2011 Toyota RAV4 User Reviews

Pros

looks great, good mpg, lots of storage space

Purchased As New

The RAV is small on the outside but large on the inside! The extra storage underneath is really great! The competition didn't have that and it really helped me make my decision to go with a RAV. I haven't regretted it!

Pros

Good acceleration, quiet interior, comfortable seats, decent fuel economy

Cons

No factory tinted windows...that's it.

Purchased As Used

I purchased a 2009 RAV4 4 2.5 litre 4 cylinder, base model, for my wife. Let me tell you this...if I were to get in it blind-folded, not knowing which vehicle I was in, I would have never guessed that it was a RAV4. The ride comfort is amazing! The independent suspension decreases body roll over uneven pavement. Road noise for a vehicle of this size is more than acceptable. Braking is smooth & quiet. It absorbs bumps in the road like they were nothing. Wind noise is average but better than most. Acceleration is excellent. I barely have to apply pressure to the throttle to get it to move. Without even having to stomp down on the pedal & the 4 cylinder turns into a monster & easily pulls away from the pack. Engine noise is surprisingly almost non-existent. Sometimes there is a little engine noise at lower RMP from the timing chain but not noticeable as you begin to drive. Not saying it will win a race but very good overall. The transmission is sooo smooth. You'll hardly notice it changing gears. It's also very intelligent & seems to be in the correct gear for your driving conditions. The steering it tight & very responsive. The seats are amazingly comfortable. They almost cradle you back. The rear seats are nice because not only do they move forward & backward but they also recline so many different angles. One thing that I love about the cock pit is that all the stereo & climate controls are placed easily within arms reach. There's a little accent light that illuminates the center console at night. The front head lamps project a nice powerful, even glow across the whole road & when you turn the brights on, I believe that the low beams stay on as well, making the brights, even brighter. All the exterior marking, brake, turn, & headlights have a very nice placement. The rear tail appear to have mini led lights that make them extremely visible at night. The stereo system has 6 speakers & man, I have to turn the bass down to like level 2 or it's almost too much. The stereo is awesome for a factory system. The interior lights self dim after you close the doors. The speedometer & RMP gauges are nicely lit & very visible at night.

I really don't have many complaints with this vehicle. I kind of wish that it had factory tinted windows & fog lamps but that's ok. Clear glass makes visibility better. Also the light for the rear door is actually on the door...so as you open it wide, it doesn't really illuminate the rear cargo area that well.

I have compared this to the Honda CRV & I have to say that this vehicle it right up there with it. I just love this vehicle. It makes me feel real good knowing that my wife is driving something built so well....read morehide

Pros

roomy, good suspension + handling, good milage

Cons

needs a bit more power or 5 speed in place of four speed.

Purchased As New

This has been a good little ride, lots of room. Good handling. Nice and firm for rough roads.

Pros

Very roomy for our golden retriever. Great looking! No engine problems since recall on pedal.

Cons

Rocky ride, feel every bump in road, back seats stiff, cannot be adjusted at all.

Purchased As New

Purchased this 2010 new last year when we turned in our Corolla after we bought a golden retriever. Great ride for her but very hard ride in general and rocky suspension. The back seat ride is very stff. Seats do not move at all back there. Very hard. You sit leaning slightly forward because the upright position is slightly bent forward.
We bought the Sport. It looks great. Runs great.
The ride is not great....read morehide

Pros

Everything

Cons

Nothing

Purchased As New

Love, love, love this SUV.....this is my second Toyota....still have my first one. I've had the RAV4 4 wheel drive for about a month and so far so good. Easy to drive.....love the upgraded stereo, the power moon roof and the 17 inch tires. I don't find the tailgate heavy or difficult to open and I am a 63 year old female about 5'1". Perfect...can't beat Toyota quality!!! And the color....Pryrite Mica is beautiful....read morehide

Pros

full size spare, rear storage compartment, MPG, fit and finish

Cons

firm ride ( I changed the tires and that helped some) extra bright headlights

Purchased As New

I have 9K miles on it now and still like it.
55~60mph will get you 27MPG.
65~70 mph will get you 24MPG
Quiet ride inspite of not having an isolated subframe.
Transmission will hunt between 2nd and 3rd when going up a hill with the cruise control on. Full size spare tire is a big plus if you tow things or drive the back roads.
As with most Toyota trucks, people will flash their high beams at you because yours are too bright....read morehide

Pros

ratings on fuel economy are on the button

Cons

little short on power.

