Fred's Daily Rants: September 2007

Before I start, the above is a fun commercial of the Toyota Rav 4. :)

Okay, now let's get down to business. The reason why I decided to do a review on this SUV is because of the fact that, it has become a very popular car, and over the weekend when I visited the showrooms, I was amazed at the fact that they were all sold out, with no fresh stocks for 2 months at least. Not even a demo car. Now, that is a feat!

The Toyota Rav 4. Year 2007. What is different? On first sight, you will notice that it is much longer than the previous model. It fact, it has a long wheel base measuring a wheelbase of 2660 mm. It looks like a grown up RAv 4, more luxurious and sophisticated. I think SUVs are heading that direction. Look at the CRV, same direction. The Rav 4 now measures 4600 mm in length, 1855 mm in width and and stands 1730 mm tall.

The car comes with Active Torque Control 4WD, which adopts an electronically controlled coupling for the front and rear differentials, and decides how much torque is split between the front and rear wheels. This means that road conditions are continuously being monitored to switch between 2WD and 4WD mode. It saves more fuel than a full time 4WD system, and seems the logical way to go.

Powering the Rav 4 for the Asean model is a 2.4l VVT-i engine, which produces 125kW of power and 224Nm of torque. The transmission is still a 4-speeder, and I think they should give it a 5-speeder as most competitors already do. Nevertheless, the drive is much more refined than the previous model. Minimum turning radius of the car is 5.3m, which is acceptable for a car of this size.

For safety, the Rav 4 comes with 4 wheel disc brakes with the front vented, coupled with ABS with EDB (Electronic Brake Force Distribution). This is helpful in distributing the brake force between the front and rear wheels under slippery conditions, and resulting in less brake locks. It even comes with hill start assist, which will help hold the car on a slope to prevent roll backs when you switch from your brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. Of course on top of this, you have your usual airbags and crumple zones.

Stepping inside the car, you will notice a nicely improved interior. The dash is not too overly cluttered, and everything is within easy reach helped by the excellent driving position. You will find various convenient storage compartments as well. The meters look great. Being Optitron Meters, they are nice and bright with a tinge of Lexus influence. This is a good sized family car, with big enough front and rear seats, plenty of legroom, what more can you ask for?

One of he things I like best about this car is that there is ample rear leg room being a long wheel base car. I have driven some SUVs before, and being almost 6 ft tall and having long legs, the rear passengers always have very little legroom left. This is not a problem with the Rav 4. I have seen similar SUV models and the Rav 4 is tops in this department. Also, the rear seats can be folded to provide a huge storage area. If you are looking for a spacious SUV, the Rav 4 deserves a look at least.