2012 Toyota RAV4 User Reviews

Pros

love the ride and the looks

Cons

do wish back window would open

Purchased As New

Looked around at cars for about six months. My wife and I kept coming back to this Toyota. Did not like the size of new suv including new CRV Honda which my wife thought was a little to big for what she wanted around town. Decided on a used Rave but after going to dealer with the price we got and the extended Toyota Care and warranty we bought a new one. Have had for two months and still loving this car....read morehide

Pros

toyota

Cons

Should have bought a honda

Purchased As New

Toyota Quality- Good
Size-OK
Ride-OK
Driving Experience-Lame
Nice car, wish I had looked up true cost to own, with the better driving and easier to fold rear seats, I would have bought the CRV.

Pros

Seats weren't bad.

Cons

Noisy, bad fuel economy, under-powered for highway driving

Purchased As Not Purchased

I didn't buy, I rented. I had the RAV for a week on a drive from Minnesota to Texas and back. A drive like that can tell you a lot about a car.

Immediately we (My wife and I) noticed we could hear the road and wind noise as we headed out of Minnesota. On some stretches we couldn't discern what was being said on the radio, and if we raised the volume, we would surely have been deaf before Texas.

After two tanks of gas we also discovered that this "economy" vehicle got about as much, or fewer, MPG (25+/-) than either of our 15+ year old mini vans (Lumina APV and Chrysler Town and Country), both with over 215,000 miles - which is why we rented for the trip. I suppose the small gas tank is a blessing of sorts, because it forces you to make frequent stops, and allow you to stretch your legs a bit. It might be that the car is under-powered, because it seemed to downshift at every overpass, and perhaps that frequent acceleration cut into it's mileage performance.

We got down and back OK, but one might expect that from a car with just 17000 miles. I suppose if I was gifted one, I would probably keep it, but I'm thankful I was only renting.

Perhaps it's more of an around-the-town SUV....read morehide

Cons

Bumper is plastic and side pops out from the clips holding it together

Purchased As New

I owned a Corolla prior to this so I knew I was going back with Toyota. RAV4 is smaller than my previous SUV but is still good. The vehicle handles well and not low to the ground. It takes a bit to get used to the brakes compared to the Corolla but this is just getting used to the vehicle. The cup holders are placed on the doors in the back and under the A/C controll in the front. It sometimes gets in the way with the transmission bar. I notice the lighter slot in the front and center console no longer charge phones/GPS but the USB slot works. I am not totally sold on this vehicle but worth the money spent compared to other SUV's...read morehide

Pros

Very tight turning circle which is outstanding~ Ease in getting out of RAV4 very good.

Cons

Dead spots, needs warning on mirror that Camry XLE offers. Backup camera too small.

Purchased As New

This is my first Tpyota; always bought Buick or Ford...Great cargo space when seats are folded down, but no cup holder; only in front and rear! Very good cruise control and rear view wiper. Audio knob on Sirius radio is too sensitive to touch; many times will change to another station! Very frustrating!

Highway mileage isn't what RAV4 claims to be; I was getting 22 mpg at 65 with A/C on. Disappointing!

Get complete coverage package if you can afford it. Great value!...read morehide

Pros

Excellent vehicle

Cons

blind spots

Purchased As Used

absolutely the best we've ever owned. A bit too much technology. We bought the Luxury edition which is loaded.

Pros

It gets great mileage and has a high resale value

Cons

Very few!

Purchased As Used

This car is great for small families or families with dogs (like us). This is my 5th car & 4th Toyota. I have had two Solaras and a Camry prior to this and so far, I love this car more than the others! It feels like I am driving a minivan without actually having to drive a minivan. The ride is incredibly smooth and one of my favorite parts is all the space in the back. The 2nd row seats lay completely flat and there is also a hide away storage compartment. I will feel very comfortable putting my children in this car!...read morehide

Pros

Everything... from the way it looks to the way it performs...

Cons

None!!

Purchased As New

I bought this vehicle for work purposes!!! I wanted a small vehicle but yet not something small and low to the ground. I was actually looking at the Scion XB for a while because of the amount of room it offers. They had a (my) RAV4 in the showroom, it was much better and sportier than anything I expected!!
What really sold me on the vehicle were several things: Great performance,comfort, roomy, style, 2 year free maintenance warranty and the fact that it was a V4. Yes I did spend just a little but more than expected, but Honestly, it's a Toyota and if you know vehicles, you know it's a dependable ride. I strongly recommend this vehicle....read morehide

Pros

roomy, tight ride, lots of nooks and crannies, quiet, holds the road well

Cons

Base does not have keyless entry, radio for base is "ok"

Purchased As New

I spent a lot of time looking for an affordable 4 x 4. The Rav 4 wasn't on my list but I saw the lease price and thought I'd give it a try. It had everything I was looking for, 4 x 4, roof rack, bluetooth, decent mileage and the room inside is very surprising. One of the things I initially didn't like was the spare on the back but then I realized how much more room it had inside and I was sold. I also like that the back swings away instead of lifting but I'm sure Toyota will change that. I'm used to driving a VW so I appreciated the tight ride. 4 cyl is peppy....read morehide

Pros

Third row seat

Cons

Poor reliabilty

Purchased As New

Purchased a Rav4 new in 2006. Has now 45,000 miles on it as of 2012. Has broken down on us three times over the course of that time. We had the battery replaced by the dealership and other major work and now after a year it died in a parking lot. This is the last straw. Very disappointed and poor reliability. Will never purchase a Toyota again. Buyer beware!!!...read morehide