Purchased As New

We have had our SUV for about 8 months and have been perfectly satisfied with it. We would recommend it to anyone looking for a small SUV with plenty of room for small families.

Pros

4WD, Large Interior, 6 Disc CD/XM Radio

Cons

Poor Gas Mileage, Sudden revving of Engine

Purchased As Used

Purchased used with only 20,000 miles on 2009 RAV4 had to replace front struts $400+, covered under warranty. Had sudden revving of engine spent 3 months with Toyota trying to get them to fix problem, after proving engine bolted with both feet on the brake pedal Toyota claims no problem with car, normal, but then sent me a recall on it to fix gas pedal. Toyota has been out sourcing some of it parts, can see it has effected the quality of it's products in a negative way. As much as I wanted to own a Toyota I can say I'll never purchase another one if this is the quality of its current products. Gas mileage poor so far has only been average 17.1 miles with V-6....read morehide

Pros

Smooth, powerful V6, good fuel economy, Toyota reliablity, quality

Cons

Stiff, bumpy ride (sports model), Rear mounted spare tire on right swinging tailgate.

Purchased As New

Love pretty much everything about this vehicle. V6 turns this small SUV into a pocket rocket hot rod! Approx. 2200 miles and overall very satisfied with purchase. Ride is very firm and bumpy with this model so be sure you test drive the sports model first to see if you are OK with stiff,bumpy ride. Ride quality does improve on freeway roads but you do feel bumps in the road no matter what roads you are on. Limited version is softer riding but handling is not as secure. So far, fuel economy averaging around 23 mpg in mostly city, S/W FLcommuter driving with AC running. V6 engine is very powerful and accelerates quickly yet is quiet and smooth. Handling is firm, secured and controlled and almost feels like I am driving a European sports sedan. Cabin is roomy, quiet and easy to access. Seats and headreasts are comfortable and I think nearly perfect in design quality. Charcoal grey interior looks very classy and should hold up to wear. Chose fabric seats over leather due to this Florida high heat and problems with leather in this environment. Visibilty is very good even with akward rear tailgate mounted spare tire. Controls are simple and easy to use. I chose the SportsV6 4X2 model and paid less than $24K (+ TTT) with sunroof alloys and tonneau cover. Not a bad price for a car with this kind of performance and features.

Test drive all models of the RAV4 as well as the models from the competition and I think you will come back to the RAV4 and reach the same conclusion that I did. The Toyota RAV4 V6 represents the best overall value in the subcompact SUV class and is the best bang for the buck!...read morehide

Pros

powerful V-6 that gets good gas mileage, roomy for size

Cons

stiff suspension, lousy stereo, non-existent power steering, no leather steering wheel cover

Purchased As New

i bought this early in 2010. engine is powerful and reliable while getting good mileage, 23 mpg commuting and up to 28 on the highway. it looks pretty good from the side, just don't look at it from the front.

the steering is very stiff, almost like there's no power steering. and the plastic steering wheel makes it worse because it has no grab to it. the suspension is really stiff, it's brutal going over bumps in the road. the stereo isn't great, although i think the music on XM is worse than FM. one other thing i can't stand is the ignition key, it's so long it won't sit comfortably in my pocket. boy do i hate that. the cup holders are too big to be useful, and the car came with some inserts which are too small, go figure. there's plenty of room inside throughout, including the cargo area. the engine surges only at slower speeds, the car is a dream on the highway.

i bought this car because it's fairly unique, being a smaller SUV that will fit in my small townhouse garage, with a big 6 cylinder engine. even though it fits the bill the dismal driving characteristics make me want to get rid of it. even with it's smaller size it still feels like i'm driving a large truck. this was the first toyota i've ever owned and i'm not overly impressed....read morehide