The Toyota RAV4 is a consistent best-seller among all vehicles, not just among crossovers and SUVs. If you’re looking for a small SUV, it’s likely that the RAV4 is one of your top considerations.

Highlights for the 2022 RAV4 include a spacious cabin, a smooth ride, and user-friendly controls. It’s the type of vehicle you can simply jump in and drive without a lot of fuss.

Toyota RAV4 Trim Breakdown

The 2022 Toyota RAV4 offers six trim levels: LE, XLE, XLE Premium, Adventure, TRD Off-Road, and Limited. Every trim comes with a four-cylinder engine that makes 203 horsepower and an eight-speed automatic transmission. FWD is the standard drivetrain on most trims, but AWD is an option. The Adventure and TRD Off-Road trims come standard with a more capable AWD system.

The base LE trim offers a long list of features, including LED headlights, a six-speaker sound system, and the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 package of active safety features. If you move up to the XLE trim, you gain some additional convenience features, such as keyless entry and ignition and dual-zone automatic climate control. The XLE Premium trim adds various aesthetic touches, including bigger wheels, a sunroof, soft-touch dashboard materials, and faux leather upholstery. The Limited trim is the top trim, and it builds on the XLE Premium with more aesthetic features and niceties like a bigger touchscreen, digital rearview mirror, and an 11-speaker premium audio system.

The Adventure and TRD Off-Road trims are technically below the Limited trim and above the XLE Premium trim, but they’re also somewhat in a class of their own. The Adventure trim adds taller roof rails, hill descent control, and a selectable terrain drive mode system. The TRD Off-Road includes all of this and also adds all-terrain tires and an off-road suspension upgrade.

Toyota RAV4 Best Features

The RAV4 features an impressive array of driver aids as standard equipment. This package includes things like adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and drowsy driver detection.

Fuel economy is also one of the RAV4’s best features with EPA estimates of 27-30 MPG in combined driving. Real-world testing has shown that the Adventure trim can average 28 MPG while carrying passengers and luggage.

In most cases, you can’t really expect a small SUV to give you much in terms of off-road ability, but the RAV4 does better than most with the Adventure and TRD Off-Road trims. These trims add rugged capability that most rivals can’t match.

Why Buy a Toyota RAV4?

The Toyota RAV4 is well-built with a generous complement of standard features and some nice upgrades when you get into higher trims. It’s an especially great choice for those who want a small, civilized SUV that can still hold its own on rough terrain. The Adventure and TRD Off-Road trims fit the bill nicely.

Compared to rivals, the RAV4 is an impressive choice with a comfortable ride, a functional and practical cabin, and Toyota’s generous two years or 25,000 miles of free scheduled maintenance.