2013 Toyota RAV4 XLE AWD, 2013 Toyota RAV4 XLE AWD Images Review :
Crossing over to a place with no sporting pretense.
Never mind the Subaru 4x4 wagons, Jeep Cherokees, and Suzuki Samurais that paved the way, Toyota’s RAV4 is the seminal crossover. In the strangely popular cars-impersonating-trucks category, this is the model that has remained faithful to its roots through three design renovations. The attack of interlopers and the recent economic downturn knocked the RAV off the top-seller’s perch, but it’s back this year with a full make over intended to hold a rising number of challengers at bay.
The fourth-gen RAV4 is nearly identical in size to its immediate predecessor, so the major changes pertain to its general layout and driveline configurations. The burly 3.5-liter V-6 engine is history; it arrived with the third generation and was instrumental in the RAV4 winning two of our comparison tests (once in 2008 and again in 2010). A port-injected 2.5-liter four-cylinder now is the sole power source, aided by a new six-speed automatic transmission. (Last year the base four-cylinder was paired with a four-speed automatic. A RAV4 so configured finished fourth in a six-crossover comparo last fall.) Regrettably, no stick-shift option has been offered since the 2005 model year. Power-delivery options again include front-drive or on-demand four-wheel drive.
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VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon PRICE AS TESTED: $27,565 (base price: $26,535) ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, port fuel injection Displacement: 152 cu in, 2494 cc TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode DIMENSIONS: |
C/D TEST RESULTS: FUEL ECONOMY: |
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