1. Five of the Best Lifestyle SUVs
2. Land Rover Freelander 2
3. Toyota RAV4
4. Suzuki Grand Vitara
5. BMW X3
6. Kia Sportage

It's said that Toyota invented the sporty lifestyle SUV with the first-generation RAV4. With the likes of BMW muscling in on the segment, Toyota knew that it had to raise the RAV4's game even further on the second generation, launched only last year.

Toyota took the unusual step of dropping the sportier three-door version when it launched the new car, instead moving the RAV4 upmarket, closer to full-size SUVs. Market research must have demanded this, and in fact, Land Rover has followed suit with the new Freelander.

So what does the RAV4 bring to the party? It is a conspicuously good road car, though wouldn't see which way the Freelander went on a tricky off-road route. Its controls are well weighted and it leans towards being sporty rather than comfortable. It isn't cheap though, but you get what you pay for.

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