2009 Toyota RAV4 User Reviews

Pros

Exc fuel economy, powerful engine, excellent ride

Cons

Bluetooth sound output, whistle noises, and UV rays block.

Purchased As New

I own a 08 RAV4 for 18 months now and 41K miles later, I can really say "I love it". No mech. problem so far. V6 in a small SUV is a plus in performance. I get 23 MPG combined (I am lead footed). The ride is a little rough but I thought because of my 18" wheel and the tuned suspension that came with Sport version. However, it does not bother me because I did not expect Lexus ride and comfort - I owned a 98 Lexus GS300 before this car. The RAV4 is simplifed. No fancy stuff that I do not need and it is practical and fun for everyday driving. Three complains I have about this car: 1) Bluetooth is inaudible 2) a whistle sound everytime I step on the accelerator at high speed 3) No UV rays reflective glass. Overall, I love this car and would highly recommend it. You can not buy a better SUV for mid $20K....read morehide

Pros

comfort,economic,nice style

Cons

should have a hatch back

Purchased As Used

My dad got this car used from this company and it really nice and feels great.The only problem i have with this car is the back,they should have made it go up... but yeah, plus its super economic

Purchased As New

Absolutely love this vehicle. I like the size of the car, its a smaller SUV but yet you get plenty room in the back and a decent size trunk area. You can also adjust the drivers seat to fit you any way you like. I was deciding between Honda CRV and Toyota RAV4, and the RAV4 defenetly is much more comfortable....read morehide

Pros

Quiet, Drives Great, Good Fuel, Lots of Room

Cons

Seat Comfort

Purchased As New

I think the RAV4 is a great car for the price. It hasn't had a single issue mechanics wise and is great on gas. The front seats aren't the most comfortable, and the distance from the seat up to the steering wheel is kind of akward. Even on the lowest setting I feel the steering wheel doesn't come down far enough. I switched to the RAV4 from an Eclipse and found the transition to be very easy even though there was a big size difference. I would fully recomend anyone to purchase the RAV4 especially if they are looking for a family car....read morehide

Pros

Great performance, decent economy for a V6 SUV, easy handling, great use of space.

Cons

Standard stereo not the best, side opening rear door without lift up glass

Purchased As New

I have been surprised when I read some of these reviews. I'm not sure if some of these people have actually been in one of these cars. My 2009 RAV4 now has about 10,000 miles on it. I have found the RAV4 to be one the best cars I have ever owned. I like some of the changes to the 2009, especially moving the antenna to the top rear of the car. The old antenna looked kind of dated. The seats adjust upward as well as backward and forward. I am 6 feet tall and have plenty of room. I am not sure what type of seats some of these reviewers have gotten used to, but I found these seats to be plenty comfortable for longer trips. I travel a lot and have rented many cars with seats vastly inferior to these. The car rides and handles fine, not a sports car, but pretty good for an SUV. It is amoung the quietest cars I have ever owned. Surprising power in the V6 makes it very fun to drive, yet it gets similar or better gas mileage compared to its competition. I have been averaging around 24mpg around town. Very practical use of space with plenty of room. Four regular sized adults will have plenty of room when traveling. If you put the rear seats down you have a large amount of room for hauling. I am not a big fan of the side opening rear door and I did like the upward opening rear doors on the competition. I can also see the advantage to having the rear door open the opposite way when parking on the side of the street. One thing I do like about having the door open from the side it does currently is that it is a little more easily accessable to the driver when parked in a parking lot or driveway. You don't have to walk to the far corner of the car to open the door. My wife who is more vertically challenged then I am finds it easier to close. The competitors rear doors required her to sometimes have to jump up to pull the door closed. I also found the standard stereo to be nothing special and somewhat biased towards heavy base, although I do love the iPod connecter. I did my research on the competitors and test drove all of them. My second choice would have been the CRV, I actually liked the interior a little more, but it was pretty underpowered compared to the RAV4 and the gas mileage was about the same. Throw in the fact that the CRV was higher in price. The V6 sold me on the RAV4 and I haven't been dissappointed....read morehide

Pros

Nice looking, fast, handles well

Cons

drivers seat uncomfortable, causes back pain

Purchased As New

I like this car except for the drivers seat. If that was more comfortable this would be the perfect car. Handles very well, v6 is fast. It is east to load groceries. Besure to take an extended test drive to make sure the seats are comforqble for you.

Pros

None

Cons

Toyota can't even supply wheel locks

Purchased As New

The spare tire on the back is the dumbest idea Toyota has had. I have had the tire stolen twice in DC. At least my CRV came with wheel locks. Just another example of how Toyota cuts corners for a buck. What else did they cut back on? The brakes is my next guess. If you want to replace your front pads every 6 months this is a great car. If not, find another SUV!...read morehide

Pros

easy to drive, park, and it's a quiet drive, efficient

Purchased As New

This is my second Rav. The only thing I wish that was different is that the driver's seat also went up instead of back and forth. I am fairly short and although it's not a major problem, it is just an inconveince. I also have a Mercury Mountaineer (1998). Now that is a nice driver's seat!...read morehide

Pros

Fuel, economy, easy view outside and strong engine

Cons

none

Purchased As New

I have one. Its very good car. Very comfortable. spacious, smooth and looks very good.

Pros

Handling, power, comfort, rear visibility, fuel economy, satellite stereo, backup monitor

Cons

Road noise, no compass, no auto headlights, no garage door control

Purchased As New

Purchased a new 2009 RAV4 Auto 4wd 4-cyl Ltd......We were in the market for a RAV4, Equinox, CR-V, or Compass. The RAV4 was the first to come available. We are glad to have chosen the 4-cylinder. I have v-8s as well as a muscle car. This 4-cylinder has plenty of power. I drove 65-75 with A/C up steep grades with no problem maintaining speed or lugging the engine down. I have 600 miles and get an average of 29 mpg highway and 24 mpg around town. We really enjoy the leather seats and sunroof. We ordered aftermarket door moldings to prevent dings. Road noise is noticeable when driving on chipped concrete or chip seal pavements. Don't really like the swinging rear door, but it makes loading somewhat easier. Can't believe Toyota didn't put in a compass or locate the outside temperature indicator to where passengers could see it. All in all, the RAV4 has met our expectations and will provide years of enjoyment. As far as the purchase, we were not able to obtain any dealer discounts due to vehicle inventory shortages caused by the Clonker program....read morehide