The 2010 Toyota RAV4 is a midsize crossover SUV. There are three trim levels available: base, Sport and Limited. The base RAV4 comes standard with 16-inch steel wheels, a limited-slip differential (front-drive models), air-conditioning, cruise control, full power accessories, keyless entry, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, driver seat height adjustment and a six-speaker stereo with CD player and auxiliary audio jack. The RAV4 Sport comes standard with 18-inch alloy wheels, color-keyed bumpers and sportier suspension tuning. All V6 models add hill-start assist and downhill assist control, which are also standard on the four-cylinder with the optional third-row seat.
The Premium package available on the Sport and Limited (but not with the third-row seat) adds leather upholstery and an eight-way power driver seat with power lumbar support. V6-powered models can be equipped with a tow package.
The 2010 Toyota RAV4 comes standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that delivers 179 hp and 172 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy with front-wheel drive is 22 mpg city/28 mpg highway and 24 mpg combined, and 21/27/24 with 4WD.
In performance testing, the RAV4 V6 4WD delivered a 0-60 time of 7.2 seconds. All RAV4s can be equipped with either front-wheel or four-wheel drive. With the optional tow package, the RAV4 V6 can tow up to 3,500 pounds.
Antilock disc brakes, stability control, traction control, whiplash-reducing front headrests, front-seat side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags are standard on every 2010 Toyota RAV4. It earned five stars for front- and rear-occupant protection in side impacts. The RAV4's interior boasts a clean design with large, simple controls and lots of storage space.
The Toyota is better, in my opinion — but by a narrower margin in the RAV4 Sport 4x4 that I drove, because it has a firmer suspension than the other trim levels. Ultimately, I found the RAV4 Sport comfortable enough over several days and a few hundred miles.
What I question is whether the RAV4's sport suspension is even necessary. The goal may be sportier handling, and the suspension tuning and 18-inch wheels couple with the car-based design to deliver just that: sportier handling.
Even with the added weight of all-wheel drive, my test car accelerated with authority. The current generation RAV4's excellent base gas mileage was one of its claims to fame, which it retained even when the reworked 2007 CR-V rated 20/27 mpg.
Though the original RAV4 started its life small by today's standards, its incremental growth has kept its cabin space competitive. Seating dimensions are surprisingly close among the class leaders. Among the backseats, the Escape's legroom is short by full inches, and the Equinox is ahead of the curve, with 1.6 inches more legroom than the RAV4, which is comfortably mudpack in most seating dimensions.
For example, the RAV4's driver's seat has a generous height range, which you jack up or down via a large lever. Historically, adding seats has meant robbing space from the others, even if you don't choose the third-row option. That's the beauty of the sliding second-row seats; in the 2010 Toyota RAV4, the third-row option imposes no sacrifice on the five-seater, and the three-row model loses only 1 cubic foot of second-row passenger volume and none of its maximum cargo space when the third row's in the floor.
Buyers who forgo the third row will benefit from an under floor cargo space that's designed to store the folded seats in models that have them. Retractable cargo covers — also an option in the RAV4 — may hide valuables, but their presence suggests to prying eyes that there's something of value below.
The 2010 Toyota RAV4's passenger and cargo volumes are generous among the class leaders. For what it's worth, the Equinox's interior is on the tighter side despite being even longer than the RAV4. Rather than lifting upward like a lift gate, the RAV4's cargo door swings to the side. The previous-generation CR-V's gate was the same; now it rises.
The swing gate isn't the 2009 RAV4's only sign of age. The RAV4's reliability history remains above average, but again, competitors have improved. (See all the RAV4's safety features here.) You can't take away from Toyota's pioneering achievements in crossover SUVs: The 1996 RAV4 was arguably the first car-based SUV, and the Lexus RX 300 became the crossover everyone wanted to be.
New for 2010 is the Sport Appearance package for the Sport grade 4x2 and 4x4 models equipped with the 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. The Sport Appearance Package gives the RAV4 Sport grade a sleeker look, with an exclusive rear door design featuring chrome accents and no spare tire. For 2010, the Limited grade also adds a chrome parking brake and vent trim.