel sore.

To be fair, I haven't had enough seat time in competitors to state that they fit me better. And even if they do, this could just be me. People come in many different shapes and sizes, have different postures, and so forth. Pity seat designers! The upshot: no one else can tell you how comfortable a seat will be for you. Make the test drive as long as you can before buying.

I didn't test either vehicle off-road. The RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, and Forester all have traction control modes for off-roading. Subaru has a reputation for fielding more off-road-capable crossovers, but without testing I cannot state how much this reputation remains deserved. Neither should be able to match the capability of a Jeep Trailhawk model, each of which has at least quasi-low-range gearing if not a true low-range. At a minimum, anyone who wants to off-road their RAV4 will want different tires than the Dunlop Grandtreks on the tested vehicle.

	Compared to the Forester
Powertrain performance	Better Worse

Like the Camry Hybrid with which it shares a hybridized 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine (good for 219 combined horsepower), the RAV4 Hybrid can get from a dead stop to 60 mph in under eight seconds--pretty quick. But it doesn't sound or feel pleasant when rushed. For the optimal experience in a Toyota Hybrid, drive it casually. In typical daily driving the electric motors nicely supplement the marginal low-end torque of the gas engine, yielding quieter, more relaxed acceleration than in the more rev-dependent 203-horsepower non-hybrid RAV4.

How many compact crossover owners require quick acceleration, anyway? Subaru didn't even bother to offer its turbo engine in the redesigned 2019 Forester. With its 182-horsepower engine, the Forester isn't as quick as the RAV4 Hybrid. But it's still quick enough for nearly all driving. If you do want a seriously quick sub-premium compact crossover, check out the upper trim levels of the 2019 Mazda CX-5, which I'll be reviewing next.

Handling

Better Worse

Toyota gave the 2013 RAV4 surprisingly firm suspension tuning. While this helped the crossover handle responsively, it hurt ride quality. People complained. With a 2016 refresh Toyota softened the suspension to the point of mushiness. The 2019 strikes a pretty good balance between the 2013 and 2016. Its handling initially feels semi-sporty. But take a curve quickly and the new RAV4 leans much more than a truly sport-tuned crossover.

The Subaru Forester doesn't even pretend to offer sporty handling. Its significantly softer suspension soaks up bumps much better than the RAV4's. In turns the Forester leans more than the RAV4. Yet its ride and handling feel controlled, polished, and appropriate for the vehicle. I found the Subaru more pleasant to drive, if less sporty (this being quite relative).

Driving position & visibility

Better Worse

The new RAV4 provides very good outward visibility thanks to a moderately raked windshield and larger-than-average windows. But the Forester continues to provide outstanding outward visibility, and thus retains an advantage here.

Rear seat room & comfort

Better Worse

The Toyota RAV4, like most current compact crossovers, provides all of the space for people and cargo that most buyers will need. Here as well, though, the Forester does a bit better.

Price or payments

Better Worse

The tested Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, a top-trim Limited with nearly all of the boxes checked, lists for $39,765. A RAV4 Hybrid LE lists for much less, $28,945. In either trim the RAV4 Hybrid costs only $800 more than a non-hybrid RAV4 with AWD. How can they charge so little? Well, the rear wheels are driven entirely by an electric motor, so there's no need for a viscous coupling, rear differential, or drive shaft.

But the price of the non-hybrid RAV4 isn't terribly competitive. The Subaru Forester (with AWD standard) starts at $25,270. Spring for the top-trim Touring and the sticker reads $35,270. Both prices are a few thousand less than a comparable RAV4.