Toyota RAV4 review

SUVs are all gas-guzzling planet-polluters, right? Well, not the Toyota RAV4, which pumps out less CO2 than most city-dwelling small cars.

We're not pulling your leg – this relatively large SUV really is one of the most efficient cars in its class. That’s according to official figures, and it didn’t disappoint in our independent True MPG testing either.

The RAV4 is a hybrid, so you fill it up with petrol in the normal way, but there’s also an electric motor to share the effort and cut fuel consumption. You can have it as a plain hybrid that charges up as you drive or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), which gives you the option to, well, plug it in for a much longer electric-only range.

In Toyota's SUV line-up, the five-seater RAV4 sits above the C-HR but below the rough-and-ready Land Cruiser. The car it competes with most directly is the Honda CR-V because they're roughly the same size and both available in hybrid form.

If you need an even bigger hybrid, we’d point you towards the excellent Kia Sorento seven-seater. When you cast your net beyond the hybrid SUV class, rivals also include the Mazda CX-5, Peugeot 5008 and Skoda Kodiaq.

How efficient is the RAV4 exactly and, even if the figures stand up to scrutiny, is it a good car in other key areas too? Over the next few pages of this review, we’ll give you all the information you need, including how good the handling is, how much space there is in the back and how much it will cost to run.

If you decide you're ready to buy, make sure you check out our New Car Buying service to find the best prices on lots of make and models of cars without any awkward haggling. You could save a four-figure sum with some of the Toyota RAV4 deals available there.