2015 Toyota RAV4 – A practical compact SUV

With its spacious interior, good visibility, and available all-wheel drive system, as well as the vehicle’s clean, attractive styling, car-like maneuverability, and intriguing fuel economy ratings, the RAV4 is certainly worth a test drive.

Offered from $23,870 MSRP, the 2015 Toyota RAV4 is available in several models: FWD LE, FWD XLE, AWD LE, AWD XLE, and AWD Limited, which all provide buyers with a spacious and comfortable interior. The automaker’s compact SUV will seat a total of five passengers, and includes 60/40-split, fold, and reclining second-row seats. Cargo space is also quite good at 1,090 litres, allowing owners to throw their groceries, school bags, suitcase, and so on in the back without any real hassle. Buyers can also fold the rear seats, increasing cargo space to a total volume of 2,080 litres - almost twice the original cargo volume!

As for comfort and convenience, consumers can enjoy features like heated front seats, premium fabric seat surfaces, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, dual-zone automatic climate control, a push start button, and a smart key system, available depending on the model. In addition, Toyota’s navigation system and satellite radio are offered as well, along with many other features.

In terms of power, all 2015 RAV4 models are equipped with a 2.5-litre 4-cylinder engine capable of generating 176 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque. The engine is mated to a slick and responsive 6-speed automatic with sequential shift mode.

Buyers can also switch-up their driving experience by using the driving modes: Normal, ECO, and Sport. Owners will either benefit from a more fuel-efficient mode (ECO), or another mode where shift timing and steering response will be enhanced (Sport). Buyers also have the option of standard front-wheel drive, or available all-wheel drive. Whatever consumers choose, they can still expect easy, confident handling, and an overall solid ride from the 2015 Toyota RAV4.

Fuel economy ratings for the 2015 Toyota RAV4 are 10.0/7.6 litres per 100 kilometres (city/highway), with a combined rating of 8.9 for FWD versions. With AWD, the combined rating becomes 9.5 L/100km.

Finally, when it comes to safety, buyers – and especially parents, should be pleased with the features offered with the compact SUV. For example, vehicle stability control, traction control, an anti-lock brake system, brake assist, and smart stop technology are among the many features that come standard with the RAV4.

We also suggest considering Toyota’s active safety systems that include: lane departure alert, a blind spot monitor, and rear cross traffic alert, all of which are optional on the top trim. In addition, a rearview camera and backup sensors are also available.

The 2015 Toyota RAV4 is a practical compact SUV that is comfortable, spacious and versatile, and that offers lots of features for safety, comfort, convenience and entertainment. As a bonus, the SUV also offers sleek styling, and the added traction of available AWD should provide buyers with enough peace-of-mind to get them through our long Canadian winters.