Toyota RAV4
Some say that
Toyota invented the compact SUV segment with its first ever RAV4, certainly in three-door guise. Oddly enough, Toyota dropped the shorter car when it released the latest version, so the five-door variant you see here is the only body style available. That decision makes sense when you look at the RAV4's natural competitors; none of them have a three-door option.
That aside, the RAV4 is still a relatively sporting option. It is not designed as such in the same way the CX-7 was, but on the road it is remarkably planted and willing to change direction too. In fact, it's the car closest in character to the new VW Tiguan. Unlike the new VW though, the Toyota has been around for a couple of years and though there's nothing inherently wrong with the car, buyers are a fickle bunch, so it may be time to remind them that it exists.
Still, the range is well priced, spanning a ten grand gap that encompasses nearly all of the other cars featured here. Like the
Honda, engine choices are 2.0-litre petrol or 2.2-litre turbodiesel.
Another characteristic the RAV4 shares with the CR-V is sense that the car could well outlast the buyer!
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