2002 Toyota RAV4 Sport Utility Vehicle Reviews & Ratings

Getting in and out of the RAV4 is easy thanks to the low load floor.

An important object of the Toyota RAV4 redesign was more cabin room. With the 50/50 split bench rear seats removed, there's now 68.3 cubic feet of cargo volume available, compared to 57.9 in the old model. There's also more cargo space behind the rear seats than before, as well as 2.9 more inches of legroom in the front. The legroom is ample, and the driver's footrest allows even more stretch. But with more room in front of the front seats, and more room behind the rear seats, there's a loss of 1.3 inches of rear legroom.

Front seats are new and fit very nicely, and our gray leather with dimpled black trim was classy. New for 2002 is what Toyota calls "oak cloth."

The redesign for 2001 narrowed the seats at the hips by 2.4 inches, but we didn't feel squeezed. The seating position feels confidently high and offers excellent visibility forward, although the spare tire intrudes into the view out the rear window. The tidy three-spoke leather-wrapped energy-absorbing urethane steering wheel tilted perfectly into place for drivers 4'-10" and 5'-10".

Instruments are easy to read and the instrument panel is handsome, trimmed as ours was in titanium. By day, the gauges are a sort of metallic off-white, and by night they glow sort of orange. Admittedly, these aren't quite as legible as boring old white on black gauges. Directly ahead are three circles: speedo on left, temp/fuel/warning lights and gear indicator in the circle on the right, and nicely balanced between and above them in a smaller circle is the neat-looking tach. Redline runs from 6500 to 8000 rpm, pointless because the power peaks at 6000 rpm.

Climate controls are mercifully simple. You got on, you got off, you got fan speed, you got blue for cold, red for hot; what else do you need? There's a stubby stalk for the cruise control on the steering wheel, under the wiper stalk on the left side of the steering column. There are two big cupholders forward of the natty leather-wrapped E-brake lever between the seats, an accessory power outlet, and a small space near the console that's intended for change but big enough for cellphones. In the rear as in the front are two cupholders and one power outlet.

There are storage compartments on both sides of the cargo bay as well as under its floor, a net pocket on the rear door, and pockets in all four doors. Sunglass holders too, under the steering wheel, and vanity mirrors with extensions and lights on each visor. Some 75 percent of RAV4 buyers have been women, but Toyota hopes to find more male buyers with the new RAV4.

The low load floor means it's easy to load groceries or gear without excessive effort or back strain. We found the cargo cover constantly in the way. But it features a nice two-piece pullout design that makes it easy to remove.

The Toyota RAV4's engine is a winner, though this is not the quickest vehicle on the planet. The 2.0-liter engine is the same displacement as the previous-generation RAV4 powerplant, but it is 40 pounds lighter, a benefit of its aluminum construction. It's more powerful and more efficient than before, delivering 23/27 mpg.

It makes 148 horsepower and 142 foot-pounds of torque. It revs relatively high, but offers good torque at low rpm. This makes it responsive and pleasant around town. Acceleration in the 4WD with automatic transmission is lively and feels almost effortless, as if the 2943-pound vehicle were featherweight. The final drive ratio of this vehicle is 3.29, as opposed to 3.12 on the 2777-pound 2WD, so the 2WD (front-wheel drive) should feel about the same. It could use more power at high elevations, however, as we found while driving one near Yellowstone National Park.

The water-cooled, electronically controlled, four-speed automatic transmission fully complements the smoothness of the engine. Every shift felt seamless.

Around-town handling and parking lot maneuvering is wonderfully nimble; again, the RAV4 feels even lighter than its 2943 pounds. On the highway, the power rack-and-pinion steering is precise, with no dodginess; the stretched wheelbase likely contributes to the improvement here. In gusty winds, however, the RAV4 wanders quite a bit.

There's little that's truck-like about the suspension. The independent front suspension uses MacPherson struts with L-shaped control arms, while the rear suspension is a double wishbone with coil springs and nitrogen-filled shock absorbers. The redesign includes softer spring rates, larger bushings and a longer suspension stroke. Chassis and suspension take bumps with equanimity, and offer a ride as good or better than many larger SUVs. Maybe even more impressively, there's no detectable pitching or tipping, which is no mean feat for any SUV.

Finally, the brakes, which are plenty big enough for the weight, with 10.7-inch front ventilated discs and 9.0-inch rear drums. With a vehicle this good, it would be a shame not to include the optional ABS. At $590, it also might be penny wise but pound foolish, especially since the ABS includes EBD. That's electronic brake force distribution, which adjusts the braking force of the rear wheels according to load fluctuations for shorter stopping distances.

Two models are available: 2WD and 4WD. Key differences are found in the list of options.

All are four-doors. There is only one engine, which was new for 2001: an all-aluminum, 16-valve, dohc inline four-cylinder with variable valve timing, displacing 2.0 liters and producing 148 horsepower. Two transmissions are available, a five-speed manual and a four-speed electronically controlled automatic.

Prices sound low at first glance, starting at just $16,525 for a 2WD model with a five-speed manual. But they quickly escalate when adding options. The $26,565 sticker on our test model showed $590 for antilock brakes; $220 for a roof rack; $875 for alloy wheels with slightly wider tires; $220 for remote entry; $800 for leather; $390 for limited-slip differential (only available with 4WD); $200 for a rear spoiler; $815 for a power moonroof; $40 for daytime running lights; and a whopping $3,120 for a package including air conditioning, cruise control, CD sound system, tinted windows, fog lamps, and smoother body trim including a spare tire cover. Plus $480 delivery, processing and handling (a figure which climbs to $495 if you live in the Gulf States or Southeast).

Anti-lock brakes might be the best value in there. If you were trying to keep the price of your mini SUV mini, as one would think it should be, you might tell yourself you could do without most of the rest of those options. But you'd probably want air conditioning, which is a $985 stand-alone option, or comes with the Quick Order Package ($2,295) along with a CD audio system, cruise control, power windows, locks and mirrors and carpeted floor mats.